Emma woke up at three in the morning and saw Regina was cuddling her. She groaned realizing she'd fallen asleep and missed out. Still, it gave her the warm and fuzzies knowing Regina had given up her own comfortable bed in favor of crawling in with her. She sighed and closed her eyes again smiling to herself. Emma couldn't remember the last time she just slept in bed with anyone. It must have been years and it made her feel extremely content.

Emma's alarm sounded bright and early at six and Regina groaned. "Again?"

Emma switched it off. "Deliberate. I am on call. Go back to sleep. I can make myself breakfast if you don't mind me alone in the kitchen." Her stomach rumbled loudly and Regina chuckled.

"I was going to suggest something else, but I wouldn't like to poke the bear when it's growling like that."

Emma grinned and slid her hands under the duvet. She slipped one inside the Mayor's silk pyjama pants and teased at her entrance. "Breakfast can wait. What did you want to talk to me about?"

Regina bent up a knee giving Emma better access and her own hand snaked down between the blonde's thighs. "We can talk later."

"Nope. Talk now."

"Fine. I went to try to talk to Nova but Blue was there so I couldn't say anything. I asked her to call you to talk about what happened with Grumpy but really, I just need you to warn her not to tell Blue about your wish involving me." Her eyes closed as the pleasurable sensations began washing over her.

Emma slowed her movements to a snail's pace but didn't stop. "Okay. I can do that. I don't think she was planning on telling her though. She was pretty embarrassed about messing up." She felt Regina's warmth spreading and her own responded. She kept teasing her lazily and turned slightly to kiss her shoulder.

Regina tried to buck up to increase the pressure but Emma wouldn't oblige. The Sheriff grinned and pulled herself away from Regina's touch to help herself and the brunette out of their pyjamas. "I hope so. For her own sake. Anyway, expect her call."

Emma pressed her body flat against the mayor and kissed her deeply. She was in no rush whatsoever and intended to make up for their interruptions yesterday. Regina's arms wrapped around her torso relishing the skin to skin contact. Emma rolled her hips gently elliciting a soft moan from the mayor as their center's touched briefly.

'Not enough.''

What's the rush?' Emma thought back deepening the kiss more. She could hear Regina's brain chattering impatiently and grinned, increasing the subtle movements she knew were torturing the queen. Her hands trailed down the Mayor's body, tickling her sides and gripping her thighs. She hooked her legs up around her back and slid her fingers back between them looking for Regina's entrance.

The brunette moaned in appreciation as the blonde thrust rhythmically and used her body weight to add more pressure. She watched as Regina's eyes darkened and felt her own arousal building with the soft brushes against her own arm between them. Her blonde locks fell about Regina's head, framing them as their tongues danced slowly and hungrily.

'I need more.'

Emma obliged and added another finger but kept the slow pace.

'Not what I meant but better.' Regina teased in her thoughts.

Emma dragged her lips away from. her mouth and gave her neck some attention, sucking and nibbling causing Regina's skin to goosepimple. The mayor writhed underneath the weight of the sheriff and raised her hips seeking more contact in the place that needed it most. She was frustrated with the pace, and her bundle of nerves throbbed, begging for more contact.

The savior continued grinding against the mayor and pumping at just the right angle to hit her sweet spot. Regina's face softened as her delicious orgasm built and trickled out of her slowly. She felt dizzy and as though she might cry when it finally came in ripples and she gushed more, helpless to the pleasure of a controlled and masterful deep climax that left her body floating on air. She growled and pulled Emma flush against her as her eyes watered.

"Oh my God." Was the only sentence she could formulate. She felt raw and overwhelmed with a satisfying warmth, spreading from her heart to her cheeks. Emma kissed her tenderly and caressed her feeling a bit teary herself.

"Better?"

Regina smiled and flipped them over straddling the blonde's thigh and pressing her own against her wet center. "I'm just warming up." Emma's hands groped her ass cheeks and squeezed. The brunette dragged her body steadily up and down, their breasts heaved together and Emma shuddered.

