***** Trigger warning: Rape attempt. Proceed with caution*****

Also, to be on the same page, there was two curses: Emma's Dark One - broken with SQ TL, and the Dark Curse on Storybrooke - unbroken (can't be broken by the person who cast it, unless they rip the scroll apart, which is not a good idea). Fucking confusing they both use "dark" in the name.

Glimmer of Light

It was nearing ten in the morning when Regina couldn't take one more minute in bed. Not because she didn't want to be with Emma- she wanted to keep her promise, but because she really needed to pee and because she was also getting very hungry. She was an early bird and it was already three hours past her usual start of the day, and it wasn't like they hadn't had the most intense night in their lives just some hours ago.

Regina slipped out of bed and tiptoed her way to the bathroom; took a quick shower, and wrapped herself in a black cotton bathrobe she found there. Then went downstairs to the kitchen and inspected the fridge, where she only found apple juice, and a box of frozen fish sticks in the freezer but that was about it. Seriously? Dark or light, Emma Swan still ate like a child and Regina smiled at the fondness, though she would be persuading Emma to transition into a more 'adult' diet. Smalls steps.

Regina decided to summon some groceries with her magic and proceeded to make proper breakfast for them. Once the coffee brewer was started, she went on with beating the eggs for their mushroom and cream cheese stuffed omelets. She decided the apple juice was okay and poured two glasses to complement their meal, and once she had everything on the tray, she poofed back to their love nest.

Emma was just beginning to wake up; stirred and turned to the side that was Regina's and upon not feeling her presence in bed, she woke up abruptly. She looked around the room in panic, afraid last night had only been a dream, and when she distinguished the figure she was terribly missing, coming closer to bed to set down a very interesting tray, she let out the air she had been holding in her chest.

"I thought breakfast in bed might interest you," Regina said warmly.

Emma blinked her eyes innocently and sat upright, pulling up the sheets to cover her nude torso. Blushing lightly, she summoned her pajamas, and then breathed in the delicious aroma of their food, closing her eyes as she did.

"That smells so good, mmn…" Emma was immediately drawn. "I've never had breakfast in bed the morning after," she admitted coyly.

"It will be a first for the both of us, my True Love," Regina smiled to her.

Regina joined Emma in bed. They kissed softly first and then started on their breakfast, sharing memories as well as the food on their plate.

"I'm sorry I hurt you. I did terrible things I wish I could take back," Regina said.

"You weren't the only one. I hurt all of you, too."

"It's what curses do… But it's broken now; we can learn from our mistakes and do what's right from now own." Regina squeezed her hand.

"That's… something I'm not entirely sure of," Emma looked downcast.

Regina gave her a confused look.

"Doing the right thing," Emma said, and brought another forkful of eggs to her mouth before she had to elaborate.

But it was too late; she had mentioned something and Regina would not let it slip.

"What else happened in Camelot, is there something more to know?"

They finished their food and Regina made the tray vanish from bed. She gently took Emma's hand and looked into her eyes.

Emma sighed in defeat, knowing she had to be fully honest.

"Arthur made me confess some deep shit…" Emma ran her hand through her hair. "I had to take some memories away from all of you personally, and locked them away in dream catchers so nobody would remember even if the curse on the town was broken," Emma looked guiltily at her, "Regina, I'm not sure I want anyone to recall them. It will hurt all over again... specially my parents."

"Can you trust me enough to share them with me? We could make a choice together and help ease the weight off your shoulders."

Emma nodded. She summoned the dream catcher of Regina and Regina was hit by the raw emotion of all that transpired before the dark curse brought them here, causing her to tear up.

Emma couldn't look her in the eye but Regina assured her she was fine. Regina enveloped her in a firm embrace and told her that her feelings were valid no matter if they were hurtful; this was how she felt deep down, and she was sorry for having forced her to save Robin Hood against her will, and was also sorry she risked her life here in Storybrooke, trying to pay the price of Robin's life with hers, because that had really upset Emma once they were here. Everything was just a fucking mess.

