DISCLAIMER:: do not own. just borrowing for purpose of creative expression. no profit obtained.
A/N:: longest chapter to date. not to toot my own horn, but this chapter ended up turning into something quite spectacular. toot toot
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-Chapter 41: I've Come To Burn Your Kingdom Down-
When Emma awoke, her face was pressed against something warm. She looked over and saw that her face was tucked against the mayor's neck. The usually dignified woman was pressed close beside her on the couch, fast asleep. She had stayed? But that was impossible! Still, if this was dream or mistake, she'd enjoy it while it lasted. She burrowed deeper against the warm body and closed her eyes. This was the most content she'd felt with both her lives, ever. In one world, in their world, she was to be with the former Evil Queen without consequence. She would be free from her marriage and happy with her true love, she had their daughter back. Anything that happened with Hadrian was of little consequence. And here… she may not have the love she so desperately sought, but Regina had stayed. That was something. That was hope.
A hand touched her forehead. "You feel slightly less feverish today." The sleepy voice was like music to her ears and she found herself smiling against the shoulder she was buried against.
"You stayed." She still didn't open her eyes, not wanting to break her contentment just yet, nor did she move from the warm body beside her.
"How many times must I repeat myself Miss Swan? I am a woman of my word. I told you I would be here when you awakened, did I not?"
Emma took a risk, placing a soft kiss on the mayor's neck. Surprisingly the brunette allowed it. "I don't trust easily. Promises are often broken and betrayal generally comes from the last place you expect it."
"Just as allegiance also can come from the last person you expect."
Emma's eyes snapped open to regard the brown eyes in front of her. Was Regina implying they were something more than enemies now? Maybe they had been all along.
Regina sat up, leaning over the blonde. She smiled softly. "Good morning Miss Swan." She leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Emma's forehead. She got up before Emma could pursue the matter further, straightening yesterday's clothes. "I think I'll make a quick breakfast for all of us while you run up and shower."
Emma couldn't argue with that. When one is sick, hygiene is not really their first priority. It comes after sleeping, trying to stop the head from pounding, trying not to have last night's dinner make an encore appearance… the list continues. She probably looked like shit. "Sounds good."
"Good, I wouldn't want you going on our date looking like that." Regina's lip curled in distaste.
Emma, who had just stood up, fell back down on the couch in shock, overlooking the blow to her pride in favour of the shock over the statement. "Our what now?"
"Our date Miss Swan. Surely you weren't planning on rescinding the invitation?"
Emma stared at the brunette. Yep, definitely body-snatched. "Who are you and what have you done with Regina Mills?" She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
Regina rolled her eyes. "I never refused the offer Miss Swan. Your request merely caught me off guard. You took to heart a response I hadn't even given, storming out before I properly had time to consider the offer. My answer, had you stayed and waited for it, would have been yes."
"Well when one hears 'I'm not your girlfriend' one draws an inevitable conclusion."
Regina opened the fridge and pulled out the carton of milk. "I am not your girlfriend Miss Swan, that's the truth of it. But you never thought to ask me if I want to be."
Emma chuckled and raised an eyebrow. "Okay, seriously… what'd you do with Regina?"
Regina sighed. "You are insufferable sometimes."
Emma stood. She walked slowly over to the counter, contemplating the woman behind it the whole way. She paused on the other side. "Do you want to be my girlfriend Regina?"
Regina was silent for a long time, her eyes staring at the milk carton still clutched in her hand as if it were a magic eight ball providing her with answers. "I'm… open to the possibility."
If Emma's jaw was physically capable of hitting the floor, it would have. She had expected the mayor to be baiting her into some sort of trap, playing with her emotions just to throw them back in her face. But that didn't appear to be the case. Regina looked almost vulnerable as she finally set the carton down and looked up into Emma's probing gaze.
"Let's just see how the date goes first before we start labeling this, shall we?" Regina turned her back on Emma's incredulous stare. "Now, go shower. You smell… ripe."
Emma's nose scrunched as she frowned. She lifted her arm and took a sniff, cringing. Ripe was an understatement. But still she didn't move. There was still the scared little girl in the back of her mind that was afraid that if she let the mayor out of her sight, she'd disappear. She didn't know why she was so afraid of her leaving… she didn't live here so she'd have to eventually, and her house was only a mile away. It wasn't as if she couldn't follow her if she did decide to take off into the morning.
