Chapter25
After hours of staring at the four walls of the high-end apartment, Emma decided to take a walk to get some fresh air. One thing after another kept happening and she didn't want to feel like she did that last night in New York again. The cool night air would clear her thoughts.
Regina was invading her senses as of late. The woman occupied most of her thoughts since their meeting in the club bathroom, but now it seemed to be all the time. Her mind continued to revisit the night in the brunette's study. The brunette's roaming hands and those lips. They were rougher than she might have imagined, but it still managed to stir something low in her stomach.
Zelena vowed to locate her mother's Zippo but had yet to do so. A small part of the blonde wanted to throw her own self off a building for losing the last piece of her mother. Emma paused before pushing the elevator button, this was a bad idea. She wasn't feeling much like being around the people she would pass on the street. In New York, you could walk by hundreds of people and never have to worry about interacting with them. But, here in Houston Texas, people felt the need to chat you up.
As she was about to turn around and head back to the apartment down the hall, the elevator doors opened. Inside stood Zelena, Robert Gold and a heavyset man in a sharp suit and pointed nose. "Emma? I hope we aren't intruding." Gold said with a smile.
The blonde didn't answer him. Instead, she looked at her lawyer who seemed to apologize with her eyes, "What's going on?"
Gold spoke, "We have much to discuss, might we go inside where it's a bit more private?" He gestured down the hallway towards the apartment.
Emma stared at her lawyer for a moment. After it was clear the woman had no intentions of giving an explanation, she led the group down the hallway. What the hell could this be about?
Once they were inside and the door closed, Gold let his eyes roam over the space.
"Miss Midas has a nice place. How come it is you don't have your own place?" The impish man asked strolling through the room observing the living space.
"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm kind of between jobs at the moment." She crossed her arms over her chest watching the man as he stopped to peer at a painting above the sofa. "Why are you here?"
Mr. Gold made his way across the room to where the piano stood. He ignored the blonde's question, "Congratulations on your performance the other evening. I hear you played very well." He ran a finger across the top of the high gloss finish.
Emma narrowed her eyes, "What? Is my father having you follow me around too?"
The man chuckled but kept his eyes on the décor of the room as he makes his round, "No dearie. I have my own reasons to check in on you and I can assure you they do not include David Nolan." Her father's name came out as if it tasted bad on the Scottish man's tongue.
"And your reasons are?" Emma asked, growing more impatient of this game as the seconds ticked on.
Mr. Gold ended his short tour at the island, "Miss Ozman has informed me of your arrest last night."
Emma looked at her lawyer with surprise, "Oh she did, did she? What else did my trusted attorney tell you?"
He smiled reaching for a manila folder the heavy set man passed him, "Give us the room please." The man and Zelena stepped outside the apartment and let the door close behind them. Emma felt a bit queasy. This couldn't be good.
"Miss Ozman has brought it to my attention that you wish to confess to the murder of my nephew." He said flipping through the file.
Emma was speechless. She had no idea what to say. Why would Zelena do this to her? Gold would kill her for sure.
"There is no need for your confession." He said pulling out a small stack of papers that had been paper clipped together.
Emma took them but remained quiet. The first paper was telephone records. The second one was bank transactions. She flipped through the documents, "Phone records and bank statements? I don't know those numbers and I have no clue whose account that is."
"These documents refer to my Nephew, Albert." He said with his eyes locked on her features.
Emma glanced down seeing the date on one of the phone transfers read yesterday's date, "That's not possible." The blonde said in confusion.
"It is my dear. As I told the police less than an hour ago, my nephew is alive and well in Baja." Gold said collecting the paper from the blonde.
"But how," she asked? "I killed him," her voice barely above a whisper.
Gold looked at her for a long moment, then glanced at the door, "My nephew is a shit head, he deserved whatever he got." He started towards the door, "You needn't worry about the other three. They have decided that University in New Zealand is the best thing for them. And I hear that even though they are unable to father any children, their parts still work fine. In case you've wondered."
"So you know?" She asked, wondering what was happing and why he hadn't killed her with his own hands.
"Like I said before, Emma, My nephew is alive and well in Baja, case closed." He opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, "Mr. Mathis will be dropping his charges against you. It appears there was a misunderstanding."
The blonde was dumbfounded. "What does that mean," she asked rushing to the doorway.
