Chapter two
"You forgot to breathe?"
Emma winced at the amusement in her best friend's voice, though it was unspoken that she'd stolen the mantle from her mother when it came to Ruby Lucas.
She sank into the werewolf's couch and accepted the cup offered to her, not bothering to check what was in it before she raised it to her lips.
"I had a long day," the saviour replied, "How was I supposed to know that she would come and watch me sleep?"
"Snow does weird things…you should be used to living with people by now," the wolf shot back and sat down beside her friend.
Emma shook her head glumly and offered no reply.
After a moment of silence, Ruby asked, "You know that you didn't have to tell them, right? You are pretty…persuasive."
"That is sick, Rubes."
"Why?" Ruby demanded.
"Because…my persuasion is based on being…irrevocably attractive," Emma admitted, sinking further into the couch.
Ruby nodded, "Okay, you're right, that would be pretty sick. But…you know…your parents are quite…gullible."
Emma raised her eyebrows at the waitress, waiting for her to take back the assertion, but she didn't so the saviour replied, "I probably could have convinced them of…something, but parents should know the truth, right? I know they could be more observant but I am pretty sure that they would notice that something is going on when me and Neal look the same age in twenty years."
"You think it would take them twenty years?" Ruby chuckled and Emma sighed.
"You know what I mean," the vampire said, "I was planning to tell them the truth…eventually, I had this whole explanation planned out…but I forgot it and then mom fainted."
Ruby shrugged and replied, "Snow doesn't take change well, Em."
"I've noticed," Emma mumbled, "Do you think Belle would mind if I stayed here for a couple days?"
"Of course, she wouldn't, but do you really think that will be long enough?" Ruby asked doubtfully.
"I know they probably want me to come back but they'll have so many questions, I just can't deal with any of that right now."
Ruby cringed, probably thinking about all of the vampiric misconceptions that she'd held upon discovering her friend's state of being.
Apparently, the Enchanted Forest's urban legends were painfully inaccurate to this realm's reality of vampires.
"Of course, you can stay," Ruby assured, "but there are a couple more people that you should consider telling."
Emma ran her tongue over her teeth pensively and replied, "Henry will probably think that it's awesome."
"And Regina?"
Emma tensed and Ruby smirked knowingly.
"What's the worst that could happen?"
"She could refuse to let a vampire see her son," Emma said quietly, refusing to make eye contact with the werewolf as she admitted her deepest worry.
"You know that Henry wouldn't let that happen…Besides, if you trust your parents with this, you should definitely trust Regina."
Emma bit her lip worriedly and replied tiredly, "I'll think about it. Can I please go back to sleep?"
"You do realise that it was you who poofed into my bedroom, Swan? Do you think being pulled away from my girlfriend was what I wanted?" Ruby pointed out.
"Suck it up, Lucas, this is what friends are for," Emma shot back while closing her eyes and shifting her legs to not so subtle hint that she wanted her to move.
Ruby swiped at her leg but stood to pull a blanket violently over the sheriff who was smirking despite apparently being asleep.
She rolled her eyes and made her way back to her room to fall back into bed and snuggle up to the lump who had refused to move when the saviour appeared.
"She forgot to breathe?" Belle asked.
Ruby pulled her closer and said, "You don't get to listen when you're not helping."
"A disadvantage of being a werewolf is that it makes it difficult to sleep when there is a conversation in the next room."
Ruby hummed in agreement and replied, "It was your decision, babe. Can we please try and sleep? I have to open the diner in like an hour."
S
Intense light assaulted Snow White's corneas and she abandoned her attempt to crack her eyes open.
Finally, she was able to try and sit up to be met with a tentative smile from her husband who was feeding their son.
"I wasn't sure how you would feel so I called in sick for you," he explained.
Snow groaned and gathered her knees up because David had confirmed that it wasn't a dream, that their daughter had fangs.
"I don't think I'm going to go in for a couple days," she sighed as he nodded in understanding.
She then released her legs so that could stand in search of caffeine.
The prince watched her go but followed as soon as Neal burped. He put the empty bottle onto the counter silently as Snow poured her beverage.
Once Neal was dozing in his arms, David said, "Don't you think we should talk about this?"
"What is there to talk about? Our daughter has been dead for the past nine years!"
"That doesn't change anything," David argued, ignoring the clench in his stomach that came with thinking about someone killing Emma.
Snow put her mug down and said, in a whisper to avoid adding a crying Neal to her list of issues, "You cannot seriously believe that, David!"
"Of course, I don't!" David admitted, "but it doesn't change that she is our daughter and we have to talk to her!"
"And what do we say?"
There was a hint of fear-induced from tales of vampires in her voice that David could sympathise whole-heartedly with.
What if Emma had ever done anything he'd heard his childhood friends trying to scare each other with?