Regarding what the confession bomb did to Emma's parents, she told her; "Snow and Charming are stronger than you believe, trust me: I know. We are stronger together, our family is, so I think you should trust them to find it in their hearts to understand and give you time to heal. These memories as much as they hurt, they belong to them, Emma. To all of us."

"I know. I just… can't forget the look in their eyes; how they broke apart because of me. I can't do that to them again."

Regina cradled Emma's face in her hands and kissed her lips again. "I understand. But I love you too much to let you carry the weight of this secret on your back for the rest of your life. It's time we all come clean with our hearts. Hiding things from one another, that's no basis for a happy beginning."

Emma nodded at that.

"Which reminds me, where you really going to sleep with me while I was Hook? Oh and for the love I have for our son, I swear I didn't do that magic trick intentionally; it was an accident. I was wishing so hard I could be by your side, I guess my magic went haywire like that. I was too shaken by you sacrificing for me and the revelation of our feelings."

"Maybe I had a little bit to do with that," Emma said apologetic. "I too wished things were different between us and that I could- well, get anything I could get with you. I wished for a moment he were you, or that what I felt for you I could transfer onto him. And then you were there. I felt your energy inside him and I was so tempted—Darkness is some deep shit that fucks up with your psyche, let me tell you, and I wanted to test and push you; see how low we could both sink… I wanted us to sink, as fucked up as that is. But you didn't."

"What if I had?"

"To be honest, at that moment it made no difference; all I wanted was a taste at you. I was so broken at that point I was ready to ruin our only chance at True Love and take anything, corrupting what we had if that was the only way to have you. I think—No: I know now that was darkness working to spoil what we had, because then you would not be able to save my soul. Our love would be tainted."

"I'm deeply sorry, Emma. I am. I must admit, as shameful as it makes me feel, I was very tempted to take your offer. As much as I've changed, some impulses still linger in the depths of my darkened heart."

"I understand now that feeling," Emma nodded. "And I didn't exactly make it easy; I practically threw myself at you. Being with you, it didn't matter what you looked like. I just… wanted so hard to possessed by you. I was... pretty horny. Though my favorite Regina will always be naked Regina," she bashfully admitted.

"Oh?" Regina raised an eyebrow.

Emma smiled coyly, her 'Dark Swan' bravado watered down, giving space to the more demure version of herself to rise.

Regina found her shy admittance adorable. She came slowly toward Emma, crawling on bed like an elegant feline, and straddled her lap. Slowly, she opened the black cotton bathrobe to reveal her nudity underneath, enjoying how Emma's mouth gaped at the vision and how her pupils dilated with desire and novelty, admiring her naked body in full light and detail.

"So let me give you what you deserve, Em-ma," Regina sensually intoned.

She gently pushed Emma to lie on her back and leaned down to kiss her lips, quickly deepening in intensity as Regina's tongue sought entrance to her mouth, joining hers in a sloppy dance. Regina broke the kiss, sensually pulling at Emma's bottom lip with her teeth as she parted from her mouth to move to kiss her chin, then the side of her jaw, and continued rolling down until she was kissing her neck leisurely. Then she vanished Emma's pajamas at once with magic.

Emma was groaning, aching to feel those lips somewhere down below, and Emma dragged her fingers down her lover's back and squeezed her ass hard. "Regina," the woman moaned wanton, and a small cry came out her throat when Regina bit her left nipple and pressed her thigh against her juicy core in response to her demands. Emma's head was spinning at this point, and she hadn't even reached climax yet.

Regina continued torturing her with slow kisses, moving slowly down to kiss and lick Emma's sexy abs, and rolling her tongue around the navel to give Emma a vivid idea of how she would be doing it to her clit; she locked eyes with Emma and gave her a lustful look, making green eyes darken in desire and white teeth chew on her bottom lip, anticipating the pleasure that was sure to come.

"Fuuuuuck, Regina," Emma gutturally groaned when the woman suckled on her engorged clit and slipped her middle finger inside her velvety slickness. Emma's legs involuntarily tensed and clamped her in.