Mr. Gold didn't stop his pace towards the elevator, the heavyset man on his heels. When he made it to the lift he pressed the button. He said, "It means Dearie, please refrain from getting yourself into any more trouble." He stepped onto the elevator and was gone.
"What the hell just happened?" Emma asked staring at the closed doors of the lift.
"I think Mr. Gold just saved all our asses." The redhead stated.
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"What is it with this town and Rohypnol," Millie asked, passing a sheet of paper to Emma.
The blonde took the paper and read what the pink haired woman had just told her, "You've got to be shitting me."
"And it is a highly concentrated mixture. Those corks have more than ten times the amount that you, the Doc and Miss Kathryn received," Millie said placing her hands on her hips.
Emma thought back to the surveillance videos. She watched those men drop the drug into both women's drinks. She scratched her neck. Why would the bar have a specific bottle of liquor with high amounts of Rohypnol in them? Why did Blackwell and his friend bring their own?
"Where did you get those corks," Millie asked?
Pulled from her thoughts, Emma said, "I don't have all the answers yet, but I will soon."
She kissed the woman on the cheek, "Thanks."
"Anything for you baby, stay out of trouble," Mille smiled.
Emma walked out of the room. Lost in her own thoughts and not paying attention, she slammed into someone. Her papers cascaded to the floor and they mixed with the other person's. She bent down to help gather the mess off the floor.
"Emma," Regina's voice asked?
Emerald eyes shot up, locking with the smoky ones of the doctor's, "Regina, hey. Sorry, I didn't see you."
"It's okay. What are you doing here?" The brunette asked shuffling her paperwork together as she avoided direct eye contact.
The blonde swallow, but managed a smile, "I umm, needed to see Millie about something. What are you doing here?" Emma cursed herself for the stupid question.
"I work here," Regina said in no particular tone.
"Right." She laughed, her nerves making themselves known, "I guess I'll see you around then."
She rolled her eyes at herself. Why did she have to be a complete idiot when she was around the doctor? She needed to face the facts. The two of them would never be able to be more than what they were. She wasn't what the brunette wanted.
Emma felt a firm grip on her arm pulling her into a side room. Regina closed the door behind them and crossed her arms, "We really need to talk. First, you get arrested for assault, then I find out you planned to turn yourself in. I get a phone call today. Zelena tells me Gold has magically produced evidence that proves a man, that I know for a fact is dead, is alive and well. The three men, who were mutilated, have decided to go to school in New Zealand." She waved her hand in the air frantically. "I have a very upset 9-year old who thinks his best friend hates his guts because she won't answers his apology messages. I find out he has been bullied at school. He passes out because he is overstressed and everyone won't leave me alone about you." Regina took a breath closing her eyes. It was clear she hadn't meant to go that far into a rant.
Emma's eyes were wide. She put up her hands, "Whoa, slow down a little. Go back to Henry passing out?"
Regina opened her eyes looking at the blonde with confusion. She licked her lips, "He saw the video of you attacking Harold Mathis, and his teacher said he passed out."
"Is he okay?" The blonde asked with genuine concern.
The brunette shrugged starting to pace again, "I don't know. The neurologist said there's nothing physically wrong with him. I examined him myself and found nothing. I've convinced Henry to talk to a counselor. I don't think he's happy about it, but he has agreed."
"That's good. I think…, "Emma stopped herself. She had no place giving her opinion of what Regina should do with her son. She had learned that the hard way.
"You think what," Regina peered at her questionably?
The blonde cleared her throat, "I was only going to say that I think it's a great idea. Henry needs someone not so close to him to talk to." She let her eyes fall to the floor, "But I'm not his mom."
"Emma, about last night, I'm sorry." Regina chewed her bottom lip.
Emma smiled putting her hand up, "No need to apologize. You were right. I should've come to you as soon as he told me, but instead, I chose to act like my father."
Regina looked down at her wristwatch, "Damn it." She sighed, "I have to see patients. Will you come to dinner tonight? I want to talk to you more and Henry is dying to see you."
The blonde rubbed her chin apprehensively, "I don't know. I have some errands to run and-"
"Emma, please. I promise I won't kick you out this time." Regina chewed on her lower lip as she waited for the reply.
Emma wasn't expecting her to beg. The blonde's stomach fluttered at the thought of the older woman actually wanting to see her. She had to stop this, "Okay." She wanted to kick herself for her weakness. That was not the response she was sending to her mouth.
