Author's Note - Nothing too much to share this time, except thank you to our readers! Lots happen in this chapter, so enjoy and let us know what you think! =)
Slamming another empty shot glass upside down on the bar counter, Emma signaled the bartender to bring another one. She was already on her third shot of whiskey and it wouldn't be her last. Not if she wanted to get rid of the lingering presence of Regina's Mills off her body and out of her mind. It did nothing for the throbbing headache that persisted, but she figured it would be droned out once the alcohol fully kicked in.
Fuck Regina Mills and her ignorant bullshit. She doesn't give a shit about you or she would've texted back something similar. Not nothing …
Grabbing the side of her head, she squinted as a jackhammer was trying to crack her head in two. "Damn. The woman's worse than the hangover I'm working on," she muttered.
Dr. Whale sidled up to the bar beside the attractive blonde, a disarming smile on his face. So the date with Mary Margaret went south. Who cares when this one is here? Where's she been all my life?
"Rough night?" he asked sympathetically, setting his half-consumed drink down.
Glaring past the hand that was helping to keep her head up, Emma's tone cast the same amount of discontent as her eyes portrayed. "Not interested."
Whale's smile didn't falter even as he went into improv-mode. "I'm a doctor. I noticed you're looking a little pale…"
"Don't worry." She held up the unattended shot with a cheeky grin. "I've got my prescription right here."
Emma knocked back the contents of the glass, the delicious liquid burning a trail down her throat. Unfortunately, it did nothing to dismiss her unyielding obsession with Regina Mills, but the alcohol was finally putting a damper on how severe her headache was. She was even starting to feel chipper.
Whale smiled and traded his now near-empty glass for a fresh drink. He also gestured to buy the blonde another shot. The bartender rolled his eyes even as he poured.
"Good medicine, I'd say," he remarked as the fresh drinks were set before them. "I'm Dr. Whale. Work at Storybrooke General Hospital…"
"Wait. That actually wasn't a line?" she blinked, floored that the rather bawdy guy trying to pick her up was an actual doctor. "You're a doctor?"
Whale grinned and downed his drink in a healthy gulp. "I am. Pleased to make the acquaintance…"
Are you going to introduce yourself or what? he thought, bemused.
She was actually surprised that the pick up doctor wasn't aware of who she was. Between the Sheriff stalking her, the mayor showing up at her room at the Bed and Breakfast, and her son shadowing her at the diner, everyone in town pretty much knew who Emma Swan was.
"Emma," she said with a shrug and took her shot, just not drinking it yet. "Resident drifter."
Tough nut to crack. Whale's grin remained fixed on his face, but then it softened, looking momentarily puzzled.
"You're new to town? Like, new new?" he asked.
"Yes. I'm 'new new'," emphasizing the last words with hand quotes. "Been here for a couple of days."
Whale stared at her before shaking his head. "Interesting. Well, that's reason there to have a toast." His smile was back in place as he held up his glass. "To resident drifters and the changes they bring?"
Sure. If that means sleeping with the mayor, having her kid hate ya, but ya managed to fix their relationship? Then, yay! Go me.
She glowered at her drink and shrugged. "Fuck it. Sure."
Clinking their glasses together, she knocked back her fourth shot, really feeling the effects now. Her head was swimming, like her neck was barely able to keep upright while her body flushed with a happy warmth. She was feeling particularly good right now and slapped a hand on Whale's leg.
"A'right, Doc. Think you can handle darts? Because that's what I'm going to do. Darts."
Whale's grin widened. The evening was definitely looking up. "I can hold my own. You're on, Emma the Resident Drifter."
Rolling her eyes, Emma hopped gingerly off the stool, briefly making her world spin. "Whoa…"
She clutched at the bar, slamming eyes shut as the momentary wave passed, even having enough sense to shoo Whale away. Just because she was well into drunk, Emma had enough faculties leftto make sure roaming hands stayed far away from anything curvy she owned.
"Just trying to make sure you stay upright," Whale remarked. Curious about this stranger in a town that never saw strangers, he asked, "Either a lightweight or really trying to forget someone or something… is that why you're here? Running away from some nasty business?"
"Nasty business brought me here and forced some more nasty business upon me. So … option two, Doc." Emma consciously watched her steps, navigating through the tables and chairs all by herself to keep her darts partners hands at bay. Not that she couldn't feel his eyes fixed upon her ass. Skinny jeans did tend to do that.
"So how good are you?" she asked, grabbing the yellow and green colored darts off the board to try and steer the conversation away from anything personal. Smirking over her shoulder that was far too flirty, she added. "And to clarify - I mean the darts."
Whale grinned. "Oh, I'm the best. Take that however you want."
He didn't touch her, but put a guiding arm around her to make it clear to Keith - who glowered drunkenly by the pool table - that he'd spotted her first!
"So, are you aiming at some of that nasty business while you're staring down the dartboard?" Whale asked Emma.
"No. I just wanna play darts and forget the 'nasty business'," she clarified, as she moved behind the tape on the floor and started to line up her first shot. Gripping the barrel, she threw the dart and gave Whale a sloppy, smug look even before the dart hit its target. "Lemme guess? Outer bull ring?"
"Gal who even knows dart lingo… impressive," Whale chuckled. "Who can throw straight even with a few shots behind her."
