A/N: Thanks, as always, for your patience. It was a rough semester, but it's over now. And this chapter has a nice reward for all of you.
Emma wasn't entirely sure she believed that Abigail's people were impoverished by the war, not after stepping out of the carriage to see the gilded castle that almost glowed in the dark, it was so bright. Everything outside and inside seemed to be gold, and it wasn't until a servant divulged that the queen's late father was King Midas that Emma understood.
She didn't waste much time considering her hostess, though. Queen Abigail sent an invitation for dinner, but Emma refused. Her stomach ached too much to consider eating, and the last thing she wanted to do right now was socialize. So much had happened, so much had changed, and she could hardly process it all.
The only person she wanted to talk to about it was Regina.
She curled up on a window seat in the generous room she'd been given, tucking her legs up under what would have been a simple shift dress if not for the intricate gold embroidery. She leaned her head against the cold glass, hating the thought of Regina out there in the night. Cursing herself for letting them be separated.
If they found each other again, Emma promised herself that she was going to take care of Regina. Maybe it would be a room like this in one of these castles where Emma could hold Regina while she slept and keep her safe and warm. Or maybe it would be back in the real world. Things would be harder there, but Emma would stop at nothing to make Regina feel like as much of a princess as she'd be here.
By the time someone came to her door to tell her that there was no repairing the compass, Emma was fast asleep against the window, dreaming of a bright future for the first time in her life.
Regina was surprised for a moment upon waking to find a fairy resting on the corner of her pillow. She watched the way her breath made Tinkerbell's wings flutter for a moment before getting up, careful not to jostle the tiny creature.
Outside the tent, the forest was full of birdsong and light. The fire from the night before was still magically burning, and Regina sat by it for a moment, warming herself.
It wasn't long before Tink flew sleepily out and landed on Regina's knee, yawning. "You should have told me you were awake!" she insisted. "I have wonderful news."
Regina grinned. "You can find her?"
"I can find her." Tink took another moment to stretch and finish waking before she pulled out her wand and a glittering pouch. Regina watched as she flew above her and upended the bag, showering sparkling dust down on Regina.
Two things happened at once. The air around them suddenly filled with green light, arcing up through the sky. And Regina felt herself rising off the ground, flailing her arms a bit in fear of falling.
"Breathe," Tink urged her, and Regina tried, not allowing herself to look down. The fairy flew along beside her as they cleared the treetops and Regina saw the green glow snaking out in front of them.
"She's at the other end?" Regina asked.
"It won't be long," Tink promised. Regina forced herself to look straight ahead, watching the way the light unfurled ahead of them. They were aloft for what felt like way too long, and Regina was desperate to reach solid ground again. There was still a part of her that couldn't believe this was real, fairies or flying or any of it, that was sure the illusion would end and she'd drop out of the sky.
Tink kept saying encouraging things that Regina barely heard, tears slipping down the brunette's face. She just wanted this to be over with. She wanted to be home and safe and solid again.
But home—it didn't mean the same thing anymore. Home was Emma, she was sure of it.
"She's there?" Regina asked as they cleared a hill and began a descent towards a golden castle. The magic curled part of the way around one of the turrets, stopping at a window, and Regina let out a happy sob as they got closer. There she was, Emma, sleeping face resting against the glass, body curled up on a window seat.
Regina didn't look, but Tink was beaming. She'd done it. She'd successfully performed the magic, given her charge the one thing she wanted most of all. Regina pressed a hand against the windowpane, smiling through tears.
There was an exchange downstairs when Regina and Tink went to the main entrance, a meeting with a beautiful queen that Regina hardly paid attention to. The queen seemed to know her, to be expecting her, and as soon as permission was uttered Regina was running up stairs, the green light still guiding her. She was out of breath by the time she reached the proper floor, but she didn't let that slow her, charging forward and flinging open the doors that stood in her way.
Emma was still fast asleep, and Regina stood a few feet away, just looking at her without waking her. She wasn't sure what to make of the blonde being here in this strange castle rather than with her parents, and Regina wondered if things had gone horribly wrong. If there'd been the confrontation she feared.
But Emma was safe, if a little worse for wear. Regina sat down on what little of the window seat Emma wasn't sprawled across and ran her thumb over a rather nasty looking scratch on the blonde's chin.
Emma started at that, pulling back in surprise and a bit of pain. She nearly banged her head against the window with her sudden movement, but Regina slid her hand through Emma's hair and cushioned the blow.
"Regina," Emma whispered, like she couldn't tell if this was all a dream.
"I'm here," Regina promised, leaning forward to meet Emma in a kiss.
Emma grabbed the lapels of the borrowed jacket and pulled Regina in the rest of the way, each kiss desperate. They hadn't been apart that long, they knew, but in a place like this anything could have happened to them.
Regina broke the kiss just long enough for a breathy question. "How did you get hurt?"
"Got in a fight with a bush," Emma replied with a grin, one that Regina quickly echoed. And then they kissed again and again, tongues brushing against each other lightly at first but intensifying quickly. When Regina went to move away again, Emma caught her bottom lip between her teeth and kept her there just a bit longer.
Regina was surprised to find herself straddling Emma's lap, not entirely sure how she got there. She gave her head a quick shake, trying to break out of the fog of arousal. "Your mother," she said softly. "You met her?"
"I met both of them," Emma replied.
Regina wasn't quite sure how Emma would get along with her father, but she smiled anyway. Even if he was a bit brusque, he was still a father. A father who would do anything he could for her. "And?"