The smile that spread across Regina's face was breathtaking, "Great. I'll see you around 7 then."
Emma gave a goofy grin and nodded her head yes. This woman will definitely be the death of her. Not to mention the world seeing her act like a twitterpated fool.
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The bell rang out causing Henry to jump. It had taken him the entire class period to focus on the History test before him. He set his pencil down and glanced at the two vacant desks on either side of him and frowned.
Peter and Felix didn't come today either. He wondered if their dad hurt them for what Emma did at the restaurant. As much as he knew his blonde friend shouldn't have done what she did, he was secretly pleased.
The second bell sounded pulling him from his thoughts. The other kids had gone. Mrs. Blue shuffled through the finished test papers the students handed in on their way out.
Henry picked up his own paper and grabbed his backpack. He was in no hurry. He knew Kathryn would be waiting for him from the text message his Grandfather sent him an hour ago. He loved his aunt, but he wasn't looking forward to the discussion.
"Henry? Is everything alright?" The teacher asked as he slipped his paper onto her desk.
He gave a weak smile and nodded. He didn't feel like talking and he sure wasn't telling another grown up his problems. Besides, the only grown-up he wanted to talk to was Emma, but he treated her badly. The blonde had yet to respond to any of his texts.
As Henry headed for the door, a woman rushed passed him, her heels clicking loudly. He wouldn't have paid her any mind, except her voice caught his attention. There was something familiar about it, so he turned, "Mrs. Blue, I'm Susan Mathis."
His eyes widened when he recognized her from Emma's video debut. It was Peter and Felix's mom.
The teacher's eyes flashed to Henry's then back up to the woman's, "It's nice to meet you." She paused, "Henry, I'll see you on Monday, okay?"
He nodded his head, turning back to the door.
"Henry Locksley?" The woman asked causing him to freeze in place.
He slowly looked back at her, "Yes ma'am." He swallowed. She probably hated him too.
"I don't know the whole story of how my boys know you, but thank you." She said, her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
Henry furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "For what?"
She hesitated, but managed a smile, "For telling your friend." Her eyes moved to the teacher, "I had no idea he was hurting them. He told me that they did it to themselves, and like an idiot, I believed him."
The teacher stood, "Would you like to sit Mrs. Mathis?"
The woman seemed to shake her thoughts, "No, thank you. I wanted to come and collect the boy's work for today and to let you know they'll be back on Monday. I still have some things to work through with CPS, but they are going to allow them to stay with me."
"You're not making them move?" Henry asked.
She shook her head, "Um, no. Mr. Mathis is taking a job offer out of the country and I have filed for a divorce. The boys have no reason to go to another school."
Henry couldn't help the smile that pulled at his mouth, "That's great news."
Henry tried to imagine what it would be like if he were in their shoes. Sure, his father was an asshole, but he had never struck him. The worst he had ever done is to yell or appear not to care, but he knew if he hit his mom, he could find a reason to hit Henry too. He wondered if he would have been mad if Peter or Felix had told someone his father had been beating him. He shook his head. No, he would tell someone himself, if it came down to that. Wouldn't he?
He spotted his aunt's silver Lexus parked against the curb as he exited the school. His stomach dropped a little. Not because he didn't want to see her, but because he knew she wanted to 'talk'.
He opened the door and climbed into the back seat. He tossed his backpack beside him, "Hey."
Kathryn looked at him through the rearview mirror, "Hey. How was school?"
"Long." His voice was flat.
She watched him for a moment and then pulled away from the school, "I thought you liked school."
He propped his elbow up on armrest of the door and looked out the window, "I'm having a bad week. It'll be better next week. I hope."
"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked glancing up in the mirror then back to the road.
He sighed, "Not really." He didn't want to sound rude so he added, "But thank you though."
She nodded her understanding and remained quiet. He could tell she was treading lightly. He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them he asked in a soft tone, "Why did you do it?" His gaze was glued to the mirror.
Kathryn's eyes shot up to meet his and then returned to the road in front of her. When she didn't answer, he added, "I mean, I know what those guys did to you was bad, but how could you leave us like that?"
They had only driven a couple of miles when the car slowed and pulled over. His aunt put the car in park and stared out her side window for a long moment. He couldn't see her expression from this angle so he waited.
