The next day Regina could feel her skin still buzzing, she felt antsy and agitated. Mal had suggested it being her monthly but even after subtly offering her chocolate, it did nothing to ease the witch. She just got an impassive look from Regina. She magiced the chocolate away and suggested the lake instead. They were splashing at each other when they heard a wolf howling. They looked at each other and ran out. Regina tried to magically dry them and dress but her magic flung a fireball to the ground. Mal looked at her and shook her head at her.
"I may be fireproof but I'm not a fan of smolder marks in my clothes. Just dry on the way there."
With that Mal flew them back to the castle, Regina air drying with the winds. And when they landed she gave Mal's clothes over for her to dress before they approached their mothers.
"What's going on? Why the wolf signal?" Mal asked.
Snow was dancing in place with joy. "Look at the horizon."
They both turned and when two horses came over the hill towards the castle, they gasped.
"David informed me they'd be home in a little while. I had Belle sound the alarm to alert you two."
"Emma." Regina sighed happily and hightailed it towards her blonde wolf.
Emma's hearing picked up on her voice. Her head snapped in her direction and she flew off her horse and tapped into her wolf speed to get to her quicker.
When they collided together, Regina expected them to tumble to the ground as they always had but instead strong arms circled her waist and lifted her off the ground to spin them
"You're home," Regina whispers tearfully into blonde hair.
Emma started to rethink her decision of not doing anything should this woman in her arms be Mals. At this moment having Regina in front of her, in her arms, her soul burst in joy. She was just thankful the witch wasn't empathic like her brother, who was giving her a look right now by the abundance of love radiating off her. Her father was right if Regina didn't choose her, she was going to be miserable.
She finally let the brunette's feet touch the ground, but she didn't let go. She pulled back but her hands stayed at Regina's sides.
"Gods, I've missed you." Regina chuckled wetly, placing her hands on Emma's cheeks
"And I've missed you, my Queen," she whispered
"Look at you!" Regina laughed as her hands slid down pale biceps to rest in her hands so she can stay connected while taking a step back to further assess the blonde. She takes in the loss of baby fat, replaced by firm muscle. The broad shoulders and the beaming smile coming from her wolf with a strong chiseled jaw and a new scar on her left brow. The girl is now a woman, standing a couple of inches taller than her. "A girl no longer, my Swan."
"Me? Look at you!" Emma smiled as she took in the new curves outlining Regina, her olive skin, darker from more days of having her defense training on the fields with the army. Her hair was thicker and longer. "You are more beautiful than the day I left."
Regina smiled and stepped back into her, caressing her jaw and staring into emerald green eyes.
Emma moved her hands up, one cupping her face and using the other to run through the ebony hair.
David smiled as he walked passed and towards his wife. Snow hugged him and was about to go to her daughter, David stopped her and she looked at him in confusion
"Let them have a moment, love." he nodded his head towards them and smiled.
Snow's smile widened, catching onto what her husband was hinting and walked with him to take the horses back.
In their little bubble, no one else existed. Regina could feel her antsiness fade. The magic at her fingertips settled and she felt her whole soul sigh in relief.
"And this can actually drive a witch crazy if we are not with that person. We get antsy, lash out. Our magic goes haywire and only calms when we are touching them or near them" her mother's voice filled her head.
When the witch's smile widened even more at the confirmation that she was right, tears filled her eyes in joy. Emma chuckled thinking it was still just about her being gone and pulled her into a hug. "It's okay love. I'm home. And believe me, I don't plan on going anytime soon." they stood there like that for minutes on end.
Until Emma was tackled.
By her wolf pack when Ruby had jumped on her and the momentum taking them both down
Emma laughed as Belle, along with Mulan, and Killian joined in on the fun and dog-piled her.
"Well well well, look at you Swanny." Mal finally walked over with a smile, wrapping an arm around Regina's shoulders.
At her voice, the pack let Emma up and helped dust her off.
"When is your next mission Mal? Maybe you can come back looking this good too." Emma teased with a smile.
Mal laughed and wrapped her arms around her. "I missed you furball."
"You too, you scaly chicken." she playfully pushed her off
Mal smiled and pushed her shoulder as they laughed together
"Well, we have to spar sometime. But first, Regina has a surprise for you." Mal winked
Emma looked at the witch with a hopeful smile.
"Since you were gone for our birthday week, we are throwing you a party. Tomorrow. So tonight you relax, bathe, and we have our party with the pack." Regina smiled.
Not what she was looking for, but sounded just as good.
"Okay, but first I have to send a letter to the Dunbroch Kingdom. I promised to let them know when I arrived home."
"Write it up and we will get Rumple to magic it over." Regina smiled
Emma smiled and wrapped her arms around her two best friends, the pack following behind, and they made their way to the castle for their long-overdue sleepover.
While the pack and Mal got her bedroom ready for everything they would need for their night, Regina went to the room that was assigned as Emmas at birth, for when she wanted to stay over. Not that she ever used it but it was still hers. But when Regina went straight to the room, she found it empty and closed the door behind her.
