Running Out Of Time

Chapter 29

Storybrooke - Rumpelstiltskin POV

At just after 9.30 in the morning Mr Gold pushed open the door to Granny's dinner and headed towards the counter. Belle was helping him finish catalogue the front of the shop today but had sent him on a morning coffee run. When he arrived at the counter Ruby greeted him with a terse nod.

"Can I have the usual please" he ordered politely.

"Of course" the waitress replied. She drifted away towards the back of the counter and the coffee machine.

Gold turned away from the counter and leant back on it. He hadn't paid much attention to the rest of the dinner when he entered because as like any other Friday morning at this time it was relatively empty. There were a couple of tables taken near the door and at the back of the dinner the corner booth was taken up by Emma, Regina and his grandson. Henry was sat on one side of the booth facing out across the dinner and Emma and Regina were sat with their backs to him facing the wall. The three of them were too immersed in conversation to notice him.

He knew from Belle, who had seen Regina the day before; that the former Evil Queen was in good spirits and looking much better. He hadn't seen Regina since the day he helped Emma move the unconscious brunette to Mifflin Street. So Regina certainly looked much better than the last time he had seen her.

It was Henry who spotted him first and the boy leapt to his feet and scurried across the dinner. Gold took a couple of steps toward him and they greeted each other with a light hug. It had suddenly become normal for the two of them to hug when they greeted each other and said goodbye. He could see the surprise on Regina's face at the affection Henry was showing him but she quickly masked it.

"Hey granddad" Henry greeted as he pulled out of the hug and stood up straight again. Gold went to return the greeting but before he could speak Henry cut in again.

"Come say hello" he ordered. "Have you seen Mom? She's looking much better."

Henry tugged at his sleeve so Gold followed his grandson towards the booth. He found he was quite anxious about speaking to Regina now that he had finally admitted to both Henry and Belle that he may well be the brunette's father.

"Gold" Regina greeted a little awkwardly but amiably as he reached the table. It lacked any of the brunette's usual bite and terseness which threw him even further of his guard.

"Regina It's good to see you with a bit of colour in your cheeks again" he tried to make small talk.

For years the two of them had spent pretty much every conversation scrapping against each other. Small talk had never really been on the menu. They usually just sneered at each other and made sarcastic comments.

Henry shuffled into the booth and patted the empty seat next to him. Gold sat dawn and found himself face to face with the woman who could be his daughter. It was strange what a difference finally admitting the possibility made. He had spent years denying the fact and had convinced himself that Regina truly was the daughter of Prince Henry. It had been easier that way. It had alleviated any guilt he would have and should have felt in making his own daughter cast such a terrible curse.

"I haven't had a chance to thank you yet for taking care of me whilst I was incapacitated…so thank you" Regina cut into his thoughts.

He smiled awkwardly in response and gazed down at the table. He had taken care of Regina because it had been asked of him. It had evolved into something more when he had allowed that niggling doubt about her parentage get a grip of him. Now he didn't know how to take her gracious thank you without feeling like he was tricking her in some way. Obviously so much time with Baelfire occupying his body had improved him moral compass somewhat.

The thought of his lost son made him flinch but it also convinced him he needed to tackle the topic with Regina sooner rather than later. A cursory glance to his right at his grandson was enough for him to see Henry felt the same. Now was as good a time as any to mention it to her.

"Regina there is something I need to talk to you about" Rumpel managed to spit out. Every word felt like it was fighting back with him.

"I've already given Henry permission to help you in the shop on Saturday mornings" the brunette woman casually replied.

Obviously she'd seen him and Henry share that look and presumed it was something to do with her and Emma's son. The relaxed way in which she gave Henry permission was pleasing and briefly distracting. It was nearly enough to stop him taking the conversation any further for fear that she may suddenly change her mind and retract her permission. Another look from Henry prevented him backing down so he took a deep breath and tried to plough on.

"I know and that's great but this is something about you not Henry" he informed her.