When Kathryn finally turned back, he could see the tears, "I'm so sorry Henry." Only a slight tremble made its presence known in her voice, "It never had anything to do with any of you." She let out a small humorless snort, "You were never supposed to know about what happened at the club."
"I found out when I dug through some of my dad's stuff. I wish Emma would have saved you too." He said looking back out the window.
"Emma had no way to know." She said wiping her cheek.
"I know, but still." He said barely above a whisper.
A long silence passed through the car. He hadn't meant to upset her, but he didn't understand suicide. He remembered reading about Emma's mom in the old newspapers in the garage. He knew how much his friend missed her mom. Even though his own Grandma hadn't died the same way, his mother still suffered the loss. How was he supposed to handle losing any of his family?
"I can't give you a perfect answer for why I did what I did Henry, but I am sorry that I put you through that. I was only thinking of myself and I thought life would be better without me in it." She tried to explain, her voice cracking.
Henry unbuckled his seat belt. He climbed up towards the front, squeezing himself between the two seats. "Our lives wouldn't be better without you. We need you, Aunt Kathryn."
More tears streamed down the woman's face, and she sobbed "Henry I'm so sorry."
He wrapped his arms around her, "I love you Aunt Kathryn, and I don't want you to die."
Another sob escaped. He could feel her hot tears on his shoulder, "I promise I will do everything I can to get better. I don't want to leave you either Henry. I love you too."
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Kathryn brought Henry home a couple hours ago. She looked as though she had been crying, but she and Henry were all smiles. The blonde assured her everything was fine. Her son did seem to be more at ease with her, so that was a plus.
She stirred the red sauce absentmindedly as her thoughts drifted to Emma. She didn't have a clue of how this evening would go. All she could hope was that it would go smoothly and as stress-free as possible.
She let out a laugh at her own words in her head. 'Stress-free', yeah they were way past that.
"Regina? You okay?" Her father's voice called from the doorway.
She placed the lid over the pan, throwing him a quick glance, "Yeah, everything's fine."
"I was thinking of taking Henry and Kathryn to a movie tonight, what do you think?" He asked slipping his hands into his pockets.
"But I'm making dinner." She paused to look directly at her father.
He walked closer with a smile, "I know, but I was thinking it might be time for you and Emma to actually be alone for once."
Regina turned around, gesturing to the large pot of pasta bubbling on the stove, "I already cooked for the five of us." Suddenly remembering the bread she had put in the oven and gasped. Grabbing the oven mitt she yanked open the door and pulled the very dark brown bread out. "Damn it!" She said dropping the pan on the counter.
She heard a laugh from behind her, "What's so funny?"
"Regina calm down." Her father walked up behind her and squeezed her shoulders, "We will stay and eat, but after, we go out and you and Emma talk." He turned her so he could see her face, "Deal?"
Her stomach rolled slightly and she swallowed. She thought this evening was tense enough, but she didn't expect to be alone with Emma. She sighed, "Fine."
He kissed her lightly on the cheek and laughed again as he walked away. What he found so humorous was beyond her. She was on the brink of tears for fear she would screw this up, and he wanted to laugh. He was one of the people that told her to be bold and take a chance. Now it seemed she missed a joke that everyone else got.
She placed the colander in the sink. Pouring the large pot of pasta into it, some of them spilling into the sink, "God Damn it!" She shouted, the steam burning her hand. She slammed the pot back down on the burner. She put both hands on the lip of the sink and closed her eyes. Tears were more than close now, "Go ahead and cry, Regina. You already burnt the bread, why not ruin your make up in the process."
"Can I help with something?" A familiar voice said.
Regina spun to see Emma in the doorway. She glanced up at the large round clock that hung on the wall. Of course, the blonde would be early, "No. I have it under control, thanks." She turned back to the sink, "You're early. I thought you had errands to run."
"I did, I have a meeting tomorrow afternoon," The blonde said.
Regina shook the large colander then struggled to dump it back into the pan. Just as she was about to pour, Emma appeared at her side, lifting the strainer, "Wow, how many are coming for dinner?"
Regina looked confused, "It's only the five of us."
"That's a lot of food for five people," Emma said moving the now empty colander back to the sink.
Regina sighed looking down at the spaghetti in the pot. She hadn't paid attention when she started cooking. The amount of food she made could possibly feed a small army.
The blonde tilted her head to look at the brunette, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. If it's any consolation, I'm famished."
