A/N: So... has anybody else been waiting for this or what? I hope you like it. It has taken me a long time to write it because... reasons. Also, this is a tad shorter than I normally write but I am sure no one will mind.

This has been a tough day. I have had some serious trolling in my world both on here from Anons and on Twitter. Why can't all people play nice? Oh well... so if you like this, please let me know. I could use the boost.

Thanks to Jenn and Bre for reading and editing and encouraging me on this chapter. You gals are my favorite pals. ;)

Needless to say... ******* NSFW: Sexy Times Ahead. Proceed with Caution.**********

Stay…

Emma didn't need to think. She nodded a near imperceptible agreement and Regina stepped backward across the threshold, pulling Emma inside.

The house was dark. Regina hadn't remembered to leave on a light. But the moon was casting a silvery blue glow in the entryway through the windows on either side of the white door as Regina closed and locked it. There was a feeling of serenity in the room, so quiet that only the clock and their breathing could be heard.

Regina turned to face Emma and reached out her hand blindly for the switch to turn on the light.

"No." Emma whispered. "Leave it."

"Alright." Regina's voice was as soft as the moonlight kissing her dark hair.

Emma made a tentative step toward the brunette. Even in the dim light, there was an intensity in green eyes that took Regina's breath away. She couldn't stop the tremor that passed through her.

"Emma…" She spoke, the name a question and an answer at once.

"Shhh…" The blonde soothed, her pale fingers sliding gently across Regina's cheek.

Regina's eyes fell closed at the sensation. Emma's fingers were warm against her skin that had so recently been pinked by the cool air of the night. The fingers curved along her cheek, under her jaw and finally beneath her chin. Emma gently nudged her face up to look at her.

Brown eyes opened to a sea of green gazing back at her. For a moment she lost herself there. She couldn't remember if she had ever seen so much love and longing from anyone before. No. Never. Emma's eyes seemed to search her soul, probing deeply into her secret self, shining a light in the hidden places, claiming them.

With her hand still cupping Regina's chin, her thumb pulled down gently across Regina's lips. Pressing down along her chin, full lips parted slightly and Emma leaned forward to kiss her. Their lips had barely met before Emma's tongue brushed across Regina's bottom lip. The action sent a wave of heat through the former queen.

Regina moaned into the blonde's mouth, and though every nerve ending on her body was screaming to touch, to be touched, to hurry toward the goal… Regina resisted the escalation. She wanted to experience Emma. She wanted to memorize the feeling of her mouth against her. She wanted to map every inch of porcelain skin with lithe fingers, tender kisses, hungry eyes.

So they stood there, in the silvery light of the moon, kissing deeply and languidly, enjoying each other. Both of Emma's hands had come up now to cup Regina's face, her fingers slipping into raven locks, tilting and guiding the brunette through the kiss. Regina's hands had reached out and found purchase on Emma's hips, drawing her closer.

Emma's searching kiss moved down to the long column of Regina's neck. She kissed along but only so far before Regina's scarf and coat impeded her progress. She pulled back and again finding eyes, dark with desire, she slowly began to unbutton the coat without looking away. Regina stood still, allowing Emma to slip the coat from her shoulders, dropping it on the floor in front of the door.

Shaky hands reached up and unknotted the scarf, pulling on one end so that the scarf snaked around her throat, tickling and tugging, and fell to the floor with the coat. Emma smoothed her hands across Regina's shoulders and down her bare arms, intertwining their fingers. They stood like that, staring and searching, fingers touching for a long moment.

Regina reached up then, grasping two fistfuls of the red leather jacket and pulled Emma suddenly forward into a searing kiss, all lips and tongue and teeth. Emma's heart hammered against her ribcage, desperately trying to escape the confines of its bone prison. Where the kisses had been slow and exploring, now Regina's mouth was demanding and wild, sucking Emma's tongue, teeth nipping Emma's lip and finally releasing her with a groan.

Determined fingers ghosted across Emma's chest, pushing up to her shoulders inside the leather jacket and slipping it down her arms. Instead of rejoining their hands as Emma had, Regina slipped her arms around the blonde's waist and eased her fingers under the hem of Emma's sweater. She confidently traced shapes along the small of Emma's back and up to the edge of her bra, leaving a trail of fire. The light but insistent touches brought a whimper from the savior as her eyes fluttered shut.