"Must still be in the bath." she thought as sat on the bed
"But the witch would experience the imprint as well, not until their fifteenth birthday, however, but you'd be able to feel the magical pull when an imprint is made. If you are a soulmate with a wolf, your gravity will pull towards them." She smiled as she remembered the lesson they dreaded all those years ago. But she couldn't feel happier that her mother had tortured them to know this. She's been confused about her feelings, why she was such a hell beast while Emma was gone, or why when Emma's rank came in, she could feel the wolf vibrating and uneasiness. But she remembers the day her mother spoke about. It had clicked into her head as she hugged Emma. The day she experienced her imprint on Emma.
"It'll be okay Regina, come on. I have an idea" Emma stood up and reached down to pull her up as well.
Regina sighed and took the offered hands. As she stood, she looked up and they locked eyes, she saw a flash go by. She swatted in front of her and stumbled from being light-headed.
"You okay?" Emma looked at her confused, putting her hands on Regina's sides to steady her
"A bug flew in front of me, I just lost my balance." she shook her head
"There wasn't a bug." Emma looked around for the culprit, listened for the buzz, and found nothing but Mal's grumbling near the lake.
"Huh, must have escaped then." Regina shrugged.
"Sure." Emma laughed
She laughed at the memory. But she sighed with joy, knowing that if she had experienced after their fifteenth, and did not see the same reaction from Emma when it happened, she knew Emma already had hers long before. Though she wondered why she never told her.
"That does explain her moving into my room so she could sleep with me at night. Ruby said she couldn't sleep if she wasn't with Belle." she mused,
The bathroom door opened up and Emma walked out in all her glory, using the towel to dry her hair instead. Regina looked over and gasped at the tightening that occurred in her stomach and the way her body started to heat up at the sight of her best friend naked.
When Emma pulled the towel away from her face she yelped at seeing the brunette and instantly covered herself "Regina!"
Regina's eyes snapped up to meet hers, "What?"
"Uhm wh-what are you doing in here?" she stuttered, She could see a slight darkening in the brunettes eyes and the way she had licked her lips before she spoke
"I wanted to spend some extra time, just us before we have to go back to our friends" she smiled and shifted on the bed
"Oh okay. Uhm, let me grab my clothes. I can change in the bathroom real quick."
"Why not just get changed here," she said nonchalantly
Emma just looked at her with an eyebrow raised and looked down to her body and back to Regina
"Emma we bathed together until we were 5, not to mention the skinny dipping mal got us to do at the lake multiple times. It's nothing I haven't seen before." she rolled her eyes
"Yes, but I could have changed my anatomy because it was more comfortable and that's what you would've seen. Plus it's been over a year, I grew into everything and filled out."
All she got as a response was a wave of the hand so she shrugged and walked to her closet, picked out her outfit and brought it back to the bed; throwing off her towel and reached for her underwear
"Yes but I already saw that when you changed it for the first time. When Ruby was teaching you how to control it and Mal and I walked in on you two being idiots, giggling, and seeing who was bigger. Honestly, the only thing that could have happened was it got bigger." Regina stated
"Oh, it got bigger," Emma said.
Regina chuckled, "then how can that be more comfortable then?"
"So if we're out in the woods and I don't wanna squat, I change and I can go piss like a man." she joked
"Emma that is not what that is for" Regina laughed
Emma shrugged and pulled her pants up and grabbed her tunic
She looked over to the girl on her bed to see her looking her up and down and cleared her throat, smirking as she saw Regina look up at her, "What?"
"You're staring again." she smiled
"Well, I can't help but admire the beauty." Regina chuckled as Emma blushed and focused on getting dressed.
After throwing her shirt on and her long hair into a loose ponytail, she jumped onto the bed and relaxed
"Ugh, I forgot what a good bed feels like." She stretched out, moaning at her joints popping.
Regina looked down to see her shirt riding up. Showing her defined abs.
Without her permission, her hand went to the skin to feel the muscle.
Emma's breath hitched but she didn't stop her. Allowing Regina to touch her.
The princess finally snapped out of it and blushed as she looked up at the blonde.
"Sorry." She mumbled
Emma chuckled and opened her arms, "come on. I told Ruby to call me when they were ready. Why don't we take a nap? I've missed having my cuddle buddy."
Regina smiled and instantly wrapped her body around her. "And I've missed my human heater"
"Oh no, not the human heater. Not missing anything else of your best friend other than that use." She teased her
Regina playfully slapped the girl's chest, "I had my back up heater. Not the same but Mal was almost as comfy."
At this Emma tensed. Regina felt it and looked up to see the woman's nostrils flared and eyes closed. Still holding gently onto her but she could sense a storm underneath
"Em?"
At her name coming softly from her lips, Emma calmed.
"Hey, I gotta question." She changed the subject as she opened her eyes
"What?"
"Do you mind if I stay here for a while? My father talked about alone time with Mom and I don't wanna be there when they make up for the lost time." She grimaced.