Regina managed a weak smile, "No it's fine. Your right I cooked way too much. My mind wandered off." Her eyes began to water and she clenched her jaw muscles. She could not cry now.
Emma's voice was low, "Hey is everything okay? Should I have called first? I didn't want to be late like that one time."
Regina took a deep breath before letting it out slowly, "No, I'm glad you're here. It's been a stressful week. If you want to help, then you can set the table."
Emma grinned, "That I can do."
Regina pointed the blonde to the china hutch. Without another word, Emma went to work setting the table.
Twenty minutes later the food was placed on the table. Emma did a great job with dish placement. And as Regina finished dinner, the blonde went in search of Henry.
"Dinner's ready," Regina called out!
Her father walked in with Kathryn at his side, "It looks delicious Honey."
"Where are the other two," she asked her father?
"They're in the living room." He answered sitting down in his usual chair.
Regina walked out into the entryway and could hear the two of them talking. She had no intentions of listening to what they were saying. She knew this was a personal conversation and only wished to alert them to dinner.
"Yeah. She wants me to go see Dr. Hopper," she heard her son say.
"I think you should go," Emma said nonchalantly.
"I told mom I would, I just don't know what good it'll do. He's a grown-up, not a 6th grader like me." Her son sounded unconvinced.
Emma laughed, "Just because grownups aren't your age, doesn't mean they don't understand what you're going through. Remember, they were your age once too. And besides, you need someone you can trust to talk to."
"I trust you. Couldn't I talk to you?" He asked.
She laughed again, "That's not what you said last night kid, and besides, you need someone not so close to you."
She heard a loud sigh come from her son, "Does this mean I'm crazy if start seeing him?"
"What? No. Henry we all have problems in one way or another, that doesn't make us crazy. I have a lot of problems, sometimes I think I'm going crazy, but I'm not." Emma explained.
"Then why aren't you seeing a counselor?" He asked.
There was a long pause. Regina thought this might be the best time to interrupt but then Emma answered, "That's a good question Kid. You know what?"
"What," Henry asked?
"If you go, and promise me you will try to give this guy a chance, then I'll make an appointment to see him too," Emma said.
"Really?" Her son sounded excited.
"Yeah. I can't very well tell you to get help, when I clearly need some myself, right," She asked?
"Right," Henry answered.
"Hey, you guys ready to eat," Regina asked? The blonde continued to amaze her.
"Yes ma'am, starving." The blonde said with a wink as she passed. Regina was aware that it was in reference to how much food she had cooked, but it didn't stop the blush in her cheeks. Watching the smile on her son's face was enough to make up for it though.
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After dinner ended, Emma watched in astonishment at how fast Dr. Mills, Kathryn, and Henry left. She wasn't quite clear on what was going on, but they all seemed to be in a hurry. Kathryn had mumbled something about a movie and Henry said something about being late if they didn't get a move on. And with that, they were gone.
Emma sat awkwardly in her seat. An eerie quiet came over the house and the only sound was from the ticking of the clock on the wall. Regina had been on edge most of the meal. The blonde was sure it was because of crap she had put her through. A knot had made its home in the pit of Emma's stomach. This 'talk' the older woman wanted to have couldn't be good if everyone felt the need to bolt.
"If you want to go into the living room, I'll bring some coffee, after I clean up." Regina sat standing from her seat.
"Why don't I help you?" The blonde stood and picked up her empty plate.
"You don't have to do that, you're a guest," Regina moved around the table to collect the empty plates and silverware.
Emma ignored her and started collecting the dish that housed the remaining spaghetti.
"Did you mean what you said," Regina asked quietly?
Emma sat the dish on the island and turned to look at Regina, "Said about what?"
"I may have overheard the conversation you and Henry were having early." Regina glanced up meeting the blonde's eyes and moved to place the dishes into the sink. "Did you mean what you said about seeing Archie?"
"Uh, yeah, I did," she shifted in her stance, "I obviously have an impulse problem and anger." She watched Regina fill the sink with soapy water, "Don't you have a dishwasher?"
Regina laughed, "I do, but my good china does not go in it."
"Right." One would think when you are brought up in a privileged family, that you would know things like this, but not Emma. She had only used a dishwasher for the first time when she started staying at Kathryn's apartment. Luckily she watched a DIY video on how to use it. Her first thought was to fill the little soap drawer with liquid dish soap. Apparently, that is not the right thing to do.
