A/N- Sorry, dear readers, for my delay in posting this chapter. Here it is, hope you enjoy.
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When Emma awoke, the fingertips of dawn were trickling into the room. The blonde rubbed her eyes and stretched her sore muscles as a smile tripped across her features. Looking about for the brunette, she rose, wrapped the sheet around her naked body and stepped to the balcony door where her lover stood watching the sun come up. Regina stood barefoot in her simple, linen night gown. Her long hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail and caught the sparkling rays of the early sun in their dark waves.
Emma was in awe of her. She remembered with vivid clarity the way the woman had stood yesterday in her dark dress; crackling with energy and anger. It was a stark contrast to the serenity with which the brunette regarded the mountains this morning and the blonde felt her heart flutter a bit.
Almost as though she had sensed her, Regina turned and pinned her with her dark eyes. All that Emma was thinking and feeling in that moment was transferred to the brunette when their gazes met and Regina brought a hand to her chest instinctively; as though trying to protect her heart from the blonde.
"Good morning." Emma finally said breathlessly.
"Good morning." Regina smiled. "How did you sleep?"
"Not so well."
"Pity." The brunette faked a pout.
"Well, you see, there is this woman that haunts my dreams."
"Sounds awful."
"It's worse than you think."
"Oh?"
"Yes, you see, she haunts my every waking hour as well. I can't get her out of my head." The blonde closed the gap and took Regina by the waist, smiling down at her.
"That sounds horrible."
"That's nothing." Emma leaned into her and their breaths mingled. "The worst part is that I never want it to end." She said quietly.
"Emma, I-" Regina began but the blonde brought their lips together and cut her off. The kiss wasn't filled with urgency and animal passion, but it was intense. Rather than sexual tension and unfulfilled needs, the melding of their mouths was filled with longing and promises and hope.
The brunette sank into the kiss and allowed herself to be swept away in the security and familiarity she found in the blonde's arms. When they pulled away, Regina could almost forget that she had once been the Evil Queen. Almost.
She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and pulled back from Emma before stepping in front of her. "What the-?" The blonde began but her green eyes too, lighted on a distant form in the sky. "A flying monkey?"
"Go back inside, get dressed, and keep that book on your person; do not relinquish it."
"Regina, what's happening?"
"I'll explain later." She looked at the blonde. "Trust me."
Emma backed away from her, dressed in a rush, strapped her sword to her waist and returned to the balcony threshold with the Grimmerie tucked into the back of her leather pants. When she looked out, she could see that Regina had changed clothes as well. Now wearing a velvet, mermaid dress in scarlet and rubies on her ears and neck that shone like blood against her skin. She nodded to the monkey as he landed a respectable distance away and shifted to sit on his haunches.
"Your Majesty." He nodded to Regina. "Your Highness." He nodded to Emma.
"Rishtay, how are you?" Regina asked politely in her throaty voice.
"Happy to find you both healthy and alive after your encounter with the queen. She is dead, is she not?"
"As a doornail." The brunette replied. "Set herself alight, there was very little we could do."
"It is an unfortunate way to die, but I don't believe the irony will be lost on any in the kingdom."
Regina inclined her head to the monkey, acknowledging his joke with a slight smirk. "I'm sure you did not seek us out simply for a first-hand account, Rishtay. To what do we owe this visit?"
"You acquired the Grimmerie?"
At least he doesn't beat around the bush, Emma thought to herself.
"We did."
"And do you wish to keep it."
"It depends on what your usurping leader can give me for it." The brunette said casually.
"I was told to tell you that her ladyship has your bean and would be perfectly inclined to swap it for the Grimmerie."
"Is that so? I suppose that would do." Regina said in an off-hand manner. "I would also hazard a guess that we must meet with your queen to do so."
The monkey bowed low. "She resides less than a day's ride north of here. Now with the queen out of the way, her ladyship will be free to place a beacon on her residence."
"We will be there." Said Regina and the monkey bowed once more before unfurling his wings and leaping gracefully from the balcony ledge.
"How did you know she had the bean?"
"I took a gamble."
"How do we know he's not lying?"
"That's your superpower is it not?" Asked the brunette as she packed their bags.
"He's not lying, but the woman may be."
"And that is why we need to meet her." Regina turned to meet her green gaze. "I want to get to Henry as quickly as possible but I also don't want to leave Oz in a mess." She admitted. "It's possible that this rebel leader has magic abilities and knew how to find the bean or found it on accident and kept it because Elphaba had; thereby marking it as special. There is no way to know but to ask her."
"Then let's get to this interrogation." Emma rolled her neck, shouldered the packs, and headed down to saddle the horse.
They rode for several hours and then walked and then rode again. Breaking only to eat and stretch their muscles. Finally, as the sun had just begun to dip in the sky, Regina drew the blonde's attention to a shining pillar of light. "That's it then, isn't it?"
"I would say so."
"Subtle." The blonde said dryly.
"Pot, kettle, Miss Swan."
The blonde smirked as she sat behind the dark-haired woman. They rode on and soon found themselves in a forest of thick trees, trekking on to the base of a large mountain. As they topped a rise, they found the pillar of light's origin and dismounted to approach the roughly-hewn door slowly.
"Magic?" Emma asked.
"Yes, which means this book could actually be used."
"But for what purpose?"
"To restore Oz to what it was." Came a voice from above them. The pair looked up at a blonde woman standing atop the rocks with a warm smile. "I am the rebel leader, I am Alice."