A/N: I'm very close to the end of this story! It's been a joy to write and I love reading all the lovely reviews. I'll bring it on home with some fluff and smut so we're all satisfied. Probably just another chapter or so after this.

…

"Where is the control panel for your shower?" Regina tapped her palm against the wall above the toilet in Emma's apartment. She had seen the open Whiskey bottle on the counter, and judging by Emma's state of inebriation and stress, what she needed most was a shower followed by a nap. Regina had already shuffled through her medicine cabinet to locate some ibuprofen and made Emma take a couple and drink a few glasses of water.

It had been a long, long time since she'd had another person in her life to care for besides Henry, but her need to make sure Emma was alright didn't stem from the underlying guilt she had about the disastrous result from the gossip article. She simply found she cared for the blonde's well-being.

"Regina, there's just a knob. Turn it right and the water gets hotter, and to the left: it gets colder," Emma chuckled at Regina's perplexed face as she leaned against the bathroom wall. She may be a bit out of touch, but it was in an adorable way, like watching Oprah pump her own gas for the first time in 15 years.

"No control panel? But how do you regulate the perfect amount of steam?" Regina turned on the shower and tested the water until it was a suitable temperature. "Clothes off and get in now."

"Too much steam," Emma whined in jest, slyly winking at Regina, who had already turned her focus solely to Emma's drunken strip show. It was a short one, and the brunette made a mental note to get Emma more clothes if only so she could take her time undressing her.

"You don't want to wash my back?" Emma stepped into the shower, pleased to note that it was the perfect temperature. The water soothed her body and calmed her mind. The water was one of the main draws of her coming to Florida in the first place. It was so serene and peaceful to walk down the beach by the Ocean.

"I'd love to, but at this moment my priority is getting you cleaned up," Regina had to agree that there was too much steam as the billowing mist was obstructing her view of Emma. "If I were to get in there with you, we'd be in there forever …and things would get very dirty."

Occasionally, she just liked to watch and admire her beautiful young lover.

Unembarrassed, Emma washed her body, fully of aware of Regina's hungry eyes on her. She knew the priority of their current endeavor wasn't sexy times, but she couldn't help but get turned on under that watchful and appreciative gaze. There was a foreign sense of intimacy in being completely naked and vulnerable while Regina remained in control and untouchable in her business suit.

When she finished rinsing off, Regina was right there to wrap her up in a big fluffy towel and dry her before leading her to her bed. "Are you feeling any better?"

"I will if you lay down with me for a little bit?" Emma bit her lip, the request was so hard to make, but she wanted her to stay for just a little bit longer. With Regina in her apartment the walls felt less oppressive, and the space opened up. The loneliness was somehow driven away and banished to the dark corners, replaced with a sense of belonging and understanding.

"Of course," she smiled and removed her shoes, while Emma leapt into bed still damp and wrapped in her towel. It was too warm to put on clothes. Regina lay down beside her, inhaling the pleasing fresh scent of her. They both turned on their sides to face one another.

"Thank you," Emma murmured in a small voice. Regina scooted closer and drew her into a hug, not caring that her clothes were soaking up a bit of excess water. They lay together quietly for a long while, Regina hoped Emma would fall asleep so she could go enact her revenge. She envisioned herself driving over to the real estate office and soaking every inch of it in gasoline, then striking a match and tossing it lit into the building. She would smile as she walked away, not even caring to watch it burn. The scorching heat on her back would be enough satisfaction.

Sensing that the blonde was stiffening up, Regina looked down at her in concern, "What are you thinking about?"

"No, You first," Emma wanted to know. The look on Regina's face was quite terrifying.

"Committing arson," Regina admitted cheerily, as she squeezed Emma to her and dropped a kiss onto her forehead.

Fair was fair.

"Honestly, I can't stop worrying. I have so much to do…I have to find a new job, how am I going to pay my rent?" She felt strange bringing up the topic of money with Regina, but it was Emma's main worry.

"I could just buy your apartment complex and change your lease so you can live here for free," Regina suggested with a shrug.

Emma laughed, her body shaking in Regina's arms, she pushed up her head and kissed her lips.

"What?" Regina asked, unable to stop Emma's laughter from infecting her too.

"The fact that you are so filthy rich that your first thought to solve my rent dilemma is to just buy the whole property. That's simply ridiculous."

"Right, that is a ridiculous notion because I no longer have a reliable real estate broker…" a thought popped into Regina's head. She sat up in Emma's bed and clasped her hands together. "Emma, do you have your real estate license?"

The blonde sat up next to her, wondering what exactly Regina was thinking, "Well, yeah, I took the course and got my licensure when I started at the job for legal purposes."

"Why are you a support person and not an agent yourself then?"

Emma scratched her neck, "because agents work on commission only and it can be hard to get started. Sometimes one deal can take like a whole year, and things fall through at the last minute. I needed a salary that I could count on."

"Have you learned all the ropes of the business from your boss?" Regina's eyes were growing wider in excitement. She was hoping Emma would reach the same conclusion.

"Of course, I could totally do what my boss does, and probably with a lot less stress…are you thinking…?" Emma furrowed her brow, and studied Regina's face in question.

"Take my business! Start your own brokerage practice. You can be my personal real estate agent, and there will be no conflict of interest if we are together."

That idea sounded pretty great actually. Emma wouldn't feel like a worthless moocher if she was earning commission, and she could make her own agent/client sex policies. "Wow…Yes, I mean if you're sure you trust me with your business?"

"I do," Regina responded leaning down to capture Emma's lips once again, she pulled her down on the bed and snuggled into her. She had always been forced into making decisions by her mother and her late husband, but she'd never truly had a choice. It felt right and good to give Emma options and opportunities to find a freedom she had never had herself.

"And when you say 'we're together,' what does that mean exactly?" Emma whispered hiding her flushed cheeks against the pillow.

"It means just that: we're together like this," Regina purred and rolled over on top of Emma, pressing her body down and covering her like a sexy blanket. "Now, my lovely, you rest for now and come over this evening for our excursion to Orlando."

"Okay," Emma kissed her deeply, and squeezed her bicep. "Regina, please don't actually burn down my boss's office…or set his car on fire either."

"If you insist," she smiled and kissed her again, and lifted off of her to pat her shoulder in affection. "However, I am going to cause quite the scene as I rip away my business. I can hardly wait!"

"Goodbye," Emma called as Regina practically skipped out the door on her way to metaphorically burn down Perry & Harper.

She felt so much better and the future suddenly looked as promising as a hot pink and yellow sunrise over the ocean.