The sensations in Regina's body were. already building and she rubbed herself rhythmically on Emma's strong thigh. One hand balanced beside them, taking some weight, while the other crept down and curled up inside her savior. Emma felt herself tighten in response and when Regina found her g-spot, she let out a guttural moan. It was slow, sensual and mutually satisfying laying together like this. The warmth of their bodies pressed together and the wetness between them only heightening the session. With every tilt of the mayor's hips, Emma felt herself falling deeper. Her only thought was love. They were making love and it was spectacular.

The morning passed in a blur. Neither knew how many hours they spent making love in this way. In those moments, nothing outside their little bubble of the guest room mattered. It was their time now. They hadn't had the luxury of this in their week together and neither needed to spell out they hadn't had it before either. It was something new. This tenderness was completely unexplored territory.

Regina heard Henry heading downstairs and she sighed as she nuzzled into Emma's shoulder. "I think someone wants breakfast."

Emma pulled her tighter not ready to let go just yet. "He's eleven. He can pour his own cereal."

"He can, but when he sees neither of us is awake, he'll come up and check in. I'll see you downstairs." She gave her a lingering kiss then poofed herself out of the room. Emma rolled onto her stomach and buried her head in the pillow humming. She did not want to go and sit in an empty station all day, nor was the prospect of putting clothes on appealing. Reluctantly. she resigned herself to the fact that was all they were getting for now. She felt like an addict when it came to Regina. Each time they were together, she needed a stronger hit and when they were apart, she found it hard not to think about her.

The story of her soul mate unsettled her. Emma wasn't a huge believer in destiny, even after all that had happened, but she was coming around to the idea of true love after discovering that she herself was the product of it. If Regina had a soul mate out there, and it was a he, that was bad news for her. She was realizing her own feelings ran much deeper than the initial attraction. She'd felt it before acting on it and she knew Regina enjoyed being with her too. They shared each other's thoughts every time they kissed. Still, she was terrified that this soul mate could show up whenever and that would be the end of it and leave her out of the picture. She didn't think she could recover from that. Especially knowing they would still have to see each other constantly because of Henry, her job, her whole life.

As she lay there trying not to let her mind wander to her insecurities, her magic danced on her skin. She could feel it trying to reach out but she didn't understand why or what she was supposed to do when it flared up like this. It was like having a magical rash sometimes. She wanted to scratch it but didn't know where to begin or if it would just make it worse.

Downstairs, Regina was pouring out waffle mix into the iron. She felt a buzz humming through her and she instantly knew it was Emma's magic. "Henry, will you go and see if Emma is okay, please? Tell her breakfast is ready, but knock and wait first."

Henry bound up the stairs and knocked as he was told. "Ma, waffles are ready. Mom asked if you were okay."

She quickly pulled on her jeans and tank top and shouted through the door "I'm fine, kid. I'm just getting changed. I'll be right down."

He bounced back down to the kitchen and sat at his place. "She's coming."

Regina smiled back and plated up a waffle for him. Emma came down looking agitated. Regina sensed her immediately.

"Hey, uhm I have a question about magic." She hesitated in the doorway and Regina looked up.

"Shoot."

"Do I need to do something with it? Sometimes it just powers up for no reason and I don't know what to do with it."

Henry looked up fron his waffle seeing his other mother glowing. His eyes went wide. "Woah! You look like a Christmas tree."

Regina turned around looking worried. "I felt it. It doesn't power up for no reason." She put the spatula down and walked over, taking her hand in her own. "It's linked to your emotions. When you're overwhelmed, sad, or angry, it feels like it might bubble over sometimes. Wanna talk about it?"

Emma shook her head. "So what do you do? I feel like I wanna go and blast something."

Regina grinned. "Then go blast something. Let it out, preferably in the garden." She breathed in and was about to say something else but dismissed it. Emma caught the look.

"Tell me what you were going to say."

Regina turned back to the waffle iron. "It doesn't matter. It's silly."

"Spill."

Regina poured some more mix on the iron and tried to articulate her words. "Well, it felt to me a lot like that thing I taught you the other day. As if you were trying to reach me. My magic senses your magic, as you know." She really didn't want to talk about these things in front of Henry but Emma was sparking and freaking out about it which would only make it worse.

