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Thank you for your kind and gentle encouragement and support. Thank you all who continued to leave comments and encouragement.

Hopefully this chapter helps to continue the story despite the pause. Appreciate your patience. Our ladies take a small step forward…

This one took a long time. It's been hard to find my motivation. It's slowly coming back. Plus it was hard to craft this particular turning point. Not sure how this one reads so please let me know.

Wanted to post so fair warning that it may not be as proofed as usual.

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"She does."

Two words, stated simply and straightforwardly, without hesitation, as they continued to stare into each other's eyes.

They had barely noticed Zelena and Hope depart, as they stood in silent anticipation, watching and longing, until the brunette had finally broken the tension. Regina's words were not merely an echo of Emma's question, but a solid confirmation of what had been brewing between them for a long time.

It spurred the sheriff to ask, "How long?"

Emma hadn't even realized she'd spoken until Regina's head tilted to the side with a half smile.

The Queen briefly dropped her gaze in order to take Emma's right hand in her left. Looking back up, she responded.

"Too long."

The blonde swallowed.

Regina's eyes drifted toward the movement, pausing briefly at the blonde's lips, before returning to capture Emma"s gaze again.

"And you?"

Emma blinked. Then the words registered. Regina had asked her something.

The brunette continued to watch her with a bemused look on her face and her head still tilted to the side. God she was beautiful. Her eyes drifted to Regina's smirk. What had she asked? Oh, right.

"I do."

"You do?" Regina's brows lifted, a hint of bemused confusion on her face.

Emma's eyebrows furrowed. "Yes." She stated matter of factly. Regina had asked her if she felt the same… hadn't she?

A look of dawning realization captured the brunette's features and she beamed. "You do!" She proclaimed, causing Emma to nod in her own confusion. "And … for how long?"

Oh. Emma realized that they had been on two different points in the conversation. Nodding, now that she was clued in, she smiled back at Regina. "Too long."

"Hmmm," Regina purred, her right hand slowly running up Emma's arm. "Seems we agree on something then."

Emma smirked, dipping her own head to the opposite side and reaching the hand not currently holding Regina's out to encircle the brunette's waist.

They were moving slowly with purpose, almost as if to acknowledge the importance of the moment. This dance in which they had been engaged, finally moving to it's inevitable climax.

"Well, it was bound to happen eventually." The blonde teased.

Regina inhaled sharply at the words. Emma watched the brunette's pupils dilate and felt a fluttering excitement shoot up her spine.

"Now that is an interesting choice of words…"

Regina's fingers, which had by then made it to the blonde's shoulder, twisted into Emma's hair and then gripped and pulled as if yanking on a pony tail. The movement was forceful enough to move Emma's head back and expose her neck but not intended to cause pain (well, not too much anyway).

The sheriff inhaled sharply, feeling a rush of warmth spread across her skin at the movement and a surge of moisture evidencing her pleasure. That warm slick heat roared to an inferno when the brunette leaned in and her breath ghosted gently across the blonde's exposed neck.

Regina's subsequent words caused a rosy blush to blossom on the alabaster skin. "Bound… to happen,"

Emma shivered and swallowed hard. The brunette's nose gently traced the path of her neck following the motion. The blonde whimpered.

Regina pulled back at the noise and looked in Emma's eyes. The Queen's pupils were so blown her eyes were almost black. It was obvious she was torn between wanting to proceed and ensuring the blonde was ok with proceeding.

Emma wasn't sure what Regina was looking for as she searched her gaze but she must not have found it, because she stepped back abruptly and released her hold.

"Emma…," her tone softened, "I…I am so sorry," she crossed her arms across her chest protectively, "I don't know what came over me, I just…"

"No, Regina, it's ok." Emma interjected, raising her hand to cup the side of her Queen's face.

The look the brunette gave her was such a mix of guilty concern and hope, it almost broke the sheriff.

"I shouldn't have…" Regina started to apologize again, but Emma shook her head and rubbed her thumb slowly across the Queen's cheek, causing the words to falter.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Regina." Taking a deep breath, she continued. "You didn't do anything I didn't want you to do."