It was music to Regina's ears, hearing her name in Emma's voice so raw, and when Emma brought her hands to hold her head, she smiled to herself and pushed a second finger into her. "Mmnh," Regina moaned into Emma's pussy as she circled her tongue around her sensitive hood and began slowly pumping and twisting her fingers inside her hot, wet cunt.

Emma was writhing uncontrollably under her, finding it close to impossible not to push the woman between her legs away as she devoured her with so much expertise. It was so fucking good it was driving her insane and over the edge; her muscles were contracting with every push, every lick, and Emma finally lost it when Regina sucked her hard clit and hit her g-spot just in perfect synch, sending a wave of pleasure through her whole body like electricity.

It took Emma a while to come down from cloud nine. Regina patiently waited, keeping her fingers inside her until Emma's muscles relaxed completely. It felt wonderful to feel the peaks and drops in their movement, and slowly she retrieved them and licked Emma's orgasm off her fingers. Regina crawled up to her side and kissed her mouth, sharing the nectar of Emma's forbidden fruit with her in a wet kiss.

After making Emma come so hard, Regina suggested they take a nap. She motioned her to come to her arms and brought her head to rest over her heart. Regina gently caressed Emma's head, stroking messy blonde hair, damp with sweat, as Emma closed her eyes to give into slumber in her warm embrace. Today was a perfect day to be spent in bed, enjoying this newfound love and their fevering need for each other's body. There was no magic strong enough that could tear them apart from each other this moment. Not today, Satan.

Too soon.

There was knocking on the door, but they didn't answer. They knocked again, but it felt like they were going to demolish the door and they had to react to that, wrapping themselves in whatever they found closer to their grasp; Regina taking the bed sheet, Emma her bathrobe to come downstairs to tend to the desperate call.

"Love, I've changed m'mind. Miss you."

Hook was slurring. He knocked once more, but it wasn't knocking; he was kicking the goddamn door, growing more aggressive as time passed.

"Ohpen the bloody doorr before I tear it down, Swan. Yer man needs ya!"

Emma opened the door ajar, but she didn't expect him to be in the state he was; drunk off his ass again. He pushed the door forward and strode inside before Emma could react, and attempted to kiss her, but she stopped him, pushing him a step back with the palm of her hand, but her hand was trembling; her magic hadn't reestablished fully.

"Killian, now's not the time," Emma softly warned him.

"Come now, we both know you just play hard to get, luv, stop pretending you don't want this, it's getting old," he leaned down abruptly and pressed his lips to the corner of Emma's mouth, as she could only manage to turn sideways to evade a full kiss.

"The fuck I'm playing hard to get! Get the hell out!"

She shoved him back with (weak) magic and that only enraged him.

"So you think you can waste my time and get away with it, just like that?"

"If you stay put we can ta—"

"Stay put? I'm not your fucking lapdog! I'm done waiting; it's time I harvest the fruit of my labor whether it's ripe or bitter, you dry cunt."

Hook was aggressive, grabbed Emma by the wrists and pushed her to the sofa, causing her to fall on her back in it, with him on top. And as he kept a firm grip on her wrists, hoisted above her head, he forcefully kissed her neck while Emma begged him to let go. Regina, upon hearing Emma's pleas, poofed downstairs without caring at her presentation this moment, and found them as Hook tried to get his way with her True Love. Infuriated, she shot a big fireball at his back, hitting his leather coat, which was quickly ablaze with all the alcohol he had over himself.

Emma was shocked at everything that was happening, unable to react.

As the pirate rolled on the floor, Regina entertained the idea of letting him scorch to a miserable death, but one look at Emma's eyes, merciful gaze even this moment, she waved her hand and stopped the fire. It wasn't worth it. They would take him to justice- whatever it was their system nowadays.

Regina immobilized Hook with an enchanted rope, and ran to Emma's side to hold her tight.

"It's alright, Emma, I'm here. He can never touch you again. You're safe, my love."