As if another sudden change had come over her, Regina kissed Emma's lips softly and stepped back. She walked past the blonde and onto the first step from the entryway to the landing. Looking back at the blonde, Regina held out her hand. Immediately, Emma filled it with her own and Regina smiled. A hurricane of emotions passed across her face and she began leading Emma up… up… up… until they were in the hall outside Regina's bedroom.

Regina pressed into Emma now, kissing her soundly, her hands pulling the blonde closer just beside her bedroom door. Emma broke the kiss and, turning them so again Regina was backed against the wall, she finally claimed the secret sweetness of Regina's neck. The woman tilted her head back, making herself vulnerable, offering Emma access to her throat unhindered. Emma lapped her tongue against the skin there and was rewarded not only with a wanton moan but also the sudden forward rush of Regina's hips. The woman's hands tightened in blonde curls, holding her desperately to the tender spot.

Emma's hand slipped unhurriedly up and down Regina's sides until her thumbs grazed the tender edge of the brunette's breasts. The sensation caused Regina to feel weak. Her impulse was to fight it. She wasn't weak. But the rhythmic song of her heart, the overture of love for Emma, the call of strength in weakness, hope in despondency, overpowered her. She felt her body weight fall into Emma's arms. She would be strong for Regina in her weak moments. And she for Emma when the time came.

"Emma…." She whispered with reverence as the blonde straightened and kissed her forehead.

"Is this ok?" Seeking consent, green eyes examined brown in the near darkness.

"Yes." Regina nodded and spoke as her hand reached for the door and opened it.

They stumbled inside together, still kissing and touching, and Emma pushed the door shut with her foot as they moved to the space near the bed. Kissing and caressing, they moved until Regina's legs collided with the bed's soft surface. Regina pulled back with an easy smile and gently pressed the blonde to step back.

Regina turned her back then and pulled dark locks across one shoulder. Glancing back at Emma, a smoky voice whispered, "Help me out of this."

Emma reached up and gripped the zipper between her fingers. With painstaking care, she freed beautiful skin from the fabric covering. Regina was flawless and soft. The zip caught midway down and the blonde tugged gently until it moved again. She was surprised to note that Regina wasn't wearing a provocative bra. It wasn't covered in lace or some seductive shade of red.

The realization that Regina hadn't planned and prepared for this encounter made Emma's heart swell. There was something erotic in the idea that this Regina would be without pretense. This wouldn't be a woman asserting herself, swaggering and sensual. This was a woman, in her everyday underwear, presenting herself vulnerable and tender to her lover.

Reverently then, Emma opened the top of the black dress and kissed a string of tender kisses along Regina's neck and shoulders, nipping lightly where the two met. Slipping her hands along the bare skin of the brunette's back, Emma slid the dress down Regina's arms and it dropped to the floor.

Stepping out of the dress pooled at her feet and out of her shoes, Regina was suddenly shorter than the sheriff. Green eyes drank in the view of exposed flesh, lingering along Regina's rounded rear that was barely covered by her panties that remarkably did not match the simple bra. Laundry day? Emma grinned at the thought.

Careful hands glided down Regina's arms, and across her exposed stomach, looping around her middle, drawing her back against Emma. The former queen let her head fall back onto the blonde's shoulder and invited another kiss. Emma was only too happy to oblige her.

Turning in her arms then, Regina kissed along Emma's cheek, then to her neck. In a moment, brown eyes locked on green and Emma felt warm hands slipping under her shirt and tugging it up. The blonde made a move to rip the shirt over her head, but Regina stopped her. Slowly, Regina continued pushing the shirt along, exposing more and more of Emma's milky skin until finally Emma lifted her arms above her head, allowing Regina to remove it completely.

Regina took in the sight before her and let her finger tips brush along Emma's shoulders, across her chest and along the swell of her breasts. The hands descended lower to the taught stomach of the sheriff and stopped at the button of her jeans. Emma gasped feeling the fingers dip into the front of her pants to unbutton them. Regina quirked an eyebrow at that and smiled mischievously.

