A/N: Sorry this one took a while, homework got on top of me as well other fic's! Enjoy! :)

Chapter 21.

Emma didn't even hesitate before she moved her head into Regina's lap and turned on her side, closing her eyes. Regina smiled and traced a finger down the blonde's cheek, before resting it against her collarbone.

"Are you alright, darling?" she asked quietly.

Emma opened her eyes, turning on her back to look up at the older woman, "I'm okay," she answered, "It was nice, but weird to see that place, and where I was as a baby…" she hesitated and began playing with Regina's fingers with her own, "But I still feel the most at home with you."

Regina bit back a smile, "Right back at you," she whispered.

Emma smiled, bringing Regina's hand to her mouth and kissing it before placing it on her stomach, "I've never had this…safety with anyone else," she blushed, speaking quietly.

Regina smiled back, "Mm, nor have I, beautiful," she shifted Emma off her lap as she lay down next to her and pulled the blonde into her chest, closing her own eyes, "I love you very much."

"That's the one I was speaking about," Charming joined his daughter, who was playing with a glass unicorn on a swinging mobile.

Emma smiled, "I like the unicorn," she commented.

Charming nodded, "You should have it," he claimed.

"Now, now, nothing here is free, dearie."

Snow glared at the shop keeper, rolling her eyes, "Like you can talk," she shot back, "You will give everything back to everyone, Rumple."

Rumple shrugged, "Perhaps. What use do I have for this junk anyway?"

Belle appeared out of the back of the shop, "Oh, hello Snow," she nodded, speaking quietly, "Emma, David."

"Hey, Belle," Snow smiled, "Just reminding Rumple who all these things really belong to," she said pointedly.

Belle looked at her partner and back to the Charmng family, "Oh, he knows," she replied, "It's all going back to who it belongs to."

Rumple rolled her eyes, "Yes, yes," he rushed, "I see I am not needed here. You are much more pleasant to deal with, dear," he smiled somewhat fondly at Belle, before disappearing into the back room.

"Were you looking for anything in particular?" Belle asked, stepping out from behind the counter.

"No," Charming shook his head, "We'll take the mobile but we already have the wardrobe," he shrugged, "There's nothing significant we're missing."

The brunette smiled, "I guess it will get easier when everyone starts identifying their own things, there's just so much here at the moment and I have no idea who most of it belongs to."

Emma was wandering around absently, "Is there anything of Regina's in here?" she wondered aloud, "I mean, I know she cast the curse, so I suppose she got everything…"

Belle thought for a moment, "I'm not sure. I haven't come across anything."

"Anything she would have had of importance would have been for dark magic, Emma, surely, she doesn't need that anymore?" Snow raised an eyebrow.

Emma shrugged, "Just asking," she muttered.

"Sorry, Belle," Snow was apologizing to the brunette, "I don't know if she knows," she thought she was muttering quietly enough but Emma's ears picked up on it.

Emma frowned, "What don't I know now?"

Belle shook her head, "Nothing," she smiled, a little apprehensively.

Snow sighed, "Emma…darling, Regina and Belle have a complicated relationship," she started as Belle sighed and busied herself at the counter.

"Complicated," Emma rolled her tongue around the word slowly, brow furrowed.

"Regina… the Evil Queen kidnapped and locked Belle up in the Enchanted Forest for a number of years. It was only with the curse that she was released…" Snow frowned at speaking this out loud and turned to her husband, "Why would she do that? I'm surprised she wouldn't keep her – "

"Really, Snow, it was a long time ago," Belle shrugged, speaking gently, "It's fine."

Emma blinked slowly, "Oh," was all she could think to say; she liked Belle, she'd always been nice to her and even given her kind, honest advice regarding Regina.

"You seem distracted, dear," Regina observed as two ate dinner at the table.

Emma nodded, "I know, I'm sorry."

"What is it?" Regina queried.

The blonde put her fork down and sighed, "You told me everything from when you were the Evil Queen… we talked for hours, or you did, anyway."

Regina put her own cutlery down, "What have you heard?" she asked lowly.

Emma cast her eyes downwards, "You locked Belle up. For years?"

The brunette closed her eyes, "Yes. I did," she confirmed.

