The Earl of Locksley Inn

As Regina went through her night cleansing routine, she looked around the master bedroom's bathroom. The attention to detail on taps, the towels, dressing gowns, and bedsheets was exquisite. More like a five star hotel than a mere inn in the middle of a forest! This was clearly the work of a woman. Merlin's daughter? she wondered, as she re-entered the bedroom, seeing Emma texting someone.

"I thought you were tired?"

"I am. But there's something I need to do first. I've just asked Robin to come up."

"Here? Why? We've only just left him!"

"I talked to him, Gina, but you didn't. I just need to say something. To both of you."

"But why would you-" she was interrupted by a knock on the door, Emma climbing off the bed to open it. Robin stood in the doorway, holding a small tray with three glasses and a bottle of, what looked to be brandy.

"Emma?" He looked across at a confused Regina, so he clarified. "You asked me to come up to talk, and bring a couple of drinks? Seeing as it's late, I thought Cognac would probably be best…"

"Thanks," she took the tray, avoiding her wife's gaze. "Erm…take a seat, both of you?"

He sat on a small chair by a small vanity table, Regina on the other side of the bed, now feeling self-conscious in her nightdress. Both trying desperately to avoid looking at each other. Emma poured three good measures of Cognac, and handed each of them a glass. Although she needed to do this, now it was happening, her nerves were betraying her. To get a grip, she downed her own drink in one large gulp, instantly regretting it as the ferocious burn hit her throat, making her cough and splutter. "Aargh…shit!" she wheezed.

"Yeah, that's not scotch you're sinking, Emma!" Robin just about managed to avoid laughing, earning a glare from Regina. "It burns a hell of a lot more. You need some water?"

She waved him to sit down, shaking her head and giving herself a moment to recover. "Okay, let's start again! Look, this is a little difficult for me, so I need to ask both of you to be quiet, and don't interrupt, until I've said what I need to say, okay?"

Although she was looking at Regina, Emma spoke to Robin.

"Okay. Robin, there's no point beating about the bush. Five years ago, you gave your life to save her. First, I can't thank you enough for that, because if you hadn't, there's no doubt she'd be dead. We all knew she was your soulmate, and it left her completely devastated. You can't imagine how painful it was to watch her decline!" Her gaze never left Regina's.

"I went through something like that with Killian, but it was nowhere near as bad as she had it. Killian and I clearly never had that 'true love' thing, despite what I thought at the time. You now know we both had counselling, and, with Archie's help, we slowly pulled our lives together. On the way, Regina and I somehow fell in love. I still love her and know that, even allowing for Neal, after Henry she's the best thing that's ever happened to me! I'll always love her. Nonetheless, I've realised Regina and you have something that will never die. A love as powerful as my mum and dad's, and that's really saying something. She still loves you Robin, and still needs you in her life..." she saw Regina about to interrupt, but her hand went up, silently asking her to remain silent.

"You're the children's father. They need you too. I've thought really long and hard about this, and it's because I love her so much that I need her to be happy, and the only way I can be certain she will be is if you're also a part of her life too. I hate to admit it, but Gold and Tink were right. You and Regina need not just to 'mate', but to be together."

Regina looked bewildered. "You can't be serious? Are you thinking of leaving me?"

"Absolutely not, but everything I've said is true and you know it! He knows it too, damn it, and he's struggling with this as much as you are. I should know, because I saw into his own mind when he did that weird thing to me!"

He'd heard enough. "Emma, I've told you several times already. I will not come between you and Regina. Yes, I'm still very much in love with her, but I'll have to learn to live with that."

Regina's eyes widened at his easy admission. But she couldn't do that to Emma. It would break her! This was hurting. She had to do something. "Emma, I love you! Please don't say what I think you're going to say."

"I love you too, and that's the reason I'm letting you be with him! I'm letting our marriage become more 'open', but just to him, so you can have him in your life. You can be with him, when you need to, yet still be with me."

The brunette was lost for words. She looked across to her former lover and could see him as confused as her. "Robin, I'm sorry. Would you allow me a few minutes to speak to Emma alone?"

"Of course. I'll go check on Abigail and the little ones, then I'll be downstairs. We'll talk again in the morning."

