CHAPTER 19

After the incident at Mills Café, Regina had subtly suggested to Emma that they go back to her place, instead of going all the way back to her best friend's house in Capitol Heights. It wasn't that she had a problem with staying at Neal's house. In fact, staying there with Emma had been something of a bit of stress relief, regardless of the circumstances as to why they were there. If she was one hundred percent truthful, she really just needed to be alone with Emma and missed sleeping in her own bed in her own house. Emma didn't hesitate to agree. An agreement that landed them where they were at this very moment.

Both women had been quiet on the drive back to Regina's house. Neither one speaking up until they were safely inside, with the door locked behind them.

"I'd ask if you'd like a drink, but I'm not sure I have anything better than bottled water in the refrigerator at the moment." Regina said as they headed toward the living room. "I guess I'll have to call tomorrow morning and have some things delivered. We can make a list, firs-"

"Regina." Emma spoke up, grabbing her hand and interrupting the other woman mid-sentence. Regina stopped and turned, just shy of the entrance to the kitchen and looked at Emma expectantly, waiting for her to continue. Emma looked exhausted. But instead of saying anything else, she took a deep breath, staring into Regina's eyes as if trying to decide how to continue. When she came up blank, watching Regina waiting for her to say something, Emma felt her heart flutter at the look of complete patience and understanding on the other woman's face. It was then she decided she knew exactly why it was she had said her name.

"Emma?"

"No more talking." Emma managed to get out before she had Regina backed against the wall, both hands on each side of her face, kissing the brunette recklessly. And Regina wasted no time, returning Emma's sentiments, matching Emma, kiss for kiss. Clearly the threat to both of their futures had affected them deeply. Emma had Regina in her arms and was terrified of letting her go. So she didn't. Instead, she nipped and sucked on Regina's bottom lip, silently encouraging her to open up, allowing their tongues to slide against one another. The warm, wet, sensation enough to spike a fevered interest in taking things further.

It had seemed like an eternity since the night they'd finally slept together for the first time. And it was only now that Emma realized that even though she had enjoyed the night immensely and gotten plenty of pleasure out of their love making, it had been over way too soon and she hadn't allowed Regina to return the favor. Emma had worn Regina out quite thoroughly which hadn't exactly left her with the energy to actually carry on anyway.

"Upstairs." Regina said, pulling away long enough to get out the words and drag Emma towards the stairs. Once they made it to the landing, it was Regina this time that had Emma backed into the wall next to her bedroom door. She tugged at Emma's jacket, pushing it off her shoulders as Regina's lips found their way to the blonde's neck. She sucked firmly on her pulse point and felt Emma's entire body shudder from the sensation that shot through her veins. The jacket fell to the floor as Emma shook it free of her arms and hands. "The rest. It needs to go, too."

Emma took that moment to push off the wall and spun them both around, backing Regina into her bedroom, once again walking blindly towards her bed. Regina grabbed her by the shirt and crushed their lips together again, as if she was trying to lose herself in the other woman. Their breathing grew labored as they both refused to come up for air. But neither one noticed. Regina felt the back of her legs touch the bed and before Emma knew what was happening, Regina had them turned around once again and gently pushed Emma back until she had no choice but to sit or fall. As soon she hit the bed, Regina's mouth was on her once again. Kissing her everywhere. Hands roaming.

Emma's hands, returning the favor, found their way beneath the hem of Regina's shirt. She was pulling it up and over Regina's head without taking the time to ask, this time. Clearly, this time wasn't a time for asking anything. Both women knew what they wanted and finally, there was nothing that would stop them. The minute her blouse hit the floor, Emma's hands were back to exploring the exposed flesh in front of her. As soon as her hands had snaked their way around Regina's back, Emma allowed a slight smirk to grace her kiss bruised lips and surprised Regina by pulling her forward and flipping her down onto the bed.