Emma was quiet and pensive as she realised that was exactly what she was doing. She didn't mean to, she must have really projected her abandonment issues onto the woman. Her face reddened when Regina whipped her head around. "I guess, I kinda was subconsciously."

"Well that is a good thing. Remember how that feels if you ever do need to reach me in our next inevitable crisis." She scraped the waffle out and handed the plate to Emma. "I know magic can be confusing but often times, it's quite literal. Trust me when I say I know how it feels to be out of control and want to burn an entire village to the ground. You don't always have to act on impulse, but it does feel better if you let it out."

Henry almost choked on his breakfast. "Mom!"

"Henry, I'm not suggesting she goes and burns down a village! Just, perhaps, try lighting a candle, or, a storm in a tea cup." She winked. "Or physical exertion."

Emma grinned. "Well, I am late for work so maybe a run to the station." She shoved the waffle in her mouth and her magic stopped glowing.

Regina sat down and poured herself and Emma a coffee smiling. "I'm sure your boss won't mind you being late for personal reasons, today at least. Better?"

Emma nodded and took the offered drink. "Yeah, thanks." She needed to get a handle on her insecurities. She could hide them pretty well day to day, but now, with magic active inside her, she felt like a ticking time bomb.

Regina watched Emma curiously as her glow faded. It was clear something was bothering her and she was doing her best to keepbher emotions in check. Her heart felt heavy but she struggled to find what to say. She wasn't known for her patience and willingness to talk things through. She highly doubted them being interrupted was enough to spark such a reaction in the savior. Emma caught her staring.

"What?"

"Have I upset you?"

Henry shoved the rest of his waffle in his mouth and got up from the table. He really didn't want to be there if they were going to start fighting.

Emma smiled at him as he left the room then turned back to Regina. "No, you really haven't." She sighed. "I guess, something you said about the Tink story got to me a bit. I'm just being weird. Sorry. I'll get over it."

Regina scrunched up her eyebrows and a small smile graced her lips. "You do not need to worry about Tink. I know we haven't exactly defined what this is, but I would like it to be exclusive, if that is alright with you."

Emma beamed back at her. "I want that too. Uhm, but it wasn't Tink I was worried about. It's stupid. I just, I don't know. If someday that soul mate of yours randomly turned up in Storybrook, I guess I'd be pretty sad."

Regina felt her magic spark in response now connecting the dots. She reached a hand across the table and entwined their fingers. "Emma, that was a very a long time ago and in a very different world. I've never been one to accept the hand fate dealt me. I make my own decisions. I know I'm not easy and I apologize if I've given you any reason to question my fondness of you. I want this, with you, for however long we can stand each other."

Emma's stomach fluttered and she leant across the table closing the distance between them and sealing another kiss.

'I'm sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself with you. I really like this with you too.'

Their magic seemed to seep out and entangle with this other's as they locked lips. Emma pulled back again recognizing the wave that almost spilt out of her. It was love, how she saved Henry, and she was terrified it might not be returned.

Regina's eyes welled up. She looked into green orbs with unspoken questions. She felt the loss of her immediately.

"I'm gonna get down to the station. I'll catch up with you later. Movie and pizza tonight or wanna do something else?" She fiddled with her keys not making eye contact.

"What do you suggest?"

"I'll surprise you. You and Henry be ready by seven. I'll pick you up."

She bounced off before Regina could protest and went directly to the station. Once there and settled in, she did a quick search online to see what Storybrook had to offer in terms of classy. There wasn't much. One restaurant next to a the Rabbit Hole. She sighed knowing Regina had probably been there a million times when everyone was cursed. One look at the fancy menu confirmed her suspicions. The prices were out of most people's budget in this town. She called the restaurant and tried to book a table for three. The attendent was quite snooty and only accepted the reservation when she mentioned Mayor Mills.

