Sorry, I haven't been able to respond to all of your reviews...
You know, I usually really enjoy doing that but it's a luxury I can't afford right now, time-wise... :O But thank you for the awesome support!
It's been making me feel incredibly encouraged and motivated! :)
Now, without further ado...
CHAPTER 30
Dinner had had a very cold war-like quality to it. Emma had barely eaten.
The loud clinging of their cutlery against the plates had been almost deafening and so the girl had taken it upon herself to add some sound by talking.
It made Regina feel both guilty and grateful. Ironically enough, Cora felt the same way.
Regina's dad didn't seem to notice the tension at the table,
quietly admiring his grandson's drawing skills as the boy was keeping himself entertained with a couple of crayons and his oversized sketch book.
He held a blue crayon in one hand and his fork in the other. Multi-tasking like a true pro.
Because leaving the table right after swallowing the last bite of her food
would seem and feel like too much of some kind of passive aggressive statement;
-almost as if she'd be wordlessly screaming "I do not wish to be around you any longer than I have to, mom"-
Regina remains seated and strings up a conversation with her father.
Emma then goes on telling Cora about the book Henry and her are working on.
The kid even makes her swipe through pictures of his artwork on his momma's phone.
It is evident and touching to witness how the pride in the older woman's eyes shines brightly.
Emma's thorn feeling only grows when it hits her that there's honest pride directed at her as well.
It gives her the overwhelming feeling of inclusion, which is nothing short from wonderful and addictive. How can it not?
But in the back of her mind the writer can't stop thinking about what Regina'd said to her. Warned her for.
That the older Mills will be showing her true colors soon… probably when she'll be at her most vulnerable.
It's not simple, is it?
How's Emma supposed to feel then? Is it wise to allow any feelings in under these circumstances?
Maybe accepting the warmth that Cora directs at her… could leave her burned, perhaps even scarred if things really blow up.
But would behaving the opposite really do any of them any good?
Before coming on this trip a lot of different scenario's had played out in Emma's mind. This one hadn't.
Usually, the young woman's not one to fall victim to webs of lies and traps of deceit.
Having had more than her portion of those kinds of crap from a young age,
she's been through enough to be able to separate honesty from its opposite and to feel when things are the way they're supposed to.
She might still be young but life has forced her to feel so much already…
It's only since these last couple of months that she's not only felt the bad but also the good stuff.
So yes, by now Emma Swan has felt it all. And this… this interaction with her girlfriend's mom, it just feels too sincere to not be exactly what it is. True.
Later that night, Regina stays true to her earlier promise.
It all starts in the shower.
Emma is washing away the invisible layer of airplane-cooties that have been lingering on her skin.
She sighs contently to finally feel fresh and clean again when Regina makes a smooth and quiet entrance.
She stands behind the blonde, reaches out to turn off the water and then drapes a large, soft towel over the young woman's shoulders.
"Hmm." Emma's appreciative hum bounces off the walls.
Regina smiles and kisses the side of her partner's neck.
A gentle push encourages Emma to turn around and face the brunette.
She finds herself staring into deep, dark brown pools of passion and swallows thickly.
Without blinking or any other sign of hesitation, Regina sinks to her knees before her, brings her index finger to her lips and motions for Emma to be quiet.
The latter, who's jaw just went slack in a heartbeat, nods very slowly.
As if moving her head too fast could cause for any loud noises that would put an end to this luxury situation she's finding herself in.
Regina soundlessly chuckles and then gets started. She takes her time to work up her girlfriend. Literally, as that's exactly the purpose of her actions.
She goes slow, lazily stroking her tongue against Emma's shaft. Up and down. Placing her lips over the tip of the hardening member and adding suction.
Oh and she's naked, granting Emma a spectacular view on top of the loving blowjob. Oh yeah, that really is the most fitting adjective here.
Her hands are firmly cupping her lover's backside, keeping her into place as her mouth stays connected with Emma's growing erection.
Once Regina reckons it's at its full potential, she gives it one last open mouthed kiss and slowly gets back up.
Surprisingly, Emma's been able to keep her breathing from sounding as loud as it is deep.
