AN: WOW! It has been almost three years! Well I am back, and this is another short chapter. I promise they will get longer. With the exceptions of a couple of events happening I am HOPING to get into a regular update schedule of once a week. I know it's not much, but right now I think it's a safe goal. As always reviews are good, and please be kind. On with the show...

Regina sat Emma down on the plush couch across from the fireplace. Emma sunk down into the softness. After sleeping for weeks on the hard cot in the jail cell, the settee felt like a fluffy cloud. She allowed her eyes to close for a moment, but they snapped open when she heard Regina move.

Emma's instincts, honed by years of experience, warred with her logical side. She knew Regina wouldn't hurt her. It was like she said, Henry would never forgive her. Actually, what she said was that she would never hurt Henry. A fact that made Emma go a little mushy inside. She and Regina may not have always gotten along, and for awhile she truly didn't know if Regina was capable of expressing her feelings towards Henry. However, since that fateful day when she, Emma, had broken the curse by kissing their son; she'd ceased to doubt that.

So, Emma knew that Regina would never hurt her in the ways that she had been hurt before. Hell, she wondered if something had happened in the former queen's past often times. She couldn't imagine losing her lover, no matter how sad or traumatizing that had been, would have twisted her into such a hateful thing. Besides, Emma thought shivering slightly Regina knew what she was doing, and while the woman had natural instincts; there was a level of skill and refinery to the strokes the brunette had landed against her ass.

Regina watched Emma, knowing the young woman was handling some very dark thoughts. She didn't push her to talk. Instead she gave Emma a warm smile, which was usually reserved for Henry.

"I'm going to get us lunch. You stay here and rest," she said and walked into the kitchen.

Once inside she grasped the counter and took a few deep breaths. Henry was right, there was something wrong with Emma, and Regina was afraid she couldn't make it right. The wary look and nervous demeanor reminded her so much of her past that Regina had to look around her kitchen to remind herself she was not the scared creature she had once been.

She shook her thoughts away and began to fix some tomato soup. Normally, she would have done this from scratch, but needs must be met, and Regina resorted to using a can soup as the base and added a few things to elevate it from its humble canned origins. She picked up some crackers, and poured herself a glass of sparking water, and Emma a glass of milk. She set all of this on a tray and went back into the study.

Usually, she wouldn't be caught dead eating in here, especially since the rugs in this room where older than the Blue Fairy. However she felt it was best not to jostle Emma around too much. She set the tray on the coffee table and walked back into the foyer; opening a small closet door she procured a couple of mahogany TV trays. Sometimes on his birthday, she would let Henry eat in the living room watching a favorite movie or television program.

Regina returned to the study and noted that Emma had not moved from her spot on the couch.

She wondered if it was fear, fatigue, or something else. She gave the woman another warm smile.

Emma watched with wide eyes surprised that Regina even knew what T.V. trays were much less that she owned some. The soup smelled delicious and Emma heard her stomach growl furiously. A small smile graced Regina's face again. Emma felt her heart flutter a little. She loved Regina's smile.

Regina sat opposite of Emma, and Emma recalled the night she had met Regina they had set in this room sharing a drink; as Regina confessed her worries about Henry. She had sensed that Regina cared for Henry, though she had major trouble expressing herself.

Emma took a small taste of the soup, it was amazing. She made an appreciative noise, and crumbled up some crackers in it. She noticed the glass of milk and her eyebrows furrowed.

"Milk will help your stomach. You haven't had much to eat, and I don't know how it will react to suddenly putting food on it. Hence, the soup as opposed to your normal artery clogging affair," Regina said taking a small sip of her water.

Emma rolled her eyes.

"Well that explains why there's no grilled cheese," she mumbled taking another spoonful of soup in her mouth before giving Regina a small tentative grin.

Regina felt herself lighten at the smile. Some of the nervous tension that had been present since she found Emma face down on the floor left her body. She returned Emma's smile, and the two shared their first meal in companionable silence.

Emma finished half her soup and nearly all her milk, before she leaned back and said with the same nervous grin, "So what's for dessert?"

Regina rolled her eyes.

"Nothing. If you keep the food down, then we will see about something sweet later on," She said.

"Wow," Emma said quirking an eyebrow, "You really are a mom."

"So I've heard."

Emma once again was reminded of what Regina said nearly four years back.

"So, um, was Henry sick a lot?" She asked, partially out of curiosity and partially out of desire to avoid the conversation Regina wanted to have.

Regina arched an eyebrow, as if to let Emma know she was on to her, but allowed the conversation to derail.

"Not really, he was for the most part a healthy child, I'm sure you noticed that in the year you took care of him."

Emma nodded.

"Thanks for giving us that. I mean, I know it wasn't want you wanted, but thanks. The kid and I had a good year."

Regina nodded; she was touched at Emma's thank you.

"You're welcome. I'm sorry your boyfriend turned out to be a flying monkey," Regina said.

"Yeah, well, it happens, or at least it does when you're the Savior. I'm sorry your sister turned out to be such a witch," Emma said grinning.

"Yes well, it's a hazard when your mother is Cora," Regina said with a smirk.

The two women looked at each other for a long moment. The tension between the two, always constant crackled to life.

Emma watched as Regina's eyes darkened and her posture became tighter. She leaned forward on the fringe surrounding the blonde's personal space. Regina watched as Emma's eye grew wide, her pupils dilating, leaning forward she noted with pleasure that Emma didn't retreat from her, but she also didn't move forward to her either. She stood her ground.