The whole scene had quickly become a game of who's in charge, but neither woman was playing seriously. They both wanted the same thing. But the give and take was much too fun for either one of them to concede at this point. Breathless, Regina smiled up at her girlfriend, hovering above her. They both took a second to appreciate the moment. Both realizing what could have been lost this night and it was quite clear that this would not be a repeat performance of the gentle exploration of a new relationship. No. There was a fire building between the two of them and it was ready to explode in a moment's notice.

"I love you so much Regina Mills." Emma whispered peppering light open mouthed kisses over every inch of exposed skin as Regina ran her hands through Emma's blonde locks, occasionally squeezing handfuls of the long curls. "Please…don't ever let me go again."

"Never." Regina smiled and pulled Emma down into another heated kiss which led to more roaming hands and pieces of clothing quickly becoming lost and forgotten. In a moment of distraction, Regina took the opportunity to gain the upper hand once again, effectively flipping Emma onto the bed and moving right with her, to straddle her hips between surprisingly strong thighs. Emma ran her hands up both legs before settling on purple lace clad hips, looking up at Regina who was now towering over her with a smug grin on her face. "I believe it's my turn to be on top."

Emma's eyes roamed wildly taking in Regina's, almost but not quite completely bare, body. Taking the moment to breathe and fully appreciate the woman on top of her. But the moment didn't last long when she felt Regina move her hips, effectively snapping her back to reality.

"Now that I have your attention…" Regina smirked, watching as Emma's eyes darkened with barely concealed want. She knew that Emma was fighting the urge to take control of the situation and decided to make the battle just a little bit harder. One hand bracing herself on the bed, Regina leaned forward and captured Emma's mouth with her own, in a lip searing kiss while her free hand went straight to her back and unhooked her bra. Regina pulled away suddenly, causing Emma to attempt to follow her up, lips still pursed and searching for Regina's. She was quickly put back in her place when Regina placed a hand on her chest and shook her head slowly. "You don't get to move yet."

"But-"

"Shhh." Regina winked at her then. "You're the one who said no more talking. I suggest you start taking your own orders, Agent Swan."

At Emma's look of amusement and frustration, Regina watched her quickly close her mouth in attempt to obey. When she was satisfied that Emma wasn't going anywhere, Regina grabbed the front of her bra and slowly pull the matching purple obstruction slowly off and down her arms. She knew that Emma was dying to touch her. She could feel the need flowing off of her in waves. Tossing the offensive item to the side, Regina leaned forward, slowly, bracing herself with her hands on either side of the blonde's head.

She was teasing Emma relentlessly, hovering just above her and intentionally positioned her exposed breasts in Emma's face. Emma's mouth fell open at all the racing thoughts in her head and Regina surprised her further by teasing her warm lips with a hardened nipple. And before Regina could stop her, Emma flicked the firm tip with her tongue, before wrapping her arms around Regina's back and pulling her down just enough to take the taunting flesh into her wet mouth. Regina gasped as Emma bit down gently, taking her by surprise. After a moment, she moved to the other nipple, sucking, licking and nibbling on the tender flesh. Though she was enjoying the feel of Regina's rocking hips against her own, Emma knew she couldn't take much more.

"Regina. Please." It came out almost as a whimper, begging the woman in control, to do something. "I need you. I- I want you. So much."

Regina smiled down at the blonde beneath her. As her eyes searched Emma's face she felt as if her heart could beat out of her chest at any moment. She loved this woman more than life itself and tonight, someone had tried to take that away. From both of them. Never again.

Regina sat up then, pulling Emma with her. Without suggestion or any words at all, they both reached for the bottom of Emma's shirt, pulling it off in a hurry before making quick work of removing the rest of their clothes. It had been too long. Far too long. And the feeling of skin on skin was a sensation neither of them had realized they'd missed so badly until this very moment. Completely divested of their clothing, Regina shoved Emma roughly, back down onto the bed before she was on her once again. Teeth raking down the blonde's neck as Emma dug her fingernails into the brunettes back. It was sure to leave marks, but neither woman seemed to mind. Emma's back arched off the bed, desperate for as much contact as possible. Regina didn't hesitate, further enticing Emma as she rolled her hips in need of gaining some kind of friction, causing the sensitive skin of naked breasts and hardened nipples to graze against each other.

