A/N: Sorry this is a bit of a short one. It didn't quite feel right at the end of the last chapter, but also didn't quite work as an intro to the next one, so I decided to add it as a chapter in its own right. I hope you enjoy :)
More to come soon. I apologise for the delay with this story, but hope I may be excused as some of that time was used to write a Halloween short story for these two :p I know some of you had trouble accessing the last chapter/ smut chapter, so for anyone that was reading HAUNTED HOUSE that couldn't get chapter 7, the story has been reuploaded and should be fully accessible now :)
As always, thanks for reading, and please review!
"Hey! Hey!!"
Emma snarls angrily as she wrestles with the Queen while kicking up creased folds of expensive linen in the process.
"Enough!"
Regina shouts, pushing herself up off the bed swiftly and reaching forward to catch hold of her lesser-half's wrist. She injects a wave of power through her fingers as she does so; digging in her nails for good measure in a bid to get the Queen to drop the knife she clutches blindly. It would seem the blade barely registers in the darker woman's mind as she struggles to comprehend her sudden descent through the mirror- through realms- and she drops the knife with a furious cry and shakes her head to try and force her hair out of her eyes to get a better look at her assailants.
"You!"
She cries at the Mayor, her dark eyes glittering with caustic disbelief as she drinks in soft skin devoid of the injuries the blonde's bloodied appearance had promised.
"You lied to me!"
She screams at Emma as the younger woman frees herself from their unwilling embrace and adds her own power to Regina's to keep the Queen at their mercy on the bed.
"Actually, I didn't. I never properly answered you, I just let you presume. That's on you, Your Majesty."
"Quite."
The Mayor agrees, kicking the discarded blade across the carpet with a frown as it leaves a bloodied streak in the pile, but she doesn't dare allow herself to remain distracted as she can feel the Queen fighting back furiously in a bid to reap vengeance on her unlikely captors.
"Help me with this."
She requests of the Sheriff as she hands her a section of rope, and she moves up the bed to fix her crude restraints into place; fighting against the poisonous embodiment of her darkest desires as the Queen wriggles and thrashes to the best of her ability.
"Ah!"
Regina cries as the Queen drags her nails across her cheek, and she retaliates with a hard slap to her darker-half's face as she pulls herself up onto the bed to straddle the odious woman and tie her hands firmly to the headboard.
By the time she's done, her breathing is audible, and she sits back to glower down at the Queen as she touches her fingers to her cheek with a wince.
"You're going to regret that..."
She hisses, before glancing over her shoulder to check on Emma as the blonde secures the remaining rope around the iron legs of the bed; trapping the Queen's ankles tightly against the mattress.
"Okay..."
She breathes, looking from the darker woman to Emma with an irritable frown as she catches the ill-hidden smirk the blonde fails to keep at bay as she takes a few steps back and surveys the scene. Rolling her eyes, Regina pushes herself up swiftly and throws the Sheriff a stern look before snarling back down at the Queen.
"I'll deal with you in a second."
She flashes her teeth in her fury, before stalking for the door with a firm tug at the blonde's wrist in a demand that she be followed out into the hall.
"Close the door."
She orders, watching as Emma obeys her and pulls the door shut behind them, before closing her eyes as she leans against the wall and catches her breath.
"Tying a woman up will do that."
"Shut up."
She snaps, opening her eyes as she remains leant against the wall and glowering at the younger woman irritably. Raising a brow as she catches Emma opening her mouth to offer just a little more on the matter, she warns firmly
"I mean it, don't even start."
"Aww."
The blonde sighs, feigning disappointment, but her complexion is just a little too pale and her eyes a little too wide to pull off nonchalant perversion as well as she might like. Accepting the darker woman's demands, she adopts a rather more sincere expression of uncertainty and admits
"I can't believe we just pulled that off."
"We didn't have much of an option!"
"No, but... Still. We weren't guaranteed a win, either."
"No? I would say our success was on the cards. Why else would I side with good?"
Regina asks, chancing a small smirk as she studies the blonde pointedly. Emma shakes her head in response as she frowns down at the gore streaking her outfit.
"I'm not so sure that's what you're doing... And you know my thoughts on all that."
"I do... I know you don't see things the way I believed I did when I made the decision to free myself of that woman, but I refuse to concede to your side of things entirely."
"Shocker. What part-"
"-You're good, Emma... That's not my blood. Not now, not any time when it maybe should have been."
"I mean I did smack you that one time-"
"-And I smacked you right back!"
"Kinky."
"Mm. Not really my thing, I'm afraid."
"Oh? Could have fooled me back in there, you-"
"-Enough... Please, dear. This is insane enough without you insinuating depravity between myself and, well... Myself."
