[Rating is most likely going to change to M for chapter 8. DM me with any objections/concerns.]
Another four weeks passed after Emma and Regina's date. During those four weeks, Emma had become a constant in the Mills' home. To the point that her parents were becoming suspicious. Mary Margaret often invited Emma to dinner (in Emma's own home). One evening in particular, she told her that she 'could bring Regina'; Mary Margaret was trying to open the door to the conversation. She wanted to show Emma that she would listen, and that she knew something was going on. Emma occasionally accepted the dinner invitation, but she always went alone (barring Henry). It wasn't that she didn't want to announce to everyone that she and Regina were dating; it was more that they were still taking things slow. Painfully slow.
Regina was in her study at home. She chose to spend her day working there instead of in her office. She was less prone to interruptions at home. Or so she thought. Regina was interrupted by a knock, and she was startled when the front door opened and closed before she was able to get to the door of her study. Although she didn't see who her visitor was, she was relieved when she heard a familiar voice calling her name. The mayor, straightening her skirt along with her countenance stepped into the foyer and greeted her lover.
"Emma, this is an unexpected surprise. Is everything alright?"
The blonde hoped that she wasn't intruding, so once she was standing only a few feet from Regina, she stopped and replied, "Everything is okay. Except I just checked the potion. Should it be congealing?"
Regina looked puzzled at the revelation, and Emma watched as she magically summoned the brown, leather bound potion book. When the book was definitively present, Regina quickly flipped to the marked page and read about the potion. "Hm."
"What is it?"
"Well, the heat must be too high. But. . ." Regina flipped to an appendix in the back. "We may be able to correct it. How much was congealed?"
"Well," Emma began. "It was really just kind of chunky on top. I took a stirrer and poked at one of the chunks. That's how I knew it was congealed"
Regina glared at her, agitation clear. "You poked at it? But you didn't stir it though, right?"
"No!"
"Nothing that might have settled on the bottom was disturbed?" Regina pressed further.
"I know what it means to stir."
"At least you didn't screw that up. Was the stirrer clean, at least?" Regina sharply accused.
Emma snapped, "I don't know Regina. It's your vault! Your materials! Did you clean it?"
"I am pretty sure you're the one who was supposed to be checking on it this week. I have two weeks' worth of paperwork I need to catch up on! You told me you could handle this!" Regina's face was red and the vein on her head was bulging.
Emma took a deep breath and tried to keep her frustration in check. "Regina, this is me handling it. I saw a problem, and I came to you."
"This is you handling it? Coming to me? I am pretty sure that means I am handling it!"
"I didn't know if the congealing was normal!"
The brunette, who was still frustrated huffed, "Did you even bother the open the book, Emma?"
"No, I—" Regina didn't allow Emma to explain.
"It was a yes or no question. Regardless of what you say, the answer is still 'no.' And you would have known that congealing isn't normal if you had bothered to open the damn book." Emma snatched said book from Regina's hands, turned to leave, and began walking toward the door. She stopped, though, when the brunette's voice called out softly, "Emma." Though the blonde was angry at the way the situation unraveled, she turned around and let out a long sigh. But she didn't say anything. She looked at her lover with sad, expectant eyes. Realizing that Emma wasn't going to say anything, Regina continued, "This problem is rare, and honestly, it is going to take time and experience to fix. I apologize for my reaction. I was reacting to everything going on, not just to you." Regina reached her hand out and squeezed Emma's elbow.
"I understand that you have a lot going on. I do too. I have been taking time out of my day to do this, too. David has called in twice this week, which put me on days and nights. It is a full moon, and I would swear that Ruby wasn't the only werewolf the way this town is acting. Domestic disputes, petty theft by children, a 'riot' last night at the park. All of these situations require reports. Plus dealing with traffic violations! Need I go on? And you're talking to me like I have nothing better to do."
"Point taken Miss Swan."
"I apologize too. I should have tried to solve the problem before I bothered you."