She'd been afraid of triggering Regina to stop sooner than planned because she didn't follow her instruction of being quiet closely enough.
But Emma's done great and Regina is pleased.
"Take me to bed." The latter whispers, a breath away from pink thin lips.
Emma eagerly complies. She reaches down to pull Regina up and against her by her thighs.
She has no trouble successfully carrying her lover to their final destination for the night.
Placing Regina with her back onto the clean sheets, she takes a moment to admire the sight before her.
It won't be long anymore before the latest addition to their family will be showing through the brunette's shirts.
Like this, stripped bare for Emma to lovingly admire, the new life inside of Regina is already beautifully evident.
Her belly is showing a modest swell so perfect and promising it does exactly that to the blonde's heart. Make it swell too.
"Please." Regina quietly pleads.
Her voice is kept to a whisper but at the same time sounds so rich and thick with want and emotion, Emma feels entirely overwhelmed.
She looks down at herself and at the way she's evidently physically different from Regina.
"What do you want?" It's more mouthed than a vocalized question though Regina's confusion isn't because she didn't catch the words
but because she isn't sure of the meaning behind them. She warily shakes her head a little and narrows her eyes.
"Inside." This time she actually uses her voice. She can't let there be any doubt about this. Emma's starting to feel a little silly for having asked.
This woman is carrying her child for fuck's sake. Has carried their first born and loves her unconditionally.
Still, that doesn't mean she's not allowed to not want to have a dick stuffed inside of her whenever they have sex, right?
So really, it's not that silly for Emma to want to make sure when she does or doesn't. Right?
Having established that today she clearly does…
Emma guides her penis, sucked hard and once wet with saliva that's now dried up, to the slick opening between her girlfriend's legs.
It's a small distance both women are eager to close.
The rest is as simple as can be. Simple as fuck, really. pun obviously intended.
Emma slips in easily. Regina's lips, swollen and self-lubricated with want, warmly welcome each and every inch of the girl,
all the way down to her balls, as they press against the body below. They can't be loud, not vocally and not in the way they move.
But that doesn't mean that what they're doing is any less intense.
Instead of pushing in, pulling out, pushing back in and so on, Emma fucks her lover differently this time.
She stays deep inside of Regina. Her cock stays buried between walls of want as she adds and releases pressure against her girlfriend with her pelvis and balls. Her mouth isn't any less eager either. She kisses, sucks and tastes whatever patch of skin she's offered.
Regina's mouth is busy gasping and trying to utter sounds that won't come thanks to the woman's iron focus on making sure they won't.
But she and her lover most certainly do exactly that. they come, hard in and around the other. exploding in unison like the team they are.
Strong, exciting and exhilarating at its peak and comfortingly familiar as the afterglow settles in and leaves the world around them spinning.
"I love you." Regina says.
They lay still and Emma's still inside of her but she'd felt the urge to tell her that. Emma lets the words echo in her mind for a while.
"I love you more." She eventually responds and Regina rolls her eyes as a way of telling her 'impossible, you beautiful moron'.
"She really used to be so hard on me."
There's a slight defensiveness to the woman's tone. Almost as if she feels a need to justify her own behavior.
"I know that. I'd never doubt anything you'd say, Regina."
Emma reassures her, rubbing their noses together.
"If she hurts you, I swear I will destroy her… If it is the last I do." Dark eyes burn with conviction.
Emma kisses her then as an antidote for that damned tension that keeps trying to crawl its way beneath her girlfriend's skin.
It works, if only for now, it works. Regina sighs and desperately inhales the blonde's scent wishing it were a blanket to wrap around her.
How lovely that would be.
"I'll be okay baby." Emma convincingly whispers against the left corner of Regina's open mouth. "I'm a big girl." She says.
Slowly, an honest smile appears on Regina's tired features.
"That you are." She lazily grins while simultaneously pushing her hips up a little.
The motion reminds both women of how they still haven't moved and of exactly how amazing their orgasms had been,
causing them to still be sensitive right now.
Emma inhales sharply at the sudden reminder and then chuckles softly.
"There's my Regina. Sassy and dirty just the way I adore her."