"Emma," Regina said her voice soft, tilting her head to the side, "Why did you stop coming to me?"

Emma blinked and pulled back a little. Regina noticed the retreat, but rather than perusing leaned back a little to give the blonde space.

"I just...stopped," Emma mumbled.

Regina almost chided her for that answer, but she held her tongue. She knew she would get nowhere with the young woman if she pressed her too hard. She instead decided to switch to a different line of questions.

"Why did you come to me in the first place, Emma?" Regina asked.

"Well, you mean like for the wager?"

Regina nodded

"Well...you...you kinda give off this vibe. It's something I can pick up on, you know?"

Regina nodded again, knowing that Emma gave off the same energy, only in a different way. They were two sides of the same coin, dominance and submissiveness. Regina again remembered the comment she heard long ago about the perfect circle.

"Well, I sensed that, and when we, you know where in the office, it made me think. And once I started thinking, well I couldn't stop. So," Emma shrugged trying to go for casual," I asked."

Regina allowed what Emma's words to sink in.

"And the second time?" She gently probed.

Emma shifted uncomfortably. She recalled the sleepless nights, and the feelings of being completely overwhelmed, her mind racing with everything, thoughts about her parents and the new baby, the duties to the town, duties to Henry, and even her feelings for Regina. She shifted again tucking her hair behind her ear.

Regina waited patiently, while Emma sorted things out in her mind.

"Well the second time, was sorta the same thing, I just couldn't get it out of my head," Emma said.

She made it seem casual, it wasn't for her though. When Regina spanked her, when she gave up the control, for the first time in a very long time things inside her head became quiet. Emma was not very comfortable in her roles as a mother, as a daughter, or even as the savior, especially the last two. When she had given the control to Regina and surrender herself to the woman it just made everything better.

Till, the memories started.

Regina knew that there was something more there, something that Emma wasn't telling her. However she also saw the dark circles bruising Emma's fair skin. Hashing all this out right now wasn't going to help anyone.

"Emma, We need to talk more, but you need rest," Regina said.

Emma shook her head.

"I can't sleep, um, I dream and stuff," She said running her hands nervously over her thighs.

"I could give you something? Not the sleeping curse," She was quick to assure Emma," It will simply allow you a dreamless sleep."

"Ok," Emma said," Can ask you a question first?"

"Go ahead."

"Why did you do the thing you did after the um, second time we uh, you know, met up," Emma said nearly blushing as she recalled Regina's fingers expertly getting her off. Emma was, obviously no stranger to sex, but Regina had not just got her off, she had made every nerve ending in her body explode and come back together again, only to do it again. Emma squirmed.

Regina arched an eyebrow.

"You needed to be brought back down. You had experienced a very emotional high, and needed to be grounded," Regina said figuring Emma was asking simply because she did not know why the action was preformed. It had never crossed Regina's mind that someone would not do this, even though she herself had experienced that very thing.

"Oh," Emma said as if the thought was a novel one, "Ok well thanks."

Regina noted the tone of surprise in response. She wanted to question her more, but knew now was not the time. So, instead, she got up and walked over to a cabinet behind a large oak desk. She pulled out a silver key and after unlocking it, removed a small light purple vial.

"This will act not only to suppress dreams, but to also help put you to sleep. It's fast acting, so you need to be settled," Regina said. She helped Emma up and then put an arm around her waist, holding her closer than she needed to, she waved her hand again.

It took Emma a moment to realize she was not in her own bedroom, but rather Regina's. It took her a few moments longer to pull away from the comforting arm that Regina had wrapped around her.

"Here?" Emma asked.

"Yes, I want to speak with you more about things, and having to haul you back from your parents' place is not ideal."

Emma nodded feeling awkward. She had ran through her head a thousand and one scenarios of finding herself in Regina's bed, none of them were to take a nap.

She toed off her shoes and slipped out of her jacket leaving her in her white tank to and jeans. The blonde quickly slipped under the covers and pulled them up to her chin. She was aware that Regina had seen her fully nude, a fact that her tired mind tried very quickly to ignore, but it the lighting had been dim, and now it was broad daylight. Regina watched her with a smirk.

"You look like the timid virgin on her wedding night. You cannot be comfortable sleeping in those tight jeans."

"I'm fine," Emma said quickly.

Regina rolled her eyes and waved her hand Emma's jeans were gone and leaving her clad only in her white tank top and black briefs.

"There," Regina said.

Emma nodded. Regina handed her the vial.

"Drink it all."

Emma took a long swallow winced.

"Ugh what did you put in there, paint thinner?" she said.

Regina rolled her eyes and turned to leave.

"Regina?" she heard a small voice call her.

She turned around.

"Um I don't doubt your magic, but um, would you mind staying with me. Just in case," Emma asked staring at the bed playing with the covers.

Regina nodded, "I'll be right back."

She went down stairs and came up a few minutes later, with some paper work, and curled up on the settee across from the bed. Emma watched her feeling her eyelids getting heavy.

"Don't fight it," Regina said after a few moments.

"Will you be here when I get up," Emma asked in a small sleepy voice.

Regina felt her insides grow warm.

"Yes Emma, I will be right here. You are safe, Dear. Now sleep."

With the sound of Regina's soothing words of assurance in her ears, Emma drifted off.