Regina broke free of Emma's neck and chest and quickly began kissing, sucking and biting her way down the other woman's body. Emma's hands never once leaving Regina's own body, desperate to feel her skin beneath needy hands and fingertips. When she was almost out of reach, Emma's hands found their selves tangled in brunette locks, reluctant to let go. Regina took that moment to place open mouthed kisses on each of Emma's hip bones before kissing her way further south. Emma knew where Regina was headed and silently thanked whatever Gods existed that she'd been lucky enough to have this woman back in her life.

Distracted by her thoughts, Emma jumped, gasping slightly as she felt warm lips against her inner thigh, mere inches from where she needed those lips most. "Regina."

Emma lifted her head from its previous position of thrown back against a pillow and watched as her girlfriend settled herself comfortable at the end of the bed. Regina pushed Emma's legs apart, none too gently before wrapping her arms beneath each one. She stole a quick glance up at the blonde before leaning in to taste the offering that lay spread out before her. Emma's head fell back then, a raspy groan escaping her throat as she felt Regina's warm mouth right where she'd imagined having it so many times before. Her chest rising and falling with each swipe of the brunettes tongue. Regina teased Emma's clit with gentle flicks of the tip of her tongue before burying it inside of the blonde beneath her, not wanting to lose a single drop from the liquid center dripping in front of her. Emma was wet beyond wet and Regina smiled against those lips knowing she was the reason.

Emma rolled her hips meeting Regina with every stroke her of her tongue. Her fingers tangled in dark brown locks as Emma felt fingernails digging into her thighs as Regina fought to hold Emma still. Regina knew there were would be nail marks in the morning and that one simple little thought turned her on even more. A low growl escaped her lips as she wrapped them around Emma's throbbing clit. The vibration sending an almost electrical shock through Emma's entire body. Regina knew it had an effect when Emma's body came off the mattress nearly throwing her off. This caused her to smile again and this time she was humming intentionally now that she knew the kind of results she would get.

"Regina. Oh- oh god. Regina, I-"

"Shhh…" Regina shushed Emma gently, her mouth never leaving the swollen lips she was kissing. She flicked Emma's clit again. "I've got you, Emma. I've got you."

She could hear Emma's breathing becoming more frantic and labored and knew the blonde was close. Unfortunately for Emma, Regina wasn't quite ready for the moment to be over. They could go again. There was nothing and no one to stop them now. But still, Regina refused to let this first time be over so quickly. And much to Emma's dismay, Regina pulled away after placing a soft kiss on soaking wet lips and crawled her way up the blonde's body. Before Emma could protest, Regina brushed the hair from Emma's face, her right hand stopping to rest on the blonde's face. For a brief moment, their eyes locked together before Regina was kissing Emma like she might never have the chance to again.

Their tongues slid together allowing Emma to taste herself on Regina's lips and a small whimper escaped her throat. So distracted, Emma didn't feel Regina's right hand sliding down her chest and over her hip until she felt Regina's fingers slipping through soaking wet folds. Regina teased her gently, breaking the kiss to look Emma in the eyes again.

"You don't ever leave me again." Regina pleaded with her, resting her forehead against Emma's, allowing her eyes to fall shut for a moment. Not even realizing her eyes had begun to well up with tears, a small tear escaped from beneath Regina's lids and rolled down Emma's cheek. "Ever." She whispered.

"I promise." Emma kissed her then. Their legs tangled together, Emma pulled Regina close and when their bodies fell together, closing the distance that had been between them, Regina slid three fingers through Emma's warm wet center before burying them inside of her. She felt Emma's walls tighten around her and slowly pulled out until her fingers were almost free before sliding them back inside. There were no words for how Regina was feeling in that moment. But she'd never felt more connected to anyone in her entire life. She had one leg thrown over Emma's and as their bodies rocked together, Emma raised her leg to put some pressure against Regina's dripping wet center.