Regina stuck her hands into the soapy water, "Will you look under that cabinet there." She signaled with her head, "And get out a container with a lid?"
"Sure thing," Emma did as instructed.
She placed the bowl on the island and moved to the second side of the sink to rinse, "I'm sorry about all of this."
She didn't miss the confusion on the other woman's face, "For all of what?"
Emma sighed heavily, "For putting you and Henry and everybody in this situation in the first place." She took a soapy plate from Regina and began rinsing it under the hot water. "Even though I slipped up last night, I just want you to know that ever since I meet Henry and you." She paused setting the dish in the dish drain, "You've made me want to be a better person."
"Emma." Regina said turning her body to see her eyes, "You are a good person. You just need-," She let her words die off.
You just need to what? Emma thought to herself, half expecting the worst as she held her breath.
"You just need people who believe in you," Regina said, returning her focus to the soapy water.
Emma let out a chuckle, "Yeah well, those are few and far between in my life."
"You have me and Henry, my father, Kathryn," she said not looking up from the plate she was scrubbing.
"You sure didn't believe in me when you thought I slept with Zelena," Emma mumbled.
Regina passed the dished for the younger woman to rinse, "That's not fair."
"What's not fair? That I begged you to listen to me?" Emma shrieked.
Regina looked at her, "With your past, I didn't know what to believe, okay? I felt so guilty and embarrassed for my behavior in the study the night before that I came to apologize. Instead, I find you in bed with my Lawyer, only hours before my court date."
"I begged you to listen to me, to hear me out." The blonde set the last dish in the dish drain and moved away from the sink. Her anger flared, "You didn't even give me a chance."
"I was upset." The brunette all but shouted. "I thought you turned me down that night", her voice cracked, "Because I wasn't good enough for you."
Emma raised her eyebrows, "Wasn't good enough? I haven't been able to think of another woman since I met you. I didn't take you up on the offer in the study because I didn't want you to wake up with regrets. That would have ruined any chance of there being something between us."
Regina spun around pressing her lower back into the sink, "I haven't been with anyone other Robin."
"Ever?" Emma asked, slightly shocked.
The brunette's cheek glowed, "Ever. This is all new to me. Not just the 'dating' a woman part, but everything else. I don't know how to do this."
Realization hit the blonde. She had been looking at this all wrong, "Well, this may not be believable, but this is all new to me too."
Regina raised a skeptical eyebrow, "How so?"
Emma laughed lightly, "What the tabloids said was true. There was a lot of women, but I can only remember waking up to them. I don't remember the night before. I never even remembered their names." Emma exhaled, "All I know is when I would wake up the next morning, most of them wanted more and I didn't. The last 10 years of my life have been a blur. I never wanted anything more."
Regina dropped her eyes, "And now what do you want?"
Emma leaned in slowly letting her lips graze those of the brunettes. She pulled back, the chocolate orbs locked onto green ones, "I want so much more."
Regina held her gaze pulling her bottom lip in between her teeth, "You know I'm a packaged deal, right? I mean Henry will always come first."
Emma smiled, "I wouldn't want it any other way."
The brunette let out a breath, "Okay."
"Okay? What does that mean?" The blonde asked her heart ready to beat out of her chest.
"It means," she paused to kiss the younger woman on the lips, "I'm willing to give it a shot."
Emma couldn't believe what she was hearing nor stop the grin that came across her face.
"But if you break my son's heart, so help me" She added.
The blonde interrupted, "That won't happen."
"You do realize if it doesn't work out between us, this affects him tremendously, right," She asked letting the water drain from the sink?
Emma paused. She hadn't thought about that before, but the other woman was right. Maybe the correct response would be to just say no and remain friends, but she couldn't do that. She wanted this more than anything in her world. She wanted the ideal life. She wanted a woman who loved her and a son who adored her as much as she adored Henry. She wanted the family closeness that Regina had with Kathryn and her father. She wanted it all. She wanted to be part of this family.
"No more sporadic behavior. Henry looks up to you, and your behavior isn't safe for anyone, not even yourself. I don't want to have to constantly worry if you're going to go out and do something because you deem it right. It has to stop," Regina warned.
Emma's eyes held her happiness, but her face sobered, "I agree. I am going to see this Archie character ASAP. I know I won't be cured in one visit, or even 10, but I hope it's a good start."