"Miss Swan?"
Emma shook her head to clear her thoughts before looking at the brunette who was regarding her with a raised eyebrow. "Sorry, yea, I'm going." She turned for the stairs, her thoughts immediately falling into a confused jumble. What was this sudden desperate need for Regina to be around? It was one night. So she had stayed one night, let's not expect her to be playing happy families quite yet. But no matter how much she tried to convince herself not to get her hopes up, the small bright spot of hope lingered in her chest, telling her she was winning.
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Emma stared at her reflection in the mirror above her bureau, contemplating her look. It was the same look she'd had for the last… six years now. She'd learned fashion was not the friend of the nomad rather quickly and had adopted the plain shirt/jeans look for its simplicity. It was easy to pack up, could, at times, look better washed and faded than it did brand new. It was practical for her lifestyle. Until a month ago at least. Now she was going on a date with Regina Mills. She was almost positive that she had never seen the mayor wear the same 'you know you want to fuck me' power suit twice. Regina was a fashionista, well… in the professional sense anyway. Emma had never really cared much of what anyone thought of her appearance, but Regina… a lot was hinging on tonight being a success. Suddenly her tight jeans, though they were her newest and best looking pair, and her dark green long sleeve shirt didn't seem very appropriate.
"You're over thinking it."
Emma glanced over to Mary Margaret, leaning in the doorway to her little bedroom and regarding her with fondness. She still looks at me like Mother used to, even though she has no clue who I am, and probably never will. The anxiety over making this date work washed back over her ten fold and she returned her gaze to the mirror. "Why don't I have any nicer clothes?"
"Fret not, fair Princess, I have come to save the day!" August appeared behind Mary, causing the brunette to startle and stumble into the room. He held up two long garment bags with some fancy logo embossed on the front.
"What in the hell is that?" Emma eyed the bags warily.
"I have come bearing date-worthy clothes."
Emma raised an eyebrow. "You went shopping?" She smirked. "If I would have known the permanent marker incident made you feel that guilty, I would have taken advantage of the situation."
August scoffed. "Are you kidding, Swan? I just forked over the credit card. If it had been my choice, I'd just tell you to go naked; that would be sure to get her attention." He helt up the first bag, the bulkier of the two by far. "This, is three possible options for tonight's date, a collaboration of your son and Miss Blanchard's effort."
Emma looked at Mary Margaret in shock. The teacher was blushing, unable to meet her flatmate's eyes.
He held up the thinner bag. "And this is for your birthday, courtesy of Ruby."
Emma raised an eyebrow. Knowing Ruby… "Is there even a dress in there?"
August smirked. "There's something in there, dress might not be the correct word…"
She grabbed the bags, tossing the bulkier one on her bed and taking the other to her closet and hanging it up. She was afraid to look inside and see what x-rated outfit the waitress had deemed appropriate for her twenty-eighth birthday.
She turned back to the bed, staring at the garment bag warily.
August, sensing her hesitation, strutted over and unzipped it. "Option 1." He held up a very modest and extremely cute floral print dress that nearly made Emma gag at the mere thought of putting it on. It had Mary Margaret written all over it. In fact, it looked as if the schoolteacher might have contributed it from her own closet.
"It's… charming."
Mary seemed satisfied with that description. Figures.
"Option 2." August held the next ensemble up. "Henry's choice. He figured she'd like it if you dressed like her."
Emma couldn't help it. She facepalmed. This particular contribution looked like it had come from Madam Mayor's closet. Tailored slacks, meant to accentuate one's hind end and a silk blouse, too fancy for even her tastes. "I am losing hope for my next choice."
Mary Margaret shrugged apologetically. "Henry and I picked the last one out together."
Emma sighed. So it would be floral printed tailored slacks then…. But that wasn't what August pulled from the bag. As the bag fell away from the garment, Emma mentally thanked God and her mother and son for saving her.
Mary Margaret and August both caught the relief in Emma's gaze. They gave each other a firm nod.
"Option 3 it is then." August held the hanger out to Emma.
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"Okay, are you ready? I'm coming down."