"I'm experienced." She left it at that, leaving a lot up to her throwing buddy's imagination. Tossing the other two darts, Emma landed another one in the outer bull and a bullseye, noting that her headache was completely gone, but her longing was just as pervasive as ever for the mayor. Shuffling her feet to the board, she grabbed the darts and handed them over to Whale solemnly and hopped onto the table to see if the doctor could do any better.
Whale chuckled at the innuendo and felt encouraged by that, even if Emma had brushed him off initially. He was used to being persistent, though! Looking at her, he grinned.
"You know… don't take how well I play darts as any sign of how well I perform at any other activities…"
And with that, the doctor did his best, throwing the trio in quick succession as he heard Emma snort at Whale's attempts to flirt and play darts.
"Good for you. Because that," she motioned towards the board, "was terrible."
Whale's darts weren't even remotely close to where Emma's had been. He didn't even get any in the rings!
"You said you were a decent dart player and you gave me premature throwing performance. Tsk, tsk." She shook a lazy finger at him before hopping off the table to retrieve the darts.
"Maybe I didn't mean darts," he said with a chuckle and wink.
She clucked her tongue and handed the darts back to him, trying her best stern expression but it came off more coy than anything else. The alcohol was doubtlessly overriding her usual senses. "We're not playing doctor later to find out."
"No?" he asked with an almost-pouty look. "I bet it'd be fun…"
"Maybe. But, you're not …"
Regina …
"... my type," she said quickly, abating the wandering thoughts of the mayor plaguing her mind.
"Ow. That stings," Whale replied as he fired off the darts with only slightly better success than the first attempt. "Not into dirty blonds? Or doctors?"
"Nah. Kinda into brunettes." She decided to run with the first idea that popped into her head that would either make it perfectly clear that Emma wasn't interested, or that it would just cause a whole string of curious questions. "Like the waitress at Granny's. What's her name?"
She snapped her fingers a few times, the sound banging past the haze of intoxication to pull the name out of memory. "Ruby! Yeah. Like her."
Or really hot mayors.
Shifting atop the table, her mind went down a rather vivid path of her lovemaking with Regina last night. How her voice dipped even lower when aroused, hardened nipples cutting against her palms as the mayor groaned hotly when Emma kissed that sensitive spot right below her ear …
"Stop it," she growled angrily at herself, keeping her voice lowered enough that hopefully Whale didn't hear.
Whale gulped and stared at her, the image of Emma and Ruby getting it on a little too much for his brain to handle. He grinned wickedly and chuckled. "Stop it…? Can I help it, with a mental picture like that?"
Emma was too preoccupied with her own thoughts to have a rebuttal. I came here to get drunk and forget about her and all I'm doing is pining over the damn woman. I can't do what I wanted to do with her tonight so the hell, Swan?
Whale shook himself, went and retrieved the darts, then handed them over to Emma. "I don't know, but maybe you ought to go see the nasty brunette business that's got you so out of sorts." He winked. "Doctor's orders."
She rolled her eyes and snatched the darts away. "Said brunette is busy tonight. And I doubt she'll see me with a doctor's note too. Especially one scrawled on dirty bar napkin."
Whale's grin widened, amused at her sarcasm. "She's sure under your skin though. Known each other long?"
"You don't know the half of it, doc." Regina was a disease. Waking thoughts of the mayor consumed Emma, the woman's face was in all her dreams, her skin trembled with anticipation of the next time it could be touched by Regina! She gritted her teeth and aggressively slammed the dart against the board, hitting another bullseye.
"And just a couple of days …" she admitted, lining up the next shot.
Whale grinned and said, in all innocence, "Sounds like she put quite the spell on you, whoever she is…"
For whatever reason, her companion's words plucked an odd chord within Emma and when she let loose the dart, it veered way off and stuck at the edge of the board next to the ten. "Well, shit."
"Huh," the doctor said, gazing at the off-the-mark dart. "Well. You've got your doctor's orders. Think on taking them."
Whale winked at Emma, then left the game, off to prowl the bar for someone that would call him their type, leaving the blonde to muse over his prescription. Sitting down, Emma twirled the dart in her hand, almost losing it a few times and debated with herself. Would it really be so terrible to see Regina? And had instant need for approval colored her perceptions about the mayor's feelings towards her? She had found herself wanting the other woman so badly that what turned into a simple restorative dinner between mother and son, Emma had spun it into her being wrongfully spurned, despite Regina wanting to talk to later.
Maybe I'm an idiot.
Sighing, she decided to take the doctor's advice on a hunch he might be right. Since Emma had left her phone back in her room in defiance, calling the mayor was out. Her only options were to either walk over to the mansion unannounced, go get her phone and then call, or just wait until she was sober tomorrow to chat like adults. To her spelled addled brain, there was but one option - an unannounced visit.
Tossing the last dart at the board, which ended up hitting the double ring fourteen, Emma paid her tab and sent over another drink for Whale as thanks. He was at least deserving of a small token of appreciation with his sound advice. Grabbing her jacket off her once occupied stool, she left the Rabbit Hole and was off to surprise the mayor.
The night air was crisp, her unzipped leather jacket doing nothing to abate the chill, but it didn't dissuade Emma from her goal either. Hands tucked into her pants, she eagerly turned down Mifflin Street, so focused on the view of the mansion that it hadn't quite registered that there was a patrol car parked in front.