"I refuse to be lied to. If this is going to work, then I need honesty, no matter how hard the truth is. In return, I will never lie to you." Regina said, continuing with her guidelines.
Emma nodded her understanding, "Fair enough."
There was a long moment of silence before the brunette sighed, "I guess I should start. I convinced Millie to tell me why you were at the clinic."
Emma picked up a dish towel from a hook on the wall and began drying the plates she had rinsed, but remained quiet.
"What's going on Emma? I thought you would have left the club and its people alone after what they did," Regina asked taking the dried dish from the blonde to put away?
"I know, and I thought so too, well sort of." She reached for another plate, "When I was managing the club, my father was adamant that I be present for all shipments. I didn't think much of it, but there were shipments every night. The bar was stocked and there was no need for more inventories. I then learned that every vendor belonged to Gold, so that threw up red flags. The problem was I couldn't find anything out of place with the orders. After the night they drugged Zelena and me, I went back. Anton was doing inventory and we got into it. He dropped a crate, breaking it. That's when I realized that there were x's carved into the wax seals of the liquor bottles. I also found out that Anton is still on my side, and that it wasn't Robert Gold's vendors, it was Neal's." She explained.
"Emma, you have to let this go. It is far too dangerous. And do we even know if Robert Gold can be trusted? I mean he made the entire situation with Blackwell disappear, but what does he want in return?" Regina's concern was dually noted.
"I can't let it go. My brother was killed and my gut is telling me it had to do with those shipments. If that is the case, Neal Gold is behind my brother's murder. Second, I can't let them do what they did to you or, God forbid, Kathryn, to some other woman. As far as Gold's motives, I don't know. I don't want to put you, Henry, or your family in danger, so if you want me to leave now, I understand." The blonde swallowed the lump in her throat. She had come so far. Here they were talking about a relationship together just to have it end before it even begins.
Regina sighed stepping closer to the blonde. She took her hands, "No, I don't want you to leave. I just want you to be smart about this and not do anything stupid. I don't know if Robin will cause problems or not or who else for that matter when they find out we are together."
Emma fought the urge to smile at the older woman's words, "He'll get over it." The blonde pulled the older woman against her, "Are you sure about this? Us I mean. I don't want to wake up tomorrow to find that you've changed your mind."
The older woman laughed, "I can't make any promises about next week, but I won't change my mind tomorrow."
"Well that doesn't give me the warm and fuzzies, but I'll take what I can get." The blonde smiled leaning in to kiss those soft full lips.
They let their hands fall away in unison and Emma picked the towel back up to finish drying. Regina took the dry ones to put away.
The blonde liked how great this felt. She had seen people on TV fall into everyday life, and had thought 'how boring'? Now she found herself wanting this. All of this. Emma didn't know what the next step was. Regina would want a good life for her son and Emma wasn't sure what came next in her current status with the brunette.
Drying the last dish, she asked, "What do you want?"
Regina took the dish, tilting her head, "Excuse me?"
"I mean, what do you want your future to look like?" Emma cleared her throat, suddenly nervous.
"I don't think I understand the question." She chuckled lightly, causing a flutter in the blonde's stomach.
Emma turned and leaned against the counter, "Do you want a Penthouse or, I" She stopped. She wasn't sure it was coming out right.
Regina placed the last of the china in the hutch and mimicked Emma's stance against the granite, "Why are you asking? I don't expect you to support me and my son if that's what you're thinking. I don't want our relationship to be built around money." She said.
'Our relationship'. It sounded Surreal coming from the woman she thought only hours ago hated her. This is the same woman who has flooded her thoughts for the last few months, "No, that's not what I mean. I just mean I've never thought very far into my own future before. This is the first time I feel I actually have one. I've been thinking about some career options recently. I just need to know how you see your life or what you want your life to look like before I make a decision."
Regina made eye contact, "How I see my life should not hinder what you choose to do with yours, Emma."
"Robin makes a lot of money. He pays for Henry to go to that private school and he has flashy cars and-" Emma started.
"Hold it right there. I never wanted money like that. Money has caused my family more headache than anything. Do I want my son to be taken care of? Yes. Do I want to be able to send him to college? Yes. Do I want to be able to retire comfortably? Then the answer is yes. But if you're asking if I want fancy cars, expensive food, and designer clothes, then the answer is no." Regina said matter of fact.
