Hey!

A massive thank you to all of you who commented and wished me well! I am much better now and already writing furiously the next few chapters. I know I don't say it nearly enough; but I'm so thankful as well as awestruck by the amount of positive reaction this story has gotten. It is my first 'real' story and you guys have been SO supportive, so thank you so very much! And a larger thanks to those of you who care, who like and comment and ask about the story every single chapter- you are so appreciated!


"Remind me why are we doing this again?" Emma groaned into her coffee. Regina rolled her eyes in return.

"This is for you Emma, how can you even ask this?"

"No I know why we're doing this" she gestures wildly to the car and the other passenger in it. "What I don't understand is how did I let you convince me to do this so early?" she whines.

They're long past the city, now driving on the highway, surrounded by green. Emma can spot the landscape changing and she knows soon it will be familiar enough to cause dread all over her body.

"Emma?" Regina pulls her out her head.

"Mmm?" she turns to look at her, knowing she probably zoned out for a good minute.

"I said, that's how you dodge traffic. Do you honestly wish to spend another hour in New York alone just for the sake of sleeping a little more?" she inquires but she doesn't really expect an answer. Emma shrugs.

"Are you alright?" concern lacing her voice. Emma has been pretty quiet for most of the drive. At first she associated it with the whole situation and how uncomfortable Emma must feel. Now, she was suspecting there is something more.

"I'm fine" Emma is quick to assure and Regina sends an incredulous look her way.

"Okay" Regina drawls "if you want to tell me, I'm not going anywhere for the next" she looks at the dashboard "two hours"

They sit in silence for a couple more minutes until Emma relents.

"It's just," she sighs "I grew up in South Boston, not the nicest neighborhood and definitely not with the Harvard type of people. It is ugly, messy, and dangerous. The fact that I made it somehow resembling to normal, well that's a miracle. Not to say there aren't good people there, because there are. But there are also bad people, drugs, prostitution, violence, gangs. I'd be happy to show you only the good side of the city but unfortunately we're going to have to get to this area. I'm worried you'll turn on your heels and run."

Regina chews her lip.

"It takes more than a couple of wild teens to scare me off" she says sternly.

"That's not what I-" she scratches the back of her neck "that's not what I meant" she says quietly and Regina seem to finally catch on. She frowns.

"Emma," she says and reaches for her hand, squeezing it "I don't care where you come from, it's not going to make me think less of you."

Emma turns her head to stare at the trees.

"Will see about that one."


"Regina!" she exclaims.

"What?"

"You're crazy"

The brunette huffs and moves towards the reception.

"Hey" the receptionist greets cheerfully "How may I help you?"

"I made reservations, Regina Mills" she says while Emma turns to scan the large luxurious lobby.

"One moment please" she types furiously as she searches for her name in the computer.

"This is crazy" Emma whispers in Regina's ear.

"I have standards" she replies and Emma snorts in response.

"Says the woman who spent two nights already in my awfully cheap queen size bed in my tiny apartment."

Regina purses her lips in return. The woman hands her the key and Regina starts walking towards the elevator, Emma following close behind.

"Well?" she pushes, feeling for once what it's like to have the upper hand.

"Would you rather I didn't spend the night with you at all?" she inquires, her eyebrow raised.

"That's not what I said" she frowns. How did she lose already?

"That's what I thought" Regina smirks and pushes the button.

Emma glances to her hands where she can spot only two room keys.

"We're in the same room?" she asks surprised "that's a little pretensions coming from a woman who just threatened to stop spending nights with me, don't you think?"

"Stop jumping to conclusions, you'll see in a minute."

And indeed how she sees. They large suite is spacious and luxurious in a way that makes Emma wince; a night in here is probably equivalent to her monthly salary.

"Wow" is all she says when Regina places her things near the couch.

"This suite has three rooms in it, each has a king size bed. You can choose which one you like best."

"Huh?" Emma is still dumfounded by her surroundings.

Regina approaches her, snaking her hands around her waist and tugging her forward.

"Still want to split the coast?" she teases with a smirk.

Emma takes a look around "I might have to sell a couple of organs to do that." She retorts and Regina chuckles.

"Well then I'd like to buy some of them."

"Oh really?" it's Emma's turn to smirk "May I ask which ones?"

Regina leans in a whispers in her ear. "Well, for a start I'd like your heart." She finishes with a nibble and Emma sighs.

"You've got that one already" she says breathily as Regina starts nipping at her jaw. "What else?"

"Mmm let me think. I'd like your hands to hold, your mouth to kiss, your breasts squeeze, your ass to grab and last but not least, well you know which one." She licks a long line from the base of her throat to her chin.

"I guess that could be arranged" Emma breathes out with her eyes closed, bound to surprise when Regina takes her mouth passionately.

Their kiss seem to last forever, tongues rubbing, teeth nipping, hands wandering, claiming. The need for air force them to part, both breathing heavily.

But Emma is nowhere near done. She goes for Regina's neck, kissing and licking while her hand wrap around her thighs. In a swipe move she hoists her up, wrapping her legs around her mid-section. Regina gasps.

"Emma" she says while the blonde moves to kissing the valley between her breasts. "What are you doing?"

"I'm taking you to bed" she says as if it's the most obvious thing at the moment.

"You can't" she breathes out "I booked a reservation"

"We'll be quick" Emma finally reaches the bed and she bends down, until Regina is laying on the bed with Emma on top of her. Before she registers what is happening the tables are turned and Regina has Emma's hands secured above her head.

How the fuck did that happen? Though to say she isn't really turned on by Regina's strength would be a lie.

"We won't be quick" Regina determines and Emma pouts.