"Don't, Emma. I know your hours have been crazy. I know you're tired. This is probably my fault anyway. A problem like this with a potion doesn't happen over night."
Deciding that they were finished fighting, Emma put her hands on Regina's waist and pulled her in. When she was as close as she could physically be, Emma momentarily rested her head against Regina's shoulder, then she placed a few light kisses against her neck and said, "Why is it your fault? Shit happens sometimes." Emma pulled back, but kept her hands on the brunette's hips.
When the answer came, Regina said, "You see, the other day, even though I was supposed to let you keep an eye on our potion, I was at the mausoleum, so I decided to take a peek downstairs." Emma gave Regina a scolding look, knowing this was Regina's admission that she couldn't relinquish control. "While I was there, Zelena 'accidentally' sent me a picture message of her, Robin, and the baby. I was concentrating on reading a book Mal lent me. Well gave me, I guess. Then I was interrupted—mistake one. When I saw what interrupted me, a picture message followed in quick succession by an oops. meant to send that to Robin ;-) ta-ta, sis, my anger was exacerbated—mistake two. It must have affected the flame for my burner. And it didn't cross my mind to check it—mistake three."
"Babe, don't beat yourself up over that. It was an accident!"
"Babe? Ugh. Do not call me that." Regina protested the nickname. "I shouldn't have let my sister affect me that way."
"Yes. Babe. You're adorable." Emma planted a kiss on Regina's cheek, which the brunette swatted away. "You're sexy." Emma then planted a kiss on the opposite cheek. "That makes you an all-around babe!" Emma closed in and kissed Regina's lips. "But in seriousness, why were you so affected? Are you jealous?" Even thought she tried to conceal it, Emma couldn't hide the insecurity that invaded her usual confidence.
"Jealous isn't the right word. He chose her over me. That is his stupid mistake. I get angry because she thinks she can rub it in my face! Like she won or something! I mean, I realize that she can give him a thousand spawns. But at what cost? She consorted with Hades for crying out loud! I have been down a dark path. I have been evil. But not that bad! Honestly, who screws the devil?"
Emma laughed, "You know Hades isn't the devil, right?"
"Not the point I am making here."
"I know what you mean. And to answer your question. Your sister/Your ex's wife screws the devil."
At that comment, Regina put her hand over Emma's mouth. "Just stop. You're prettier when you don't talk. Now, we have a potion to fix. And we've been wasting time." Then, with a cloud of purple smoke, the two were off to the vault.
After Regina read through her potion book's appendix again, she then began to explain to Emma how she was going to fix the problem. Though she seemed to be explaining it to Emma, she was trying to talk herself through the process. While Regina held the reins on fixing their work, Emma was browsing the volumes of magic books again. She was surprised to see one out of place on the shelf—presumably the one Regina was reading when Zelena text her. Then Emma noticed that it was the same scarlet book with black lace overlay she thumbed through that day in Regina's study. This must be the book that Regina was reading; the one Mal gave her. It occurred to Emma again that she never googled the latin words that comprise the title of the text. She quickly did, and was shocked. Landica Cunnus Futuere—Clitoris, Vulva, Intercourse. All basic latin terms.
She was about to grab the book, but something about it felt dirty. Instead she turned and looked over her shoulder. "Regina?"
"Emma?" Regina didn't look away from her work.
"There is a book. I saw it in the study at home, your home I mean, about a month or two ago. I am curious about it" Regina, who was listening to Emma but still focused on the beakers and burner before her let her face move from concentration to a victorious smirk upon hearing Emma's slip.
"At home, hm? Which book is it?"
"It's one by Mal. The red and black one."
"Curiosity killed the cat, Emma," Regina said with a sense of finality.
Emma didn't let the pretenses of a ceased conversation stop her. "I think it is pretty obvious what it is, but Mal gave it to you. There was a note said inside of it that said 'Open your eyes to what's in front of you and at least consider what I said.' What did that mean? If I can ask."