A small smile played on the blonde's mouth as she considered this, "Good."
Regina raised an eyebrow, "Good?"
"Yeah, good. There's a job I've been thinking about applying for, but I wasn't sure if I should. Now I know what to do." Emma grinned. Her eyes beamed with happiness.
"You were worried I wanted you for your money," the older woman asked?
"Not now." Emma laughed, "Besides, I don't have any money at this moment anyway."
Regina grabbed the blonde by the front of her shirt and pulled her closer, "Your money's not what I want." Her voice was husky and low. It sent a shock wave straight to the blonde's core. For a moment, Emma was afraid her legs would betray her.
Regina's lips claimed Emma's. They were hungry but much softer than the night in the study. The blonde kissed back with everything she had. She moved forward pushing the older woman into the countertop. A moan escaped her mouth as Regina ducked her head to trace Emma's neck with her lips. Her hot breath over the soft flesh now covered in goosebumps.
"I thought you weren't sure what to do?" Emma panted.
Regina moved her mouth up to the blonde's ear and whispered, "I don't think it's that hard to figure out."
Emma tightened the grip she had on the other woman's hips and growled. A shiver ran up her back and all she wanted was to get naked with this woman. Now. The thought alone was almost enough to send her over the edge.
Regina tugged the hem of the blonde's dress shirt out of the waistband of her pants. Her fingers brushed the blonde's smooth stomach as her hand slid beneath the material.
"God this is all I've been able to think about," Regina breathed.
"You have no idea," Emma hummed back as she reclaimed the full lips of the older woman.
"WE'RE HOME," They heard Henry yell from the entryway!
The two women jump apart as if they had been burnt. Emma struggled to tuck her shirt back in as quickly as possible while Regina wiped the smudged lipstick away.
"Shit." The brunette hissed.
"Where'd they go," Henry asked?
"IN HERE," She called back, straightening her own blouse!
He popped his head through the doorway, "Oh hey. What are you guys doing in here?"
Emma wiped her mouth while trying to look inconspicuous. Regina ran her fingers through her hair and walked towards her son, "You guys are back early."
"Mom, we've been gone for like three hours," Henry said, walking passed his mother and to the refrigerator.
Emma glanced up at the clock on the wall. It was well after 10 o'clock. She was surprised at how much time had gone by. It seemed as though they had just finished eating.
Henry glanced over at his friend, "Are you staying the night?"
"Uh, no. I-," Emma was caught off guard by his question.
"She was just leaving, Henry," Regina's response was fast.
Emma's eyes darted to the brunette. Her body was still on fire, but she knew she couldn't push the other woman, "Right. I have to be up early in the morning."
"Okay, I'll see you later then," he smiled.
"Yeah kid," she said with a smile.
"I'll show you out," Regina offered, not looking her in the eye.
As Emma followed the brunette to the door, she noticed Dr. Mills and Kathryn sitting in the living room.
"Bye Emma," they said in unison.
"Bye," she waved.
Emma expected Regina to tell her bye at the door, but instead, she walked her all the way to her car. They stood in silence for a moment before the brunette spoke, "I'm glad you came tonight."
"Me too," she answered. Her eyes were glued to the older woman's face, her expression hard to gage due to the dim yellow glow of the porch light.
Regina shot a look in the direction of the house then back to Emma before she stepped closer, "I'm sorry about that. I-," She hesitated.
"No need to apologize. I mean, I don't want you to think that I only want-," Emma started.
Regina interrupted, "I don't think that Emma." She pressed her body into the blonde and laid her head on her shoulder.
Emma wrapped her arms around Regina. It was simple but felt so powerful.
Picking her head up, she kissed Emma's lips, "I swear I'm not a tease."
Emma couldn't help the laugh that erupted, "I don't think that my body may disagree though."
Regina let out a throaty laugh. It was beautiful.
"When can I see you again," the blonde heard herself ask?
"Maybe tomorrow. I'll text you," She chewed the corner of her bottom lip.
"Okay," Emma leaned in letting her already swollen lips seek the equally swollen one of Regina.
The kiss was passionate but brief. There was no need in getting things worked up again when there could be no release tonight, "Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow," Regina repeated.
Emma was reluctant to climb into the yellow BMW. She watched the brunette walk back up to the house. She stopped just outside the front door and waved as the blonde drove away.