August turned towards the stairs. He felt like it was prom night and he was waiting for his date, her mom breathing over his shoulder, making him anxious. But this wasn't his fairytale; Emma wasn't his date. No, that honour belonged to the mayor. It was sad really, that someone who was his best friend, in both lives if he was being truthful, was in love with someone so resistant to love her back. But he knew Emma loved her, it was apparent every time the brunette's name was even brought up. And loving Emma, being her best friend, meant loving her enough to fight for her happiness. Even if it didn't lie with him.
Black heels came into view first, cradling delicate feet. They were followed by bare calves and then knees, just above which began the hemline of the dress. Slender hips appeared next, encased in red. Next came a torso and then bare shoulders and arms, a neck. Finally, Emma's uncertain face came into view. The strapless dress fit her perfectly, not tight, but not too loose either. It wasn't meant to seduce, merely to catch the target's interest. Red definitely suited Emma well. Her hair was up in a ponytail, normally not considered especially elegant, but in combination with the dress it accentuated her slender shoulders and her long neck.
"So… do I look alright?"
Mary Margaret put a hand to her chest. "Oh Emma, you look stunning."
Emma smiled. Her eyes slid to August expectantly.
He let his eyes travel over her length, a soft pang tugging at his chest when he remembered that she was not his. "She's very lucky."
Emma smiled. She looked down at her dress. Regina would love it, of that she had little doubt. She just wished she didn't have to take her out to dinner in her rickety old bug. She loved her car. It had gotten her from point A to point B and saved her ass many times in a bind, despite its unsightly outward appearance. But it was not an appropriate date car. If a teenage boy had rolled up in her car to pick her up for a first date when she was younger, she would have laughed.
As if sensing her train of thought, August grinned. "Don't worry, I took care of transportation."
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While Queen Emma may have enjoyed the fineries of royalty in the Enchanted Forest, Emma Swan had never been anywhere near fancy. She was sure her prom had been one heck of a party, but she'd been too busy conceiving Henry in the backseat of her boyfriend's car to even make it from the parking lot into the hotel ballroom for the dance. She'd always had a steady enough income doing whatever work she could find to keep her afloat. But glamour and the good life had never seen fit to grace her with its presence. And she was okay with that. She hadn't expected to win the financial lottery in both lives. There was something she loved and craved about her vagabond ways. She was a drifter and material possessions were not the tool of the nomad.
But as she pulled the borrowed car to a halt in front of Regina's mini-mansion, she couldn't help the small thrill that raced through her as she got out. Tonight, she was one of them, of a class with the mayor herself.
She had been surprised to say the least when August had escorted her to the bed and breakfast. She'd noticed the garage attached to it before of course, but never had she thought anything to be in it. But he'd held up keys and lifted the wooden door to reveal a dusty tarp covered car. She had wrinkled her nose at the smell of neglect that permeated the small space. August had grinned and tore the tarp away with a flourish, like a Price Is Right showgirl. Underneath that dusty cover had been the sweetest jet black 1971 Chevy Corvette Stingray Convertible (Emma had worked at a body shop in her early twenties; she knew cars).
She let her hand trace reverently along the driver's side door as she closed it. She really shouldn't have been surprised that Granny had a car like 'Miranda' stashed away. In the Enchanted Forest, Widow Lucas had always been quite the ball buster. She smirked to herself as she started confidently up the walk. She stopped in front of the door, pausing to take a deep breath before knocking.
To her surprise, it wasn't Regina who answered the door, but a blonde woman. She'd seen her around town several times, but had never thought to introduce herself. The woman smiled warmly at her and extended a hand. "Hello Deputy."
"Um, hi. I'm sorry…"
"Oh, Kathryn Nolan. I'm a friend of Regina's."
Emma nodded and shook her hand.
"Won't you come in?" Kathryn stepped aside to let her enter into the foyer. "Regina's just finishing getting ready upstairs. She'll be down shortly. Can I offer you anything to drink?"
Emma shook her head, her confidence slowly draining, losing steam with each passing moment. She'd anticipated the mayor's reaction upon opening the door and seeing her in her dress that she hadn't even considered the possibility that Regina wouldn't be the one opening the door. "I'm fine thank you."
"Hey Emma!" Henry poked his head out of the den, a huge grin on his face. His eyes roamed over her dress and his grin only widened.
"Hey kid!" She strode forward, glad to have an excuse to move out from under Kathryn's soft but studying gaze.