At the feel of the warm liquid covering her thigh, Emma's hands slid down Regina's back, stopping so that she had two handfuls of ass. Emma dug her nails into the pliable flesh and encouraged Regina to ride her thigh, matching each thrust of her fingers inside the blonde. This wasn't the first time. Their first time, Emma had been gentle. And sweet. This time, Emma needed Regina like she needed air and Regina wasn't hesitating to let Emma breathe her in. Her head fell forward onto Emma's chest and she took one of Emma's hardened nipples into her mouth, sucking and biting until she felt Emma thrashing beneath her. Emma was close and so was she. Regina knew that if she timed it just right, both of them would come together and the idea of that was nothing short of perfect in her mind.

"I love you, Emma." Regina choked out, taking the other stiff peak between her lips. She sucked on the nipple gently and barely a second later she bit down harder than she'd intended but the result was all the same. Emma's body tightened beneath her. As soon as Regina felt Emma constricting around her fingers, she added one more and thrust inside the blonde a couple more times before she quickly followed suit, collapsing on top of the other woman.

They lay there silently. The moments ticking by unnoticed. Both breathing heavily and a soft sheen of sweat covering both of their bodies. When Emma finally started to relax, she realized she was still squeezing Regina's ass and that her nails were buried quite deftly into the brunettes backside. She let go quickly and felt Regina flinch.

"Oh my god, Regina. I'm so s-"

"If you apologize right now, I will kick you out of this bed Agent Swan." Regina laughed to herself, her head resting on Emma's chest, listening to the rapidly beating heart beneath her.

. . .

"You're sure this is what you want to do?" Regina asked as she stood there eyeing the slightly taller woman next to her. Emma swung the hammer one last time, hitting the top of a sign post she'd driven into the ground of her front yard. The sign read 'For Sale'. "You could always rent it out, you know?"

"I know." Emma nodded. "But there's nothing here for me anymore. Just bad memories."

"They're not all bad, Emma." Regina corrected her. "Don't say that."

"No. But I tainted all of the good memories when I spent the last three years wallowing in my own self misery, focusing on that one bad moment." She took a deep breath and hooked her arm in Regina's. They started towards the house and Emma spoke up again. "I can take the good memories with me no matter where I go. I just want to leave the rest behind."

Regina nodded, understanding where the other woman was coming from. It had been four weeks since the arrests of her boss and Regina's family had been made. And Regina had noticed a slow change in her girlfriend. One for the better. She could see the wounds slowly beginning to heal and Regina found comfort in the knowledge that they would be able to move on with their lives and begin a new one together. Emma had even allowed Regina to come into the house to help her with the little bit of packing that she wanted to get done, though she had gone in beforehand and removed the crime scene photos and cleaned up the master bedroom. All of it had been made easier due to the fact that her doctor had removed her cast two weeks prior.

"The movers are coming tomorrow to get the things we packed up. Everything else is going to stay here."

"Are you sure?" Regina questioned again. "Emma you know I don't mind you bringing your things into my place. I want it to be our place."

Reluctantly Emma had allowed Regina to talk her into moving into her house under the condition that they would look for a new place to move into together. She hadn't been keen on the idea at first, but after Regina had hounded her relentlessly, she couldn't help but give in. There weren't any real reasons for her to resist. It wasn't as if they weren't financially equal considering Emma's family was more than well off. Even if she had never depended on the trust her parents had set up for her as a child.

However, there was the issue of Regina's uncle who had somehow managed to filter every last dime he had into her own personal bank account the moment he'd been taken into custody those few weeks ago. The only thing they'd been able to determine is that he must have realized that all of his funds would be seized along with anything else deemed as evidence. Luis Mills apparently preferred that his niece have the money instead. And luckily for Regina there was nothing the law could do about it because none of the deposits had ever been traceable to any illegal activity.

