Chapter 35

Emma was glad that they decided to spend the night in their own beds. She knew that Regina wasn't happy that Charming and Snow were down the hall, but she knew that she was dealing with it. She woke up wrapped in Regina's arms with a smile on her face.

"Good morning," Emma stated as soon as she saw the brunette's eyes open.

"How late is it?"

"It is still early. I think around seven. I haven't really checked."

"It's around seven and you're awake? What's wrong, Emma? Didn't you sleep?"

"I did. A little. I was happy to be home, even though I know it is only for a short while. I just wish that we could stay like this and not have to deal with the rest of the world. Can't we just have one weekend to ourselves? I mean is that too much to ask of the mayor and sheriff?"

Regina chuckled. She smiled at her lover's comments. She knew that they would need a vacation soon. Too much had transpired between the last few weeks and they really did need to decompress. The problem was they never knew who to leave in charge on the town. It would hold its own for a while, but eventually they would be needed to clean up some mess.

"You could ask Ruby," Regina replied.

"I could. But, remember what happened last time we left her in charge."

"The docks almost burnt to the sea, I remember. It took of magic on both our parts to deal with that. I guess I should allocate some more money to emergency services."

"I would be a good idea," Emma replied.

"I should go start breakfast."

"I should make sure that Snow and Charming are going to be okay here with Henry and Rhiannon. Plus, I want Mike to check out the cruiser, too. It is going to be a long drive and want to make sure that it is going to make it there," Emma told her.

Neither of them moved. Regina sighed and burrowed deeper into the blond. Emma took her snuggles willingly, knowing that they didn't know when they would get another morning like this without careful planning.

"We really should get up," Regina stated.

"I am awake; doesn't that count?"

"I am afraid not, Dear. Look, I'll go make chocolate chip pancakes, eggs and bacon. Get everyone else up so we can start our trip soon. I know that it is going to be long drive. I think that when I got directions last night it was going to be about seventeen to eighteen hours."

"Good thing that I am driving most of it then," Emma stated.

"You have don't have to speed. We will get there when we get there. I doubt that Rhiannon's daughter knows that we are coming anyway. I doubt that she even knows who she really is. This isn't going to be a cakewalk. We are going to have to play this by ear."

"I am good at that," Emma replied.

"I know that, Dear."

"You don't have to say it like that, Regina."

Regina giggled and got out of the bed. She turned as she went into her closet and smiled at Emma, who had rolled over and was watching her. When Regina extended her finger, slowly and at Emma, from inside the closet, Emma waited on the bed to see what she was going to do. She didn't have to wait long as Regina crooked her finger at her and beckoned her to the closet with two quick and short strokes. Emma was across the room, before Regina could make a third.

Regina didn't really care that Emma had her up against the wardrobe in the closet. She was just happy that Emma had taken the hint and came to her. She chucked at Emma's obvious aroused state and then, kissed her on the nose, denying her any reward for her quickness.

"Not fair, Regina," Emma stated.

"What's not fair, love?"

"You know what happens to me when you do that," Emma told her.

"Do what, Dear?"

"Regina…" Emma said, with her voice low, husky, but full of warning.

"No, tell me. What does it do to you, Dear? Why does this affect you so much?" Regina asked, making the gesture with the hand and fingers again.

Emma wasted no time. She pushed her up against the drawers hard and held her there with her strength. Her eyes were burning with lust and desire and Regina was just in awe how easily read Emma really was. She simply smiled back at the Sheriff and waited, knowing that it wouldn't take much to push Emma over the edge.

"…'Gina…"

"Yes, my love?"

