Regina was uneasy the entire next day. It was clear that, though Emma had yet to do something truly evil, she was clearly enjoying causing trouble. Regina's worry was that as Emma got more and more comfortable with her new magic, that the power of the dagger would pull her deeper into darkness.

Regina tried to resume a normal schedule as mayor and put her latest erotic dream of Emma out of her mind. Unfortunately, the dark one had other plans. Regina got a call from Mary Margaret who had returned to her classroom. Apparently she heard Emma's laugh echoing through the school and suddenly the fire alarm was pulled. Then later Leroy called to report that his pint of beer had spontaneously been changed into milk. In a bit more escalated move, poor Pongo had somehow found himself stranded on top of the clock tower. The fire department had to use their ladder to get the frightened dog down safely. Although irritating, Regina was both surprised and happy that Emma was still doing harmless pranks. She still worried that Emma was on her way to escalating things.

XXXXXXX

Regina had nearly finished her night time ritual. She was in her bedroom, foot up on the hope chest at the foot of her bed. Her hands were moving up and down her calves, rubbing in the moisturizing lotion. She paused as she felt the air shift. She knew the dark one was there. She swallowed and slowly finished her task.

"Are you having fun?" Regina asked. She turned around and had to mentally stop herself from jerking at the sight of the dark one.

Emma was sitting in the chair by her bureau. She was leaning back with her hands threaded behind her head. Her legs were spread wide like a casual lazy male, legs gently wagging rhythmically. She was wearing tight black leather pants, tall black riding boots on her feet. Her tight leather bodice was blood red, breasts nearly spilling over the top. Over her bodice was a long black leather coat that looked as though it reached her ankles. The collar was high behind her neck, black and jagged. Her blonde hair billowed around her head and shoulders, as curly and shiny as ever. But it was her face and eyes that had changed. Where Rumplestiltskin's skin had been scaly and copper colored, Emma's was a bit different. Though not scaly, it was definitely textured, but almost in smooth waves. Her skin was not dark copper, but shimmering silver. Her eyes had what appeared to be dark eyeliner all around her eyes, and the normal green of her eyes were enhanced and nearly glowing.

Regina gasped silently as she took in the sight in front of her. It had been several days since she had seen Emma, and was relieved to see the woman intact. But more than that, Regina found Dark Emma completely and utterly seductive. Emma's eyes were regarding her with such intensity that Regina felt as if she were looking straight into her soul. Regina swallowed cotton down her throat and placed her stoic mask on her face. She waited.

Emma stared a hole through Regina before smirking. She knew Regina got wet with just that simple smile. She put her tongue in her cheek and let her hands drop from her head. She leaned her forearms on her thighs and smiled salaciously at Regina in her nightgown. She noticed Regina's eyes dart to her ample cleavage and smiled. "As a matter of fact, I am." Emma raised an eyebrow as she noticed Regina physically try to keep her composure.

Regina willed her hands to not shake. She clenched her jaw before continuing. "You are more immature than Henry's annoying little friends." Regina sat on the bed and crossed her legs. "Really, Miss Swan. The most powerful magic in the universe and that's how you use it? Pulling fire alarms and stopping dwarves from getting drunk? A bit juvenile, don't you think?"

Emma forced a smile as she clenched her hands together. She scoffed and gritted her teeth. Regina saw a touch of fear and defiance flash through those glowing green eyes. "You have NO idea." Emma's voice contained venom and it made Regina shiver. Emma looked down at her lap, seemingly trying to regain her composure. When she looked back up she was back to the playful dark one that was there before.

"You should be thanking me," Emma said.

Regina licked her lips and tried to bite back her sympathy and emotion. She kept the mayor and queen on the surface. "And why is that?"

Emma's face suddenly became serious. "Because," she cocked her head to the side. "It's my only safe outlet." She paused as she saw Regina's brows furrow. "If I don't do these...simple little things...I'm going to have to do something more...dramatic. These things are keeping me from doing something terrible."

Regina stared into Emma's eyes, suddenly understanding what these little pranks were all about. She cocked her head as Emma's face suddenly turned jocular again.

Emma sat up and put her hand on her chin, index finger slinking up her face to rest on the side of her nose. "How have you been sleeping, your majesty?"

Regina suddenly flushed and raised an annoyed eyebrow. She took a deep breath as Emma smirked at her. "Just fine, thank you."

Emma smiled at Regina, knowing the brunette was lying. She flashed her pearly whites, knowing full well what was going on in Regina's loins. She nodded and chuckled. "Right. Why haven't you taken Robin into your bed, Regina?"

Regina scoffed and shook her head in annoyance. "That is none of your business. Emma, you need to let your parents know you're okay. You owe them that much."

Emma started to laugh and shook her head. "No, no, no, your majesty. You're mistaking me with the Savior. You see, the Savior...she was the one who had so many crosses to bear. She had to be the princess. She had to be the good daughter. The good mother. The good girlfriend. Not me. You see, what I have discovered is that with this darkness has come truth. Truth, Regina."