"Wait… what?" She finally gave the car a sideways glance in suspicion on approach while crossing the street. It had to be close to midnight by now, so what would the Sheriff be doing here at the mayor's house without reason? There couldn't have been an emergency since the lights weren't flashing on the car. She looked away and where the kid's room was - lights were out and the window wasn't opened. So he didn't run off and must have been asleep.
So why would … ?
"Oh, no …" Realization dawned on her. She stared at the double windows on the front of the house, noticing that lights were on in the den and that's when hands balled into fists. She felt hot resentment sweep over her like a raging river for being played like a fool.
She's fucking the sheriff?!
Regina Mills wasn't afraid of a relationship with her because of how fast they were taking things, nor was she conflicted. Oh no. This was just the mayor stringing her along for sex and using Emma to fix Regina's broken relationship she had with her son. How could she not realize this sooner? That she was just some side conquest.
How could I be so stupid?!
The rush of rage fueled adrenaline began to sober her up and Emma marched over the perfectly cut grass, down the pathway and up the stairs to pound on the mayor's door. The only thing she hoped was that the kid stayed asleep because he didn't deserve to find out about his mother's distasteful interpersonal habits like this.
"What the hell?" Regina muttered.
She gave Graham a confused look as she rose and moved toward the front door. Who would dare pound on her door at this hour of the night? The sheriff trailed after her, hands shoved into front of his jeans pockets, looking just as puzzled. He leaned against the wall at the top of the stairs as Regina opened the door.
She blinked in surprise at seeing Emma standing there, looking so angry!
"Why Miss Swan! We were just talking about you… is everything alright? What are you doing here at this hour?" Regina asked, reverting to formalities only because of Graham's presence.
"Oh don't fucking, Miss Swan, me!" she snapped back. Eyes furiously looked to Graham. "What the fuck is he doing here?"
Inebriated, jealous and angry, Emma had lost all of her diplomatic savvy.
"Ah… I think that's my cue to be on my way? Mayor, you'll fill Miss Swan in on what we spoke on?" Graham asked, sounding both awkward and eager to escape.
"I will." Regina nodded, looking at Graham as he hastily made his way down the stairs and skirted past Emma to head out the front door, the blonde glaring at him the entire way.
The mayor's gaze shifted back to Emma, folding her arms across her chest. She lifted her brows. "We need to talk."
"Well, at least we finally agree on something." Emma took that as an open invitation and brushed past Regina.
Bewildered by Emma's behavior, Regina closed the door and followed her into the house. She gestured toward the den when they stood in the foyer, dealing with a strange sense of deja vu with another strange conversation sure to happen there.
"I can see that you're upset, but I hardly understand why," Regina said reasonably, in a tone not too different from how she would speak to Henry when he was emotional. "Do you care to share why you're banging on my door at this hour?"
Emma didn't miss a beat, nor did she budge from her spot in the foyer. She at least had enough sense to not bark at the mayor, afraid she would wake Henry. "How long have you been sleeping with him?"
Regina cocked her head to the side, wondering how and why Emma immediately assumed that. Did Graham say something? No one knows he's been here before…
"Excuse me?"
"Oh cut the crap, Mayor Mills. There's no reason for the sheriff to be here at fucking midnight, unless he was about to fuck you." She closed the distance between them, nose to nose with Regina, daring her to lie with the intensity of her gaze. "So I'm going to caution you against telling me how secret midnight meetings at your house is the norm with him."
Oh this damned spell will be the death of me! Regina thought. She's jealous of Graham because of it!
It took every ounce of self control to not roll her eyes at Emma. Instead, she took a deep breath and admitted to herself how she wanted to handle this delicately because she didn't want to hurt Emma's feelings. Diffusing her jealousy was as important as explaining herself.
Maybe the spell is on me too, she thought.
"Emma… come into the den and let me explain. You're misunderstanding, and we can't have this conversation here. Our voices will carry right up the stairs."
Seconds ticked loudly away from the grandfather clock further down the hall, and Emma made no motion to move towards the den, or even escape out the front door. That internal war was raging once again inside her, unknowing that there would be only one possible outcome when it came to Regina Mills.
"You got one minute to explain and then I'm gone," she spat, moving towards the den, feeling that she at least compromised with herself at least.
And just over two days ago, I would've thrilled at the idea that you'd leave, Regina mused, not missing the irony once again. With a sigh, she followed Emma into the den and closed the door.
"I'd offer you a drink, but it smells like you've been degrading yourself at the Rabbit Hole and already had enough," she said with a sniff. "Emma… I'm not sleeping with Graham. At least… not anymore."
Exasperated that Regina was throwing a shot at her, she crossed her arms defensively and looked away, afraid she was going to say something she'd regret. Which was fortunate, because Regina had owned up to the truth.
"Oh really?" she groused. "I magically happen to find you guys breaking up?"
Regina's lips twitched at the mention of magic. "Actually, no. We'd done that earlier, when he first came over. We'd had a… casual, if scheduled, arrangement for some time. I ended it tonight."