"Come now, Emma. Surely you knew I'd want you out of these?" Her voice husked and her teasing words made the blonde shiver. How could this woman make Emma laugh while simultaneously making her feel like she was on fire from the inside out?

Not waiting for a response, Regina pulled the zipper down and slipped her hands inside the waist band of the pants, careful to leave her panties in place as she pushed the jeans down long, toned legs. Emma helped quickly rid herself of her boots and socks, kicking free of the pants. Her eagerness made Regina chuckled darkly.

"So eager…"

Emma didn't give her time to tease further, pulling the mayor's nearly naked body against her. Skin to skin contact made both of them feel drunk with desire. How had they waited this long? They kissed again, Regina's tongue playful and teasing inside Emma's mouth. The blonde chanced to trail her fingers down to the swell of Regina's ass, and cupping it soundly, she pulled the brunette up and in toward her. Regina's fingers dug into Emma's shoulders in response and she growled deep down.

"Maybe I'm not the only eager one." Emma replied, her voice rough with her arousal.

Again, Regina stepped away and held Emma's gaze. There was something sweet in brown eyes, almost shy. It seemed incongruous with the sensual manner of the woman, and yet it was perfect somehow. Regina was complicated and layered, even standing in the darkened room in her lingerie, and the idea of it made Emma feel that warm rush again.

Reaching behind her, the brunette unlatched her bra and let the straps sag on her shoulders. Carefully she released the fabric and it slipped to the floor. Emma watched, transfixed. Her heart was racing as her eyes greedily drank in the woman before her, bared shoulders, the soft curve of her small breasts, down the gentle plane of her stomach. Her long, tanned legs had become Emma's favorite distraction, never more so than now.

Feeling confident by the way Emma's eyes worshipped every inch of her, Regina made a flourish of slipping her fingers inside the edge of her panties and began inching them lower until they too fell to the carpet and she stepped out of them. She waited patiently, allowing herself to be examined by loving eyes, presenting herself to Emma.

"Regina… you are so beautiful." Emma was surprised by the thick emotion in her own voice.

The blonde reached out a hand and let her fingers smooth across one of Regina's breasts. Her thumb brushed soft circles around a dusky pink tip. All the while, Regina stood watching, allowing Emma to explore her skin with her eyes and her tentative touches.

"So beautiful…" Emma whispered again, stepping toward the brunette, kissing her lightly on the lips before moving lower to her neck and still lower to nip at her collar bone. Her hands both now massaging and teasing Regina's breasts, the blonde was spellbound.

The brunette slipped her arms around Emma and unhooked her bra with minimal effort. Emma released her just long enough for it to fall away. Confident in her body, the savior stood proudly exposed and smiled as Regina drank her in. She had no fear of being rejected now. She knew with certainty that the brunette liked what she saw if not by the look in her eyes then surely by the sound that escaped her lips.

Regina sat down on the edge of her bed and pulled Emma toward her. The connection their first kiss had created in the kitchen that night had been growing stronger as the days and hours passed. Now, as Emma stepped between her knees and combed her fingers through dark hair, Regina felt it stronger than ever. There was no time to consider what it could mean. There was only time to ravish the form before her, to devour and delight.

Tanned and tapered fingers slipped across Emma's hips, dipping into the waistband of her panties and began to slide them down. Regina kissed across the blonde's stomach, inching her mouth toward ample breasts. Finding her mark, the former queen circled her tongue around cream colored skin, sucking a rosy nipple into her mouth. Emma anchored herself with fingers woven into silken black strands but swayed forward when Regina's teeth bit down a bit harder than they had before. The blonde gasped and tried to steady herself.

Regina chuckled darkly, lapping against the reddening flesh with her tongue to soothe it before moving her efforts to the other breast. One hand brushed tenderly along the warm and wet place her mouth had left behind while the other slid round to squeeze Emma's rear. The sensation of Regina touching her all over made the blondes eyes fall shut and her head loll back. She knew that once Regina touched her soaking wet core, her climax would not take long.