The station was deathly quite so she started planning what outfit she should wear to such a place. By lunch time, she was bored out of her skull and decided to divert incoming calls to her cel phone and head home to freshen up and pick out her best outfit. She was just locking up when Nova appeared.

"Hello, Emma. Sorry, the Mayor said you wanted to talk to me about Grumpy."

Emma pocketed the keys and smiled letting the fairy inside. Once back at her desk, she told their story. "Okay, about that. It's not exactly about Grumpy. Sorry for the deception. Reg, I mean, Mayor Mills didn't want to risk talking to you in front of mother superior."

Nova nodded. "I thought so. I had a feeling she wanted to talk about your wish."

"Yeah, she knows what happened. Uhm, we're good. She's okay with it. She's just worried about you telling Blue about it, and I agree. I think it should stay between the three of us, for now, at least." Emma didn't want to reveal more than necessary.

Nova smiled and nodded again with enthusiasm. "Yes, I agree too. It was a silly mistake and the others are so excited to know what you might wish for. It would be hard to explain. We can say, you decided not to wish for anything."

Emma's eyebrows knitted. "What do you mean? Why would anyone be excited about me wishing for something?"

Nova blushed. "Well, you are the savior. The product of true love."

Emma groaned and her head fell back. "Oh, man! I really messed up, didn't I?"

Nova looked sheepish and struggled to find eloquent words. "I, er, I wouldn't say you messed up. You got what you wanted, didn't you? You and the Mayor understand each other, now. That's good for everyone. We see the changes in her. She's not quite as brutal as before. Who are we to question the savior's wishes."

Emma rubbed her forehead and motored her lips. "Okay, there's something else, actually. Remember when we talked about the possibility of Regina reading my mind too?"

"Yes. After my research it was obvious that wasn't going to happen." She grinned, proud of herself for doing the background work without having to ask anyone else.

"Well, it happened."

"What? No, we tested it, on the phone. You said she didn't know anything."

"It didn't, that's the thing. Something changed last week and now we can hear each other. Not all the time. Erm, only when we are very close." She hid her face in case it gave her away.

Nova looked absently through the desk racking her brain to find an explanation. "It's impossible. It can't be from the wish. In fact, your wish broke the other night. I felt it. Whatever hidden objective you had, reached its natural conclusion. You shouldn't still be hearing anything and neither should the Queen."

Emma looked confused now. "Are you sure?"

Nova smiled gently. "Very much so. It isn't my doing. There may be some other magic at work. I wouldn't be surprised. You are both two powerful women in your own right. It's probably that." She didn't look confident in her words and Emma's superpower kicked into gear.

"But it might not be?"

Nova laughed and batted her hand in the air. "I'm sure it is. It's nothing to worry about. There are accounts of that happening. Your parents, for example, they have a very strong connection because of their pairing. I'm not suggesting you and the Queen are anything like that, of course. But, it's likely your magic."

Emma processed the information feeling all sorts of emotions. She took a while to gather herself. "Do my parents read each other's minds?"

"You'll have to ask them that. Before my time, I'm afraid. Don't worry. I won't tell Blue anything. It isn't my place."

Emma balanced her head and they both began getting up to leave. "Thanks, Nova. For everything. Just be careful with Blue, okay. If she ever found out you helped Regina in any way, she might not take it very well. You know what happened to Tink, right?"

Nova looked surprised. "I haven't done anything to the Queen. Emma, I assure you."

"I know. I know that, and so does the Queen. Just don't ever mention it. No matter what. I'm not asking you to lie, just don't comment. So, you and Grumpy, huh?" She grinned hoping to get off the subject before any awkward questions.

"Yes, we were young once. He was Dreamy. But we have different dreams now." She looked nostalgic and shook it off. "Take care, Emma."

"You too, Astrid."

The Sheriff locked up the station deep in thought. This town, considering how tiny it was, hid some crazy stories. She kind of felt bad for Grumpy. What a sad story to be uncursed but never having recovered from a bad break up. He was happier being cursed than probably even Regina ever was. She was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't realize she was back home until she turned the key in the door. The sooner she could talk to Regina, the better. Tonight couldn't come quick enough.