"Come in and see what we're teaching Daniela to do!" He didn't wait for her but disappeared back into the doorway.
Emma gave Kathryn a tentative smile and followed her son. He wasn't alone in the den. She took a long moment to watch her boy and her father play around on the floor with the black puppy. It warmed her heart.
"Watch this Emma!" Henry held out a hand which Daniela playfully nipped at. He pushed his hand down through the air. "Sit Daniela."
The puppy promptly dropped her wagging bottom to the ground.
"Good girl." Henry fed her a treat. He turned his hand palm up. "Shake. Shake."
The puppy waved her arm in the air a few times before her paw landed on his hand. He grasped it and shook.
"Good girl." Another treat before he rubbed her head affectionately and she clambered forward into his lap.
David caught her out of the corner of his eye and gave her one of his lopsided grins. "Hey Emma."
"Hey Dad… David." She felt herself flush at the slip, her neck only reddening more as she saw Henry's pleased secret smile.
David either didn't hear the slip or chose to ignore it. "That's a nice dress. Is it new?"
"Me and Miss Blanchard picked it out!"
"Miss Blanchard and I, Henry." A correction came from over her shoulder.
Emma froze. The deep voice caressed her skin causing gooseflesh to spring up across her arms. She turned slowly to find Regina standing in the doorway behind her, looking every bit the panther she was. Her own small frame was encased in a black dress, basic in cut, sleeveless to show off her toned arms. She was wearing dark hose and black heels. Her hair was its usual perfect coif. Her red lips were twisted in a lazy grin, her eyes sparkling dangerously. The blonde tried not to visibly gulp as her mouth ran dry.
Regina smiled and the glint in her eye flickered brightly. "Good evening Miss Swan."
"Madam Mayor. You look very…" She trailed off, aware of the two males behind them, listening to their every word. "Regal."
Regina looked behind Emma at the man on the floor with her son, her eyes instantly shifting to something harder than they'd been. "He's to be in bed by nine o'clock. That… mongrel is allowed in no other rooms but his bedroom and here. It's hard enough to clean that black fur off the hardwood in here; if it gets on the carpet it'll be a nightmare."
David nodded. "Sure thing Regina."
Regina's brown eyes softened as they fell upon Emma once more. "Shall we, Miss Swan?"
Emma nodded. "See ya later kid. Bye David."
"Have a nice evening Emma, Regina."
"Bye Emma."
Emma followed Regina out into the foyer where Kathryn was just grabbing Regina's coat out of the closet. She handed it to Regina. "Have a lovely night."
Regina took the coat and draped it over an arm. Her hand clasped Kathryn's shoulder. "Thank you for watching Henry."
Kathryn waved it off. "It's no trouble at all. You hardly ever go out. I'm happy to help." She turned her attention to the deputy. "It was wonderful meeting you Emma."
Emma nodded. "You too." She followed Regina out onto the walk, taking the lead as the door shut behind them. "Now, to say what I couldn't say earlier… You look breathtaking Regina."
The brunette smirked as Emma opened the car door for her. If she was surprised by the Corvette in place of Emma's usual mode of transportation, she didn't show it. "And you Miss Swan…" Her eyes followed Emma as the blonde made her way around the car and slid into the driver's seat. "Look good enough to eat."
Emma heard her own breath audibly hitch and the devilish smirk on the brunette's face told her Regina had heard it too. She swallowed her sudden arousal and turned the key in the ignition, the car thrumming to life. She gripped the wheel firmly and pulled away from the curb. She felt a pressure on her knee and looked down. The mayor's manicured hand was wrapped around her knee. The gesture wasn't meant to do anything more than offer a comforting presence. She smiled softly to herself before bringing her eyes back to the road.
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Dinner was a interesting affair. Emma was out of her element. Storybrooke only had two dining establishments of the more upscale variety, an Italian restaurant, Bella Notte, near the center of town, and Sebastian's, a seafood restaurant out by the harbour. The building was on stilts out over the sand, a beautiful wooden two story restaurant with lights twinkling in the windows. A deck ran the outside perimeter and looked out towards the Atlantic, its waters dark but dangerously beautiful in the night, much like her companion. August had gotten them reservations here over Bella Notte for its seclusion and incredible view.