She frowned, trying to keep her calm because she knew it was just the spell that had keyed Emma up. If not for it, they'd never be having this conversation. If not for the spell, there would have been no reason for Emma to come banging on her door at this hour! But, she again wondered at being the one under a spell because, really, why had she ended it with Graham? How serious was Regina about Emma Swan?
She explained, "When you pounded on the door, we were discussing the Sheriff's Office budget and a proposal I'd made to Graham about offering you a position. As his deputy."
"Bullshit." Despite knowing everything that Regina was the truth, Emma's addled mind couldn't comprehend it being this easy of an explanation. "You honestly expect me to believe that you weren't fucking him when you were fucking me? And that … that you guys are having a midnight conversation about my career goals? Seriously?!"
She threw her arms up in exasperation and shook her head, before casting a vicious scowl at the mayor. "And what the fuck makes you think I'm going to stay here after this crap anyway?"
I doubt you have any choice, Regina thought, but did not say.
"Henry said you have a superpower. Some line about being able to tell if someone's lying to you or not. So, use your superpower, dear. Did I lie to you about any of this?"
Kid ratted me out. Great.
"Doesn't matter because regardless if you're telling the truth or not, this whole fucking thing makes no sense. We literally went from a pleasant 'thank you for bringing me my son back', to you threatening and kicking me out of your home, and then fucking like rabbits over the next two days. Now, I find out you've got a guy on the side, a guy you want me to work for mind you, and that only makes me wonder who else you've been screwing," she snarled, her jealously erupting savagely.
Regina swallowed hard and narrowed her eyes and slapped Emma across the cheek. "Do not talk to me like that. I don't care who you think you are, or what right you think you have over me, Emma Swan. You will not accuse me of sleeping around. I ended things with Graham because of you, dammit, and I hadn't been with him since before you came to town, thank you very much. And if you've decided you don't want to put up with this crap, as you put it, you know where the door is, dear. Go."
Startled into silence because Regina Mills had just slapped her, Emma covered her cheek and listened, eyes wide and full of burgeoning dread. Instead of relying on believing that the mayor was telling the truth, she jumped to conclusions because she was so sure that the other woman was hiding something, when in fact she had acted with Emma's feelings in mind.
"I …" she couldn't find anything else to say as the blonde lowered her hand, the sting of Regina's words overshadowing the pain across her cheek. "I … I should go …"
Grunting as the long tempered headache had resurfaced, she clutched at her head and sighed. "I don't … Fuck. You don't need my crap. I ruined everything. I'm sorry ..."
Despite how righteous she felt in her anger, she'd been a mother long enough to see the underlying physical pain in Emma's eyes after the slap. It ran deeper than her pride being stung; Regina could see it.
"I don't need crap from you. You're right. But, you're also in no condition to go. You can sleep off your inebriation in the guest room tonight," Regina said with no room for argument, even as she knew the headache ran deeper than Emma being drunk. "Come."
Even with Regina's unbendable tone, stubborn Emma defied her orders. "No. I can't stay here. I fucked things up, Regina, and being here's the last thing you want. Won't make sense to Henry anyway …"
The headache grew sharper, searing a path between both temples as she half walked, half stumbled out of the den. She had a feeling that, even now, Regina would try and stop her from going and held out a hand in warning. "And, please, just let me go because I should have listened to my gut, alright? You were telling the truth. I didn't want to believe it, and that's why I shouldn't be here. Can't be someone who doesn't trust you ...:"
If she couldn't try and believe that Regina had wanted to be with her, then how could they have any hopes of having a relationship together, regardless of how badly Emma craved it! But the mayor was not going to be refused.
"Don't be an idiot. You misunderstood. That doesn't mean I want you stumbling off to Granny's in the state you're in. You can stay the night," she said, cutting in front of Emma to block her path.
Looking away in shame, Emma shook her head with a far less rebellious flare. "No. I really messed things up, Regina. I should go. And I'll be fine. I've managed to walk home under worse circumstances …"
She was afraid of looking directly at the mayor, knowing she would relent as Regina's insistence would eventually wear her down. "Just … please let me go. I know you really don't want me here."
Her head dipped lower, face grimacing from the worsening headache. It was the worse consequence Emma had ever experience with drinking - let alone how suddenly it had come on.
"Emma… you're not well. Please. I want you to stay here. I want to know that you're safe…"
She thought of the pages from Henry's book and the truth of who Emma Swan was. Regina stared at the woman before her, understanding that Henry's birth mother was her downfall. Somehow, she would break the curse and while Regina might survive that, she did not know how she'd survive without Emma and Henry.
And I'll lose them both when the truth comes out.
It scared her how much it bothered her that she'd lose them both. Regina shivered and reached for Emma's hand.
"Please stay, dear…" Regina whispered.
Shuddering at the contact, Emma lifted her head and slowly opened her eyes. What she saw provoked uncertainty because it had been the blonde who had wronged Regina. Yet it was fear that she saw in the mayor's troubled gaze. Squeezing her hand back, she reached for Regina's cheek with the other and sighed.
"Can you forgive me?" she asked in a weakened voice. "I … I don't think I can stay unless I know you can."
"Yes, dear. It was a misunderstanding." And, despite knowing it was the spell that provoked it, Regina said, "Besides, it was a little touching for you to be so jealous… I've not had anyone feel so strongly for me. Not like that."