"I thought we already had this conversation? She and Lily said that I needed to not rule you out as a potential mate."
"But why this book? Why put the reminder in there?"
Regina finally sat down the pipette she was using to pull the congealed potion off of the top of the orange-ish substance beneath. "Emma. I know you've seen the title. I know that you're familiar with at least one of the terms. And you've met Mal. You know why she chose that book."
"It's a sex book, right?" Emma didn't wait for an answer. "It's like the magical Kama Sutra?" She was asking rather than stating.
"You're mostly right." Regina turned around to face Emma. "It's more than that though."
"More than one of the oldest books of sex and romance? What is that sorcery?"
"It is more because Mal wrote it. Therefore, I can guarantee those are the sexiest spells that two women can perform to perform."
"You can guarantee it?"
"I may or may not have been involved in the experimentation process for some of the spells." Regina crossed her arms over her chest almost defensively.
Emma couldn't contain her amusement. "Oh. Really now?"
"Yes," was Regina's only reply before she turned around and put her attention back on the potion. Emma, finally getting over her fear of the book being cootie-ridden, took the volume and a stool and sat in front of where Regina was working.
"So what kind of—"
Regina quickly held up her hand to stop anything else from coming out of Emma's mouth. "I have said all I care to say on the matter."
"I don't want to know anything personal. Just generally, the nature of the magic."
"You don't listen to a thing I say, do you?" Regina rolled her eyes as she sorted through a small box and pulled out another pipette to suction debris off the bottom of the beaker with the potion. "Everything in there is a spell. they work best when both parties can use magic." Emma was listening, but mostly flipping through the pages of the book. She was not surprised to see that, as the book's title would suggest, the spells were in Latin. However, Mal had notes written along with the spells that were in English. She stopped and read a few of the notes, and when she did, her face became flushed.
Emma's mouth began moving and words began coming out before she could stop them: "Would you want to try some of this with me?" Instantly realizing that she probably shouldn't have asked that. She corrected, "I mean, eventually. I know we haven't done that yet. So we should probably at least try that before this," Emma signaled to the book. "I—"
"Are you trying to initiate sex with me?" Emma's eyes bulged at the question and she looked on the verge of tears. Regina laughed. "Because I don't think now is the best time," she motioned to the potion. "But I will be honest and say that if we don't move in that direction soon, I may resort to my former ways." Regina played the conversation casual as she filtered the debris from the remnants of potion that she's collected off the bottom of the main beaker.
"Former ways?"
"Evil." Regina arched her eye brow seductively at Emma as she took the filtered potion and mixed it back in with the now completely liquid substance in the main beaker. She then turned her attention back to two smaller beakers: one with the debris, and one with the congealed substance. "Too much sexual tension in combination with sexual frustrations will do that to a woman," She stated matter-of-factly.
"Are you ready for that step?"
"You're kidding me, right? I was ready before our first date!"
"You said you didn't want to!"
"No, Emma. I said I had no expectations for you, not that I didn't have wants and needs of my own. I was ready. But you weren't."
"Well, I am ready now."
Regina placed both hands on the table and leaned in slightly searching Emma's expression. She found nothing she could contest. Emma's eye contact was perfect, confident. Though her cheeks were still flushed, the blonde didn't appear to be uncomfortable having this conversation. "Very well then. From here on out, sex is no longer off the table. Now, back to what we are here for. Go look in my cabinet. I need the small bottle sitting next to rose oil. It is unmarked. It should be a greenish-yellow color, transparent." Emma didn't respond and only did as she was told.
"What is this stuff exactly?" Emma asked as she handed over the vial.
Regina cut her eyes at the blonde, but looked back down to her measurements, ignoring the question. Instead she mixed the measured drops of the mystery liquid in with the debris mixing it until all of the debris was dissolved. Regina ignited a small flame, "Emma, hand me that stirrer next to you." Emma did as she was told and watched as Regina heated the small amount of liquid until it sizzled against the sides of the beaker. Then she added it to the congealed substance and stirred quickly.