"See, that I kind of thought you would be into."
"Emma, what did I just say?!"
"I-"
"-Please!"
"Fine."
The blonde nods obediently, fully aware that her current teasing is strongly fuelled by nerves and adrenalin, and she offers the darker woman an uneasy smile in place of an apology.
"She did get you pretty good."
She addresses the Queen's attack less mischievously, nodding towards the red scratches smarting at the darker woman's cheek.
"Well, I feel quite a bit better about it knowing that I returned the favour."
Regina admits, before assessing the blonde up and down uneasily; her brow furrowing when she finds what she's looking for.
"She got you, too."
She pulls a face as she reaches out to finger the small slice to the front of the younger woman's corset.
"It's not so bad."
Emma shrugs, and when she's met with a wary expression, she insists
"Seriously, it's fine. It was mostly my fault, anyway."
"Yes, well... Given that we made it through on time and in one piece, I suppose I can't berate you too harshly for your foolishness, but-"
"-But, you will, because you would hate to waste such an opportunity?"
"Hardly! I'm presented with reasons to call you out on being a fool at least once a day; I suffer no qualms in letting this one instance go... I just... You're sure you're alright?"
"Yeah. I'm sure."
"Hmm... Well, in that case, if you're not about to drop dead in my hallway, I will ask you to watch what you touch. I like this wallpaper, and don't imagine blood would be easy to remove. The same goes for the carpet."
"I'm touched by your concern."
"Hush."
Regina snaps, but she offers the younger woman a small smile as she does so. Swallowing as she drinks in the macabre crimson drying on fair skin, she gestures towards a door at the end of the hall.
"Go clean yourself up. Use the guest bathroom. There are towels in the cupboard."
"Okay... Are you-"
"-I'm going to have a little chat with Her Majesty."
"Okay..."
Emma frowns uneasily, and Regina pushes herself up from against the wall and addresses the blonde firmly
"It's fine. I know you'll want a chance to talk to her- to us- but you have to allow me mine."
"Of course, I just-"
"-Alone."
"... I know."
"I'm not going to ask her about what happened."
Regina assures as she imagines she understands the reason for the younger woman's visible discomfort.
"I-"
"-I'm not going to ask, but I do have some things I need to say on the matter, Emma. What she did, that's not okay. Of course, none of what that woman has done is okay, but playing with you the way that she did... I need to make my thoughts on that known. I do. If I mean to discuss my options- if I'll allow that madness- I need to get a few things off of my chest first. Not just about this- about you- but it's part of it. You're asking me to take back a part of myself I despise. That I'm really quite terrified of... The decisions she's made over the last couple of days do play a part in that, dear; they have to. I'm not telling you this because I feel I need to justify myself to you- I don't, not on the matter at hand- but because I need you to give me some space. You're not always so good at that..."
"I give you space when I think you need it."
Emma frowns, tempted to point out that she has often been accused of giving others too much space. Of seeming rather uncaring in general.
"You try to fix things for me when you think I need it... I appreciate it, Miss Swan, I do. It sets you apart from so many others I have known, but sometimes it's a little too unfamiliar. I hope you can take that accusation without too much offence. I imagine you understand what I mean quite well, given your rather unique relationship with your parents."
"... I understand."
"Good. Then go wash off all of that blood- please!- and see to the injury to your side and any others as best as you can. Get yourself some food when you're done, and then set up a charm to keep others away. I have one in place already, but it never hurts to be careful... This is between us, Saviour. At least, it is if you want what I think you do... If you've made the decision I think you have..."
"I've made my choice."
"... And you're sure?"
"Yes."
"Even though you don't know what's to come?"
"I'm sure... I can't tell you what to do, nor do I want to. I can tell you how I feel and what I would do, but that's it. Things might get messy. They might get too much. That's just me being realistic."
"So, then-"
"-But I've made my decision. You asked me whether I was happy, and that forced me to pause and take stock. I've made a decision based on that pause. On the realisations found within that pause. You never offered me a certain future, and I'm not expecting one. I'm accepting your offer of a chance, with the full understanding that that's all it is."
"It's enough."
"I think so, too."
"... I don't want any responsibility for your actions, Emma."
"Likewise. You'll do what's best for you, and I'll do what's best for me."
"And if it just so happens that our interests are intertwined..."
"Then that's perfect."
The blonde grins and Regina nods with a slow smile as she studies sharp features pensively, before shooing the younger woman on her way.
"Go... I'll come find you when I need you. Until then-"
"-I'll wait."
"Promise?"
"Sure... I mean, it's pretty much what we do, Regina."
"Yes... I suppose it has been."