Smiling in relief that Regina forgave her, but she was also curious that her headache immediately diminished. It gave clarity to the inebriated blonde.
"Thank you …" She had to chuckle at Regina's admission and blushed shyly, ready to admit what had been on her mind since the first time they kissed. "And, yeah, well … I want you all to myself."
"Well, you do have me. For as long as it lasts," Regina said, realizing that sounded rather cryptic.
"Long as it lasts?" Emma said with bewilderment and began to pull Regina closer for a kiss. "I want it to last forever …"
Regina's pulse quickened. She wanted to kiss her too, but warred with what she knew, not to mention Henry being upstairs. Regina moved closer, but then tugged Emma back into the den.
"Henry," she said simply, and Emma smiled in understanding.
By telling him the truth about the curse, Regina had changed the nature of their troubled relationship. However, she did not think he was ready to find his mothers in a lip-locked embrace! The mayor thought about that truth-telling and wondered if now was also the time she should confess to Emma about the curse, and the spell. She was surprised at the force of the guilt that was now eating at her!
"Emma… I…"
But, the words were logjammed in her throat. Regina shook her head and leaned in to kiss her instead.
"Regina … I know." The blonde said, brushing their lips together briefly as she completely misunderstood what her lover had been choked up about. She had presumed it was a matter of the heart, not guilt plaguing the mayor. "I feel it too …"
Regina sighed, both from pleasure and guilt. She squeezed her hand, since she was still holding it, and resolved that she would confess. Just not now. Knowing her feelings were genuine for Emma, no matter how uncertain the savior's were for her, Regina kissed her again. Emma moaned softly at the contact, her heart pounding wildly and feeling so in tune, once again, to the woman in her arms.
"I love you, Regina…" she professed, murmuring fearlessly against her lover's lips.
Regina's eyes widened at the admission of love. She returned the kiss, pressing her back against the wall even as she tried to digest the implications of Emma believing she was in love with her. The mayor broke the kiss, kissing down her neck as she moaned, fingers digging into the blonde's hips. Gasping Regina's name, Emma buried her fingers into dark hair, eyes closing at the contact - never feeling more alive than she did right now.
"Emma…" she breathed against the crook of her neck. Regina's hands slid up under the blonde's top, scorching twin lines up her sides. As they moved, she kissed back up her neck, flicking a tongue against her earlobe, coaxing soft cries from her lover's mouth.
"Oh, Regina …" choked the blonde, clutching at the mayor's arms. Emma was afraid if she didn't hold her, her legs would give out with as every kiss imprinted upon her skin making her deliriously dizzy.
Fingers slid higher, thumbs caressing over her breasts through her bra. Regina's hips jerked reflexively as she kissed her again, feeling herself losing any pretense of self-control with the desire she felt for Emma. Gasping into the kiss, her blonde lover grabbed the mayor's short hair, gripping it tightly, while nipples began to awaken under such gentle touches. She may not have been gifted in hearing Regina return her declaration of love, but what was happening now was telling. Her lover had been passive the last two nights, waiting on Emma to initiate before returning pleasure. This was so different now that she could feel it - each caress and kiss that were bestowed upon her expressed just how strongly the mayor reciprocated those feelings.
Regina pulled back to stare at her, breathing hard. "I want you, but we have to be quiet," she dictated matter of factly to Emma. "Do you understand, dear?"
"I do," she groaned softly, green eyes gazing back wildly. Emma understood that if they were to wake Henry, there would be a lot of questions that neither of them would be prepared to answer.
Fingers relaxed, releasing dark hair so Emma's hands could cup her lover's face so she could directly utter two specific words she never thought she'd ever say again. "I'm yours, Regina."
The mayor's heart thumped at that proclamation, taking it to mean more than for the great sex they would share. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she took in Emma's lustful, but earnest expression. "Yes, you are…"
And with that, she tugged her over to the couch where Emma had sat, two days prior with her glass of cider. She pushed her down onto the cushion, following her down. Regina claimed her lips hungrily as she tugged up her shirt first, then clawed at the button on her jeans to get them down. Emma whined into the kiss, briefly startled by the intensity in which her lover had lustfully assailed her, but when she came to her senses, she responded back just as fervently, limbs wrapping around Regina tightly.
She only bothered with tugging Emma's pants and boy shorts down just enough to slip her hand between her thighs, parting her with her fingers. Regina broke the kiss to moan, eyes wild.
"Emma… fuck, darling… I want to fuck you…" she whispered.
Grimacing in surprise, Emma pried her legs off of Regina and spread them as far as she could with the limited space her tight clothing could allow. She grabbed the mayor's hand through her pants and rubbed it, flicking her hips. "Oh, god please, Regina," she hissed quietly. "Fuck me..."
Regina plunged her fingers inside her, grunting at the tight space. But, she felt too desperate to show Emma how much she felt for her to undress her properly. Her wrist pumped at a needy pace as she hovered over her, staring wildly into her beautiful eyes.
Gasping hotly, Emma had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. Her expression looked sorrowful, unable to verbally express just how good this felt - how much it meant to her that Regina wanted her this badly. Her muscles clenched around probing fingers, her aching core swiftly approaching orgasm with the mutual need that had been building between them.