"Really?" Regina's voice cracked as she bit her lower lip with concern.

Emma trailed her thumb gently across the brunette's mouth, causing Queen to release her lower lip from its temporary entrapment.

"Really." Emma confirmed, staring intently at the dark red softness as her thumb moved back and forth across it.

"It's… not too soon?" Regina watched Emma as the blonde continued to stare at her lips while she spoke.

"Too soon?" Emma's gaze lifted to capture the deep brown eyes.

The Queen splayed her hands in front of herself as if trying to explain. "Only last night you were telling me about the pirate…"

"Oh!" Emma interrupted, feeling a pang of … something, when contemplating that her only-recently-ex husband hadn't even entered her mind. She thought it over now. Should she feel guilty? Hook may have only just left, but to her it had felt like a long process of release culminating in the acknowledgment it was beyond time. Plus, there was that whole weird magical light thing…

Regina took Emma's silent contemplation as evidence of her own internal guilt and she stepped back from the blonde.

The movement caught Emma's attention, snapping her back into the reality of the moment.

"Please," the blonde reached out to capture the Queen's hand. "Maybe I should feel, I don't know, guilty or sad or confused even, but I don't. This has been a long time coming and things with Killian feel more like a resolution. Neither of us has been happy."

Regina bit her lip and looked down to gather her own emotions. Part of her wanted to smile and cheer that the pirate was no longer a road block, but the other part of her, the part that had only known heartache, was understandably cautious. Inhaling slowly, she looked back up and recaptured Emma's gaze.

"Maybe, we should slow down," seeing the fear in Emma's eyes, she squeezed the blonde's hand gently, "just slow down and talk. A lot has transpired recently. I did hear what you said," she held her hands up to pause the blonde when she saw her gear up to argue. Well, she tried, as one of her hands was still holding on tightly to Emma's, so that one only rose so far, "and I respect where you are at, I do. I believe you, Emma. I trust that is how you feel."

The blonde calmed considerably at those words and took a breath. Perhaps, Regina was right. They should talk. After all, they had a lot to share. This path (Emma hoped) they were on had been a long time coming.

So, she nodded and, still holding the Queen's hand, gestured towards a love seat, "why don't we sit then, and talk."

Regina gave her a gracious smile in response, before moving to take a seat.

Emma followed her lead, and sat down next to the brunette once she had settled, at a much closer distance than she might have in the past; close enough that their legs were pressed together. Despite their agreement to slow down, it still felt wrong not to be as close as possible to Regina.

It didn't seem the brunette minded Emma's nearness either, as she bumped her shoulder against the blond after a few moments of them quietly gazing at each other. Smirking, she offered, "I suppose I should start, given this was my suggestion."

Emma's grin widened. She shrugged, conveying her indifference to who would begin,

The Queen rolled her eyes while smiling at the typical behavior of the blonde. "Right." She looked at Emma and bit her lower lip, hesitating momentarily before beginning, "well, it seems prudent to align, given that we just established that we both… have feelings for each other…"

While said as a statement, the brunette's head tilted slightly to the side and her voice rose in inflection, almost turning the point into a question. Not wanting further confusion nor to go backwards, the blonde nodded eagerly in response,

The Queen nodded slowly, a small smile on her face and a slight blush on her cheeks in response to Emma's eager agreement. "Good, and it seems we have both had these…feelings for quite some time…"

Stated a little more securely, the blonde still nodded eagerly, earning her a wider grin from Regina.

"Great, and… we both wish to explore these feelings…" the words rolled off the Queen's tongue in a huskier rasp as her eyes darted briefly down to the blonde's lips.

The timbre of her voice earned her a low moan from the Saviour followed by a softly muttered, "god, yes!"

Regina's respondent smirk took on a slightly evil tinge. She slowly licked her bottom lip, causing Emma's eyes to widen and follow the tip of that pink tongue intently. A blush colored the sheriff's cheeks before her gaze lifted again to take in the arched brow of the Queen.

Clearing her throat, Emma decided it was time for her to add a bit more to the conversation. "We should definitely explore these feelings."