Emma was impressed to see the gel-substance dissolve and conform to the liquid matter that was added to it. Regina then checked the temperature of the main beaker and did the same to the smaller one. She found that the two were close enough in temperature to add together, so she did. And stirred lightly. "There. That should do it."
"How do we know if you've done it right?"
"Are you doubting me?"
"Never."
"You're right, though." Regina took the small bottle of mystery liquid back to her cabinet and came back with what appeared to be an unfinished, splintery toothpick. Regina dipped the small stick in the orange fluid and held it there for several seconds. She pulled it out, the stick projected what appeared to be a holograph of a miniature version of a tree.
"Is that twig from an apple tree?"
"Not just any apple tree, Emma. My apple tree. This is from the branch you cut off."
Emma laughed, but stopped when Regina cut her eyes in annoyance. The miniature tree faded and Regina sat the stick down. "So the projection means the potion is working?"
"Working? No. It will not work until Kathryn, or anyone else, consumes it. But to answer the general implication of your question, yes. If it stays at the ideal temperature for the next two months, the potion should not be toxic or ineffective." Regina began cleaning up her materials and waved her hand to clean the tools that were no longer in use.
"Are you really not going to tell me what that green liquid was."
"Is," Regina corrected as she came to the side of the table that Emma was on.
"Excuse me?"
"It still exists. The contents aren't depleted. Therefore, it is in the present tense."
"Really? You and technicalities today…" Emma reached out and pulled Regina to stand in front of her stool between her knees. When she had the mayor where she wanted her, she dropped her hands to rest on the side of the Regina's thighs.
"The vial contains phoenix tears. Very rare and very powerful. That's why I keep it unlabeled. " Regina informed, relaxing into the touch and threading her hands through Emma's blonde locks.
"Wouldn't someone versed in potions know what it is?"
"No."
"Why not?" Emma pressed further.
"Do you really want to know?" Emma looked at Regina as if to ask, 'Is that really even a question?' Seeing that Emma wasn't going to give in until she had an answer, Regina brought her hands down to Emma's shoulders and replied, "Phoenix tears look exactly like dragon urine. To the point that even Rumpelstiltskin would struggle to distinguish the two."
"What is the best way to distinguish the two?"
"Honestly? Taste." Emma gagged.
"So it's a gamble? You may get phoenix tears, but you may get dragon piss?"
"Yes."
"If you were to buy them, would you have to taste them to make sure you aren't getting duped?"
"Yes. I suppose so. If you choose to buy them."
"If? How else would you get these items?"
Regina sighed. She really didn't want to answer, but she did. "You hunt them, find them, and sometimes steal them." Much to Regina's surprise, Emma's eyes lit up with excitement.
"So you'd go on an adventure and steal rare, magical items?"
"I personally wouldn't. I have someone else do it for me. Usually someone I don't care to lose should the quest end in the scavenger's death." Regina brushed Emma's hair away from her face and searched her lover for emotion—disappointment, displeasure, chagrin. But what she found astonished her. "Don't look so thrilled about the prospect, Emma!"
"Old habits die hard. I can't say that I would tell you no if you were to ask me to go when we are in the Enchanted Forest."
Regina smirked and ran her hands enticingly over Emma's covered arms. "I love the rebel in you Emma. A little too much I'm afraid."
Emma leaned in and softly planted kisses on Regina's neck up to her jaw. From there she debated if she should go toward to her lips or her ear. Deciding for the ear, she continued to kiss her way along and when she reached her destination, she whispered, "How much?"
Regina didn't respond; instead, the two were enveloped in purple smoke. When the smoke cleared, Emma recognized that she was on Regina's bed and her hips being pinned down by the legs of a brunette, her brunette, who couldn't keep her hands to herself.