"I kept what I wanted to keep. The furniture can stay." Emma took a seat on the front step and pulled Regina down next to her. She leaned into her, their arms still entwined. "The realtor says it could be a perk to a potential buyer."

"Okay." Regina leaned over brushing her shoes off from their walk through the freshly mowed yard. It was early November and starting to get cool, but Emma had wanted to give the lawn one last manicure before she left it behind. They both sat in silence for several minutes lost in thought and Regina decided to change the subject. "Have you given any more thought to what we talked about last week?"

During the weeks since the incident at Mills' restaurant, they'd had plenty of time to discuss the things that Emma's boss had revealed to both of them. The knowledge that Regina's Uncle had been behind her parent's supposed death had affected her deeply, changing every thought and feeling she had towards her family and the things they were ultimately capable of. And with her Uncle awaiting incarceration, Regina was free to break away from those who had been behind it all. She thought to herself that maybe she would finally be ready to talk to Emma about meeting the people who said they were her mother and father.

As for Emma, finding out that her previous girlfriends death had not been a suicide, but in fact murder, had come as less of a shock than it probably would have for most. From the beginning Emma had thought there was more. But after years of no leads, there had been nothing left for her to do, but accept it for what it had appeared to be. Suicide. Knowing that her death had been caused by the man who had raised Regina Mills was of no consequence to her now. Regina wasn't responsible for his actions. They had both been hurt by him. But finding each other in the midst of it all, had somehow softened the blow of his many unspeakable acts.

"I think I'd like to go today." Emma finally answered after giving Regina's question some thought. She confirmed her answer with a firm nod.

"If it's okay, I'd like to go with you. Whenever you're ready." Regina reassured the other woman with a pat on the leg. These days they were hard pressed to separate for more than a few minutes at a time. Their bodies always connecting in one way or another, whether it be a lingering touch or just a soft brush of fingers here and there in passing.

"That means a lot." Emma smiled at the other woman. "I should get cleaned up first? I'm filthy from all the yard work we did today."

"Whatever you need." Regina laced her fingers with Emma's. "Cedar Hill isn't too far from our place. We can get cleaned up and then we'll go."

Emma nodded and stood, pulling Regina to her feet as well. She kept Regina's fingers tangled in her own. As they stepped down into the yard, Emma turned to give the house one last look before they headed towards the curb where Regina's car sat waiting to take them one step closer to their future together.

. . .

Cleaned up and feeling a little more human Emma waited anxiously for Regina to navigate the many twists and turns of Cedar Hill. Several days prior, Neal had given Regina the directions for finding the spot they were looking for in case Emma happened to ever change her mind about wanting to go there. He'd given Regina a small slip of paper and told her that she might be in need of the information now that Emma had received some semblance of closure where her late girlfriend was concerned. Emma remained still in the passenger seat as the car came to a stop. What neither Regina nor Neal knew is that Emma didn't need directions.

Regina didn't say a word as she slipped the car into park and turned the key in the ignition. The silence was deafening as the engine stopped running. Regina wasn't sure what to say and didn't want to rush Emma into getting out of the car so she waited patiently for her to make the decision. It had been three years after all. There was no need to rush now.

"Flowers." Emma's voice broke through the silence. She looked over at Regina then with a mixture of sadness and guilt in her eyes. "I'm such an idiot. I should have gotten flowers."

Regina smiled and with her left hand she brushed Emma's cheek with the back of her fingers as if to calm her down. Leaning into the back behind Emma's seat with her free right hand, she grabbed what she was looking for and told Emma to close her eyes. When she did Regina placed the thing in front of her and told her to open them once again.

It took Emma a moment to register what she was seeing in front of her. Slowly a smile began to form on her lips, reaching all the way to her eyes. Regina returned the sweet gesture and waited for Emma to say something.

