Part 6

Now that's Magic

Emma hesitated, and then dipped her head. "I guess not." Her eyes grew a bit distant as she took in her surroundings.

Henry bounced over and grabbed the mayor's hand. "Come on….this is so cool." He beamed.

The blonde's brow scrunched she just couldn't believe what she was seeing. She closed her eyes and rubbed at her face as if when she reopened them it wouldn't be there. "Am I seeing things?"

The mayor's mouth was still slightly open. "Maybe it's a mirage."

A boy walked by the mayor. "You can catch flies doing that." His small voice said looking up at the queen.

She eyed him quizzically. "And who are you?"

"I'm Slightly." He smiled with a wink.

Emma then asked feeling totally lost at the moment. "Uh Slightly what?"

"That's his name dear." She informed her.

The blonde's head felt dizzy, as the pain drove in to her temples. "I need to sit down." She staggered back holding her head.

The mayor moved in gently and grasped the sheriff's arm to steady her. She shot the small boy an evil glare. "Take us somewhere she can rest." She hissed. "Now!"

Emma sunk slowly against the mayor's strong arms. "You don't need to yell." She whispered "Or be rude."

"Hey baby steps over here." She grinned, "I can't change all of me over night."

The blonde nodded but swallowed her smile. "Honestly I think you're great."

The mayor glanced at her with a faint smile. "Thank you."

"For?"

"Saying that."

The sheriff sighed. "You're welcome."

"Mom," Henry said with big cheeky grin. "They have a rollercoaster."

"What?"

….

"There how's that?" Regina asked slipping the blonde into a large bed.

"Okay whose bed is this?" Emma wondered as she gazed around the room.

"I didn't ask." The mayor shrugged.

"Eeewwww I'm not lying here." She winced as she started to get up.

The brunette rolled her eyes. "They assured me it was clean," and gently pressed her to lie back down. "Plus you used to sleep in your car."

"Because you kicked me out of the Inn." She said tightly.

Regina swallowed painfully. "Let's not go there okay."

"Fine," The blonde huffed then fell back against the soft mattress.

The brunette moved to the window and she watched out of it for a few minutes. "Henry will be safe here."

Emma rose up to her elbows. "How do you know?"

The mayor slowly turned to face the other woman. "If he changes his name there is no way anyone will find him…..but." She faded out and returned her gaze out the window.

"But what?"

Drawing in a breath the brunette returned to the sheriff's bed, she lingered for a moment as if contemplating what to do next. Then she slowly turned and sat down next to her. "But he may forget who he is." She sighed.

"Okay that's it, we are leaving." Emma said and tried to get off the bed.

Regina pushed her back down. "Stop, we aren't going anywhere yet." She paused. "And I did promise that nothing will happen to Henry. Didn't I?"

"So why did you say that?"

"It's just an option." The brunette sighed. "Oh and they said they would bring us something to eat." She mentioned looking at the closed door. "Probably will be pizza or a cheeseburger if I know them."

Emma laughed. "Hell with Henry staying here, I think I will."

The blonde's laughter and comment was contagious and soon the mayor started in as well. "Wow," the sheriff muttered.

Regina drew in a breath and shot a look over at her. "What?"

"You definitely need to laugh more."

The mayor flushed feeling a little exposed and slowly began to pull away from the sheriff. "Maybe I should go and let you get some sleep." She said softly.

Emma frowned and raised her head up. "Don't go," she pleaded.

The mayor blushed faintly she still was having a very hard time with all of this, and she really needed to get some air and check on Henry. But hearing the blonde say she didn't want her to go was just maddening and it felt like someone kicked her in the gut. She fell silent for a long moment clearly thinking what she should do and trying to compose herself. Finally she turned slowly and exhaled. "I really should go check on Henry, but I will be right back." She informed her clearly.

The sheriff's smile was interrupted by a big yawn. "Okay," she grinned and blinked sleepily at her.

The brunette quietly said. "I'll be back before you know it."

….

The mayor strolled swiftly back outside and quickly found her son. "Henry, "she beckoned him. "So how many boys are here?" She questioned with a sharp glance around.

"I've talked to at least nine boys." He replied then hesitated before he asked a little frightened by the dark glare his mother had. "Why?"

She peered down at him and could sense his anxious demeanor. "Henry, it's okay. I'm just worried."

"Why?" He asked again.

The brunette sighed. "Because I've yet to meet the one who is their leader." She relayed quietly to her son.

Henry jerked back. "How do you know you haven't?"

Regina lifted a sly eyebrow. "Because I know Henry." She simply said and kept a keen eye on her surroundings. Then an all knowing grin formed its way to her red lips. "Show yourself!" She demanded voice cold and sharp.

Out of nowhere a young man appeared from behind a nearby tree. He smirked at the queen and placed his hands on his hips. "You were always very clever."

"And you were always sneaky."

He moved his hands from his hips and crossed them over his chest. "So your Majesty, I see we have a common enemy." He smiled haughtily.

She tilted her head. "You've been doing a little homework haven't you dear?"

"Everyone knows the curse is broken, so that means he is now back."

The mayor spun quickly at him glaring fearsomely. "So tell me does he know about this place?"

The young man kept his cool. "Not that I'm aware of." He smirked. "So why does he want Henry?'

The queen paused, a muscle in her jaw twitching briefly as she stared at him. She finally sucked in a breath and gazed up at Emma's window. "I may know." She admitted in a quiet hiss. "But I need her to tell me."