"You are mine…" she whispered hotly against her lips before kissing Emma hard, just when she could feel muscles tighten around her fingers. It gave her no choice but to moan her release into Regina's mouth which was exactly what the demanding brunette wanted, leaving no time for Emma to cry out in surprise or respond to the possessive admission. Emma buried a foot into the couch cushion, the other against the arm, keeping her lower half fixed in place as Regina fucked her with her fingers. She couldn't ask for anything greater than the woman she loved owning her like this - physically and emotionally - her rapidly beating heart belonging Regina Mills.
Green eyes snapped opened as her orgasm swept powerfully throughout her entire body, forcing her to shudder uncontrollably. Inner muscles milked Regina's fingers as Emma's body continued to writhe forcibly underneath, but not once did any of her cries escape the hard seal formed by the mayor's lips. Regina rocked atop her, moaning softly into the kiss as she savored the feel of Emma climaxing against her fingers.
She broke the kiss when they had to breathe and stared wildly at her. "I love you too," she whispered hoarsely.
Those four words clattered inside her head at the tail end of her release, wondering if it was just her mind playing tricks upon her in the heat of the moment. Collapsing against the couch, she brought her hands down to cup Regina's face, eyes just as wild.
"You love me." It was stated as a breathless, factual, statement, but even the mayor could hear the lingering doubt.
Regina met her gaze unflinching. She knew there'd be hell to pay for the admission, especially if what she theorized would happen did. "It's crazy… and far too fast, dear. But, yes. I do love you, Emma…"
Eyes shone with tears and Emma closed them, the moment overwhelming her. Despite the misunderstanding over texts, in person, misconstruing the sheriff's presence at the mansion tonight, none of it matter. The object of her affections loved her back!
"It is. Crazy," Emma sniffed, reigning in her emotions as she opened her eyes to the flawless image of Regina's face hovering above her. "But I don't care. You love me." She slipped a hand to cup the back of Regina's head and brought their lips closer together. "And I love you…"
Oh, please don't let this ruin us, Regina thought as she pressed her lips to Emma's, kissing her again. Her back arched as she felt magic course through them. Regina winced and drew back, the force of her feelings now completely honest and evident in her heart and soul. She stared at Emma, absolutely terrified.
Completely unaware of what was happening due to her ignorance of how magic would feel, Emma believed what coursed through her body was just her own natural reaction to hearing those three words uttered with such sincerity. That perfect bliss of knowing that you were so loved after coming down on such a pleasurable high from love making, but that was until the high she was riding came crashing down and formed a wicked nightmare.
"What … what the hell?!" Emma forgot to lower her voice as the events of the last few days played out in fast forward since the mayor showed up at her room with that basket of apples. She worked through what had happened, or how it could have happened, because for the life of her, the blonde found it impossible that she went from being so guarded around Regina to having sex with her! When in the hell did Emma Swan pine over someone like a lovesick teenager looking for approval?! And love? When did she fall in love with Regina Mills? Nothing about this made sense, nor why her affections for the mayor were still just as pervasive.
Regina moved her hand and pulled back, tears flooding frightened, dark eyes. She sat on her shins on the far cushion, still between Emma's legs. She swallowed hard.
"Henry… he was right when he thought I did something to you. The apples, Emma. I'd put a spell on them. To get you to leave Storybrooke," Regina rambled, forgetting that she didn't believe in the curse or Henry's fairy tale theories. "But, magic is unpredictable here. It… it… drew you to me instead of away like I wanted…"
Eyes widened in revulsion, Emma couldn't believe that Regina somehow convinced herself that Henry's fantasy was true as well.
What the fuck's wrong with this family?!
Rationalizing the nonsense that came out of the mayor, she pulled her legs free off the couch and stood up, quickly pulling her pants up and fastening them in haste. "Call it whatever you want, but you fucking drugged me for over two days and took advantage of me! What the fuck's wrong with you?!"
She had to stay angry because the anger kept her focused on Regina's betrayal. Because if she didn't, Emma would end up breaking down in a sobbing mess, unable to accept that she had effortlessly fallen in love with that despicable woman on the couch.
She's free of the spell, but doesn't believe in the curse! Regina realized. Emma just thinks I…? She couldn't finish the thought. Regina shook her head and scrambled off the couch.
"No! It wasn't like that! Emma, I just wanted you gone… To protect Henry. To protect my life with my son!" Regina exclaimed. "But the spell backfired and made you want me! I… I didn't know what to do and honestly tried to break it several times the past two days. But, you just kept coming at me. Kept coming back to me."
The mayor looked devastated, and worse yet, she knew she was rambling all of this to someone who saw her for the monster she already knew she was, who also didn't believe. Silent tears streaked down her cheeks.
"I fell for you, Emma. I didn't lie. I never lied. All magic comes with a price," she sniffled. "And because of magic, I once again lose someone I love."
Emma was frighteningly conflicted with what was she was hearing from Regina. Her superpower wasn't going off at all, unable to detect even a hint of a lie. It didn't make the mayor any less crazy, in her opinion, and the kid coming to find her in Boston was starting to make a whole lot of sense. There was no such thing as magic, the book was just a stupid children's story that Henry got wrapped up in to make sense of his fractured reality as an adoptive child whose mother was off her rocker.
