Prompt from a friend: Daniel dies at the hands of Cora, Regina pushes Cora through the mirror and she still marries the King. Regina never casts the dark curse, instead she kills Leopald and becomes Queen of the Dark Kingdom while Snow and Charming live in the White Kingdom. Snow still views Regina as her stepmother, so when Regina puts herself in a sleeping curse to stop the pain of losing Daniel, Snow sets out to find someone to kiss her awake. 18 years later, that happens but not from who Snow expects..

Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time, I just like using the characters

Chapter 4

"Emma!"

"Regina!"

Snow and Charming's voices came out together as one called out for their daughter and the other called out for her former stepmother.

You would think having your parents walk in on you making out with someone would make you shoot away from them, to stop the act you're engaged in. Not for Emma Swan. She just kept her lips locked to Regina's and cupped the woman's cheek.

When Charming coughed only then did Emma pull away, feeling annoyed but masking it. "I can explain." the young adult said by way of greeting her parents.

Snow rushed to her daughter's side faster than any of the arrows she had ever shot moved. "Emma honey, how.. what.."

"Snow."

Snow White's head snapped to Regina's face, her features softened when she saw up close that her stepmother was awake. "You're alright." Snow whispered stunned. Charming had come to stand behind his wife and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Apparently so.. it seems we have much to discuss."

"I agree, I'll send word to your father that you're awake."

At the mention of her father Regina's features softened. One of the guards and maids that had come with Snow and Charming were sent immediatley to find Henry and alert him of his daughter's condition.

"Now that that's settled, maybe we can move everyone upstairs?" Charming asked looking increasingly uncomfortable with the fact they were so far beneath the castle.

As Snow nodded Emma gingerly got off Regina, only to hold her hand out to the Queen when her own feet were on the ground to help her up. Regina blushed at the gesture and took Emma's hand happily.

As the group made their way upstairs neither Emma nor Regina could deny the spark they felt between them.

Once back on ground level Charming relaxed. He could now see what was before him with clear, focused eyes. He knew the story of what Regina had done, taken a sleeping curse, effectively the same curse that had lulled his wife into her internal slumber. Only now Regina was awake, much like his wife had been after he kissed her. He had awoken her with True Love's kiss. That was the only known cure for a sleeping curse. So then how did Emma break Regina's?

Regina had been ushered away to bathe and dress while Snow fussed over Emma and made sure she too was clothed. Now that it was just Emma and her mother alone, Snow had one question.

"You kissed her, didn't you? How your father and I found you was not an accident."

Emma thought about lying, Regina had clearly not wanted to talk about what transpired with her parents, so why should Emma tell her mother the truth? Yet she heard herself saying, "I did, and I'd do it again."

Snow White fixed the simple gown her daughter had chosen to wear that day busily. "I don't know what to say." she said at last looking at Emma's reflection in the mirror, locking eyes with her.

"Say that you won't make me look for a suitor." Emma's voice was small in that moment and Snow heard it. Snow felt the pain in the words her daughter said and tears pricked her eyes.

"You love Regina." her mother said in a kind but confused way.

Emma refused to deny it, so she said nothing. She turned to face Snow and braced herself for the questions.

"Have you always been a lesbian?"

'Sure, start with a hard question.' Emma thought to herself.

"I'm not really sure. I've always liked other girls but.." the 'because you and dad want me to be Queen I had to hide it' hung in the air between mother and daughter.

Snow frowned, how did she not see this? "Why don't we go see if Regina is ready to talk, hm?" Snow White led her daughter to Regina's room, and after gathering the woman and her father, the four set off to meet Charming.

"How did you find Regina?" Snow asked Emma as the the group stood in the parlor of a closed off section of the castle.

Emma shuffled nervously on her feet, eyes downcast, lip quivering. "I snuck out of my chambers this morning, intent on exploring one of the hidden tunnels. It led me to a door.. I waved my hand in front of it and I don't know.. I guess my magic reacted to the door? I walked inside, saw Regina on the bed and I just.. I don't know."

Regina could see Emma's face beginning to flush and came to her aid. "Snow, Charming, Daddy. I think it be wise to give Emma and I a few minutes alone."

Snow White nodded at once. She knew her daughter, she'd never open up fully if herself and Charming were there. Henry was like family too, having this talk with any of the adults around would be impossible.

As the three adults left the room and the door was closed Emma let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Thank you." Emma said earnestly as she looked at Regina.

"Anytime My Princess." Regina smiled. "I must ask you though, when you saw me there on the bed, what was your first instinct?"

"I think you already know the answer to that."

Regina raised her eyebrow in question.

"I kissed you. I think my fist instinct was pretty obvious don't you?"

"The brunette smirked. "That may be true, but I want you to describe the feeling. How did you feel when you saw me? What drove you to kiss me?"

"When I saw you.. I felt my world stop. Like all of a sudden the world stopped turning on its axis and I was falling. When I kissed you, I stopped falling. So maybe, I don't know.. maybe you didn't want that kiss to happen- but it did. It did Regina. Now.. Oh God and now.. Now I'm starting to fall for you."

The Queen's eyes widened. She took a steadying breath and took Emma's hands in hers. "Emma.. you're right. I didn't want to be woken up. I wanted, well honestly I wanted to spend the rest of my life in that curse. Missing Daniel. But what I'm now realizing, in order to move passed what my mother did to me, well I need help." Regina sighed and bit her lip. "Maybe I need you. Us." she let the word hang there in space for a second before her lips met Emma's. The rest of the world faded to black as only the Princess and the Queen mattered then.

AN: Hey guys! So I uploaded another chapter. The muse is really speaking to me right now! I hope you like this chapter, the title of the story is rather special to me, as it makes me think of my own lovely lady. Anyway please review and let me know what you think. I'll do my best on writing more before I leave Wednesday