That was Emma's breaking point. If Regina had said anything else, she would have let her go and gone to the bathroom to prepare for the day. But, she didn't. She teased Emma just enough to rile up her desire and passion. They didn't have time for it and they both knew it. But, somehow in that closet, in their house, before their next "great" adventure, they would make time to be together. It was a silent agreement. They wouldn't part, again…not after…Emma shook her head. She was tired of thinking about the sight of Rhiannon over Regina's body, bringing her back. She was grateful. She was still angry at both her mother and her lover, but somewhere deep inside she understood their need to find forgiveness in each other. She just wished that she had never seen Regina laid low like that on their bed. She sighed and for a second, Regina thought that she had lost Emma to her own dark thoughts. Before she completely lost her to them, Regina reached out and touched her cheek. Emma's bright emerald eyes met her chestnut orbs and she watched as Emma melted into her, again.

"Why do you smell so damn delicious?" Emma asked, as she buried her head in the crook of Regina's neck, alternately sniffing her lover and taking small nips with her kisses on her throat.

"All the apples?" Regina quipped.

Emma let out a full bodied laugh. It was a sound that Regina treasured. She gave Emma a carnal smile and licked her bottom lip before biting it nervously.

"What is it, Regina?"

"We are going over the town line."

"I know that."

"What if…"

"You won't forget who you are. You've been over the line before. You had to go get Henry when he was a baby. The curse didn't affect you in that manner. You'll be fine."

"That's not what I am afraid of…"

"Then, what, 'Gina."

"I told you not to call me that."

"Sorry, LOVE. Tell me what has you so riled up all the sudden. Why are you scared to go?"

"What if I don't have my magic?"

"It will be okay."

"But, I won't be able to help you."

"Yes, you will."

"I'll be defenseless."

"No, you won't."

"Yes, I will."

"No, you won't, because I am going to be there with you. I am not going to let anything happen to either of us. We are going to get Rhiannon's daughter and come home. End of story, simple as that. There isn't going to be some huge battle. There isn't going to be a dragon waiting on us. We are going to Columbia. We are going to find her and then come home, okay?"

"Okay, Emma."

Emma leaned over and kissed her, hard, on the mouth. She tried to take away the thoughts that plagued Regina. She knew that Regina feared the unknown. She knew that she was trying to figure out her magic. Living in Storybrooke while she was bound was like living under the curse, she didn't need magic. She had learned to live without. But just like when Rumple brought magic to Storybrooke, Emma knew that Regina could feel it burning in her veins again. She had the itch, herself. Sometimes, she would use Regina to burn off the extra energy and if Regina knew, she never said anything.

"We'll be okay. You'll see. We'll be fine," Emma whispered.

"Shut up, Sheriff and kiss me," Regina offered in return.

As Snow, Charming and the rest made their way into the kitchen for breakfast, they could see the worry on Regina's face. Henry hugged his mother and asked if Emma was even up yet. She laughed at him, knowing that he knew his birth mother all too well.

"She took the cruiser to Mike. She wanted to make sure that it would survive the journey. Believe it or not, Henry, but she was actually up before I was."

"Wow…anyway, I couldn't sleep last night, so I printed you out some directions to get there."

"Thanks, Henry, but I already printed a set last night. Thank you though for trying to help," Regina said, before she turned to Snow and pulled Henry after her. "I have an idea."

Snow turned and looked at Regina, unsure if she was going to like the idea, but willing to hear her out. Henry looked just as confused as Snow was, but he humored his mother as she pulled them into her study. She shut the door behind them and bade them to sit down.

"Mom, what's going on?" Henry asked, quickly, taking his seat.

"It was something that Emma said this morning."

"I don't think that I want to know what that is, Mom."

"Nothing like that, Dear. Besides, I don't think that I would be sharing those tidbits with her son and her mother. That is more than just a little odd, don't you think?"

"Well…you said…"

"Never mind that, Henry. It got me to thinking. You are afraid that you are wasting your time at the university and you asked to come home. I told you that we would think about it. Well, I have and I have a proposal," Regina stated.

"What is it?" Snow asked, now suddenly more curious.

"You named Henry as your heir, because he is. He needs to learn to rule and run the kingdom. He needs to see that it is a crazy affair with lots of things that need to be handled."

"What does this have to do with Emma?" Snow questioned.