And I fell for it. Her! God, I'm so fucking stupid …
She dared to look at the mayor and wished she hadn't. Regina's tear streaked face was pulling at the emotional attachment she formed with the woman, making her seriously consider, for a crazed moment, if this were all true.
"It's all true. I'm not crazy… even though this sounds insane," Regina whispered desperately without realizing Emma was trying to believe. "Henry was right about everything. I confessed that to him today when we talked. It's why he suddenly wanted to spend time with me. Emma… you are the savior he talks about. You're the woman I love, and you're absolutely my undoing too."
"Mom?" Henry's sleepy voice cut in before Emma had a chance to process what was happening, neither woman realizing when he arrived. Their voices had carried upstairs, waking their son during the argument and he was so confused as to why his adoptive mother was trying to convince Emma about the curse, let alone at this time of night! They were supposed to be doing that together, which really annoyed him that they weren't. Then Regina saying that she loved the savior of Storybrooke was another fact that he couldn't quite wrap his brain around. "What's … what's going on?"
Shit.
Regina closed her eyes for a moment to re-group as Henry presented a very real complication to an already difficult moment. Re-opening her eyes, she folded her arms across her chest defensively even though, technically, she and her son were more or less on the same "side" now.
"Something… happened," Regina said cautiously but honestly, "and it was necessary for me to explain about the curse to Miss Swan. Understandably, she's having a little difficulty with this."
"Something happened? You gotta be sh-" Closing her eyes, Emma cut herself off because as angry and intoxicated as she was, despite being partly sobered up by tonight's events, she didn't want to swear or yell at the kid.
Henry was giving her mother a scathing glare that rivaled the mayor's! "You said you loved her though! How's that even possible?!"
Because if it was, the curse would have broken if it were true love!
"It isn't, kid." Emma explained, regrouping as she looked to him. "Everything here's been one big misunderstanding." Then she cut a look towards Regina and frowned. "I should've left when I brought you home."
Regina bit her lip as Emma outright rejected her and what they'd shared. Muscles in her arms twitched as her defensive posture tightened further. Angry, she shot back, "That was what I wanted all along, Miss Swan. Henry, go back upstairs and go to bed. We'll talk about this in the morning."
"No! I'm not leaving!" He looked between his mother and Emma, knowing that Regina was about to blow up emotionally, all the signs pointing to a catastrophic disaster.
"Well, I am," snapped Emma. "Looks like your 'curse' got what you wanted, Mayor Mills. Me gone."
She walked past Henry, but did look back at him, her expression pensive. "Look ... kid? I honestly don't know what's going on here. Or what your mother's trying to do with feeding into your beliefs like this ..."
"She's not lying!" Henry said, cutting her off and practically begging for Emma to understand. "She's finally being honest and now you're leaving! You can't go!"
"Kid …" she sighed and shook her head, knowing that it was impossible to convince Henry that what he was doing was unhealthy, especially now that Regina was buying into it for whatever reason. Even with how much she loved her son, it was wrong of the mayor to do this just to patch up her fractured relationship with Henry. But there was nothing she could do to fix this, legally or otherwise, as it wasn't her business. Henry was not her son and his mother used her.
"Sorry," muttered the blonde, who was on the verge of tears. The last two days were perfect, even with the misunderstandings, because it had brought Emma and Regina closer together. But it was all a lie. Love was a lie again. She had been abandoned by her parents, Henry's father, and now Regina had deluded her into thinking it was possible to find happiness again..
Regina just glared, her angry mask hiding the pain that she felt. She said not a word as Henry pleaded with Emma, and she simply watched as the blonde stormed out of the mansion. Regina looked to her son, anticipating he was going to have a good deal to say and watched as he visibly flinched when Emma shut the door.
Henry stared at the door and had to force his gaze to tear away from it to look at his mother with an unsettled expression. "What… what happened? Why is Emma so mad at you?! And … why did you think it was a good idea telling her about the curse?! She hasn't been here long enough to believe let alone …" Even he couldn't believe the words that were about to come out of his mouth, "... fall in love with you."
Regina sighed and beckoned for him to join her in the kitchen. She needed something strong to drink, no matter how late the hour. Pouring herself a glass of hard cider, she poured chocolate milk for Henry, an act that was unthinkable ordinarily.
"Henry… I want you to think on how we could have fallen for each other so quickly. Think about it in terms of your… of the book. What you know from those stories," Regina said, as she passed the glass to him. "What do you think happened?"
Tipping the glass so the bottom remained on the table, Henry sipped his chocolate milk and mentally ran through the chapters that talked about love. Love was powerful magic as stated many times throughout the book. It was not an emotion that could just be created or magicked into existence, but sometimes you needed a little push to see what was there.
"Mom?" Henry looked at her suspiciously as he wiped away the milkstache above his lip, leaving out the malicious stare that would have accompanied his gaze just a day ago. "But it can't be true love. Emma doesn't believe in that or your curse would have broken."
"True love is the most powerful magic of all… but for it to work, both parties have to believe in that love."
Regina sighed and took a sip from her drink, the defensive anger melting away. It was strangely refreshing to be able to speak of this to Henry. She wouldn't have ever dreamed that would be so!
"We might have had a chance… Miss Swan and me," she admitted with a frown. "But, as usual, I ruined everything."