Regina scoffed and rolled her head. "Truth?! Please. All Rumple ever did was lie. Lie and manipulate. That's what the darkness does."

Emma shook her head, not knowing this time how Regina's arousal spiked at the sight. "That's because Rumple is a coward." Emma laughed and slapped her own knee. "But I'm the Savior! I am...so much more! The darkness has changed me in ways it never could for him because he simply wasn't capable." Emma locked eyes with Regina and smiled again. "I...know things. I...feel things. Like you for instance."

Regina felt her head twitch as her core started to burn again. She swallowed, almost afraid to ask. "What about me?"

Emma smiled and licked her bottom lip. She knew Regina was aroused. She could smell it. "Well. For instance...I know why you have suddenly kept Robin at arms length." She looked at Regina from a down turned face and half smiled. She gripped the chair on either side of her thighs and leaned forward. She saw Regina swallow hard. The queen was trying desperately to keep her composure but Dark Emma saw right through it. "I know that deep down inside you secretly long for something else. Something else that doesn't involve Robin at all. Or any man for that matter."
Regina had to break eye contact because the truth of what Emma was saying was all too uncomfortable for her. She looked down at her lap as her hands squeezed the sheets at her sides.

Emma chuckled as she was pleased at Regina's reaction. "Oh, don't be embarrassed, Regina. After all, you're not the one who inserted me into your dreams. That was me. I want to be there. I want to be here. You can admit that you want me here as well."

Regina shook her head. "No. I don't. You're so enlightened? Then you know I don't want you here. Now please leave."

Emma looked at Regina in confusion, then probed Regina's mind to find the answer. Suddenly her face lightened as inside Regina's mind she found the answer. She nodded in understanding. "You know, I'm still her."

Regina looked to the side, anywhere but into Emma's eyes. "What are you talking about."

Emma smirked. "Your precious Savior. She's still here. Wanting me is not a betrayal of her." Suddenly Emma burst into laughter and leaned back into the chair. "To think, you're trying to be emotionally and sexually loyal to a woman you claim to despise. You have a boyfriend, Regina. So does the Savior. Why so loyal to a woman you've never even acknowledged feelings for?"

Regina pushed herself off the bed and walked to the vanity. "I don't know what you're talking about," she spat.

Emma clasped her hands together on her lap as she leaned the chair back onto two legs. She looked off as in thought. "It's funny, you know? I can still feel her in the back if my mind. Struggling to get free. Pushing, trying to force me out. We're kinda opposites, you know?" She looked over at Regina who was regarding her in the mirror. "Where the Savior felt all this pressure, I feel none."

Regina tried to remain level headed, but also wanted to I see stand so she could help Emma. "What pressure?"

Emma's face became hard. "To be good. To be fair. To want the things she was supposed to want. The daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming?" Emma sounded spiteful. "Are you fucking kidding me? The Savior had to force herself to live up to that? Why do you think she latched onto the greasy pirate?"

Regina shrugged her shoulders sadly. "You said you love him."

Emma scoffed. "Please. She felt like she had to say that. To feel that. Happy ending, right? True love? Isn't that what is supposed to happen? She felt like the only way she would fit in with her perfect little fucking family was to be just like them. She doesn't love him. But if they ever found out the truth, she knows they would never understand."

Regina felt like her heart was breaking. Was this true? Was Emma really feeling all this torment? What did she mean, 'found out the truth'? She swallowed and blinked back a tear. "What truth?"

Emma's eyes twinkled and she stood up out of the chair. She caught Regina's eyes in the mirror and slowly stalked seductively toward the queen. She saw Regina's breathing increase as she got closer. Emma stopped directly behind Regina but did not touch her. She took in the scent of Regina's lotion and closed her eyes. She reopened them to find dark orbs on the mirror. "The truth," Emma whispered, "is that she doesn't want Hook."

Regina's heart was beating out of her chest as Emma reached up and brushed her hair off her neck, just as she had done in her dream. Regina willed herself to not let her head fall to the side, desperately trying to keep eye contact.

Emma's eyes drifted down to the soft skin of Regina's neck. "The truth is," Emma let her fingertips caress Regina's neck, seeing the skin pimple with goosebumps. "that the one she really wants is the one she shouldn't."

Regina saw Emma's mouth descending to her neck and her eyes forced themselves shut. Just as Regina thought she would feel those marvelous lips on her for real, she felt a slight breeze and the touch was gone. She opened her eyes just as the last black wisps disappeared. Regina let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding and let her weight fall to her hands on the table. She shook her head and swallowed. It seemed the dark one knew all her secret desires, and she was certain Emma was using them against her. She was being played. Because there was no way Emma the Savior shared those feelings of desire. Emma didn't want Regina. Did she?