The hostess led them to a secluded corner table upstairs next to a big window that faced the ocean. The blonde held out Regina's chair for her and then went to take her seat on the opposite side of the table. Emma briefly wondered how August had managed to score such a great reservation on such short notice, but one cursory look at the hostess as she encouraged them to enjoy their meal and strutted away gave Emma her answer. August, quite like Graham, had that rugged handsomeness about him. It seemed to serve him well.
She watched Regina over the top of her menu as the brunette perused her own. "Do you come here often?"
Regina shook her head but didn't look up from the menu. "Not since Henry was born. He's not very big on seafood and beyond that, unless it's under special circumstances, fancy restaurants really aren't the place for children, even one as well behaved as Henry."
Emma browsed her own menu. She didn't do one on one very well. Dates had never really been her thing, but if she did have them, it usual involved playing billiards in a bar, or mini golf, or that one time when she went go cart racing. She wasn't used to mellow nights like these and wasn't particularly fond of them either. Dinners forced conversation, else wise things began to become awkward. A more interactive date allowed for an easier atmosphere. But she had no idea what Regina liked to do for fun, and sadly, Storybrooke's options were far from plentiful.
"Are you feeling better today?"
Emma smiled and nodded. "Yes. I am. Thanks to you."
Regina shook her head. "I'd hardly call anything I did helpful."
"You stayed."
Regina rolled her eyes. "Again, hardly helpful."
"It was enough."
Regina's eyes shot to Emma's as she felt the crack in her armour widen slightly. "Miss Swan I…"
"Can I offer you ladies anything to drink? Perhaps you'd like a copy of our wine list?" The waiter appeared, interrupting her. By the time he'd departed with their orders, the moment was lost.
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The conversation had revolved around Henry and the goings on in Storybrooke for the remainder of dinner and by the time Emma had paid the bill and they'd retrieved their coats, the blonde deputy was starting to think this had been a bad idea. They walked silently to the car, Emma wordlessly cursing herself for thinking she could have things as easy as she did in the Enchanted Forest. This Regina wasn't in love with her like the Regina in the Enchanted Forest was. It wasn't going to be a one look and done kind of thing.
She was just about to open the car door for Regina when she noticed a sign not far away next to a trail. Beach Access. Well maybe there was hope for this date yet. She leaned down and took her heels off, tossing them to the floorboard of the Corvette, then grabbed Regina's, removing them as the brunette placed a hand on her shoulder to steady herself. She stood, wrapped an arm around Regina's waist and steered her towards the path.
Regina raised a questioning eyebrow, but surprisingly didn't resist.
The ocean was rushing in and back out, letting out a soft roar that made a soothing song to the twinkling lights cast out over the sand from the wharf side buildings. Emma released Regina's waist, not wanting to push the brunette past her tolerable limit, as they reached the tide line. They fell into a lazy pace as they started to walk up the beach.
When the lights of the wharf started to disappear behind them, and just when Emma began to fear that she hadn't improved the night much by bringing them out here, Regina's hand found hers. She looked down at the hand clasping hers and a smile slowly appeared on her face. She squeezed Regina's hand and then turned her attention back to the ocean.
"I spend inordinate amounts of my day trying to remember you, reliving memories I haven't thought about in nearly twenty eight years. I've thought about my childhood, my teen years, young adulthood… everything up until the curse and I can't remember you. But the more blanks I draw, the more desperate I become to know where it is our paths have crossed."
Emma bit her lip. "Though we had seen each other once before, we didn't officially meet until much later. We met at your childhood home, though it had long since been left to ruin. The tower room behind the tapestry in your bed chamber. That's where we first truly met."
Regina shook her head. "But I haven't been back there since I…"
"Since your marriage to Leopold?"
Regina nodded. "I just never saw a need to go back."
Emma squeezed Regina's hand. "I wouldn't have either. After what you lost there, not just love, but your innocence as well… it wouldn't have been a fond place for you."
Regina tensed briefly. This woman knew so much of her past, so many of the things she was afraid to share, for fear of being abandoned. Emma knew who she was, what she'd endured, what she'd done as a result and yet… she still loved her anyway. "Did you love me there? Did you love the Evil Queen?"
Emma nodded. "I have loved the Evil Queen from the moment when our eyes met. True love never gives you a choice I suppose. It'll justify any crime, appreciate any flaw."
