A/N

**submitted to the collections/ouat_ff_xchange_s5b ** This is my first Swan Queen fic ever and my first ever fic following a specific prompt. I truly tried my best. I hope you enjoy. :) I also may have been carried away. I hope you like it. But do tell me your honest opinions. Prompt: Person A has died/been dead for some time and Person B sees the dead. Emma and Regina can be either person. You may include as many other characters or "ghosts" to showcase their abilities. Just give me angst and heartbreak and them falling in love despite the circumstances. No noncon, suicide, or scatplay

-x-

Emma is running fast. It's night time and she is in the woods running bare feet, occasionally looking back to see what's chasing her from behind. She continues to run until she falls in a cliff. Mid air, as she falls down, time stopped.

She woke up. And she's not surprised. This has been a recurring dream for weeks and it has been a routine. She wakes up from the dream and instantly remembers, Regina has died.

For weeks, she tried to face reality - grieve, wallow, drown herself in sadness, humour her loved ones by going out with them, doing "normal" things. But today it's different; she wants to do something. She has to do something different. As she stood up from the bed, she saw on the calendar, what day it was, August 15. 8-15. Again the set of numbers that will change her life again.

August 15 was the day it all worked. No one knew that Emma was trying some pretty weird magic she has never done before, well except one person. Sure, she has intervened, danced with death's rules with what she did with the excalibur for Hook, but nothing on this weird level.

Emma waved her hand again for the last time hoping this would work.

"Emma?"

"Regina! It worked. We can see each other." Emma spoke with so much glee and disbelief coupled with fear and also, relief.

Regina ran to Emma and hugged her tight.

"Well we can also touch." After a minute of hugging, Regina kissed Emma like she never kissed her before. A kiss of longing and a kiss of new beginnings. Stronger than the longing when they finally admitted to each other for the first time that they love each other. More passionate and more thirsty for newer beginnings they can share.

"I am so happy that you are here. I can't describe my happiness. But... how are you here, Emma?"

"Well..."

"You did not kill yourself, did you?! Emma, we talked about this and we both made a pact. No one would kill herself or forcefully put herself in harm's way just so we could be together after death. Miss Swan-"

"I miss you calling me that. I hear you say that in my dreams but now it's real."

Emma taunts Regina. She missed seeing her annoyed because she thinks Regina is the cutest when angry.

"Answer the question, Emma. Oh and I have missed you too."

"I have missed you too so much. You don't know what I've been through." Emma slowly kissed Regina. Emma pulled away, biting softly Regina's lower lip. "And no, I did not kill myself."

"Good. I don't want that. So how are you here?"

"I asked help from Gold."

"He asked for a thing to exchange? That's what he does."

"No, he did not. He said this is for a limited time only and that he can't help me any further."

*
Everyday, Emma visits Regina in this weird state of a world. Regina wasn't in the underworld. Maybe she's in some magical purgatory but it doesn't matter for now. They are not after comprehension, at least for now. What they both want is time together. And this, once thought impossible is at their fingertips now.

Today they agreed to meet in the park. Picnic mats, food basket, even wine in a sunny afternoon. Good thing in this 'prisoner world' there are no other people, not that Regina minds.

"And what did you bring to me for today, Miss Swan?"

"Oooohhh I thought you might like some marshmallows to go with your fireballs."

"Wait... what?"

"No, I mean literally. Regina, for once we shouldn't have sex all the time-"

"Oh is that a problem now?"

"I meant, we should do some other things."

"I thought that was what the marshmallows are for?"

"Okay, fine, but later. I just want to maximise all the time we have by doing different things. Who knows, when this would all end? I just want a lot of new, beautiful memories with you."

"I know. I know." Regina sighed and then moved closer to Emma. She hugged her, kissed her in the forehead and then slowly, passionately kissed her on the lips. After a moment or two, Regina spoke, "So, let's start with our marshmallow party, huh?"

Emma smiled like a child. She remembered how Regina once, well a lot of times, told her she eats like a child. One particular moment that crossed her mind was back when they were in the Mayor's office, brainstorming about the then author. She smiled at this memory.

Regina conjured up a fireball to make a small bonfire. They both got their marshmallows on stick and dipped them in the fire.

"Open up, Emma."

"Wait, you mean-"

"I thought you said, 'do other things' ?"

"Right." Emma opened her mouth to receive the marshmallow Regina was giving her. "I really, really love marshmallows."