"You know…you could have just said" she stated, there was no malice behind it, no accusation, just a simple shrug as green eyes roamed over the face she had been haunted by for the past year yet hadn't been able to place.

Dark eyes rolled in amused irritation before falling back to the fair skinned woman standing only inches away from her, "and when, do you suggest, should I have done that?" She tilted her head then in question before speaking once more, "when our son was trapped down a mine shaft? When the curse had broken and I was being hunted by an angry mob? Perhaps during our time in Neverland after I had been tortured for hours before you helped me to drain the power from the fail safe? Or maybe when, upon returning home, our town was ravaged by yet another curse and you were taken from me?"

Her chest was heaving then with the sheer emotion she felt, the grief at having finally gotten her son back and embracing the emotions she was feeling for the blonde only to be separated from her for 13 months…and now here they stood, face to face with Emma's memories in tact…

"Yeah well…you didn't have to go all Freddie Kruger on me, appearing in dreams every night did you?" She replied a little testily, this was not how she wanted this reunion to go but, as was usual with the pair of them, the strong feelings between them amalgamated into a fiery heat.

Regina's brow furrowed and her eyes narrowed in confusion, "I have no idea what you're talking about Miss Swan"

"Oh don't give me that shit Regina, I think I deserve a little more credit than that" she practically spat, it was one thing for the woman to act so guarded around her but to deny what had happened between them, to outright lie that she had any knowledge of what the past year had meant to both of them was unacceptable.
The brunette merely shook her head as her confusion grew, the venom in the woman's words had her softening slightly as she saw hurt flash behind green eyes. "I…I have no idea what you're talking about Emma…I swear"

It was Emma who's brow furrowed then, she studied the older woman's face carefully, no sign of a lie…"no idea?" she asked to which Regina shook her head once more, "so for these past 13 months…it wasn't really you?" Her throat was tightening with emotion now as breathing became harder. Her chest was heavy with the weight of her grief, "it wasn't you…"

"What wasn't me?" Regina asked as she stepped closer to the blonde, her head lowering in order to catch the younger woman's eye, "Emma," she placed a finger beneath a pale skinned chin and brought her gaze up, "what wasn't me?"

"I…" she choked, still not quite able to control her emotions yet when she found brown eyes she felt her chest loosen slightly, neither noticed the tight grip she had on lean arms nor knew when she had taken a hold of her. Regina's own hands curled around Emma's forearms in order to anchor her to the present. "I saw you…almost every night, you were there, I spoke to you, I held you, I…"

"You what?" Regina's voice was a mere whisper now as she waited for words she longed to hear, she had never told any of her affections for the blonde and thought for sure that the woman didn't know. Yet upon finding her again, upon seeing that damned yellow bug pulling into town complete with mother, son and, annoyingly, pirate, Regina hadn't been able to hold it in any longer and had told Emma…which is how they had ended up here.

"But it wasn't you…" She choked, her eyes shutting against the burning tears welling in green orbs, "it wasn't really you"

"Emma," came Regina's voice thick with her own sorrow at the sight before her, "Emma, did it look like me?" She asked to which green eyes opened once more as if to remember what the brunette looked like, Emma knew though for that face was burned deep within her memory, there to remain forever. Tentatively she nodded, "did it sound like me?" Her voice gentle now as a hand came up to caress her cheek, she nodded and leaned into the contact as her hands moved up lean arms and onto slim shoulders, "did it feel like me?" they were only centimeters apart now, both sets of breathing laboured as Emma nodded once more, Regina's nose nudged against the one in front of her as she focused only on pink lips, "did it…taste like me?" She asked and before Emma could answer, she closed the distance.

It was electrifying and had the blonde wondering how she could ever have mistaken the dream woman for this woman…there was nothing in the world like Regina Mills, she was filling Emma whole yet leaving her yearning for more even as she was getting it. The blonde was getting just enough yet not quite as much even as their tongues caressed through their slow kiss. Slim fingers were curled within her golden hair, her own hands had moved with one hand sliding up a slender neck to hold the brunette's head in place, her other trailing down to press flat against Regina's back bringing their bodies in closer together.

They were reluctant to part though air was becoming a necessity, foreheads instantly connected as both panted for air. Emma's head shook lightly against Regina's as she laughed in relief at standing here, "all this time…" She breathed in slight remorse for all of the time they had lost simply by not telling one another their true feelings.

Regina smiled gently before pressing a tender kiss to the slightly swollen lips before her, "we were waiting for each other."