It was confusing to be worried about where one of those creatures had gone to for comfort.
"I…just don't think I'm ready for that," Snow said, ashamedly staring at the counter.
David balanced Neal in one arm so that he could take her hand, "She'll understand, she offered to give us space. We can arrange to talk to her whenever we're both ready."
"How am I supposed to be ready?"
David bit his lip in thought and then said, "Maybe there is someone who can help us understand? Belle has an…advantage in this area?"
Snow released a rattling breath and managed a weak smile that appeared to take significant effort. She also managed to incline her head in agreement.
"We can go and talk to her whenever you're ready," David said.
S
"You're kind of freaking me out, ma," Henry said and Emma continued to wring her hands on her seat atop the coffee table.
With Henry and Regina staring at her, she'd lost what little resolve she had.
Maybe she didn't have any, to begin with considering that she'd shown up to the mayoral mansion at 9 pm on a Thursday night fully expecting to be sent away.
The former queen must have assumed that it was urgent, but was evidently getting more irritated the longer she was forced to wait.
This irritation was mixed with genuine concern for what was going on with her friend though.
"Ruby said I should tell you now that mom and dad know, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea…"
"Perhaps it would be easier if you just tell us what is wrong rather than rambling?" Regina suggested.
"Trust me, Regina, this is not the kind of thing that I would just blurt out," Emma replied with a sigh.
She'd spent much of the day at the diner trying to think of ways to do this, but nothing seemed quite good enough. Her wolfish friend was banished upon suggesting that she break them into the idea by getting them to watch Dracula.
"Perhaps that is exactly why you should just say it?" Regina replied.
Emma bit her lip, Regina was right but the fact remained that she wasn't strictly ready for this in the first place.
"I…er…"
"Ma, just say it!" Henry insisted.
"I'm a vampire," Emma replied swiftly before she could stop herself.
Silence fell over the room during which Henry exchanged a look with Regina and then started laughing, but stopped upon realising that the saviour was frowning at him.
"You're not kidding?" he asked.
Emma shook her head and said, "I was twenty-two when…when it happened…"
Henry turned to Regina but could not decipher her reaction, so he squeaked, "Are you seriously not kidding?"
Emma shook her head in confirmation and Henry's mouth dropped open.
"But you go outside in the day all the time?" the boy argued.
"That's a common misconception about vampires," Regina supplied before Emma could think about sighing.
Emma blinked and asked, "I thought that vampires weren't a thing in the Enchanted Forest?"
"They were legends in the Enchanted Forest, I learned more about them during the curse but didn't think they were real," the older woman explained.
"Do you believe now?" Emma asked, hopefully.
Regina bit her lip and admitted, "I…don't know…"
The saviour's shoulders slumped but then thought about whether she would believe if she had never met Talia.
"I guess you want proof?" she asked resignedly and revealed her fangs before either of them could respond.
Regina and Henry stared blankly until the younger of the two jumped up off the couch and threw his arms around her, "That is so awesome!"
Emma's eyes widened but automatically placed her hand on his back and sheathed her extra teeth.
"Awesome?" she asked.
Henry pulled back so that she could see his smile, "Of course it's awesome!"
She gathered him back into a hug.
In her nerves, she'd forgotten about the whole Truest Believer thing, but it didn't cover her nerves about Regina Mills.
"But if you're supernatural…why did it take you so long to believe in the curse?" Henry asked.
Emma shrugged as he sat back down, "My parents didn't believe in vampires. It's very different to fairy tales being real."
Accepting the explanation, Henry moved on to his next question, "Why did you take so long to tell us?"
"I didn't plan to stay this long originally and the longer I waited, the more nervous I got…but then Snow decided to watch me sleep."
Henry grimaced and looked over to Regina and said, "You don't do that do you?"
"All the time," Regina said dismissively.
Henry huffed but refocused on what was important, "What does that have to do with them finding out?"
"I…forgot to breathe…"
Henry frowned and asked, "How did they react?"
"They didn't think was awesome."
Henry sighed but nodded.
"It is a lot to take in," Regina allowed before adding, "You should be in bed, Henry."
The boy looked up apprehensively but found no disgust staring back at him, he still couldn't figure out what exactly it was that she was feeling though.
"But…I want to hear more," he whined.
"You have school tomorrow, but I am sure that Emma would be willing to have dinner with us tomorrow to discuss this further?"
Regina replied and the other woman gave him a nod of agreement.
"But I won't be able to sleep," he pouted.
"I am certain that you could at least try."
Henry's shoulders slumped in mock defeat, but he still gave each woman a hug, "I guess I could try," he mumbled, his eyes lingering on his blonde mother a moment longer than usual.
Once the boy had rushed upstairs, each woman realised that they were standing awkwardly close together.
