The rain clouds parted to allow slivers of the sun peek through and form patterns in the shadows. IN another lifetime, Emmett would have stopped and taken the time to make designs out of the formations. He paused for a moment in the evening before stepping the threshold of his home. He was sure that Granny would recognize him anywhere and she did, "Emmett?"

Granny was bustling in the kitchen, heating pots of water for Regina's bath and trying to cook dinner, a task made even more difficult with Emma's absent. Emmett walked into the kitchen with sack of vegetables that Granny has requested, "Emmett?"

Right before this moment, Regina poked her head in, startling her. Granny exclaimed in shock and crossed herself as Regina entered the kitchen. Regina's eyebrows rose into her hairline at the exclamation from the ordinarily quite housekeeper.

"I am sorry, Anity, I was looking for Emma."

Granny felt disordered at the moment of two people walking into with a shock, first Regina then Emmett. The door burst open, and Emmett bustled in, muddied, bloodied and wet. "I am sorry I'm late," he said.

"Emmett? I thought something happened to you," Granny said as she took the sack then noticed the mud and the split lip.

"What happened?" Regina queried, holding Emmett's face toward the light.

"A corporal took offense—"

"What did you do?!" Regina asked as she took a piece of lien and began washing Emmett's face as soon he sat down. Regina cleaned the mud and the blood from the lip with a worried look.

"I had been stopped by three patrols previously, and I just - it didn't go well. It was my fault," Emmett said quietly.

"You probably annoyed him with your smart mouth. Didn't I teach you how to control your magic?" Regina said as she looked down into Emmett's eyes. She was about to continue cleaning Emmett's face, but she abruptly dropped her hand as if the cloth was on fire and averted her gaze when she remembered her place as Queen. Granny was even more surprised how it went fold between the two at this particular moment. Regina titled to Granny, "can you please get my bath ready?" then to Emmett, "I'll see you soon," Regina said quickly and walked out of the kitchen.

Emmett glanced at Granny, who shrugged, "come on, I am getting dinner ready and you know how King Leopold hates eating late. Now empty the hot water in the bucket and take them upstairs."

Emmett hesitated for a moment, "but -" Emmett looked again at the door through which Regina had departed and frowned. "What was that about?"

"It has been sorted. Regina had informed King Leopold that she hired an manservant," eyeing Emmett with impressive look that she already knew but didn't say anything. "Regina was worried about you, and the curfew is due to start."

"She insulted me, and you think she's worried about me? I think she just wants her bath. She is the strangest woman I have ever met. One minute she's nice and caring and then next, she races up the stairs like the devil himself was after her." Emmett helped empty the water into the bucket.

"She did not race up the stairs."

"She dropped the cloth like it was on fire. What the f-," stopped when Granny gave him a look, "hell is wrong with that woman?" Emmett muttered as he picked up the bucket and slowly made his way the stairs when Granny gave him no answers. He felt that Granny knows something that he doesn't know.

Regina entered her room and shut the door. She rested her forehead on the door panel and slowly banged her head against it. "Oh, that was stupid!" She muttered. When Father said to get close to Emmet, she was sure he did not mean to get attracted to her.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," Regina continued to rebuke herself and hit her head with her hand. Emmett would gleefully kill you if you made any more, she thought. King Leopold wouldn't hesitate to praise Emma either for killing his "perverted wife."

"Not again," Regina closed her eyes tightly, trying to keep the memory of King Leopold's rage being directed at her along with her mother harming magic against her. The remembered vision of her mother standing over her, her fingers flicked to conjured belt around her to strike her down. The dark days… Emmett. Emma was the only person in the entire Enchanted Forest besides her father has shown kindness and care despite her hate. She could feel his heat from him, his white magic was radiating everywhere. I never felt that good before.

"Queen Regina!" Emmett's worried voice penetrated Regina's consciousness from beyond the closed bedroom door. She shook her head to clear the memories and wiped away her tears.