Emma held onto Regina tightly, crying into her neck. She hadn't seen it coming but the red flags had always been there; she just… had chosen to see the good in him instead. Some Savior she was; she couldn't even protect herself. But the nightmare was over now. Hook would not harass her or any other woman again, ever. They would make sure of that.

Charming came as soon as Regina informed him of the incident, telling him if he didn't hurry up she would most likely commit homicide. It was horrible news to receive and the worried father came as fast as he could, nervous of what he would find once here, but was relieved Regina had been there to stop it before it got worse. He decided to wait until seeing Emma to decide how to tell Snow about the appalling event.

David noticed Emma looked her normal self again, but didn't ask. There were other more important things right now, such as dealing with Emma's sexual offender. They would have time later to talk about this, as the curse over the town remained and they still had no memories of the event and not even a clue at who cast this curse, since nobody was missing. For these reasons he wasn't completely sure if Emma was really no longer the Dark Swan, or was pretending; Dark Ones weren't infamous for their sincerity or selfless deeds. But the fear in his daughter's eyes felt too real to be faked and it made his heartbeat rise, but he knew to control his impulses until he had answers to make a verdict.

As David shoved Hook inside the back of the patrol, the pirate yelled, "You won't sleep with me, but let the Evil Queen defile you? I knew you were dumb but not that fucking stupid, Emma!"

David's blood boiled at that. He punched him in the face and told him he had the right to remain silent- or just better fucking do -for his own good. He slammed the door shut, then reached to hug his daughter, but she flinched and settled in Regina's arms instead, and it broke his heart. Maybe Emma was still angry with them, or it was her body reacting to being touched and that made him hate the pirate even more, because now his daughter was so scared she even reacted at her own father. And to think he had started to consider him a friend and even part of their family; it was sickening.

David felt deeply disappointed in himself for failing to protect Emma from the lecherous man they knew had a questionable past with women; he felt like the worst father in history, making mistake after mistake when it came to protecting his little princess.

How could he be so naive? He huffed.

Though, right now, some things just didn't connect. Emma didn't look like a Dark One anymore, but Hook was drunk and had done something no True Love ever would; it made no sense. Had Killian shared True Love's kiss with their daughter or not? Had he wanted more after knowing they shared it, but Emma wasn't ready for it in his state? And how did Regina fit in here? Where had Hook's disgusting comment even come from? So many questions were flooding his mind. This was scrambled eggs for Charming to digest. Or maybe not really.

David turned to look again at Emma inside Regina's arms, and smiled the smallest smile, knowingly.

"You don't have to answer anything unless you feel like sharing, Emma," her father said compassionately. "You can come to the station whenever you feel ready." He cautiously approached her this time, and very gently squeezed her shoulder.

Emma nodded, wiping away at her tears.

"Thanks," David said to Regina. And there was so much emotion in his eyes, words weren't needed for her to understand all he wanted to convey. Her own eyes pooled with tears but she gave him a small smile in return, then he left, dragging Hook with him to the station to be locked away.

As soon as Snow arrived to the station, she came running to her daughter, cupping her face in her hands and inspecting her for any injuries. Emma smiled, touched at the worry in her mother's face, and gently pulled her mother her into a hug, rounding her waist with her arms and nestling her chin on the curve where shoulder meets neck.

Calmly, she whispered; "It's alright, mom. I'm okay now."

Snow's body started shaking then from the intensity her cries came all at once. "No it's not!" She whimpered. "I can't-" Snow's voice was breaking, "If anything happened to you I would die from the pain, Emma."

"Mom, don't say that," Emma started sobbing with her.

"It's my fault. This is all my fault," Snow groaned in pain.

Emma broke the hug then. "No! How can this be your fault? I won't let you blame yourself for something he did," she shot a death glare at the man in the cell at the far end of the room, pointing accusingly at him with her hand.

"Your loss, love," Hook sneered, grabbing at his crotch as he lie along the tiny bed, posing for them.

Regina decided to use her magic and knock him out.

Snow noticed it then; the bruise in Emma's wrist, and her pain worsened.