"Why not?"

"Because, I want to cherish you properly and I want us to savor each and every moment." She says calmly "we can't do that when we're in a rush and also not when you head is obviously somewhere else."

Emma pauses for a minute and then nods, understanding.

"Besides" she raises her eyebrow "there is no way we're doing anything like that to me with your hands looking like that." She brings her hands in front of her face and Emma frowns. Her hands are clean.

"Why?"

Regina's finger-pads move over her nails. Emma still doesn't understand; yes their not painted but their long and beautiful so the problem with it is still a secret in Emma's eyes.

"I don't follow" she admits after a long moment of Regina pointing at her nails with an accusing look.

"They're long" Regina exclaims eventually.

"And?"

"You can't put those anywhere near a vagina, they will scratch and hurt it once they're inside."

"Oh" Realization finally downs on her and she turns crimson red.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think-" she avoids eye contact "I didn't realize-"

Regina stops her with a peck on her lips.

"It's okay, I don't expect you to know that, I know you don't have experience with woman."

Emma groans and tries to free herself out of the brunette's hold. Going to the bathroom and flushing her head in the toilet seems like a good course of action at the moment.

"This is so embarrassing" she says, still trying to free herself to no avail "Let me go" she pleads.

"No" Regina responds, amused "I find it incredibly endearing, being the one who shows you everything, mmm" she moans and she shakes her head at the thought.

"I'm going to make you see stars." She promises and Emma gulps.

"I don't doubt that, it's just-" she stops herself, casting her looks sideways "never mind"

"No" Regina says and shakes their combined hands "tell me" she pleads.

Emma sighs and closes her eyes, it's easier confessing when she doesn't have to face the person.

"It's not you pleasuring me I'm worried about, but the other way around…" her voice trails off.

"Oh Emma" she sighs "I really wish you'd think more of yourself. You walk around claiming I'm so much better than you when in fact, you're the one who makes me laugh the most. Or at all if we're being honest. You call yourself insecure and you omit the fact that with our clothes on and your so called 'no experience'" she air-quotes with her fingers, releasing Emma, who continues to lie there, staring up at her.

"You made me orgasm. And if the fact that I'm crazy jealous when anyone with a pulse is around you isn't enough for you to start looking at yourself with appreciation, well then I'll help: I will tell you how beautiful, smart, resourceful and simply endearing you are until you'll believe it. I mean you're shyness and humbleness is adorable but I do not wish for you to spend your life thinking less of yourself just because you didn't have people telling you how much you worth until now. I'll do that for you."

Regina takes a large gulp of air after her improvised speech. Emma looks up and locks their gaze.

"I-" she stumbles over her words, suddenly feeling very emotional "Thank you" she says shyly.

Regina smiles down at her "You're very welcome" she leans down for a quick kiss but Emma's uses the momentum and flips them over, instantly deepening the kiss. They make out heatedly before Regina pushes them apart.

"We need to get ready for lunch"

"Fine" she relents and rolls off Regina "What do I wear?" she asks as Regina gets up.

"Something fancy I guess, it's a very classy restaurant."

"And let me guess," Emma rolls her eyes "you're-"

"paying"

"Paying" Regina says with her at the same time. "That's right" she smiles broadly.


Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit.

Emma stares down at the menu, clueless. If the last place Regina has taken her to seemed like gibberish, well that menu was just plain alien.

Emma clears her throat to get the brunette's attention. When that doesn't work she 'psssts' her.

"Mmm?" Regina asks, her eyes still on the menu and Emma's face crumble.

"I don't know what to choose." She says, defeated.

"What do you like?" Regina inquires and Emma rolls her eyes.

"I dunno," she muses "Fries, Burgers, Pizza…" she elaborates and Regina coaxes an eyebrow.

"I meant from this menu" she emphasizes, with her 'duh' tone.

"Well how would I know? It's not like I ever tried anything of those things."

Regina frowns, as if suddenly realizing she isn't sitting with one of her wealthy friends who spent their lives eating in gourmet restaurants as soon as they were able to walk.

"Oh" is all she says.

"Exactly" Emma says bitterly, suddenly she is not in the mood for eating anymore. And for Emma not to be in the mood for food, well, that's a first.

They sit in an awkward silence; Regina chewing her lip, trying to figure out how to go around it and Emma, slumped in her chair with her arms folded, feeling inadequate to the point of ridiculous.

Regina scans the menu, trying to look for something that might sound familiar to Emma; but this is a European cuisine and she doubts Emma will have any idea what those French meals are. Still, she tries.

"How about Scallops?" she inquires and Emma frowns.

"Sca-what?"

"Scallops" she repeats calmly, understanding Emma is in an uncomfortable situation. Not wanting to make it worse, she explains.

"It's clams, seafood" she elaborates and Emma's face contort with disgust.

"Okay, how about a lobster?" she tries again.

"The large red things with the claws they throw in the water while they're still alive?" she asks, already knowing the answer to that question. Regina nods, her lips a thin line.

"No thanks" she says bitterly. Glancing at her lap where her hands are twisting violently she asks quietly "Don't they have like pasta or something? Plain old tomato or cream sauce?"

Her eyes are pleading and Regina sighs "The closest thing they have to pasta is Perno induced noodles with capers and chili."

"I see" she says and swallows thickly. She feels so out of her depth it's humiliating.

She gets up from her chair, meeting Regina's confused look.

"I'm going to the bathroom, order me their bread or something. I'm not that hungry anymore."

She says and turns to head towards the bathroom.

"Emma" she hears Regina calling but she ignores it.

She enters one of the stools and drops herself against the wall. She shuts her eyes forcefully and wills herself not to cry.