"She stated that she would like to take vacation without having to worry about Storybrooke. I think that she is right. We should be able to leave town and have some private time together without having to worry about the town. I have been taking care of things for so long, that I have never trained a successor. I am sure that the same goes for you as well. I know that you are grooming your daughters for the job, but they have an older sister and a nephew to deal with first. I don't know if Henry will take your throne or not Snow, but as the Crown Prince, he needs to understand the kingdom and its people. He needs to learn to lead," Regina explained.

"How so?" Snow inquired, ignoring the look on Henry's face.

"I want to leave him in charge while we are gone. Ruby would be acting Sheriff. I know that Charming is going to work with him on his knight skills, but I think that you could help aid him in learning what it means to actually be a Crown Prince. Who better than his grandmother, the Queen?" Regina asked, rhetorically with her explanation.

Henry stared at his mother transfixed. He couldn't believe what he just heard. She was actually willing to let Snow teach him how to lead their people and he was going to be left in charge as mayor while Emma and Regina were gone. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to say. He sat there, mouth agape, in pure wonder. He only thoughts were about what Emma would think about the idea when she got home from the mechanic's shop.

"I think that is a wonderful idea. It will certainly keep him busy. I remember how it was when I was mayor for only a short time here. Sometimes it still amazes me on how you held us together for so long, even though we were under a curse," Snow stated.

"Practice and a very determined mother…but that isn't going to be the case with you, Henry. You are going to have Charming to teach you how to be a night and a gentleman. You are going to have Snow to teach you how to be royalty. You'll have Emma and I to help you with anything else you so desire," Regina told him.

"This was really partly Ma's idea?"

"She did get me to think about it, yes."

"She is going to freak out when she gets back."

"I doubt that, darling. She loves you and trusts you. Just as I do. Plus you will have two queens here to help you. You also can't forget that you will have a werewolf for a sheriff and princely grandfather who will maintain the law and order for you. All you will need is to coordinate everything to make the town run smoothly. I am sure with all their help, you can handle this. Think of them as your court advisors, it will help you later."

"How long are you planning to be gone?"

"I don't know. It will be a long drive. I would hope not more than a week. Hopefully we will be able to do some sort of locator spell to find her once we get there. I did some research on the town last night before bed," Regina explained.

"And?"

"It is smaller than Boston, but it does boast several colleges and universities. There are a lot of people there, but I have faith in Emma. She found Neal in a throng of millions in New York. I have no doubt that she'll be able to find Rhiannon's daughter, Sorcha in Columbia."

"Glad to hear it," Emma said, walking through the door way of the study.

She stopped in front of Henry and ruffled his hair. She saw the look he gave her and she just smiled. She knew that he couldn't stay mad at her for long, at least not anymore. He had learned to see things from many perspectives as he got older. He understood more of the history between his families now, than he could have ever understood as a child.

"Stop or I'll my sheriff on you for assault of the mayor," Henry teased her.

"Go ahead and call Rubes. She won't come get me. She'll call it a familial disturbance and write it up as such. She'd ask one of us to leave the house for a while and suggest that we both go see Dr. Hopper to talk through our differences. Then, she'd give a cocoa with cinnamon on top," Emma told him, cocking a defiant eyebrow at him

Henry laughed, knowing that Emma was right. Regina and Snow smiled. They were all glad that they were getting along.

"Besides, who is going to arrest the current Sheriff, anyway?"

"How about myself, Dear?" Regina quipped.

Emma smiled as delicious thoughts of Regina "arresting" her flew through her mind. Henry caught the look in his mother's eyes and shook his head. Snow giggled at the thought of Regina actually putting cuffs on Emma…again…and arresting her for "assault" on Henry.

"That could be arranged," Emma retorted.

Snow gathered Henry and left the study. She knew enough innuendo between the two of them to know that they were no longer needed. Emma shut the door behind them as they left.

"We should pack."

"Already did."

"We should load up the cruiser."

"Already did."

"We'll need snacks and such so we can go further, longer…" Regina suggested.

"Done and done."

"Well, what are we waiting on then?"

"Just you, my Queen, just you."