"No! Just give us twenty minutes," Emma insisted. "Then come back."

In one of the smaller bedrooms, hidden away on the west wing of the new building, Henry Swan-Mills lay in bed with Violet. John had given him a room for the night, so he took advantage and invited Violet back. After a hasty bout of sex, the young pair lay back, spent and panting. The two had gone to separate universities, one to Boston and one to New York. Although they had initially regarded themselves as in love, both began to realise that, with the passage of time and separation, they were more like close friends. Very close friends. Friends who had agreed to continue having sex when it suited them. Perhaps until someone more permanent came in to either of their lives? They were both content with the arrangement.

"So, anyone on the scene yet?" asked Henry. "Are you seeing anyone?"

Violet laughed. "No, you dick! Do you seriously think we'd would be doing this, if there was?"

Henry chuckled too as he pulled her to his chest, kissing the top of her head. "Guess not."

"How about you? Anyone sparking your interest?"

"Not really. There's been a few one-night stands, but nothing serious yet."

"Same here. There's someone who was pushing me for something more, but I wasn't feeling it."

"But he was?"

"She, actually. And yeah, she wanted me to move in. Bit soon for me. We'll see…"

"Oh, not you and all? Seems every bloody girl in Storybrooke's shagging other girls instead of guys these days!"

"Don't be silly," she chuckled. "It was just a 'thing'. Anyway, there's no one out there for me yet. I guess you and I are going to be 'fuck buddies' for a little while longer…"

"I can live with that." He pulled her closer, the pair lying quietly for a few more minutes before Violet's hand went back down to slowly massage him back to life again. "So, you've had magic three days now. How's it feel?

"Mmm…weird, but good. But nothing like as good as the what your hand's doing right now. Another round?"

With a happy giggle that never failed to arouse him, she silently nodded, sliding herself over the top of him, delighted to feel his already hardened member against her stomach. "Well if magic's given you that quick a recovery, I'm not complaining! Now, where were we?"

Ruby and Dorothy, after receiving congratulations from everyone on their engagement, headed up to one of rooms above, to meet the sorcerer as agreed.

"Okay, let's get started," said Merlin, casting a spell on the door to make sure they weren't disturbed. "Now this is a magical, not a medical procedure, so it will be fairly quick and painless. You don't need to remove your clothing, just your underwear, for obvious reasons. Then I need you to lie side-by-side on the bed, with your knees up. I know you're feeling tense, but just try to relax."

The women did as instructed, lying back, side-by-side, fingers entwining. He propped himself on one side of the bed, leaning over to place a warm hand on each of their abdomens. "Remember, try to relax."

He closed his eyes, mumbling something incoherent. Feeling a small tickle from inside, Ruby watched, open-mouthed, as a very pale blue and silver stream of light, in a smoky shroud, seemed to emerge from between her thighs; from within her. It rose above them, forming a small column above her hips. Looking to her side, she saw that a similar stream of light had emerged from Dorothy's lower half too, but this one dark red and silver. Slowly raising his hands from them, he starting gently moving his fingers, while still mumbling, around the light columns without actually touching either of them. The couple watched in awe as his hands gradually forced the columns of light to slowly come together in a swirling pattern, each coiling around the other like two translucent snakes, in some sort of bizarre mating dance. Slowly they combined, their colours mingling to produce a darker, silvery hue. Merlin drew his palms apart, the combined cloud slowly separating itself into two columns again, this time with colours matching. As he carefully brought his palms down to again rest on them, the streams turned and gradually moved down, back under the women's skirts. The whole procedure had taken less than three minutes and apart from the tingling, they never felt a thing.

He stood, smiling. "All right, that should be it. I'll leave you to finish getting dressed. The next bit's down to you and Captain Jones. I've left the flasks and the chiller for he samples over in the corner there. I've also left instructions for everything. Come see me when you're ready? I'll be staying at the convent for the next fortnight."

"Thanks Professor!" said Ruby, sitting up to retrieve her underwear. "For everything. You have no idea what this means to Rubes and me!"

"You're welcome, although i had the easy part. Now one of you has to actually get pregnant. Good luck with all that. Shall I send Killian up to see you?"

"Please," Ruby looked across at the printed sheets on the table. "But ask him to give us a few minutes to read those notes?"