The blonde leaned towards Regina, licking her own lower lip slowly and reveling in how the brunette's eyes darted down to watch the movement before her pupils darkened and returned to recapture Emma's gaze.

"I know there have been things in the way of us exploring these feelings," Emma continued.

Regina tilted her head in acknowledgment, "the pirate…"

"Yes." Emma agreed. "But, as I said before, he's not an issu… I mean it's over with him and I just… he wasn't … I mean we weren't…," Emma sighed and took a deep breath. The beautiful brown eyes were distracting her but she also knew this was important. She wanted, no she needed to explain it right. Her gaze dropped to their hands still entangled and taking a slow steady breath she started again.

"My whole life it felt like no one wanted me. I was found abandoned on the side of a road. The first family I loved brought me back. They returned me. Over and over I was told I wasn't good enough, I wasn't wanted. Then Lily betrayed me and Neal… well, I thought he broke me. But then I had to make a choice for Henry, and that was the hardest moment of my life, deciding what to do for him."

"Emma," her name came out as a gentle caress, matched by the soft fingers wiping the tears the blonde hadn't realized were running down her cheeks.

Emma looked back up at Regina, recapturing her gaze.

"I always said I made the choice to give him his best chance, and that's true, but …"

Seeing only kindness and acceptance in those beautiful brown eyes, Emma knew that although it would be really hard to share, she wanted to open up to Regina. No more running. "I couldn't imagine him ever wanting me. No one else ever had, so why would he? How could this little being, who I loved more than anything in the world, despite who his father was and what he had done to me… why would he… how could he love me? … I was …nothing."

Emma barely managed to get the last part out between her sobs. She felt strong kind arms pull her into a secure embrace. Grasping at Regina, she pulled herself tighter into the Queen's embrace and buried her head into the crook of the brunette's neck and shook as she cried.

Regina didn't say a word, just gently stroked Emma's hair and held her close.

Once her cries slowed, the blond continued speaking. It was as if once the flood gates had opened Emma couldn't stop the words from flowing forth, "I didn't even look at him, Regina. I had the nurse take him and never once held him." Emma's voice started out soft and raspy from the crying but strengthened as she progressed. "I was a mess after. They had me on suicide watch. I was so far gone though I don't think I even had the energy to consider ending things. It was like I was in a daze."

Emma sat up and rubbed at her cheeks. She didn't pull completely away from the brunette though. Rather she stayed close and reached out to hold the Queen's hand again, squeezing gently to let the brunette know she was managing.

"I don't know how long I was like that. The thing that broke it though, that cut through that fog, was a commercial of all things. If you can believe it?" Emma smiled and managed a small chuckle.

Regina smiled back and squeezed the sheriff's hand. "Are you really asking the Evil Queen if she believes a commercial caught your attention, dear?"

Emma snorted and then hiccupped. She smiled at Regina's attempt at humor. "You're not evil." She whispered, earning herself a blush from the Queen.

They gazed longingly at each other before Regina cleared her throat. "A commercial, you say?"

Emma nodded. "It was advertising for some Lifetime or Hallmark movie or something like that. They always played those channels on the TVs. Guess they thought it was prison appropriate programming or something. Maybe they just had sick senses of humor, I don't know."

Running her hand down her face, Emma shook her head to get herself back on track. "The movie was about someone tracking down their birth mother despite it being a closed adoption. The commercial was on for all of two minutes maybe but it caught my attention and at that moment I wondered if it was possible. What if the kid came and found me one day? And that sat in my head, just swirling around, and … I guess it gave me something. My parents would say "hope" I'm sure but I don't know, maybe it was more like motivation. If the kid ever came back I wanted to be worth it for him. I wanted to be the best I could be, you know, even if he didn't want me when he found me, at least he wouldn't have to be ashamed."

"I can understand wanting to be better for him." Regina agreed.

Emma looked back up at Regina, not realizing she had gazed off into space. Of course she would understand; she had completely transformed herself many times for their son. She gently squeezed the Queen's hand. "Even before I really knew him, our son gave me something special. I never really believed he would come find me, but…" She smiled at the brunette.