Regina stopped her ministrations and released Emma gently. Chocolate irises sought out turbulent sea-green and slowly Regina inched back toward the center of her bed, eyes beckoning the blonde to follow. Emma crawled up the bed until she was on top of the other woman. Skin against heated skin, they both breathed shakily and began kissing passionately again. Emma held her body weight on her arms on either side of Regina's head.

Shifting slightly to accommodate the added weight of the blonde above her, Regina's thigh slipped between Emma's legs and barely grazed her throbbing sex. The unexpected contact sent Emma falling forward, fully against the brunette now. The chuckle that rose from the mayor was pure sex and made Emma's thighs clench.

"Did you like that, Emma?" A dangerously dark voice whispered as her leg shifted again, brushing against her.

"Oh god, Regina." Emma moaned and tried in vain to raise herself back onto her arms.

Regina folder her arms around the blonde and combed through blonde curls, pressing Emma closer. Again she shifted her leg but this time, Emma was expecting it and shifted her own. Instead of a brushing of thigh to heated core, Regina felt the contact of her own velvet center with Emma's

Gasping and clawing at the woman above her, Regina cursed and her hips bucked up automatically seeking contact again. Emma by now had lifted her weight from the woman and trailed the back of her hand down between perfect breasts, across a stomach beginning to shimmer with sweat and swirled her finger tips through black curls.

Regina writhed beneath her, fisting the bed covers and arching into the blonde. Emma only teased and began to draw lazy circles just above the apex of Regina's thighs. Green eyes watched enraptured the beautiful sight before her. This creature, so powerful and confident, swaggering along through life with poise and grace, now reduced to whimpering, biting her lip and canting her hips for just a moment of contact with Emma. She wouldn't make her beg.

Regina's eyes were shut tight, all her focus on one more touch, one more brush of Emma's skin. There was a delicious desperation in every sound, every lifting of her hips from the mattress.

"Open your eyes. Look at me, Regina." Emma's breath was cool against olive skin and Regina immediately opened her eyes. Holding her gaze, Emma slipped her hand down between them and ran her fingers beyond where she had before, pressing along hot velvet skin.

An animal sound came out of Regina then but the arching of her hips ceased. She held still, waiting for Emma to continue her exploration. The blonde's fingers rubbed lightly across Regina's pleasure pearl and continued down. Now the brunette had stopped breathing—waiting for what would come next. The tip of her middle finger swirled slowly at Regina's entrance.

"You're so wet…" Emma's voice was an odd mix of pride and desire. Regina felt a blush beginning at the word's but refused it. She was no coy maiden.

"Search a little deeper, dear and you may find—ahhhh…" Regina's words melted into an indecipherable moan.

Emma had cut off Regina's sexy retort when she suddenly abandoned her teasing swirls and pushed her finger into the brunette, curling it as she withdrew it and easing back in again. She repeated that a few times, ducking her head to capture Regina's breast in her mouth. Without warning, she added a second finger and received a symphony of praise from kiss swollen lips.

Regina was like a wild creature beneath her, her hips rolling against the blonde, her hands searching for something to ground her to the moment. She moaned with a depraved freedom that only stoked the fire in Emma's belly. She wanted to please the brunette. She wanted to push her over the edge again and again. She never wanted anyone else to see these sights, hear these sounds. This moment… this complicated and astonishing woman… she wanted them all for herself. And somehow, she wasn't afraid.

The blonde left off kissing and suckling Regina's heaving breast and captured her lips again. She added the heel of her hand crashing against the brunette's clit with every thrust inside her. Emma could feel the pressure building and knew it was only a matter of moments before she sent the woman she loved careening over the pinnacle of bliss.

"Emma—" Regina tried to speak, tried to tell the blonde what she already knew. "Emma… I—"

And then it happened. Regina's body stiffened and her back arched from the bed. A sound somewhere between a groan and a sob poured from her lips. Emma slowed her movements but didn't stop. Dropping back to the bed, Regina trembled and shook as the waves of pleasure and long awaited release moved through her. Her arms wrapped tightly about Emma and held her close, closer, closer still as the last tremors of delight washed over her.