"True love?" Regina tried to hide the shakiness in her voice. "Was I in love with you there then as well?"
Emma nodded.
Regina stopped them. "Then why can't I remember you Emma?"
"The curse prevents it." Emma looked back towards the lights of the wharf longingly. This was not a conversation she wished to have right now, if ever. It would be too complicated to explain and even if she could manage to make Regina understand, it would ruin all the progress they'd made. She couldn't risk not being able to break the curse in time. And, more than anything, she didn't want to lose Regina, either Regina.
"Bullshit! I remember everyone in this town. I remember who they were and how I felt towards them. Every single one. Except for you!"
"Not your curse! My curse!" Emma pulled her hand away and turned her back on Regina, facing the sea. "You're not the only one in the Enchanted Forest who had magic Regina or who's life has changed because of it."
For several minutes she was met with only silence from the other woman. Regina could have easily left her there and she wouldn't have known it. She looked to the waves for answers, something she always found herself doing whenever she found herself at the beach. Most of this world was water and yet it was the most unexplored part of it, the part the wasn't mapped. There was a mystery in that fact that drew her to it.
"Was it me?"
Emma frowned at the soft question. "What?"
"Was I the one that cursed you?"
Emma glanced over her shoulder. Regina looked small standing there behind her, an unguarded look of sadness etched across her face. "Why would you think it was you?"
"I'm not very good at protecting the things I cherish. They always seem to get hurt, often times at my own hand. It would have been just like the Evil Queen to have loved you, and then hurt you in the end. And even more like her to magically erase your presence from her mind. Above all else, it must be she who does not hurt."
Now Emma turned fully around to face the brunette. "But you do hurt, don't you Regina? You hurt deeper than anyone truly knows." She regarded the woman in front of her, who appeared unable to meet her eyes. "Sometimes we get broken, becoming so shattered, that when we look at what remains, at the ten million tiny fragments of who we were, we get overwhelmed. We can't even begin to figure out how to put it all back together. Repairing one's soul is a long process. It's done one piece at a time and when you're faced with so many pieces, it seems impossible. And after a while… you start to forget the person the pieces comprised in the first place. How are you supposed to put the pieces back together when you can't even remember what they once were?" She wanted to reach out and comfort the brunette, but she knew better. This wasn't the Regina in the Enchanted Forest, the rules were different here. "Life broke you Regina. You're still a pile of fragmented pieces. But you've protected that with this fortress you've built around yourself, this life, this town… it's your walls, your castle. You've created this… kingdom of lies to protect you."
"And yet you see through them as if they aren't even there." Regina's voice was thick with pent up emotion and she still refused to meet Emma's eyes. "Why is that? Why do you want so badly to expose what I am? Is it for revenge, for this curse upon you?" The accusation, another one of the things she loved to hide behind, seeped easily back into her tone, and now, with a place of attack she was finally able to lift her gaze, her eyes already labeling Emma traitor.
"It's true… I've come to burn your kingdom to the ground." She watched Regina's eyes go wide with a brief flash of pain before starting to narrow in anger. "But not for the reason you think. I do not wish to take anything from you Regina and I can no more destroy you than I could Henry. I come because I've seen what the walls are hiding. I've seen what your fragments are, I've seen the broken queen." She took a deep breath. "And I've come because I love her."
Regina's face was blank, unreadable. "And if she cannot love you back?"
Emma shrugged. "I don't believe that she can't, because I've already seen her do it. She's capable of loving, you're capable of loving, whether you believe it or not. But, for the sake of hypotheticals, if she truly could not love me back, I would still spend everyday trying to save her. Love should not be given solely on the condition that it be returned. I love her… I love you…" Emma's eyes closed, scared of being so vulnerable with a woman who had proved time and again that she could and would take advantage and go straight for the throat. "I love you because it is what my heart was made for. I know no other way than this."
"Emma I…"
Emma heard the apology in her tone without her even having to utter the words. "It's alright Regina."
"No, Emma, it's not." She stepped forward, a hand coming up to Emma's cheek, stroking her soft flesh with a thumb. She traced that thumb across her bottom lip and Emma placed the gentlest of kisses on it's tip as it passed. "You deserve so much more Emma."
"Nothing in this world, or the next, could ever be more than you."