His words seemed to catch Regina's attention and she sat up more rigidly than before. It was more reminiscent of her Mayor Mills days before the curse was broken. Even Emma seemed curious as to where the conversation was heading. She had been fiddling with her phone since he had sat down but she had now placed the phone down on the table and looked much more alert.

It was hard to think of a coherent and constructive way of telling Regina whilst three waiting eyes gazed at him with such intensity.

"I...I was wondering if you would take a test for me...when you are feeling better that is" he managed to force out. The whole situation was ridiculous really as he was the Dark One and the Dark One never usually stuttered.

"I was wondering if I cast a protection spell using blood magic could you try and break it down?" he finished the question.

The former Evil Queen stared back at him blankly before a look of uncomfortable dawning flashed across her face. He could tell she was caught between being surprised and angry with his request and what it meant.

"I thought only close family could break blood magic?" Emma broke the awkward silence which had formed around the table. Gold hadn't even looked over at the blonde since asking Regina as the brunette held tense and uncomfortable eye contact with him. He was mildly surprised that the blond had even cottoned onto what he was talking about as she was notoriously dense when it came to anything magical in origin.

"Only close family CAN" Regina responded coolly before he had the chance to.

He finally dragged his eyes away from Regina and looked at Emma. She was intently focussed on Regina but glanced his way as she spoke again.

"So what are you saying?" she asked.

It was clear by her tone that she was pretty sure she already knew the answer but wanted clarification. Rumpel wondered if he should have been braver and led with the line 'Regina I think I might be your father' rather than just hinting at it. It was hard to know what to do for the best. When Regina remained deadly silent he tried to explain why he was having this sensitive conversation with her.

"I know this probably seems insane to you but I did a lot of thinking whilst you were unconscious and..."

"I need some air!" Regina cut in sharply. She had leapt to her feet before he or her other companions could protest and stormed towards the door of the diner.

Rumpel was frozen to the spot. He knew he was totally the wrong person to go after her so he stayed put whilst Emma scooted across the booth and onto her feet.

"Maybe Henry could help you in your shop this morning?" the blond suggested. There was no reproach in Emma's voice but she was clearly concerned about Regina.

She waited long enough for him to nod in agreement before turning on her heels and jogging after Regina. It left him and Henry sat alone together.

"I don't think I handled that very well" he said out loud.

Rumpel really regretted not leading into the conversation with a long explanation about the details of his and Cora's past. He should have tried to break her into the news rather than just landing it on her like that. No matter how hard he tried or what Belle thought of him he really wasn't very good at being good to people.

"She just needs time to think now" Henry quietly responded. His words were followed by a comforting hand on Rumpel's arm. "Ma will calm her down and they can talk it over together."

Mr Gold nodded blankly at the boy. He was sure Henry would criticize him for the way he had handled it and all the progress they had made would be lost. He had lost Baelfire; he couldn't lose his grandson as well.

"Your drinks are ready" Henry spoke up again, pointing towards the counter where Ruby stood waiting for him. The werewolf was trying to look anywhere but their booth so it would appear she was uninterested in the drama that had just occurred.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Storybrooke - Emma POV

"Regina wait!" Emma called out as her feet first hit the curb outside Granny's. Regina was walking in the opposite direction of the bug and towards Mifflin Street. Gold had left strict instructions for Regina to avoid using magic for a couple of weeks to give her body time to heal but Emma was surprised that the brunette hadn't just whisked herself away in a cloud of purple smoke given her rush to escape. On foot it was a good ten minute walk from Main Street and there was no way Emma was letting her hike back when she still wasn't feeling a hundred percent.

Luckily the brunette chose to listen to her and halted. She remained with her back to Emma but it gave the blond the chance to catch up with her. She could she Regina's shoulders heaving as she approached. It was no surprise the brunette was having an adverse reaction to what Mr Gold had just tried to inform them. However when Emma reached Regina's side she realised the brunette was in the midst of a panic attack and not just upset.