"I'll be right there," Regina called out as she stood trying to compose herself. She wiped away her tears with a face cloth and about to undressed for her bath, but instead she put on a robe and tied it with sash before the left the room. She wanted to help Emmett first.

"Thank you, Emmett," Regina followed him, who carried bucket of hot water from the kitchen into the bathing room. Emmet had been urged to clean up and deposited some soap nearby. Regina stood at the window watching the sunset over the quiet village.

"Are you all right?" Emmett asked quietly, watching Regina still standing by the window. Regina remained quiet, willingly herself to get better control of her emotions before facing Emmett. Turning to Emmett, he observed her worried countenance. "I am sorry, Emmett, I left so abruptly."

"You know, I've had a split lip before and muddy. I'll live," said Emmett, trying to lighten the mood. "Are you going to take a bath now or should I go to get Granny to reheat it?"

Regina wondered if it had been a terrible idea to get a maid who also a maidservant if it was to help in the Resistance. The last thing she wanted to disrobe in front of Emmett, but noticed his clothes were still muddy then flicked her fingers as Emmett's clothes were freshly clean and straighten. "Thank you, Regina," Regina fixed his hair and cleaned his short beard, "please be careful." Emmett slightly nodded when she cleaned his face once again.

With a sigh, she pulled the sash open and removed her robe, hoping she wouldn't have to explain the scar that ran across her back and on her stomach. Those hopes were dashed when Emmett gasped at the sight of the scars that went from Regina's shoulders to below her waist on her back as Regina entered the tub.

"What happened?" Emmett whispered with hint of anger.

Regina didn't speak for few moments, and Emmett through she wasn't going to get an answer until Regina told her quietly, "I don't want to discuss it."

"They look old," Emmett continued, ignoring Regina's request. She traced one particular deep scar, causing Regina to flinch. "Let me heal you."

"No," Regina shook her head.

Emmett picked up the cloth and gently began to lather Regina's back. "Who the fuck did this to you?" There was silence for a moment, and Regina wondered if Emmett would stay quiet.

"I have seen those scars before. I had a friend who was beaten by her father with his belt and it left scars like this ….," Emmett murmured and swallowed his throat hard as he gently sponged Regina's flesh with the desire to heal her.

"Please, Emmett," Regina almost pleaded him to be quiet. Emmett's hands massaging her neck, which has both gentle and firm, almost made her leap out of the bath to try and escape from the pleasurable sensations it was causing. She knew the pleasure would turn to pain if she allowed any thought of what Emmett was doing to her to become more than what it was. She could feel his healing magic slowly making his way down to her flesh. Regina almost purred and silently moaned from the pleasurable sensation of Emma massaging her temples and then working up to her head.

Emmett controls every ounce of his magic and nearly his hard cock while struggling not to think anything dirty except his Queen needs someone to care for. "Does that feel good?"

"Hm.."

Emmett didn't say anything further as she picked up the small basin and soap to wash Regina's long black hair. She took the face cloth and gently wiped away the soap from Regina's eyes. Regina was surprised at the gentle way Emmett helped her out of the tub and dried her off. It was some relief when Emmett brought her robe and gave it to her.

"You have soft hands. Thank you, I did enjoy the massage," Regina said and didn't say anything when her scars were completely healed when she went back to her room.

Emmett smiled to himself and grumbled groaned at his hard cock as soon she left. "I enjoyed that myself little too much," mumbling to himself. She was forced to take care himself, rubbing his massive hard cock while imaging her perfect breasts, so round and bigger than he thought. Her tone body, curvy and so smooth. She wishes there was a silent spell because he felt a scream coming. For a moment, only a second, he wishes he was never her maidservant or even met her to begin with. Worst of all, she is fucking his daughter! Emmett bit his lips to stop from screaming when it fully erected, well magically erecting when he slowed down. Breathing heavily and calming himself and noticed she's a woman now. "Whoa …."