Emma fell beside the brunette and pulled her into her arms. She realized then that the sound of a near sob had indeed been a sob and the woman was crying.

"Hey. Regina… don't cry. Did I hurt you?" Panic oozed in Emma's voice.

Regina shook her head no and clutched Emma tighter. "No, I'm not hurt…" She stammered.

"Then what—"

"I just feel… everything, Emma. I wanted you, loved you for so long and I never dreamed, never dared to hope that you'd… and here you are. I'm sorry for crying… but these are happy tears—good tears. You make me so happy. I love you so much." Regina's eyes were bright in the darkness and shining with tears and emotion.

"Shhh, please don't cry. I'm here and I am never going anywhere. Never. I love you too much." Emma nuzzled her face into soft dark hair and stroked along Regina's back.

They lay there like that for a long and quiet moment. Regina had stopped crying and was tracing her finger tips along Emma's stomach. The blonde knew Regina was all that mattered right now. She needed to be held, to be comforted—but those gentle touches coupled with Emma's unmet arousal were getting to be too much. A pale hand stilled Regina's olive one.

Regina raised questioning eyes to the blonde's face. "It's just… I'm uh… I want to focus on you and how you are feeling but your hand is really distracting me."

Almost as if someone had flipped on a switch in her, Regina's eyes darkened and the action made Emma's core clench at the sight. "Oh my dear Emma, do not suppose that my tears mean I have lost my hunger for you…" A voice like honey dripped into Emma's ear.

Regina nuzzled against Emma's neck and kissed her skin, licking and sucking along the column of her throat, and down across her chest, again paying tender attention to each of Emma's breasts. She kissed and licked down Emma's taught stomach and lifted her eyes to meet green again.

"In fact, I'm so hungry for you, darling… I think I'll just have a taste." Without pretense or teasing, the flat of Regina's tongue licked the length of Emma's sweet treasure. "Mmmm, I see I am not the only one who was wet."

Emma groaned loud into the dark room and felt no shame as she spread her legs further apart to make room for Regina. With one hand, Regina opened Emma's lower lips and lapped against her like a cat lapping up a dish of cream. Her other hand snaked back up Emma's body and tweaked and twisted the pink tips of her breasts. Regina's agile and skilled tongue swirled around Emma's nub and dipped into her entrance.

"Oh fuck…" The blonde moaned and tried to find something, anything to hold onto. Regina chuckled at the blonde's cry and the resulting vibration against Emma's drenched center drew out another curse.

Withdrawing her hand from milky white globes, Regina teased at Emma's entrance now with a finger. Her tongue teased and circled the savior's pleasure button until, slipping a finger purposefully into Emma's velvet walls, Regina sucked hard on her clit. Emma's hands immediately surged forward and wound into the brunette's hair, trying desperately to hold her in place.

Regina smiled at the blonde's enthusiasm and withdrew her finger slowly, searching for that ribbed patch she knew would make Emma mad with desire. Again she slipped the digit inside her lover and sucked her pearl, flicking it with the tip of her tongue. She could feel Emma's walls already milking her slender finger and she knew Emma could not stand much more.

This time, Regina curled her finger as she withdrew it and hit that spot she had been searching for. Emma's hands tightened in her hair to the point of almost painful, but the brunette found she quite enjoyed it. She released Emma's clit and added another finger on her return thrust. In and out, curling to hit that ribbed patch inside her, Regina knew it was time.

"Come for me, Emma." Her hot breath spilled across the blonde's wet skin and she shuddered. Regina closed her lips around Emma's sweet nub one more time and began to suck and flick it with her tongue as if her life depended on it. She felt a renewed wetness coating her fingers as Emma's orgasm crashed over her.

Regina watched from her position as Emma's face contorted with her pleasure. She was breathtaking. So much so that Regina promised herself to bring that look to Emma—flushed and shining with sweat, a garbled cry coming from her throat, and a look of rapture on her face—again and again. She was an addict and Emma was her drug.

As Emma's body began to relax again, Regina licked the blonde clean and crawled up her body, kissing her soundly. Emma laughed then, gripping the brunette's face and holding her close, kissing her lips, her cheeks, her forehead—every kiss interspersed with her bright laughter.