"Regina breath" she instructed as she stepped in front of the brunette and placed the palm of her right hand on the older woman's chest.

"Breath?!" Regina exclaimed, stepping away from the contact. "Emma don't you understand what he is suggesting?! He thinks he might be my father!"

Emma resisted reaching out again or stepping into the brunette's personal space. It was clear Regina was irritated and needed some room; smothering her would only wind her up more. Instead Emma remained around a metre away from the brunette as Regina brought her own breathing under control. Once her gasps became less rapid Emma pressed on with the topic as delicately as possible. The brunette was still not feeling one hundred percent and this was quite a shock. Emma feared if Regina didn't calm down then she would pass out.

"Is it possible?" the blond asked.

Regina ran her hands roughly through her hair in response to the question. Even though she no longer appeared to be having a panic attack the brunette was visibly very stressed. When she spoke again her voice was emotional and raspy.

"Something happened between him and my mother but I don't really know the details. I just know he helped her find the magic within herself and she tricked him out of the deal they made."

Emma found herself gradually edging towards Regina as the brunette spoke so they were stood only a foot apart. It was taking a lot of self control not to reach out for Regina again but they were in public and Emma didn't want to make the brunette and more uncomfortable than she clearly already was. So Emma tried to direct her focus onto Regina's story.

"What deal?" the blond asked.

"He taught her how to spin gold out of straw so she could marry the Prince...my...father" Regina replied stiffly.

It suddenly hit Emma that this story was the fairytale that Rumpelstiltskin was famous for. She had never been a huge fan of fairytales as a child and she had merely skim read Henry's book, only really paying attention to the sections about the curse and the saviour. The one thing Emma could recall about the story though was the bit about the first born.

"In return she was meant to give him her child" Emma said out loud. Zelena had been Cora's firstborn but then nobody had known about Zelena at the time. That meant the child in question was Regina.

"She was meant to give him you?!" Emma exclaimed.

"Yes but she wriggled out of it somehow" Regina tried to explain. "It's why he was so weary of the possibility of her arriving in Storybrooke and causing havoc."

In Emma's experiences of Rumpelstiltskin she had never known him to be outdone by anyone. The closest Emma had come to making him rescind a deal was when she agreed to make a new deal with him so that Ashley's was null and void. That was hardly the same as tricking him. Having met Cora and got up close with her Emma was not surprised that the fearsome woman had been the one to succeed where others had failed.

"Are you going to try his blood magic test?" she asked.

There was a flicker of something dark in Regina's eyes but it passed to quickly for Emma to read. It was the only reaction her question received and the brunette remained silent and deep in thought. Emma wished she could read Regina's mind right now so she could understand what was swirling around the older woman's head.

"Don't you want to know?" she pressed the contemplative brunette.

"Would you want to know if he was your father?" Regina snapped in response. "Emma that man tore me to shreds one piece at a time all to create someone to cast his precious curse. Why did he do that? To find his long lost son. He thought he might be my father but he clearly pushed that aside because I wasn't as important as your ex-boyfriend."

Suddenly Emma recognised the flash she had seen across the brunette's eyes just moments before. Regina's tone and expression was something Emma had been used to back when they had first met but it had been a while since she'd had it directed at her. Ever since the curse had broken if the two of them clashed it had been a more emotional and irrational affair like of Regina's driveway when Emma had accused the brunette of killing Archie. This kind of cold and dark attitude was decidedly pre the breaking of the curse. It made Emma feel uncomfortable and she reached out to the brunette to try and ground her again. However before she could reach Regina's arm the brunette's hands were suddenly grasping the lapels of Emma's open blue leather jacket.

The action dragged Emma closer again to the brunette so they were nose to nose. When Emma's eyes met Regina's eyes she was relieved to see that her facial expression had shifted away from anger and towards something for less dangerous and she was beginning to shake. Regina was emotionally in pain and she was scared. She was looking to Emma for comfort despite their very public location. Not that Emma had noticed anyone pass them by but then she was totally focussed on the woman she was stood with.