Regina pulled her hand away, starting to shrink back into herself again. "You deserve someone who'll wake up with you every morning, who'll let you touch her, who'll let you kiss her. You deserve happiness without complications. That is not me."
"No, you're right, it's not." Emma saw Regina try to cover up the pain of that statement. She wrapped her arms around the woman's waist and pulled her close. "But it will be. I'm here to save you Regina, and that's what I plan to do."
Regina let herself sink into the embrace, let herself, for this brief moment in time, consider that redemption was possible. She let her head rest on the blonde's shoulder. "I may never be what you need."
"If that's what it comes to in the end, I can live with that. The question is… are you willing to try?"
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Emma pulled to a stop in front of the large manor house and cut the engine. She slipped out of the seat and came around to the passenger side. She opened the door for Regina, grasping her hand to help her out. She closed it, walking slowly with the brunette up the walk, neither of them saying a word. She stopped on the stoop. "So, as far as first dates go, how'd this one rank?"
Regina smirked softly at her. "On a scale of one to ten?"
Emma nodded. "One being when we see each other in town we avoid eye contact and cross to the opposite side of the street and ten being a glass of cider and a chance at getting lucky."
Regina's smirk became more pronounced. "Care to join me for a nightcap Miss Swan?"
Emma nodded, grinning. "Lead the way Madam Mayor."
After Regina had thanked David and Kathryn once again for watching Henry and agreed to bring him by for dinner on Wednesday night (to which, oddly enough, they invited Emma too) at their insistence, she shooed them out and poured Emma and herself a generous glass of cider. She handed one of the crystal cups to Emma and then grabbed her free hand, leading her to the stairs and slowly up them.
She paused at Henry's room, handing her glass to Emma to hold as she opened the door. She crept in slowly and crossed to where their son was fast asleep on his bed, his book tucked under one arm. She slid it out from under his arm and set it on the bedside table before leaning down and placing a kiss on his forehead. Then she crept back over and took the glasses from Emma's hands, surprisingly, allowing the blonde to go over and do the same.
Once they were in the safety of Regina's room at the other side of the house, Emma finally took a drink, appreciating the burn as the liquid slid down her throat. She set her glass down and turned to Regina, feeling the thrum of emotional charge in the air. This was a different night than they'd shared before, things were different now.
As if sensing it too, Regina set her glass down. She looked almost lost.
Emma stepped up to her, gently grasping her hips and turning her. She found the zipper at the back of her dress and dragged it down. Once it had parted, gravity did the rest and the material sunk down to Regina's feet. She stepped out of it and turned back around. The blonde was surprised, and more than slightly aroused to find that the hose were not hose at all but thigh highs, held deliciously in place by a black garter belt.
Emma grabbed both her hands, pulling her over to the bed and sitting her down. She fell to her knees in front of her, leaning down to remove each of the mayor's patent leather stilettos in turn, setting them aside. She unclipped the thigh highs and rolled them down her long legs. Finally she reached around and unhooked the garter belt, pulling it away. Unable to resist, she leaned forward and pressed fervent kisses to the smooth expanse of abdomen before her. Regina's hands tangled in her hair, holding her there. She smirked against the tan skin, nipping at it lightly before pulling away. She stood, slipping out of her own heels and kicking them aside. She reached for the zipper on the red dress, but Regina stood.
"Let me."
Emma nodded and turned so Regina could get at the zipper. Regina dragged the zipper down with one hand, her other trailing down the flesh it revealed as it parted. She let the dress fall to the ground, her hands resting firmly on the blonde's lace clad hips, drawing Emma back against her.
Emma turned around. She leaned in, kissing the brunette's forehead. "As much as I love it when you touch me, when you're inside me… that's not what tonight is about."
Regina shook her head. "Emma, I'm not ready for you to…"
Emma placed a finger over her lips to silence her protests. "Shush, I know. As much as I want to do that, I won't touch you without your consent, okay?" She waited for Regina to nod before she withdrew her finger. "We've been through some heavy stuff tonight, so we are just going to sleep." She leaned past Regina to pull down the covers. "We need to recharge and clear our heads, take this one day at a time."
Regina nodded and slid into bed.
Emma turned off the lights and crawled in beside her. She stared up at the ceiling, trying to relax. It had been a big day. She had felt a big part of the brunette's armour break away as she had promised Emma that she did want to try. That was something. Only time would tell if it was enough.