Regina started laughing and snuggled back into her, her eyes already closing with contentment. "Of course. This is your home Em. Nothing will change that. And besides, we can make up for lost time too." She lifted her head to kiss the underside of her jaw before laying her head back down to her chest
Emma smiled and pulled her in tighter against her body. Their limbs tangling together as they settled for a nap.
True to her word, Ruby had practically screamed in Emma's head to say they were ready and to get their ass's down there.
Throughout the night they ate food, played games, sang songs and Emma recounted her adventure to them.
Regina didn't leave her side. She had stayed next to the blonde, touching her, and Emma loved it. Being away from her imprinted for so long, this felt like taking a cool swim on a hot day.
But while having Regina next to her or on her, being in her lap or wrapped around her back. She kept an eye on Mal. Trying to determine her expression. But she was confused by the dreamy smile Mal gave them. She chalked it up to her understanding that Regina missed her. And if that was the case, all of them had grown up during the time she was gone. Mal had been a jealous type before, getting upset when her crushes liked somebody else. Now she was understanding. Ruby and Belle had finally mated. Killian and Jefferson had begun courting each other. And Mulan was doing the same with Regina's sister Zelena. And they had all filled out. Baby fat loss and muscle gained.
"So Swanny, meet anyone interesting on your travels?" Jefferson asked, wiggling his eyebrows
"Well, there was a couple. I already had the letter sent out to them to invite them here to the party tomorrow. So hopefully you'll all get to meet them. " Emma smiled
"Em, I meant did anyone interest you. As in did you have anyone trying to woo you or did you imprint? Any suitors?"
Regina looked up and glared at the man
"Yes, I had a couple try. Even my father tried being my wingman." She shrugged
Regina, who was leaning against Emma and playing with her hands, turned her head to look at her.
"So?" She questioned
Emma chuckled, " I didn't imprint, I did have one woman give me my first kiss though as my birthday present but that was all. We did stay friends though. She's part of the group I had sent my letters to."
"No just one night stands though?" Mal asked
"No." Emma smiled at the relaxation she felt occur in Regina's tensed up body.
"We need to have a night out and set you up with someone in the village. Better yet we can do that tomorrow. Maybe you'll imprint or at least someone to suit your fancy." Jefferson determined.
Just as she was to answer, Ruby threw popcorn at him and suggested a game. That deflected any more questions her way and Emma sent her a thank you. Ruby winked and got a game ready.
Later that night, when everyone else was asleep, Mal and Emma were still up.
Emma still had Regina in her arms. The woman had fallen asleep so easily that night.
The blonde was looking down at her, looking over her face, stroking it with her thumb as it shone in the firelight.
She felt eyes on her and looked over to see Mal looking at them with that same dreamy expression
"I believe that is the most peaceful I've seen her sleep the whole time you've been gone," she whispered
"She must have worried about me a lot." Emma shrugged with a smile
"Every Night I had to remind her that even if it wasn't for your father being with you. Nothing was going to keep the Emma Swan away from us." Mal returned her smile
"I thank you for taking care of her as I asked. Have you been on your mission yet?"
"No. I wanted to keep my promise. And I don't know if she would've been able to handle both of us gone. I wanted to wait until you came home." Mal shrugged
"So when are you due?"
"Next week. My uncle wants to do the same as you did. It won't be as long since we already went to most of the dragon clans as little trips. They did the same with Regina, getting her to go visit the allies to keep us busy so we wouldn't be too depressed with you gone." she looked into the fire. The emotions playing in her eyes
Emma sighed and stood up from her seat, carrying Regina to place her comfortably on the bed and covering her up. She looked to Mal and nodded her head to follow her.
They went down to the training grounds, grabbed their gear, and readied themselves. Emma was waiting on the dragon to finish up, she looked at the moon. Closing her eyes as the light shined down on her.
Mal cleared her throat and they began.
"You're scared aren't you? To go out." Emma asked as she dodged the sword coming at her
"A little. A bit more nervous than anything. I just got you back, I gotta make sure my quota of annoying you is filled for the whole time you were gone." Mal teased
"But you're worried about leaving Regina," Emma stated
Mal kept quiet for a few moments, all that was heard was the clash of the swords
"It's not that I'm worried. I just don't want to leave her." she sighed
"She'll be okay. I promise I'll take care of her just as you did for me." Emma knocked the sword out of Mals' hand, knocking her down to the ground.
Mal nodded and took the hand offered. "Thank you," she mumbled
"No problem at all. We take care of our family. You and Regina are mine, no matter what." She knelt and handed her sword. "Again."
They stayed at it, going back and forth. Emma showing the new techniques she had learned from others during her mission to help her prepare. They finally stopped when they were both out of breath and covered in sweat, the moon halfway down the mountain, showing it was early hours of the morning.
"Come on, let's wash up and go to bed. We got a huge day ahead of us. At least I know you won't get yourself killed out there when it comes to hand to hand combat. Though don't feel bad, I remain undefeated." Emma wrapped her arm around her shoulders and the walked inside
"I'll get you next time mutt" Mal teased
"Sure you will, you overgrown gecko." Emma winked
Their laughter filled the hall as they walked up the stairs