"Regina..." Emma mumbled the brunette's name as she wrapped her arms around the back of the trembling woman and pulled her as close as possible. The brunette responded by releasing Emma's lapels, wrapping her arms around Emma's shoulders and burying her hands in the blonde's long hair.

"I've never been good...enough for anyone" Regina whispered, her voice breaking mid sentence as she tried to contain her emotions.

Emma didn't know the whole of Regina's history but she knew enough about the brunette's domineering mother to know Cora was the root of this irrational feeling. For a woman who usually outwardly showed so much steel Regina had a lot of confidence issues. If only the brunette could see herself how Emma saw her.

Before Emma had the chance to tell her the door to the shop they were stood on the pavement outside opened. The sound seemed to remind Regina where exactly they were having this conversation.

"Please take me home" she choked out.

The older woman sounded so desperate that Emma decided to forsake a more normal method of transport. She kept her arms wrapped around Regina and thought of the brunette's home at Mifflin Street. Her power rose quickly to match the depth of her emotion and they were enveloped by the blue fog of Emma's magic. When it cleared they were stood in Regina's foyer.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Storybrooke - Regina POV

Regina was stunned to find that she now stood in her own home and not the middle of Main Street. Emma has told her that she had used quite a lot of magic during her time in the Enchanted Forest but transportation was pretty advanced stuff for a person who only two weeks before had been unable to do a damn thing. She had expected Emma to lead her to the yellow bug and drive her home. The fact the blond had abandoned her car in a rush to comply with Regina's wishes was typically selfless of her. Regina really didn't feel like she deserved such kindness after snapping at the younger woman. It wasn't Emma's fault that any of this was happening after all.

"I'm sorry I got angry" Regina apologised as she buried her face further into the blonde's shoulder.

Emma hadn't appeared to be hurt by her little outburst but she still felt guilty. She was also scared that Emma would be reminded of whom and what she was and run away from whatever it was that seemed to be forming between them. Regina no longer had the energy to even pretend to herself that she didn't want Emma. After waking up safe and warm in the blonde's arms again this morning it had become clear in her own mind that this was what she wanted her future to look like. She wanted to wake up every morning with Emma and cook breakfast for the two of them and Henry. She wanted 108 Mifflin Street to be their family home.

"Regina your reaction was no different than any other person would act" the blond assured her, pulling Regina back from her thoughts. "Everyone feels anger from time to time."

Regina pulled back out of the blonde's embrace so they were stood face to face, with Emma's hands resting on Regina's shoulders. The brunette allowed herself to gaze openly at the younger woman who seemed to have no intensions of running from her. Emma's alluring blue eyes remained fixed on her and Regina felt her stomach flutter at the look of adoration the blond aimed her way. The feeling inside Regina's stomach was so intense that she had to press the palm of her left hand against the blue dress she was wearing to try and steady herself.

"You are good enough you know" Emma softly spoke up, obviously referring to the comment Regina had made just moments before on Main Street. "You and Henry are all I want and all I need."

As the blond spoke her hands grazed down Regina's arms and grasped her hands. The blonde's thumb gently grazed across her knuckles. The feeling grounded Regina more than her own hand had managed pressed against her stomach. It had been years since Regina had felt such tenderness and she closed her eyes at the sensation. Each stroke of Emma's thumb felt like it was stoking a fire in her chest especially when coupled with the blonde's words. They held the kind of sentiment that Regina had only heard from one other many years before.

Regina had felt a magnetic pull towards Emma yesterday evening in the same lobby when the blonde had admitted to having feelings for her. In that moment she had reacted with a flash of hot burning passion. There was a similar magnetic pull now which drew her even closer to the blond so that their bodies were pressed together, their hands still entwined. She edged forward again pressing Emma's back against the closest wall.