Henry wanted to find Emma to break the curse and bring back all the happy endings to the people of Storybrooke, including his own. Now it was delirious to believe that he had achieved his own happiness because his relationship with Regina had returned to what it had been prior now that all the lies had been stripped away. Just that it could have been taken one step further, having both of his moms in his life and together as one big family.
Which means that when the curse breaks, the savior would be there to protect the evil queen from the peoples anger because that's what heroes do. Mom wouldn't have to worry anymore about what would happen!
And that was true, if Emma doesn't leave town and could find a way to believe.
"We can fix what happened!" he exclaimed. "But we have to do it fast before she tries and leaves town, Mom!"
Regina's eyebrows nearly hit her hairline as she set down her drink. "And how do you propose we do that? She hates me now, Henry, and with good reason."
"Tell me what happened. Then we can figure out a way to get her back for you," he said with a charming smile, as if it were so simple.
Tears welled in Regina's eyes then, emotions careening wildly. "Oh, Henry. When I saw that Miss Swan… Emma… had weakened the curse and had started time in Storybrooke, I went to her room at the B&B. I gifted her a basket of apples-"
She paused, giving him a knowing look because Henry knew what apples were to her - as her joy and her modus operandi for curses - before continuing.
"-and I'd used a trace of magic I'd saved in order to put a spell on them. The spell should have compelled her to leave town for good, and to never desire to return. Henry, I feel terrible about this now. But, you can understand - can't you? - how terrified I was that you'd brought her to town?"
"I was … right about the apples?" he blinked with that revelation. Part of him had hoped that with Regina's confession, that perhaps she hadn't done anything wicked against Emma. "Mom … I …" his shoulders sagged in disappointment, "... I do get it. That's all you kinda know how to do when you get scared. You hurt people."
Her anger flared at that, feeling the sting of his being clearly disappointed in her. Regina wanted to lash out that it was his fault for having brought Emma to Storybrooke in the first place, but what good would that do?
"She threatened my happy ending, Henry. This life, with you, was my happy ending! So I wanted her gone!" she exclaimed. Feeling quite out of control because of her conflicting desires, she went on to say, "And now, I can have it again and the hell with anyone else in town getting theirs. If… Emma goes away, the curse may still be weakened, but it will remain intact."
"Mom! Stop it!" he yelled back. "We can't go back to the way things were! Not when I know the truth! My family's trapped here and I want to save them and you! Emma can do that! You said that she was your true love. And I'm willing to bet she loves you back just as much, but she's just angry and scared about what happened. There just has to be a way for it to work between you guys. A way for her to understand."
"Henry… the spell I'd put on her, that was supposed to make her go away? It didn't work. It did the opposite. Emma doesn't love me," she confessed. "I fell for her, but she only believed - while under the spell - that she had feelings for me. That's why the curse truly couldn't break. It wasn't love. It was all against her will, and that was a terrible thing for me to go along with."
"I know what you did was wrong, and I get why Emma's so upset. You never should've taken advantage of her, but ... think about it! Despite everything, both of you do love each other since you could break the spell on Emma! Otherwise, Emma would still be under the curse! So your love is real!" Henry explained exuberantly.
Regina fell silent, contemplating Henry's point of view. Then, she shook her head, as adamant in disbelief as Emma had been.
"But Henry… she's the daughter of Snow White. Snow White, whose choices led me to create the curse that brought us all here! Even… even if I could convince her, what happens when the curse breaks?! She'll reunite with her family and they'll all come after me." She sighed, looking sad. "I'll lose you! You are my happy ending, Henry. I can't lose you. No. I can't."
"If you guys are together and love each other as much as I think you do, Emma will protect you!" Henry had already thought about this scenario and knew exactly what to say to give his mother hope. "She's a hero and wouldn't let anything happen to you because that's what heroes do. They protect the people they love."
Sliding off his chair, Henry padded barefoot around the table and hugged Regina tightly. "And I'll protect you too."
"Oh, my prince…" Regina choked back tears, wanting Henry to be right because he believed so deeply. "Put your shoes on. Quickly. We'll have to hurry if we're going to catch up with her before Emma tries to leave town."
Henry believed that if Regina were able to love the savior that deeply, then it was worth it to save what his two mothers had started. She had been honest with him about the curse, what she had done to Emma, but he was not blinded by how much work the evil queen still had to do to repair the damage she caused. Anger was still a defense mechanism and she lashed out when backed into a corner, but his mother was crying. No one saw the evil queen, or Mayor Mills, cry. Ever. Not even before her own son.
He pulled back and grabbed his mother's hand, tugging her to quickly get up. "Then come on! Don't just sit there!"
Regina lurched into motion, dragged across the kitchen by her son. She wiped at her eyes and almost laughed at how ridiculous they looked. Regina went for her purse while Henry ran upstairs to get his shoes, and for once, she had to lament that he hadn't left them on the stairs this time! He came flying down seconds later with his shoes on and hastily putting on his jacket.
As they slid into the Benz, Regina asked, "Henry… if she has left town, do we really leave Storybrooke to go after her again? I haven't left town since I adopted you."
He buckled in and gave his mother a knowing smile. "If you want your happy ending, you know you have to go after her. Doesn't matter where that is."
Regina looked pensively at her son, being forced - after 28 years - to redefine what exactly her happy ending was...