"What's funny?" Regina asked, chuckling with the contagious joy Emma was giving away.

"Nothing's funny I just feel so damn happy!" The blonde squeezed Regina tight. "Do you understand how happy you make me?"

Regina could only bask in the radiant light of love in Emma's eyes. She had in her long and complicated life had sex with many partners, but she had never felt the effervescent joy, the dual emotions of satisfaction and desire at once, the pure and unadulterated love that she felt now, in Emma's arms.

"No, I don't but I'm beginning to." She whispered, kissing Emma again. "I love you, my darling."

"And I love you. For the rest of my life, I love you Regina Mills." Emma didn't care that her words promised forever. She didn't care if that was too soon or made this awkward. As she felt that cord of connection drawing them tighter, closer, binding their very souls, all she cared about was that she was in love with this woman in her arms and she wanted to make her happy.

Now and forever.

~ (SQ) ~

Killian Jones stood in the darkness in the middle of the woods. He was unsure why he was here or who he was going to meet. He had only received a cryptic note inviting him to this spot at midnight. He wasn't interested in this cloak and dagger business, but curiosity had won out and he had come anyway. Now he wondered if that had been a good idea. It appeared no one was coming.

The pirate had been hiding out on the Jolly Roger the last several days, licking his wounds. He was hurt about losing Emma to the Queen, but mostly he was angry—angry at the woman who had stolen his prize right out from under him.

He had been purposefully avoiding people for fear that he would happen upon the happy couple and say or do something he would regret. He loved Emma, he wanted her to be his bride and he was sure she was just confused because of that damned woman and her bewitching ways. He'd nearly decided at this point to load up his crew and sail away from all this. Without Emma, he was just a pirate.

A sound of a twig snapping to his left caused him to wheel around quickly. "Who's there? Show yourself."

A figure stepped from behind a tree into the silver light of the moon. "Hello, Killian."

"You? What the hell do you want?" The pirate was surprised to see who had summoned him.

"I think," the figure called stepping closer, "I want something that will benefit us both. Are you willing to listen?"

Hook eyed his host for a moment. "I don't suppose it would hurt to listen. Get on with it then. I haven't got all night."

"Alright. I'll get straight to it then. What if I told you I know a way to solve both of our problems in this town?" The figure leveled a smug gaze at the pirate.

"Then I'd say you are delusional, love. But do go on." Killian doubted that anything learned in this clandestine meeting could help him regain Emma.

"I want you to help me get rid of Regina Mills."

~ (SQ) ~

For hours, Emma and Regina had laid in each other's arms, talking, laughing, kissing and making love. They had pushed each other, explored each other, learned to read each other all night, finally surrendering to sleep just before daybreak. Now, as the morning sun shone in the window, Emma wrapped herself even tighter around her love. She had no intention of getting out of this bed today for anything other than food.

Regina rolled in her arms and smiled up at her. A sexy morning voice purred, "Good morning."

"Good morning." Emma smiled back at her. "Did you sleep well?"

The brunette chuckled. "Oh yes. You thoroughly wore me out last night, dear. I had no choice but to sleep."

Emma kissed the woman and hugged her tight. "Well, I'm glad to hear it. I didn't want to wake up and at the same time I couldn't wait to see you again so… Are you hungry? Want me to make us some pancakes?"

Regina laughed again, tickling Emma's side. "Am I hungry? That sounds like code for 'Emma's hungry' to me. But yes, pancakes would be nice. But then right back to this bed. We aren't doing anything today that requires clothes."

Emma wiggled her eyebrows up and down with a smirk. "I certainly like the sound of that. Do you want me to bring the breakfast up here?"

"No. I'll come down. Maybe I'll have a shower while you cook." Regina sat up and the sheets bunched around her waist. Emma's eyes raked down her bare chest and again the fire of desire kindled inside her. Regina noticed the look in Emma's eyes immediately and arched a brow.

The brunette stood and swayed naked across the room toward the bathroom, calling back across her shoulder, "Unless you'd care to join me… Emma."

Regina had barely disappeared into the bathroom before Emma was dashing to join her. "Hmmm, I think breakfast can wait."