Regina nuzzled at the younger woman's cheek, enjoying the feeling of smooth skin against smooth skin and the sensation of Emma's warm breath on her jaw. Emma continued to embrace both of Regina's hands in her own. In such close proximity to the blond Regina felt a sensation overload, her body making it very clear how she wanted to spend the rest of the morning.

"I want to kiss you" she whispered into Emma's ear.

The blonde's breath hitched in response to her words and then again as Regina trailed her lips down and across the younger woman's cheek until she reached the corner of Emma's lips. She placed a soft kiss there before wriggling her left hand out of Emma's grasp and reaching up to cup the blonde's chin. Once her hand was in place she used it to gently draw Emma's lips to her own and she grazed her lips across the blonde's.

"Then kiss me" Emma murmured as Regina placed a soft kiss on the other corner of the blonde's mouth. The younger woman reached up with her freed right hand and buried it in Regina's hair, tugging slightly to encourage more contact.

The brunette gently pressed her lips against Emma's in an open mouthed kiss and the younger woman instantly responded. After several soft kisses Regina ran her tongue along Emma's bottom lip before delving inside and exploring the blonde's mouth. The kiss was slow, unlike their previous encounter, giving both of them the chance to explore what each other liked. Regina duly noted that the blond would moan a little bit every time Regina stroked the flat of her tongue against the side of Emma's and when Regina drew the blonde's lower lip into her mouth and nibbled on it.

After a couple of minutes Regina pulled back from the kiss and ran her hands down Emma's sides then back up again. On the way up she trailed her thumbs over the blonde's shirt clad breasts causing Emma to tilt her head back against the wall and gasp.

"I want to kiss you and I want you touch you" Regina leant forward and moaned into Emma's ear as she repeated the movement with her thumbs again. The blond gasped a little louder the second time.

Regina ran her hands under the lapels of the blonde's open leather jacket and eased it over her shoulders and down her arms. When the blond was free of the garment Regina tossed it in the general direction of the coat rack without looking. She was unconcerned if it reached the target or not.

As soon as the jacket was disposed off their lips found each other's again in a deep and sensual kiss. Their tongues duelled slowly as Regina's hands began to explore the curves of Emma's body over her shirt. Although technically it was over Regina's shirt as Emma was wearing the emerald top Henry had leant to her during the first week she was in Storybrooke. Emma had found it in the wardrobe before they went to Granny's and wore it as a sort of joke. Regina had been surprised that their son hadn't commented but then perhaps he thought Emma just hadn't brought many clothes with her.

Regina eased her hands under the shirt and scraped her nails against the lower end of the blonde's ribcage. Emma moaned into the kiss so Regina repeated the action and gained the same response. Obviously the younger woman liked it a little bit rough; something Regina was unsurprised and pleased by.

She pulled out of the kiss as oxygen was becoming short in supply and the two of them gasped against each other's necks. When Regina caught enough breath back to speak she tilted her head so her lips were close to the blonde's ear again.

"I want to kiss you, I want to touch you and I want to taste you" she murmured before trailing her tongue from the shell of Emma's ear and down her neck. When she reached the patch where neck and shoulder met Regina nipped at the soft skin there.

"Oh god..." Emma half moaned half called out and before Regina realised what was happening the blond had swung her round so she was now pressed between Emma and the wall. Before Regina could utter a word in complaint Emma's mouth crashed into hers again. The kiss was no longer sensual and slow but was rapid and passionate. It could probably be best described as desperate; as where the blonde's hands which wrestled with the zipper at the back of Regina's dress.

As soon as the zip was down as far as it would go at bottom of Regina's spine Emma's hands moved under the skirt part of the dress and pushed it up to the brunette's hips. As Emma's hands roamed over the exposed skin on the outside of Regina's thighs her teeth nipped playfully at Regina's lower lips. It was just hard enough for it to hurt a little but not so hard that it wasn't pleasurable.