He quirked an eyebrow as he followed her line of sight. "She's the princess, the daughter of Snow am I right?"

Regina swallowed. "And how did you know that?"

He stood tall on his lanky form. "Everyone knows our savior, but what we don't understand is why she's here with you?" He snarled as he now stood toe to toe with the evil queen. "You should pay for what you've done."

Henry flew in between them. "Don't hurt her please." He begged.

The young man looked down at him, eyeing him narrowly, and nodded briefly. "Fine I won't. Only for you Henry, but I'm watching you Regina." He snapped firmly.

She twisted her lip in a superior smug grin. "And I will be watching you."

…

Regina cleared her throat as she shut the door to the room where Emma was sleeping. It was dark with only a tiny glow from the one single candle in the room. After a few hours of watching Henry play with the young boys she then ordered him to bed as well. She heard from Nibs that Emma only had eaten half her dinner he brought to her. She waited until she put her son to bed before she dared to come back into the sheriff's room.

"Is that you?" Emma mumbled quietly.

"It is I." She whispered. "You feeling any better?"

"Actually I am. The pain has subsided quite a lot."

The mayor sighed as she inched closer to the bed. "That's good dear. I promise it will eventually die out."

Emma glanced at her in the low light. "You still think it has to do with magic…..don't you?"

The brunette shook her head at the sheriff. "Trust me would you please." Right now as her world flipped upside down this is one thing she did know. She knew strongly that this woman she was gazing at was now receiving her own magical powers.

The blonde blew out a breath. "I do, but I can't I just… don't see it."

Regina gave her a sideways glance. "Well it's because you have lived here in this world your entire life, if you hadn't you would have found it within you years ago." She sighed softly and paced around the room slowly as Emma watched her in wonder.

"What's going on Regina?"

The mayor halted. "Nothing." She barked tersely.

"Liar."

She groaned. "See you can read me." She paused fighting off her smirk. "You have that within you."

Emma rolled her eyes. "If I can read you it is because I know you, and it has nothing to do with magic." She then scooted over in the bed. "Come here." She patted next to her.

Regina slowly arched her eyebrow. "Miss Swan, what are you asking?"

The blonde sighed. "You look tired." She said certainly. "Unless you want to sleep on that uncomfortable chair….or better yet the hard floor."

The brunette smiled, "Ah I see and for a second I could have sworn I saw something else shadowing in those green eyes."

Emma stared at her. "You're being silly." She pulled the covers back and that's when the queen noticed the blonde was now only wearing her white tank and underwear that matched it.

The grin the mayor gave the blonde made her heart beat in triple time. She couldn't believe she didn't feel this way about her the moment she saw her. But even then deep down inside her, she did feel something. She saw Regina give in and she could have sworn she floated across the room to her.

"Very well." The queen responded silkily, and then began to shrug out of her shirt and pulled a clean tee from her bag. Soon she was now clad in only her undies and small shirt that clung to her curves nicely. She finally turned to gaze at the sheriff who was quietly watching her.

And when she did, the unbridled desire in those green eyes made her dead heart skip to life with a new beat that grew stronger and more alive than it ever had. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest in a way she thought was gone forever. She felt the clenching of the steel bars slowly dwindle away from the one person she was so sure would have destroyed her.

"Regina?" A mere whisper of her name beckoned her closer to the other woman. "You're beautiful."

She tried she really did, but that was all it took and she couldn't breathe let alone move. She stood frozen in place. Emotions of everything that was occurring collapsed all around her and broke her down. She could no longer suppress her tears and they fell slowly down her face.

"Whoa whoa." Emma shushed. "Hey now…. come here." She soothed and quickly darted from the bed and gathered the shaken woman into her arms.

The mayor whose eyes were closed sniffed. "I'm a damn mess." She said huskily.

"You're allowed ya know."

She finally opened her eyes finding Emma gazing down at her, looking absolutely beautiful, her eyes so caring and so deeply green Regina felt an ache inside her, a pleasant, loving pain, and it terrified her completely. "There are so many reasons that you shouldn't be here….with me."

She then felt the blondes warm finger's brush over her neck and then leisurely stroked down her arm, and it made the mayor groan quietly and quiver in her tantalizing touch. Their eyes locked as soon as their fingers entwined together. Regina could feel everything fall even farther away; she could see her life now spread out before her. Emma had come in to her life like the dawn spreading away the night, and right now in this very instant she needed her more than she had ever needed anyone else.

Emma saw the change from hurt, to confusion, to something so strong yet tender in Regina's eyes and the feeling overwhelmed her completely. Startled she inhaled bringing forth her courage and she stepped even closer to the other woman. It was now or never, she thought now only a breath from those oh so tempting lips. She waited a split second to see if she would get pushed away, and then she kissed Regina softly and ran her hands up the mayor's arms.

The brunette made a soft sound, as their lips touched, tentatively at first, and then deeper, capturing and surrendering utterly, seeking out the passion within her she had held back for so long.

Emma thought if she died this very second, it would be enough that now she was in this woman's arms, kissing her so deeply, caught up in their emotions that found their way together and it swirled around them like a warm caress that sparkled through her entire body.

Out of breath the mayor eased her lips from Emma who was trembling just as much as she was. "Now that's magic." The blonde said with a soft smile, and caressed her fingers down the side of her cheek before she kissed her gently again, and the queen kissed her back.

…..

Big Thanks to -Smiley- Who corrects all my crap...and gives me inspiration to keep going! love you :)