"That was so - fucking hot." She needed a moment to sit and relax to catch her breath before checking in Regina to do her maid duties. She got up to the chore of emptying the tub and making sure the bathing room is clean.

Regina was combing her hair when Emma entered her room. Without a word, Emma picked up the hairbrush from her and began to brush Regina's long, dark silky hair.

"Why are you being nice to me?"

"You pay me to be nice," Emma replied with a smirk. She glanced at Regina's solemn face in the mirror. "You are not who I thought you were," she observed as she brushed Regina's long hair. "No one deserves to be beaten like a dog."

"No even someone who is your enemy?" Regina looked back at Emma in the mirror. "I thought that would have given you pleasure."

Emma stopped the brushing and looked at Regina's reflection in the mirror, "you have no fucking idea." No one deserves any brutality, "you are not the enemy."

"How can you be so sure?"

"You would have killed me when I tried to hurt you back then," Emma replied. They remained silent while Emma started to braid Regina's hair.

"My mother did it," Regina said quietly and looked at Emma's reflection.

Emma stopped braiding, "another reason she's going to rot in hell," she muttered.

It wasn't the response Regina was expecting, "you are not going to ask me why?"

"You will tell me when you want to tell me," Emma reasoned and continued with her task. "You are like a clam."

"a clam?"

"You would only speak when necessary and when you wanted to but the rest of the tiem he would remain quiet."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Regina asked. Despite her first impressions of Emma, it seems like it was going to be impossible not to like her. There was something about Emma that made Regina feel comfortable, which was odd since Emma wanted her dead.

"Bad."

"Why?"

"You are a brooder, too It is not a good thing to brood."

"Oh," Regina smiled and looked in the mirror to find Emma smiling back at her. That smile of hers making her stomach twist and turn.

"So why did the idiot do that?"

"I wasn't what she wanted me to be, and she wants me to live the life she wanted to live."

"I don't understand," Emma stated and started on another braid even through Regina never wore this way, but she allows Emma to do her thing with her hair. She loves how gentle and soft Emma's hands on her neck and hair. Regina was sure Emma was going to flee screaming out of the room, and she braced herself for it. "I loved someone before."

"What kind of mother beats her daughter if she loves someone else?

"Well, I liked someone afterwards, it was more of disease in mind."

"What kind of disease?"

Regina mentally rolled her eyes and wondered why she had started this conversation. Emma never lets up, "do you always ask so many questions?"

"Yes."

"She found out that I had another lover," Regina whispered, her voice breaking, "It was after I married with Leopold. She was terrified of what it would do … what it would do to their reputation."

Emma stopped braiding Regina's hair and massaging her neck and shoulder, "They got angry because you were having sex with someone else?" Emma sounded surprised, "but there isn't any need to lose anyone's mind over this."

"My former lover was a woman."

Emma blinked and wasn't prepared for that response. She gazed into the mirror at Regina, who was staring back at her. "You are so beautiful. Why would you want a woman?"

Regina almost laughed at Emma's innocence's question, "It doesn't matter. I'm cured."

Emma didn't say anything, which worried Regina, as Emma was not short of an opinion. Emma continued to rub on her shoulders in silence.

"Is that what Nurse Blue was doing with you? Seeing if you're cured?" Emma finally asked. She glanced in the mirror and saw Regina's pale face. "You are scared of her."

"Emma –"

"You looked like you were going to throw up."

"She was only doing what Cora had ordered her to do," Regina almost whispered and wished Emma would be quiet again. Emma leaned down and whispered in Regina's ear, but she took a moment because her heart is beating fast even Regina could hear her heavy breathing, "you can be with whoever the fuck you want."

Regina didn't respond to Emma's comment, and they both fell silent, painfully silent when they want to do something that is forbidden. Emma couldn't handle anymore when she wanted so bad to kiss her soft lips again and how much misses her touch, so she left the room.