Regina's hands had been wrapped around Emma's neck but now she slipped them between herself and the blond and began to undo the shirt buttons. It was a hard task to concentrate on whilst Emma's mouth was so hot against hers but after several seconds of awkwardly fumbling she managed to open all the buttons.

"Upstairs" she instructed between kisses.

The blond complied and began to back towards the stairs whilst continuing to kiss Regina. They even managed to get up several steps whilst remaining lip locked until Emma mistimed her step and tumbled over so she was sat on the stairs. Regina was too turned on to let it halt their progress so she followed the blond down and straddled her lap and resumed their kiss.

They both managed to kick of their shoes and there were several thuds as Emma's converse and Regina's heels bounced their way down some of the stairs. Regina grabbed the emerald shirt and removed it from the blonde's body and shoved it to the side somewhere. Her dress swiftly followed as Emma managed to pull it off over her head without ripping it. Regina used the break in their kissing to scramble back to her feet and pull the blond with her. The two of them stumbled up the last few steps and onto the landing before resuming their kiss.

Luckily Regina's room was the first door on the right and Emma managed to back her into the room without any more mishaps. The door closed itself behind them as Regina set to work on the button and zip of Emma's skinny jeans. It was easy enough to unfasten them but removing them took significantly more effort as they seemed to fit the blond like a second skin. In the end Emma had broken the kiss and virtually ripped them off herself, taking her socks with them.

Once they were both stood in their underwear Regina guided Emma back and onto the bed so that Emma was lying on her back and Regina was straddling her again. After a few moments of just gazing at each other, desire evident in both their eyes, Emma sat up so they were face to face and kissed her slowly but deeply. As they kissed they both reach around the back of the other and unclasped their bras. Regina was the first to succeed and as they freed each other from the last of the garment's covering their torso's they pulled out of the kiss and leant back slightly; enough to admire each other.

Emma reached out with the hand she wasn't using to balance herself and caressed the underneath of Regina's breast before catching the brunette's nipple between forefinger and thumb and tugging lightly. Regina couldn't hold back a whimper and she arched into the touch. Encouraged by her reaction Emma began to try and turn them so she was on top but Regina reached out and pressed her hand against the blonde's sternum to still her.

"No" she breathlessly instructed, her voice betraying how emotionally charged she felt. "I told you I want to taste you."

Dirty talk was definitely something that turned the blond on and Emma slammed her eyes shut and pressed her hips upward in response. Regina ground down against the contact and they both moaned in unison. Emma allowed herself to be lowered back down against the bed and Regina began to trail kisses down the brunette's neck and over her shoulders. When she reached the blonde's breasts she stopped to lavish some attention with her mouth firstly on Emma's right nipple and then her left. After making the blond writhe underneath her for a couple of minutes as she swirled her tongue around, sucked and nipped on both nipples she trailed kisses down Emma's stomach until she reached the elastic of Emma's boy shorts.

She grasped the elastic and started to slowly draw them down the blonde's, following them down the younger woman's left thigh with a trail of kisses. Once the underwear was tossed off to the side of the bed somewhere Regina kissed her way back up Emma's right thigh stopping just before she reached the blonde's sex. She could smell and see how much Emma wanted her.

She looked up at the blond to make sure she was comfortable with what was about to happen and met Emma's very dilated blue eyes. The younger woman was panting with need, her breast rising and falling at a rapid but regular rhythm.

"You are so beautiful" Regina uttered.

She spread the blonde's folds with her right hand and took an exploratory lick from Emma's core right up to her clitoris before circling the bundle of nerves. The blonde's hips jerked upward at the sensation and Emma's right hand buried itself in Regina's hair whilst her left groped out for Regina's right hand, their fingers entwining.

It was the most intimate position Regina had ever been with anyone, her past experiences being more about sex than making love to someone; so she took a few seconds to slowly savour the moment. She ran her tongue slowly through Emma's folds several times, enjoying the taste of the blond before focussing on the task of pleasuring her.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx