CHAPTER 15

Emma rolled over in bed trying to find a more comfortable position. Her eyes blinked and that's when she noticed the change in light. She began to frown as her vision cleared and she was able to see the red numbers of the digital alarm clock glaring accusations at her.

She jolted upright. She began cursing herself as she jumped out of bed and began to throw on clothes. She knew it was too late and there was nothing that she could do to stop what was surely about to come. But she raced around the room picking up and discarding things here and there as she dressed then raced out the door. She broke traffic laws trying to get back to the mansion even as her heart fell into her stomach. She knew it was too late to turn back now but she tried hard hoping that shaving a few minutes off of the few hours she was already late would help.

Emma had taken a room at the inn a few days ago. Not because she'd wanted to. Because it had become an absolute necessity.

Ever since their doctor's visit a few days ago, Regina had gotten really handsy with her. And though she loved it, it still terrified her. Her mind echoed with the doctor telling them they were cleared to resume having sex. And Regina being under the impression that they already were didn't help matters at all.

So she'd done what she did best. She'd run. But since she knew it was just down the road instead of away from the town forever she tried reasoning that it wasn't the same.

She parked in the driveway and made her way up to the front porch. She opened the door as quietly as she could but winced at hearing the locks turning into place. She quietly opened the door and ran smack dab into the second person she hadn't wanted to see yet.

"Ma!" Emma jumped and shushed him. Henry looked around then shook his head, "she's upstairs,"' he answered her unspoken question. "But she is awake. And she's really mad. Where have you been?"

She hadn't told Henry about this latest mission of hers. His Moms' sex life just really wasn't any of his business. Still Emma gulped and found it hard to meet his eyes, "Look, it's nothing kid. I had to work late at the station," she pinned a fake smile on her lips that he didn't even bother pretending could possibly look real.

Henry waved away the obvious lie, "Yeah right. Look, you'd better fix this. And fast."

Emma sighed and nodded. She made her way gingerly up the stairs. She tried quietly slipping into the bedroom but Regina was standing right in front of the dresser. She slammed the drawer she was rummaging through shut and threw Emma one of her patented glares. It had been a while since she'd seen those. She gulped and dried her clammy hands on her jeans, "Good morning."

Regina's eyes narrowed. Emma took an involuntary step backward. "Since it's almost noon Miss Swan I don't see how there's possibly anything 'good' as you so casually put it."

Emma moistened her lips, "Regina - ."

Regina just held her hand up to her while shaking her head. "Save it Ms. Swan. Henry and I are going out for brunch. We'll see you later." Regina shoved past her.

Emma just stood awkwardly and watched her go. She groaned and threw her head back. It smacked against the doorjamb. "Ow," she cried as she held her head. She concentrated on her physical pain to take away her emotional one. She'd screwed up big time. And now she had no one but herself to blame for this fiasco.

XO

Emma sat around sulking for what to her seemed like an eternity. She hadn't meant to sleep so long. She'd figured the days of interrupted sleep had caught up to her. And now she had gotten caught. There was nothing to do but await her sentence and hope that the Evil Queen continued to stay buried.

She was terrified of having sex with Regina. Their baby's conception had left an imprint on her as well as she surely knew it had on Regina. And she didn't want to screw things up anymore than she already had. So she'd gotten the room in town. Then she'd roped her parents into covering for her.

They'd call her cell at close to bedtime and Emma would rush out after telling Regina there was an emergency she had to take care of. She'd go to the inn and set her alarm to wake her while she caught a few hours of sleep. Around 2 in the morning she'd slip into the house again. And Regina would always be none the wiser.

The plan had seemed foolproof to her. And it had worked like a charm. But sooner or later everyone's luck ran out. And she had never really ever been a lucky person to begin with. Now 4 days later, she'd come up short.

She paced while she waited for Henry and Regina to return. She even pulled out her computer and went online looking for an answer as to how to fix the mess she was in now. All she got back was the usual flowers and chocolate fix. And sex. Lots and lots of sex. She groaned as she pushed away the laptop and let her head hit the dining room table she was sitting at. That was precisely what she was trying to avoid.

She noticed the time and realized 2 hours had passed and Regina and Henry were still nowhere in sight. She texted Regina but got no response. She went back to pacing all over again.

She began blowing up Regina's phone with texts and voicemails begging her to respond to her. All of her calls went unanswered.

By the time the clock said they'd been gone for 3 hours she said screw this. She got in the car and raced over to the diner. She didn't even go all the way inside. She just stood in the doorway and looked around. When she couldn't find them she called out to Ruby and asked if she'd seen them. Ruby told her that they'd left a few hours ago.

Now Emma was downright scared. She'd been abandoned and run away from home plenty of times before. She just never thought it would happen here.

She went back home and had a drink. Then another. Then another. Texting and calling Regina almost nonstop in between.

By the time Henry and Regina showed up at home, she was a complete mess. When they walked in she was sitting on the floor in the dark sobbing to herself.

"Emma?" Regina walked in and turned on the light. "What are you doing?"

Emma sat there staring at them as if they were an apparition. She sniffled and wiped her eyes but she was too choked up to say anything.

Regina turned to Henry, "Go upstairs and get ready for bed. It's late."

Henry looked at Emma apprehensively. He shook his head, "Maybe I should stay down here."

Regina shut the front door and put down the bags she'd been carrying. "No. You're going to do as you were told. Go on upstairs. Emma and I will be up in a few minutes."

Regina walked closer to Emma and sat down beside her. Her tummy made getting up and down so low really awkward but she'd worry about that after she tended to Emma.

"You left me," was the only thing that Emma was able to get out.

"Well now you know how it feels," Regina snapped. She could see how deeply this had affected Emma so she let up. "What is your excuse?"

Emma shrugged and turned away from her.

Regina shook her head. She cupped Emma's chin and forced her head around. "You don't get to do that. This is a family. And it won't work if there's only one person in it. Now tell me, what the hell have you been doing for the past few nights?" Regina's tone brooked no room for argument.

Emma sniffled more before turning to Regina, "I'm sorry. I just didn't want to disturb you or the baby. I don't know what I'm doing and I don't want to hurt either of you anymore." It was as close to a true confession as she could get without spilling the beans.

Regina just stared straight ahead. Emma was sure she was done for. Her breath hitched in her throat as she awaited her fate. Then Regina sighed. When she looked back at Emma she'd softened. "How am I supposed to trust that?"

"Because I've never wanted anything as much as I want you. And this baby. And this family. So I rented a room in the inn. So that I won't hurt you."

Regina turned and faced Emma. She still wouldn't touch her and Emma noticed she kept herself out of arms reach, "Emma, I know you would never hurt me. On purpose anyway. And you'd never do anything to hurt this family. But when you do things like this on your own without saying a word to anyone or even talking to me and letting me know what's going on then it doesn't exactly scream trust me."

"I do trust you!" Emma started vehemently.

"Then your actions need to match your words." Regina sighed and ran her hands through her hair, "I can't get up. You're going to have to help me."

Emma lithely jumped to her feet and then held her hands out for Regina. Regina first just looked at her hands and then took them and allowed herself to be pulled up.

"Get the bags," she directed Emma once she was standing. She turned and began to make her way upstairs.

Emma quickly gathered the bags and followed. They stopped along the way to say goodnight to Henry. Then they made their way into their room.

Emma dropped the bags onto the bed. Then she bounced around on the balls of her feet uncertainly.

"I'm tired," Regina was in the process of getting ready for bed. "That doesn't mean that this conversation is over yet. You can sleep down the hall tonight."

Emma nodded her acceptance. She grabbed a few necessities in the room and made her way down to one of the open guest rooms.

She went through her nightly routine then climbed into bed exhausted. She thought she'd be up all night tossing and turning over what had just been one of the hardest days of her life. Strangely enough to her, she quickly fell into a peaceful sleep.