Regina entered the kitchen heading for the second cabinet on the left wall. She picked up the crystal ice bucket and went to her fridge.

As the cold wind swept her face Regina let out a tired sigh, well there went the no drinking resolve. But that was before she had to babysit the red leathered mantis. As she filled the ice bucket one by one, her mind travelled back to the last time Emma had shown up at her house. Her eyebrows furrowed as she remembered the brief conversation that had taken place on her porch. Didn't Emma say she had magic? Oh, she had actually been so smug over that piece of information that if Regina hadn't been so concerned, she would have slammed the door on her pompous face.

Regina's hand froze midway, 'Not - not concerned.'

Slowly she resumed, clutching the tong just a little bit tighter than before, 'Well ok, concerned, but only because the fool would practice magic near Henry.'

Regina shook her head. The important part was that Emma had magic. That opened up a lot of possibilities. And she was the result of a nauseating night between the two true love mascots, wasn't she? It was actually very surprising that Regina hadn't thought of the possibility before.

Regina picked up the half-filled ice bucket and carried it to the room. Regina halted as soon as the table came into view. The little devil wasn't there.

'Idiot.'

"Miss Swan?" she called out, 'Such a little idiot.'

She slammed the ice bucket on the table, why can't she ever just listen? She called out again, "Miss Swan, now is not the time to play silly games."

Her eyes scanned the surroundings, slight panic surfacing as the room looked disturbingly empty, was it always this empty? Oh yes, that first night after Cora's death when she had redecorated her study. She rested her hands inside her pockets, thinking of where to look when she heard a small sound, a knock.

Regina's head followed the sound to the multiple bottles kept in the middle.

"Oh my."

There was Emma Swan.

Inside her decanter.

Her non-empty decanter.

And she was actually waving at her.

Brown eyes widened first in surprise and then in panic as she hurriedly pulled the container closer to the edge of the table. The sudden motion swept Emma off her feet, the dark purple liquid rising up to her neck.

"What the hell is wrong with you? How did you even get inside?"

Regina traced her hands on the vessel; it was one of her less ornate ones. Tall, slender in the middle running straight till it reached two-thirds of its height and then flattened out at the base. The neck was thin but well so was Emma. But what was she trying to do, dive in? Colossal idiot.

"Hold on." Regina tilted the container carefully to drain the remaining liquid into the ice bucket. Emma struggled to stay upright but ended up sliding down to the side. Emma riddled with hiccups kept trying to point out the obvious, "You're so big Gina."

Unfazed by the little shouts from inside, Regina straightened it and inserted her index finger inside the stem and ordered the giggling blonde to hold on to it. Thank goodness for the inkling of sense still alive in the blonde saviour that she heeded to Regina's words. True to her earlier thought, Emma was indeed slim enough to come through. The wet sticky figure grabbed her finger as Regina slowly being extracted upwards. Her earlier words mocked her as she gently pulled the blonde through the nape of the crystal, the most absurd position she'd ever been in? Ha! The Gods had taken it as a challenge, they had. Regina looked around for a towel to dry the idiot, her heart racing. She spotted a small handkerchief, floral, her mother's, but she didn't spare it a single thought as she kept Emma down on the table to fetch it.

"Stupid stupid Emma, do you know you can get alcohol poisoning? Was this one of your fantasy, to drink your own weight in wine?" Stupid stupid stupid girl.

Regina's hands trembled as she tried to dab the sheriff, would this idiot have to get her stomach pumped? Oh, she could imagine the scene at ER. Emma for her part kept laughing and swatting away every touch.

"I- I- I fell Gina. I was just- I was - I wanted to get my- but splash." Her hand motioned the drop and her face fell when she reached the splash.

Regina tried remembering how much wine had been in the vessel. She tried hard to calm herself down to think. Oh, it was definitely two days ago. She had brought it out on a whim but the drink had remained untouched as Regina had moved on to harder liquor. So not only had Emma decided to nose dive in wine, but spoilt wine. Regina cringed but forced herself to think about the problem at hand. Clearer on the memory of how much was earlier present, Regina was now sure Emma must have had give or take a centimetre and half. So that could be about 5-6 glasses for the blonde. Emma was a klutz, but not a suicidal klutz. The intake must have been accidental when she must have fallen through or slipped or whatever stunt she had been trying to pull off. Her thoughts got interrupted when she heard a soft shriek. Regina had unknowingly let go of the soft cloth which then fell over Emma. Emma started throwing her arms and legs around violently, trying to remove it from over her head much like a fish inside a net. Before Regina could intervene Emma managed to successfully shove it off. Standing up Emma started... kicking it.

With concentration.

Counting the hits.

Regina swallowed back the chuckle as she bent her head down to Emma's level, amused by the gruff look on the sheriff's face.

"Miss Swan?"

"Shh, concen- concentrate."

A small smile graced her lips, "What are you doing?"

"I'm protecting you.. from the attack of the killer handkerchief." Emma replied not stopping, pointing down like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh, of course. Silly question." You don't find this funny Regina, this is absurd. Stop.

Emma turned to tell Regina it was absolutely okay to ask silly questions but inertia met her dulled sense of control and she ended up plopping down.

"Emma, are you ok?"

Emma looked down at the table wondering if she had been sitting the whole time before looking up to respond.

"Yea I-", Emma's eyes bulged out as she saw Regina's face close-up.

"I-I-want-" Emma got up on her knees and started crawling towards the brunette slowly. Her eyes had one and only one target.

"What?"

"S-ss-ssc" Emma slurred as she held out her hand making Regina back up in confusion.

"I think you need to sleep."

Emma's face fell down with her hands grabbing air repeatedly, "But-but-I touch?" Fuck, was that always there, right above her lip?

Regina smiled and gently picked up the tiny sheriff and used her other hand to form a clasp of sorts so the blonde wouldn't tumble over, 'She seems ok, well ok for someone who fell into wine. She just needs to sleeps through it.'

"Well whatever you are trying to do, let's save it for later. Now you need to rest."

As Regina carried her up the stairs the blonde sat down and slowly spread across her palm, tired and sleepy.

"Fun, fun day."

"If fun means falling into food every hour or so... Then yes. It was fun."

"Can you pancakes 'morrow?"

Regina sighed at the spent woman, "Yes."

On hearing the yes Emma sighed happily in return, forcing her arms around Regina's middle and ring finger and hugging them.

"I.. don't want to go back to my place. Stay'ere? Kay? Please."

Regina laughed, "Oh you want to stay with the evil queen now?"

"I like - 'ere", Emma yawned, "Fun. I don't feel like- feel..."

She felt Emma rub her head on her fingers like she was getting comfortable.

"Feel what Emma?"

When Emma didn't answer she carefully brought her hand up.

Emma had dozed off and Regina couldn't stop looking at the figure snoring lightly, hugging her fingers.

TBC

Next Time: Regina had a small wish as a child too. They discuss Emma's magic.

...

A/N:

It's very likely for a person to die if they fall into a pool of alcohol for a long period of time. I downplayed the threat for li'll Em by reducing the time she was in it.

Chapter was short, I know, I just had a mid-week holiday -o- and really wanted to publish because oh you guys with your sweet reviews, we all have a tiny!Emma inside us, don't we?

Warm welcome to new followers, things will only keep on getting weirder henceforth so I hope you enjoy.

xx