"Hmm." The Queen of sass herself grins wide as her eyes threaten to fall closed.
"Okay if I pull out now?" Emma sweetly whispers, not wanting to startle Regina by moving too sudden or speaking too loudly.
"Yeah." The brunette nods and moves to sit up a little. "I should go to the bathroom real quick." She yawns and forces her eyes back open again.
"As much as I personally love your sperm" She tiredly smirks in a way that Emma finds both sexy and adorable.
"I don't want it on my mom's sheets."
The blonde laughs but nods agreeing-ly.
"That might raise some questions, yes."
"Not really. Not once we've told them everything at least." Regina shrugs and kisses Emma's cheek.
She watches as the girl carefully removes her penis from where she loves it most and then tilts her hips and tenses her muscles down there.
"But still, I'd like to keep my parents and my sex life as far away from each other as possible."
"Doesn't that include me?" Emma laughs, making sure to do so quietly. Seeing her girlfriend so tired makes her act on impulse.
She gets up, bend over and take the woman into her arms bridal style.
"Technically whoever's growing inside of you too, since sex is kind of how that happened…" She kisses the top of brown hair.
"Oh hush you" Regina grumpily mutters and then yawns again. She's all too happy to be taken care of like this.
Having someone she'd feel comfortable doing this with…
Having someone who carries her and puts her on the toilet seat …is something she'd never imagined possible.
But with Emma, it's as easy as breathing.
"That's complete nonsense. As far as my parents are concerned I'm a virgin and obviously, you got me pregnant with a very steamy French kiss."
Regina's killing Emma with her cuteness right now. The woman's got her eyes closed, shielding them from the bright light in the ensuite
but the way she's lazily moving her hands while animatedly bullshitting about living a sexless existence is entirely adorable.
Not only is Regina still entirely naked, of course… her words are also slurred and are lacking proper articulation.
It's too precious for words really.
"You literally have sperm running out of you right now, babe." She chuckles hoarsely, feeling rather tired herself.
"Shhh. You must be seeing things." Regina pouts her lips but then cracks open an eye to playfully glare at her lover.
"Regina sexy ass Mills, I had no idea you were such a prude." Emma smiles at her with narrowed eyes as she hands her the roll of toilet paper.
The older woman takes the offered roll from her and shrugs a little.
"Only when it comes to my parents."
Once she's as empty as she's going to get, Emma carries her back to bed.
Wordlessly they worm their way into each other's arms. Regina's the first to give in to the night while Emma's still thinking about the past day's events.
About the Cora from Regina's youth and if perhaps there's anything that she can possibly do to make this vacation less stressful and difficult on her partner.
About the Cora from the present and if perhaps there's anything that she can possibly do to find out what exactly is motivating the woman to be so different from the villain from Regina's stories.
Because Emma's certain. If you pay close enough attention, eyes cannot lie.
And Cora's, when directed at her daughter, spill nothing but buckets of love, lots of regrets and every now and then, Emma's sure of it, tiny drops of hope.
I could describe to you in great detail exactly how the next couple of days were spent and you'd be utterly bored
because the truth is that nothing much happened. Don't get me wrong, they weren't bad days.
See, little Henry has everything he needs. Four adults that absolutely worship him, a huge garden with a big pool and perfect swimming pool weather.
Emma's been writing in the shadow of a tree. She's happy to be able to get a lot of work done, finding inspiration in the beautiful scenery.
Regina on her turn has mostly been reading and, of course, has been making an active effort
to make it clear to her mother that she isn't interested in sharing any sort of conversation. At least not with her.
She makes sure her answers to whatever questions Cora asks her are as short as possible.
Preferably one word-answers with very few syllables. Her favorites being yes, hmm and in a steady first position: no.
"Here you go. You must be thirsty." The older brunette puts down a cool refreshment for her daughter.
Henry senior is currently playing in the pool with his grandson. Both Henry's seem to be having the time of their lives with each other.
Seeing that does make Regina feel guilty in a way. That maybe they shouldn't have waited so long to visit.
But then again… being here too much would hardly be beneficial for her mental health, would it? A quick look at her mother does confirm exactly that.