"How? I mean when did you- I-" Emma fumbled for something to say. She had no idea when or how Regina had gotten the bouquet, but yet here sitting across from her in the car, Regina was holding a simple yet beautiful mix of roses and wild flowers. Emma reached out to take them and pulled them up to her nose. "They're beautiful Regina. And they smell wonderful. Thank you."

Her words of appreciation were simple. Just like Emma. She didn't need to say more. The way she said them was more than enough.

"For some reason, every couple of days there's been this old man pushing a little cart of fresh flowers down the sidewalk in front of our house." Regina explained, not missing a beat when she referred to her home as 'theirs'. "You were upstairs getting ready and I saw him out the window." She shrugged. "I wanted to surprise you."

Emma closed her eyes and swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. She didn't want to cry, but the urge was there. She wasn't prepared for this.

"No need to be emotional." Regina whispered and leaned across the console. Her face inches from Emma's; she waited for her to open her eyes. "I love you."

Emma opened her eyes then. The tears were there, but refused to fall. She smiled and leaned in to the other woman who was so close to her at the moment that she could feel Regina's breath on her lips. Emma captured Regina's mouth with a kiss that lingered but wasn't persistent or demanding. It was just nice to feel the other woman's lips against her own. It made her feel secure.

"I don't know what I would do without you. And I almost lost you." Emma took a deep breath and pressed her forehead against Regina's taking a moment to prepare herself for what she was about to do. Reaching up, Regina ran her fingers through Emma's hair and held onto her. She wasn't quite sure what Emma needed but wanted to let her know that she was there for her. Once she calmed herself, Emma sat back and took another moment to look at the bouquet in her hands, contemplating what to say. All she could come up with was, "Thank you."

"You never have to thank me, Emma. From now until forever, it's you and me. I will always do anything for you." Regina leaned forward to place another light kiss on her girlfriends' lips. When she sat back, Regina ran a hand through her dark brunette hair and took a deep breath. She didn't want to push, but had the feeling that Emma may need one to do what they had come to Cedar Hill to do. "Are you ready? Do you want me to get out with you?"

Emma shook her head to clear her thoughts. She pursed her lips and let out a deep breath. Shaking her head, she finally spoke up. "Give me a second?"

Regina didn't need her to say more. She patted Emma's leg for encouragement and watched as she got out of the vehicle and softly closed the car door behind her. Regina knew that Emma would let her know when she was ready for her to join her.

. . .

As she walked around the car, Emma paused when her feet reached the grass that ran along the edge of the road. Looking out at the rows of headstones that lay in front of her, she took one step and then another. Emma felt her chest tighten the further she walked but kept her head up, taking in the view around her. The 150 acre cemetery was covered in foliage and large trees, some of which were well more than a hundred years old. For such a sad place, Emma thought that it was beautiful. Amanda's family couldn't have chosen a better place for her. Emma didn't know just how far she had walked from the car, but when she reached the second tree, she stopped and turned to her left. Just in front of her, there was a simple headstone, obsidian in color with Amanda's name in white. Amanda Beth Tyler.

But the details weren't important. She already knew all of those. Kneeling down, Emma laid the flowers against the headstone. Once she got them settled she reached out and touched the simple white lettering, tracing each one with her finger before placing her hand flat against the picture they'd chosen to place on top. It was the first picture of Amanda she'd looked at in almost two years and Emma realized that she'd forgotten just how beautiful Amanda Tyler had been. Until now, every vision of her that she'd had in her head had been tainted by the horrific scene of the night Amanda had died. Her hand slipped from headstone and Emma sat back on the grass and pulled her legs to her chest. She rested her forehead on her knees and shook her head.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered still shaking her head as if it would make all of the bad thoughts go away. The tightness in her chest left her feeling short of breath. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there. That I didn't protect you. That I believed you did this to yourself. I should have known. I just- should have known."

. . .

