"Emma, thank you." Jean sighed, leaning back at the dinner table.

"For what?"

"For everything. For dinner; for arranging for all of us to come here and to continue to stay."

Emma simply shrugged. "It's our honeymoon. And I know that you would feel better knowing that your friends were around given the circumstances."

"Our friends Emma. They are your friends too. I think Helena is adopting you as her new best friend anyways. At the very least you two are co-conspirators."

Emma smiled. "I can't help but like her. Her attitude is very similar to mine in some regards."

"Meaning?"

But Emma didn't answer. Jean leaned over the table and placed her hand over Emma's. "Is there something on your mind?"

"There is a lot on my mind actually."

"Want to tell me?"

"I do, but maybe you could just look. I think that would be best."

Jean met Emma's eyes and felt the mental barriers fall. There were swirling thoughts of past interactions, Scott's potential reactions, and the fear that once they returned to the mansion that Jean would change her mind. Jean squeezed Emma's hand in reassurance. And then all Jean felt from Emma's mind was...

"Emma, you love me?" Jean asked shocked.

Instantly the mental barriers went up, and Emma withdrew her hand from her companion's. She looked around the restaurant desperately avoiding eye contact with the redhead.

"Emma, don't avoid this. Please can we talk about it?"

"I am not sure what you want me to say. I wasn't really planning on letting that little tidbit out. But you squeezed my hand and the reaction was involuntary."

"Could you at least look at me?"

Emma shifted her gaze back to Jean. "This whole situation is crazy, and I don't like feeling vulnerable like this. In fact I detest it. But I get around you, and it happens. And I find that I want you to know everything about me, not because I am proud of it all, but because if you did stay I would feel like I had something pure. But by opening myself up like that, I risk a whole lot more. I think if we didn't work out because of what you would know…" Emma fell silent.

"If you had asked me six months ago if the White Queen would ever open up like this, I would have laughed. But Emma, you have to know that by doing so, you are only bringing me in closer to you. Who am I to judge anyone's past? We all have something that we aren't proud of."

Emma cocked her eyebrow. Jean laughed, "Well somethings I guess. But that doesn't matter. What matters is now. Every moment you have experienced has shaped you and brought us to this point."

"You say that, but you only got a glimpse. You haven't seen everything."

"Then show me. Show me, and trust that I am not going to run screaming for the hills. Honestly, I want this to work as much as you do. The thought of not only being physically intimate with someone, but to also have the telepathic connection as well is exciting. Who else has that? It's special, and worth fighting for. Emma, you are worth fighting for, whether you believe it or not. Give me that chance. Show trust again, and I will give it in return."

Emma stared intently at Jean for a moment, and then reached over for her wine glass. She slammed the drink back. "Liquid courage," she mumbled, and dropped her mental barriers once again. Jean was overcome by everything she was seeing. Emma was allowing the most intimate of contact, laying herself bare for Jean to know absolutely everything about her. After several minutes, Jean had seen everything that was Emma. She sat back in her seat, silently contemplating. Emma was pouring herself another glass of wine. Jean opened her eyes and smiled at her companion.

"I know how much that took to be so vulnerable. Thank you."

Emma simply nodded and began sipping the wine she had just poured. Jean picked up her chair and moved it over to sit next to the blonde. She took the wine glass out of Emma's hand and set it down on the table. Carefully she took Emma's hands into her own. "Emma, how I feel has changed. When we first started this, I was hesitant to believe that you and I would ever open up to each other completely."

"And now?"

"And now I want to return the trust you just showed me." Jean kissed Emma's palms and then placed them on her face. Jean opened her mind completely and felt Emma immediately begin to probe. When she was finished, both women were left in tears. Jean let Emma's hands go and both women began wiping their eyes dry.

"That was the most intense few moments I have ever had." Emma whispered.

"I agree. But now do you feel like we are on equal footing? And you realize that I am no saint either."

Emma chuckled. "I like that though. Knowing that you have a little dirty side as well makes you that much hotter."

Jean laughed. "Hotter, huh? Nice compliment."

"But as you know by rooting around in my mind, it was a sincere one."

"Emma, I love that we just did this. And now I am going to insist that I pay for dinner." Jean's smile was huge.

Emma turned her head to the side in confusion. "I am not following…"

"I told you earlier that if you bought dinner I wouldn't sleep with you."

"Yes, I remember that."

"Emma, I'm buying." Jean winked and sent a rush of naughty thoughts to the blonde. In every one of them Emma was NOT dominating.

Emma's eyes went wide and instantly she yelled, "CHECK PLEASE!"

A/N: I loved this interaction for this pairing. Tell me if you did too...and Scott is about to rear his ugly mug. Next update probably won't happen until after this weekend. I really want to make sure that I get the next chapter just right. Thanks for reading, and PLEASE take the time to leave a review. For anonymous: I appreciate the reviews. Keep them coming. And if you sign in, I will personally respond to you.