She just can't shake the negative rush of emotions she gets when she's near the older Mills.
She's not sure if she's more angry or more sad but dwelling on that isn't exactly making her feel better either.
So instead, she tries to ignore it, ignore her.
But at the moment, she's here, the situation is what it is and there's no escaping her mother, not under these circumstances, not now.
Inside, Regina has got a war going on. A war in which she's fighting with her mother, screaming, yelling and crying.
About how she can act as if they're the perfect family all she wants now,
it changes nothing about the fact that they most certainly are not and about the fact that she's the person she is today because of her own strength,
not in the least thanks to any support she got from her mother.
Somehow the resentment she feels about her youth is mainly focussed on Cora Mills. A lot less on her father.
He hadn't as actively torn her down time and again.
He had, in a way supported her, smiled encouragingly, hugged her occasionally, told her he was proud of her quietly.
Always in the background but still, all of those things.
Though the man had never, not once stood up against his wife.
And for that, Regina can't help but be mad at him just a little as well.
It's just that loathing both of them might just break her.
Maybe there's only so much hate one person can carry.
Part of her knows she's always had it a lot better than most. Then Emma, for example. Emma who doesn't feel any resentment towards anyone.
Simply because she doesn't have anyone to feel resentment towards. She's been alone in the world for so long, not having anyone to be mad at.
Looking at the blonde and how strong and in control of herself she is, Regina wonders if maybe she got lucky. But that's a horrible horrible thought, isn't it?
What it comes down to is that there's no comparing and that all emotions are very real and ultimately impossible to ignore.
Incapable of ignoring hers right now, Regina angrily puts down her book, rubs her face, annoyed at herself,
and takes a sip of the drink her mother just put down for her.
She's already taken two when it hits her that the clear liquid in the glass isn't water. Cora must have decided it's Gin Tonic o' clock.
A fraction of a second later Regina spits out a mouthful of the alcoholic beverage.
"Regina are you okay?" In no time, her mother is already practically hanging over her, looking and sounding more than just a little concerned.
Emma, who'd been standing somewhere near the pool to enjoy the sight of her son and his grandfather playing, is also quickly running towards her.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, mother?!"
Regina angrily yells.
Cora's confused expression shows off exactly how she's got no clue of what's going on.
"Was ruining my life not satisfying enough for you that you have to go and try to poison my unborn child?"
Regina's voice sounds sharper than Emma's ever heard it. Sharper even than she could have ever imagined her girlfriend possible of sounding.
The series of emotions running through the older Mills standing on the patio make a very painful appearance on her facial features.
Emma can't quite pinpoint what exactly it is she's feeling but Cora looks all sorts of things along the lines of confused, anxious, hurt and sad.
"You're expecting another baby?" She softly utters.
Regina just closes her eyes and rubs her face as if she's coming up with a headache so Cora quickly turns towards Emma.
Her eyes are wide in expectation. Hopeful expectation that somehow, in between all of this drama, in the middle of this mess, warms the blonde's heart.
She's able to muster up a small smile and nods.
Emma then closes the distance between her and her lover, wanting for Regina to calm down. More than that, needing it.
For the health of both the woman herself and the baby she's carrying.
"My head hurts." Regina flatly says, allowing Emma to kiss the top of said head.
"You wanna go lay down a bit, baby? It's pretty warm out here, the cool inside might help."
"Yes, I think I'll do that." Regina looks up at Emma, completely ignores her mother who's got silent tears rolling down her cheeks, smiles tiredly and gets up. Emma's arms wrap around her in a calming and loving embrace. Another couple of kisses are placed onto random parts of Regina's face.
Then the pregnant brunette goes inside to lay down on her bed, leaving the blonde behind with her mother.
"Can we talk?" Emma's tone is soft and kind.
Cora looks over to the pool where both Henry's are facing them, concern and confusion in their eyes.
"It's okay sweethearts. We're gonna take a walk but you boys have fun, okay?" She raises her voice addressing them.
Here we go. Emma thinks.
Talk o' clock
AAH! I can hardly wait for you to find out more! Hopefully soon! Any ideas on how the conversation is going to go? :)