Emma sighed at the realization that Regina wanted to talk more than she wanted to kiss right now. She guided Regina off of her and got up, needing space. "I don't know how to have parents," she said, walking towards the far side of the room and not looking back at Regina. "They're nice and all. I just don't know. All my life no one's loved me or wanted me and now all of a sudden I have parents who are in the middle of a war for me." She folded her arms across her chest, still refusing to make eye contact, to so much as show Regina her face. "What's going to happen when they do what everybody else does? When they realize that I'm not the little princess they wanted and they send me back?"
Regina got up slowly, making her way to Emma. "I love you," she said, so softly that Emma almost didn't hear. "And if there's anything I've learned while we've been here, it's that we're something real, Emma. We're meant to be together."
Emma hunched further into herself. "So are my parents, and look at them."
The brunette reached out, putting a hand on Emma's shoulder. "I won't send you away," she promised. "I don't know what will happen with your parents but you will have me. I love you. I want you."
Emma turned at that, their arms slipping effortlessly around each other. "I missed you," she whispered into Regina's hair. "I was so afraid that something would happen to you. That I wouldn't see you again."
"I'm sorry you had to deal with all of this alone." Regina had her arms looped around Emma's waist and pulled her in tighter. "From now on, we're in this together."
Emma hummed her approval, extricating herself from the embrace for long enough to slip her jacket down off Regina's shoulders. "So you want me, huh?"
Regina caught the jacket before it hit the floor, lovingly draping it over the nearest chair. "I want to be close to you."
"You're sure?"
Regina kissed her longer, harder, than ever before. "Yes." This wasn't some rushed obligation like it had been with Daniel. It was logical and perfect and Regina wanted it more than anything.
There was another moment, another kiss, before Emma made a move. She began with the lacing on Regina's shirt, still in familiar territory, watching Regina watch her. It came off easily enough, but Emma fumbled with the laces tying Regina's pants closed. "Clothes here are the worst."
"Not all of them." Regina grabbed at the fabric at Emma's hips. "I never thought I'd see you in a dress."
"I wear dresses sometimes," Emma protested. "If I'd taken you to prom instead of that idiot guy, I would have worn a dress for you."
It felt like weeks, months, even, since that night she'd met Emma. It hadn't been very long at all, Regina knew. But her life had changed a million ways since then, and she felt like a very different person than the girl who had gotten her shoe stuck and needed rescuing.
Regina brought up her hands, bunching up Emma's dress until she finally pulled it free of the blonde hair and let it fall to the floor. Emma didn't have a bra beneath the dress, and Regina stepped forward, covering Emma's nearly naked body with her own. Emma kissed her, one hand snaking around her to pop the clasp of Regina's bra.
"I love you," Emma told her, realizing that Regina had said it a few times with no reciprocation. "So much."
"And you want me?" Regina asked with her best approximation of a coy smile, slipping her bra off the rest of the way.
Emma laughed, giving up on the pants for now and bringing her hands to Regina's breasts. "I've wanted you since the moment I met you. I would wait for you forever, you know."
"I know." Regina made her way to the side of the bed and sat down to remove her boots. "But you don't have to anymore."
Regina had barely gotten the second boot off before Emma was on top of her, pressing her back into the bed. Together they shed Regina's pants, Emma pressing kisses to Regina's neck while Regina's hands wandered Emma's soft skin. The brunette was bolder than she'd been that first night, braver. She tried things she remembered Emma doing, tugging at a nipple until Emma groaned above her and then sitting up just enough to swipe her tongue across the other.
"Are you good?" Emma asked, a few tugs stripping them completely. She eased back down onto Regina, skin against skin, and cupped her face as she waited for an answer.
"I want this. I want you." Regina rolled her hips up against Emma and the blonde slipped a hand between them, moving downward with teasing strokes until her fingers slipped into wetness and Regina gasped. A few more strokes and then Emma was inside her.
Regina couldn't put the moment, the feeling, into words, either out loud or in her head. She held on to Emma tight, nails digging into her shoulder and back, as Emma thrust into her. And then the blonde moved her thumb just so, brushing against Regina's clit, and the brunette came silently for her, mouth open as if to scream, breaking skin with her grip on Emma.
Emma caught those open lips with hers, brushed her tongue languidly against Regina's and then pulled back. "You're quiet," she murmured, but all she really wanted to say, all she could think, was how beautiful Regina looked at that moment with her face flushed and her eyes brighter than ever.
"I couldn't let my mom hear when I…" Regina blushed even more, and Emma drew her in for another kiss.
"But it was good?" she asked. "Even though you were quiet?"
Regina ran her hands down Emma's back, hoping to soothe the scratches. "It felt amazing."
"You feel amazing," Emma replied, suddenly very aware of the hand at the small of her back, inching over her hip. Regina felt around for a moment a bit blindly, and just as Emma was about to get off of the brunette to give her a better view, she could feel Regina's fingers teasing at her opening. Emma let out a strangled cry, abandoning any plan to move and instead just placing her hand over Regina's. She guided Regina into her, as deep as she could go.
Regina kissed her one more time, flexing and curling her fingers as she explored the sensation of being in Emma, and the blonde dropped her head to Regina's shoulder as a fingertip brushed a sensitive spot.
"Right there," she urged, her voice husky. "Fuck, Regina."
"Shh," Regina whispered into her hair, vaguely aware of their location, but she began stroking Emma's inner walls, curling her fingers again each time she slipped out and came back in. And while Emma tried to stay quiet, she couldn't seem to hold back the stream of profanity and declarations of love as she jerked her hips against Regina's hand.
Emma's hand covered Regina's again, pushing her faster and deeper. It was Regina's idea to add a third finger, and Emma let out a low moan as she stretched to fit it. It only took a few more thrusts in and out before Emma came, crying out some garbled version of Regina's name.
Emma sank down onto her, Regina keeping her hand in the warm wetness as she felt the blonde relax against her. She wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, sticky and naked and curled up next to each other, but thankfully the queen and her servants let them be.