"Of course. I'll see myself out." And with that he bowed slightly, before taking the door spell off, opening it and stepping outside, leaving the pair still a little awestruck.

"Well that was odd! So, we're really going to do this?" Ruby turned to face her fiancée, who nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. I can't quite believe I now have a part of you, inside me, and me inside you. Weird, or what?" They rolled to face each other, Dorothy placing a warm, earnest kiss on her partner's lips, pulling her into a hug. "I truly love you, Ruby Lucas."

"And I love you, Dorothy Gale - Kansas, I can't wait to become your wife!"

Just along the corridor, the wives argument was getting more heated. "Emma, I'm not doing this! I know what you're thinking, but no! It's not fair to you, and it's not fair to Robin! Hell, have you even considered the consequences if this turns ugly? We all have children, for goodness sake! If Robin feels he's being used, he could leave. What if Roland were to go with him? Or even Honour? It's just…just…wrong!"

"It isn't wrong at all! You know he'd never take Honnie away, magic or no magic. I don't see the problem. You love him, and this is just sex, right? He's good looking, fit, has a great body…," Emma realised she may have gone a little too far with that last remark, which was picked up by Regina.

"Yes, I noticed you looking at him. By the lake."

Emma blushed, "Me? I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Don't play the innocent with me, Emma Swan-Mills," she sniggered. "Of course you do. I saw it! You were definitely checking him out, eyeing him up and down when he came out of the lake! You were practically drooling!" Regina enjoyed watching the blonde's cheeks redden as she squirmed. "I understand the attraction. Hell, I was doing it too - just don't deny it!" Regina didn't so much sound angry as curious. She glared at her wife, expecting an answer.

"Well what if I was? As I said, he's a handsome guy with a buff body." Emma blurted before she could stop herself. "You like him too, so what's the harm? We're both bisexual, Gina. We're not exactly man-haters…"

"Indeed not. But admiring is different. What are you suggesting I do, seduce him? He's a man of honour, Emma, not someone looking for a quick tumble. I can't see him going for this, even if, as you say, he's as tormented as I am. He promised not to undermine our marriage. I can't see him going back on that!"

Emma harrumphed in frustration, laying back on the bed. "Shame. I reckon 'a quick tumble' is what we both need after the last few days!"

"We? What are you saying?" The blonde had never seen her wife's brow arch so much. Realising her comment could have been misinterpreted, Emma tried to backtrack. "Um no! What I meant was…was…you sort of getting past this true love curse thing…um…" she mumbled, looking guilty.

"If I didn't know you better, Emma, I would say you were interested in getting a bit of time with him yourself!"

"What…no! Regina, no…seriously?" Her cheeks were positively blazing with embarrassment.

Enjoying the moment, Regina decided to twist the knife a little more. With her best lascivious grin, she breathed, "Shame. I've never had a threesome before. Could've been interesting!"

At that point, it finally dawned on Emma that she was being set up. So, she decided to come back in kind. "Huh, like you would even consider it! Way too risqué for you..."

"Sorry? Are you implying I'm unadventurous in the bedroom?"

Emma wasn't going to back down now. "Definitely not. But you in a threesome? You'd run a mile!"

Regina smirked evilly, knowing she'd fallen right into her little trap. "So, Emma, darling, what you're saying is that you are quite prepared for me to be allowed to have sex with Robin Hood, partly for my own sanity, but I would never do the same with my own wife involved? Despite said wife clearly finding the thief rather attractive herself? I think it's you who wouldn't dare, my dear!"

"Is that a challenge, wife of mine? If so, bring it on…" She heard the words come out but couldn't believe what she'd just said.

"Very well. Let me go get Robin back up here…"

Emma stared into her wife's chocolate brown eyes. Hell, she ain't kidding! "Er, Regina, you're serious about this, aren't you?"

"Robin's already told you he will not put our marriage under threat. And I've already told you I would never cheat on you! So, it isn't adultery if you're here with me, indulging too, is it?"

Emma saw the wicked gleam in the brunette's eyes, worthy of the Evil Queen herself, and smirked right back. "Okay then, you're on," she said, winking at the older woman. "Go on then, get him back!"