"How come?" Emma asked, leaning forward.

Regina shrugged, "Why did I do anything? I was evil," she muttered.

The younger woman frowned; why didn't Regina want to talk about this?

"But why Belle? She seems so kind and quiet, sort of like…" she searched her mind for the word.

"Innocent?" Regina interrupted quietly.

Emma shrugged, "Yeah, I guess. I mean, why didn't you tell me? I felt like an idiot, I thought I knew everything and then I asked Belle if any of your stuff was in Mr Gold's shop and everyone looked at me like I was so insensitive."

"I'm sorry," Regina said earnestly, her eyes wide, "I'm sorry, Emma. I should have told you."

Emma frowned, persisting, "So, why didn't you?"

Regina licked her lips nervously, pushing a hand through her hair and sliding her plate away from her, "It's complicated," she mumbled, her face in her hands.

The blonde tilted her head as she moved her chair next to, rather than across from, the brunette, "You know, I love you, Regina," she whispered, "Nothing can change that. You were a different person then."

Regina nodded, facing the younger woman, "Initially, I took her away to punish and manipulate Rumplestiltskin," she admitted, "But, I don't know, things changed…"

Emma's eyes squinted as she watched the uncharacteristically anxious woman, "Changed, how?"

"I used to go and see her occasionally, in the tower that I had her kept in. I would take her books, food, clothes," she shrugged, "I'd never treated a prisoner like that before. And she would thank me, at first, but then she grew angry… understandably," she sighed, rubbing her temples, forcing herself to go on, "And she wouldn't utter a single word to me. For some reason this hurt and I couldn't figure out why."

Emma nodded, trying to understand, "You started to care about her," she observed.

Regina nodded, "I suppose I did," she admitted, "I didn't like the way she made me feel and so I stopped visiting her."

"Oh," Emma merely said, "But, why did you let her go when you cast the curse?"

Regina looked at the curiosity in the blonde's eyes, "I didn't plan to. I was going to keep her locked up… but I wouldn't have so many guards or servants to tend to her… and I couldn't bear this feeling that she gave me…" she shrugged, a little sadly.

Emma bit down on her bottom lip, "So you let her go," she nodded, "I guess that makes sense. So," she paused, "How exactly did she make you feel?"

Regina chewed the inside of her cheek, "I don't know, Emma. For a long time, I had very strong walls around my heart, and when I was around her, it was as though there was a crack in those walls," she screwed up her face as though the situation still puzzled her, "I thought she was very beautiful and genuine. I liked that she was seeking independence, even though it was difficult for women. She had this inner strength that I both craved and envied."

Emma played with her own hair insecurely, "You were attracted to her," she said lowly.

Regina blinked slowly, and looked down at her hands in her lap, "Yes," she whispered, "I was."

Emma took her girlfriend's hands and squeezed them, "It's okay," she whispered, "It's okay to feel."

Regina nodded, "It is now," she agreed, "But it wasn't then."

Emma frowned, "Why don't you talk to her?" she automatically felt Regina's hands tighten around her own, "I mean…you feel bad about locking her up," it wasn't a question but the brunette nodded anyway, "So, tell her that."

Regina was silent a moment and played with their clasped hands for a while, before looking up into the warm eyes of her girlfriend and sighing, placing a hand on her cheek and pressing her lips briefly against the younger woman's, before pressing her head into Emma's chest, closing her eyes.

Emma was surprised at the twist in roles; usually, it was Regina comforting her, but after a quick moment, she placed a hand on the woman's back and rubbed it gently as she rested her chin on top of her head. This was nice too, she thought.

"Maybe you're right," Regina mumbled after a few minutes of silent.

Emma nodded, "I'll always support you," she whispered, "I love you."

Regina snuggled her head further into the blonde's chest, "I'm so very lucky," she replied quietly, "You have taught me how to love again," she looked up and grasped Emma's fingers with her teeth, tugging gently, "May we lay on the couch, dear? It is infinitely more comfortable than these chairs."

Emma smiled at the woman's eyes looking up at her; often burning with desire when she asked such questions after dinner, but now asking for a different kind of intimacy. It seemed it was not a one way street with Emma teaching Regina how to love again; they were teaching each other.