Emma swallowed hard to prevent her senses from reminding her of what she already knew.
Regina Mills was undoubtedly attracted to her but she didn't see the point of ruining the tenuous relationship they had built for hot would be an amazing night.
Right now, the raw attraction was becoming overwhelming.
"A vampire, Miss Swan?" Regina asked to break the momentary spell and they each sat down.
"I wasn't joking, Regina," Emma shot back.
"You have already proven that," Regina said, "I just find it hard to believe that I did not notice earlier."
"If you're worried about Henry, I only feed on animal blood now."
"I would be a fool to doubt your ability to keep Henry safe," Regina interrupted, "I just wish that I had noticed…"
"What would have been different though?"
"Well, I know the toll that lying can take and…it would have been nice to have been told," the mayor replied, refusing to make eye contact as she omitted the real reason.
The saviour was no longer able to resist breathing in covertly to be treated to an intense depth of attraction so she had to hide her dopey smile.
"I guess you have questions?"
"I can wait until you talk to Henry tomorrow," Regina said, shifting to sit regally.
"Okay, I should probably go then," Emma replied, pitching forward as if to stand.
Regina grabbed her arm before she could and asked, "I assume that you are not able to return home yet?"
"Yeah…" Emma said, scratching at the back of her neck, "I'm kind of living on Ruby's couch until they call."
"Perhaps…it would be simpler if you slept in one of my spare rooms? I am sure that Henry would appreciate it if you were here when he wakes up."
Emma nodded slowly, trying to hide a smile, "That would be more comfortable. Ruby really needs a new couch."
Regina chuckled and then for a full minute or so, neither of them said anything.
Emma was trying to work through the fact that everyone she cared about now knew her deepest secret. Though it could have gone better with her parents, she couldn't quite believe how well it had gone with her son and whatever Regina was to her.
Finally, the quiet became too much and she said, "We could watch a movie or something?"
"Actually…I've had quite a long day, I think it would be best if we both went to bed," Regina said unconvincingly.
Emma smirked. She didn't have to be a mind-reader to know what was making the normally composed mayor blush. Of course, she probably wouldn't have been able to detect it without her enhanced senses.
"Are you sure you're tired?" she asked with a tilted head.
"It was a long day…" she repeated.
Emma shifted closer and a satisfied smile spread across her face when the older woman didn't move away from her, "I always know when you're lying Regina."
"I was not aware that I had to justify the time at which I choose to go to…"
"How long have you had a thing for vampires?" Emma interrupted and was glad to see the other woman's blush deepen.
Regina's breath hitched, "I have no idea what you're talking about, Miss Swan."
The younger woman leaned in and whispered, inches from her face, "I always know when you're lying."
The former queen's eyes flicked down to the saviour's lips and she licked her own, before she shook her head, "I believe your 'superpower' may not be as reliable as you think."
"Prove it," Emma shot back.
"H-how?" she stuttered, probably silently berating herself for not managing to keep up her facade.
Emma spread her lips further and protracted her fangs for the second time that night.
Regina took deep breaths, unable to remember the many reasons that this was a bad idea.
This was all trumped by the fact that the first vampire she happened to meet was the woman she had been attracted to for almost four years.
"Tell me this doesn't turn you on and I'll leave and go back to Ruby's," Emma whispered, though she was already leaning in closer, her lips were centimetres away from Regina's.
The mayor sighed as she felt the vampire's forced breaths touch her face and she gave in to one of her fantasies.
She surged forward and met the saviour's lips in a searing kiss, moaning as she felt the woman's extra teeth return upwards.
Leaning back, she pulled Emma with her so that she was straddling her partner's hips and they continued to make out fiercely.
Eventually, the air became an issue, for Regina at least and she lightly pushed Emma away, though they remained inches away from each other.
"Wow," the saviour sighed heavily.
"Wow indeed," Regina swallowed as her senses came back to her and she looked over the back of the couch, praying that Henry hadn't come down to spy on their conversation.
"He's in your room," Emma reassured.
"How do you know?"
"I heard this door shut," she replied with a smile as Regina looked up at her wearing a frown, "All of my senses are enhanced."
"Okay," Regina replied, unconcerned with her abilities while she had more important things that she could be doing.
She propped herself up to connect their lips in a sweeter kiss, the kind that they would pretend was their first kiss if anyone ever asked.
However, it didn't take long before it got heated again and the human of the pair had to eventually fall back onto the couch, out of breath.
"I guess I got the proof I wanted," Emma laughed.
Regina rolled her eyes and said, "You have an unfair advantage, Miss Swan."
"Do you mean these?" Emma asked, displaying her fangs again.
Regina moaned at the sight and leaned up to steal another kiss before she whispered, "Completely unfair."
Purple smoke engulfed them, taking both of them to the mayor's bedroom.