"It's my fault! If I had known, I wouldn't have asked you to give yourself a chance with him," the broken woman shouted in anger directed at herself. "I didn't see the signs, I'm so stupid! I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you; I can't seem to ever be around when you need me most. God, Emma, all I do is fail you. I always fail you," the words were heavy in her chest, "I don't deserve you or your forgiveness, I'm a terrible mother! I should protect you and yet I-," Mary Margaret broke down and fell on her knees, taking Emma's hands very carefully in hers, "I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry, Emma."

Emma broke down in tears as well, joining her mother on the floor and pulling Snow into her embrace again to cry together. Regina watched them from a small distance, letting them have this moment. It was not a good time to even think of giving Emma's parents back those painful memories from Camelot, and so she just smiled sadly at the moving image of mother and daughter bonding over guilt. Maybe Emma was right; they shouldn't remember the deepest, darkest secret their daughter carried in her heart. Ever.

David came to their side, and held on tightly onto his wife and his daughter, crying with them. They remained like that for a while; weeping their hearts out until they had to take a rest so they could recover their breath. Once they did, Snow noticed Emma's change: she was not the Dark One anymore. In her despair and fear, the hurry to see her daughter, Snow hadn't even remembered for a second that Emma had become dark at some point.

"Emma!" The surprised mother exclaimed, gently taking golden ringlets of hair from her ponytail in her fingers, not paying attention to the messiness in them.

Emma smiled at that, at the change in her mother's semblance that went from broken to hopeful and even joyful in a second.

"How? When?" Her mother asked bewildered.

Emma was slightly nervous at the question. She looked at Regina and Regina gave her a look that suggested she didn't have to say it if she didn't feel ready. But Emma was ready; she couldn't and didn't want to hide this beautiful truth she carried in her heart any longer.

"Regina." Emma smiled as she looked deep into her lover's eyes. Regina felt her heart melt.

Snow looked at Regina then, and back at her daughter. "True Love's Kiss?"

"I'm in love with her; I've been for as long as I've… well, always. I just didn't want to see the truth myself because…" Emma didn't dare tell them her fear.

"We might reject you," David completed for his daughter.

Emma nodded sadly. "Do you?"

Regina covered her stomach with her hands protectively, feeling also exposed and under judgment for this, for corrupting their precious princess.

"Oh Emma," Snow looked so sweetly at her, taking Emma's hands in hers gently. "Nothing can change the love we feel for you. You're ourdaughter, and we love and accept you just the way you are," her mother said with conviction, to their surprise. But really they shouldn't have been so surprised, as Snow White had given a hope speech to Ruby so she followed her heart, regardless of what that love might look like.

She then extended a hand at Regina, who was flabbergasted at what was happening and how positive they were reacting, and the mayor came to their side as the former teacher beckoned her. Regina let Snow take her hand and move it to cover Emma's as her own lay atop the two.

"Regina… You're a vital part of our story, and always will be. I took love from you once; now I'm giving it back. I trust you'll protect and provide our daughter with the family we never could," she said to the former Evil Queen. "You owe me this much," Snow White said sympathetically, though firmly.

Regina couldn't contain her tears anymore, nodding in agreement without being able to speak.

Kindly, David took their hands in his as well, enveloping them symbolically with the warmth of his support.

"A wise man once told me True Love was a glimmer of light amongst an ocean of darkness… And though he might not always be right about his ways of getting a happy ending, he was right about this. You were each other's light when you were drowning in darkness, and that is the most powerful magic of all," David looked warmly at both women. "Just… make each other happy from now on."

Emma and Regina wept silently, feeling overwhelmed.

"We love you," Snow and Charming said at the same time.

Light began glowing in their conjoined hands, and a magical rainbow burst from them, traveling across the town and lifting the curse. Their memories came back at once, minus the confession ones, and they turned to look at Emma in shock.

Snow brought her hand to Emma's chest and Emma smiled.

"We have more in common than we thought," Snow pointed out.

Not only were Emma and Regina True Love, but also of one heart.