Regina watched from the car as Emma sat rocking herself on the grave of her previous girlfriend. She knew she needed to give her a minute, but Regina didn't think she could stand to watch Emma much longer. Getting out of the car, she shut the door quietly and leaned back against it to watch for a moment longer. When Emma raised her head and propped her chin on her knees, Regina knew that it wouldn't be much longer before Emma called her over. She could feel a tightening in her chest and it took all she had not to go to her right then. Something about Emma was constantly drawing Regina in. And she knew that her persistent need to be close to Emma should have probably concerned her, but being together just felt right.

. . .

"I'm sorry I haven't been here to see you." Emma whispered, her words floating away with the wind. She knew that there was no one there to hear them, but something about saying it out loud made her feel a little better. "I haven't been a very good person since you left. But I'm sure you know that. I'm sorry for that too. It's not who I am. But I was just so angry inside."

The words caught in her throat and Emma felt sick. It wasn't until this moment that she realized just how angry she had really been. She had refused to visit Amanda's grave because she thought she'd left her on purpose. She'd given herself to countless numbers of women trying to fill the void that Amanda's absence had caused. All the time not knowing that Amanda hadn't left by choice and suddenly Emma wished that she could take it all back.

"I met someone." Emma focused her gaze on the picture on the headstone. It made her feel as if Amanda was there, listening to her words. "I know it seems weird to say, but I think you would like her. She's smart. And she's funny. And she's so talented. And there's something about her soul that makes me feel human again. Like we were meant to be together. In this life and so many others. And I know that makes it sound like what we had wasn't real…but it was. I was happy when you were here. You always made me happy. I wouldn't trade my time with you for anything in this world. I miss you so much."

Emma buried her face in her knees once again and sighed heavily. She was beginning to feel as if a weight had been lifted off of her chest. As she sat there quietly trying to remember all of the good times she'd had with Amanda, she felt a presence and quickly looked up. When she raised her head Regina was only a few steps away. She smiled up at her girlfriend and waited for Regina to take a seat next to her in the grass. Regina draped an arm over Emma's back and the other she wiggled into the space between her legs and chest, engulfing her in a tight embrace. Emma let go of her legs and wrapped her arms around the other woman.

"How do you always know when I need you?" Emma closed her eyes and took in the feel of Regina's embrace, the scent of her hair and listened to their steady breathing as she waited for a reply.

"I can always feel you." Regina shrugged. Letting go of Emma she leaned into her and turned to look at the headstone.

"I was here." Emma spoke up, changing the subject and Regina looked over at her once again, unsure of what Emma meant. "Neal doesn't know it…but I came to the funeral. I just didn't want anyone to see me."

Regina swallowed the lump that suddenly formed in her throat, but didn't say anything.

"I was just so angry I thought it would be best if I stayed away from everyone." Emma stared down at the grass and picked at it as she talked. "Amanda's family hates me. They blamed me and they didn't want to see me there, even though we were together all that time. So I stayed out of the way. I suppose I should contact them and let them know that she didn't do this to herself. I doubt the Directors' knowledge of the truth will ever go into her file. No one is going to officially change the findings. But…they deserve to know the truth."

"Yes. They do." Regina nodded in agreement. "You can do it when you're ready."

Emma nodded. They both sat there in silence for what seemed like an eternity. The sun was shining down on them through the trees and Emma looked up taking in the warmth that was gracing them for a brief moment. It was the middle of November and she knew that the late afternoon chill would start to set in any moment.

"Thank you for bringing me here." Emma spoke up and looked around to take in their surroundings one last time. "I'm ready to go now."

Regina didn't question her, but instead she stood and helped the other woman from the ground as well. Emma pulled Regina into her arms for a moment. When she pulled back, Emma captured Regina's eyes with her own and spoke once again. "I love you, Regina Mills. All the way to the moon."

Regina smiled, the effort reaching her eyes. "Is that where you'd like to go?"

"I'm going wherever you're going." Emma smiled and Regina laughed as she stepped back and pulled Emma towards the car.

"Then let's go home."