"But." Regina echoed. "He did."

"Yeah, yeah he did." Emma shrugged. "It was on my birthday too." She laughed. "I had bought myself a cupcake. My night had been beyond shitty. Birthdays usually were, but that one was extreme, even for me. I was alone in my apartment when I lit the candle…" she trailed off as she looked up and to the left remembering that night and how it had felt. Remembering the anguish at feeling once again alone and unwanted.

"What did you wish for Emma?"

Part of her brain registered that it was Regina asking, but her voice sounded like it was almost coming from far away. Like Emma was somewhere else where things were a bit distorted. The question cut through her musings though and she found herself responding.

"I wanted to know what it was like to be wanted."

She came back to herself. The sounds in the room returned. The ticking from the clock on the wall, the soft breathing from both herself and the Queen, the far away noises of the castle. and caught Regina's eyes. "And then Henry knocked on my door."

They gazed at each other with gentle smiles.

"Our son has impeccable timing." The brunette offered.

"Mmhmm." Emma agreed, catching the mischievous twinkle in the Queen's eye before Regina spoke again.

"He obviously didn't get that from you."

Emma snorted. It was no secret she was rarely, if ever, on time, "not sure he got it from either of us, actually."

Regina quirked an eyebrow up in question;

"I mean look how long it took us to admit we have feelings for each other."

"Mmm," Regina smirked in response to the blonde's sweet teasing, "I suppose we do need to work on our timing."

"No time like the present," Emma smirked, reaching her free hand around the brunette's waist to pull her closer.

"Yet, something else we agree on," Regina husked as she cupped the blonde's cheek and brought her lips towards the sheriff's.

Emma felt Regina's thumb trace her cheekbone and she gently leaned into the soft touch, the reverence in the gesture making her heart race and her body surge with need and anticipation.

Emma wasn't alone in her desire. She felt the brunette's magic reach out and caress her own, sending tiny shocks along her skin leaving goosebumps behind. In response, she tilted her head further and leaned toward her Queen.

The desire to kiss the brunette had grown exponentially as the distance between them shortened. It was now a full blown need. She had never before felt such a burning desperation to have her lips pressed against another's, not with Lily, not with Neal, not even with Killian.

The pull Emma felt to Regina was like the moon pulling the tides. It was a force of nature.

As their breaths intermingled, their eyes began to close. Their lips shortened the distance between them…

Then the door slammed open, shocking them both to the point they jumped back, falling away from each other.

"What the fuck!" Emma's hand went to her rapidly beating heart.

Regina was faring no better, glaring in rage at the horribly timed interruption. Her mouth was opening and closing like she wanted to scream at someone but was too shocked to think of what to say.

"Savior," the Blue Fairy swept into the room, shooting a look of scorn towards the blonde, who scowled back, "your … highness," the epitaph phrased with condescension and obviously purposefully stated incorrectly. Old habits (hatred) died hard. "There has been a … 'situation'," the fairy gesticulated vaguely, "your presence is needed right away."

Regina gaped at the audacity and then turned to check in with Emma who just shook her head, still reeling from the shock of the intrusion, Pausing to attempt to compose herself, she was meant to be the 'Good' Queen now and all, Regina took a deep breath, before turning toward the (gnat) fairy. Opening her mouth to respond, Blue beat her to it.

Unseen by them, the fairy flicked her wand behind her back and the sounds from a loud explosion not far off rang through the room. Regina and Emma jumped at the boom that shook the room grabbing onto each other instinctually. They exchanged a look of pained acknowledgment.

"I did mention its urgency, did I not?" The fairy scoffed, before flicking the still hidden wand again. A subsequent boom, a bit lower in volume to the first followed, and Regina let out an exasperated sigh.

"Go," Emma squeezed the Queen's hand.

Regina shot her a look pleading for understanding and the blonde managed a strained smile. The Queen squeezed her hand once and then vanished in her signature purple smoke.

Emma was so frustrated she could scream. Turning on Blue, she raged at the former mother superior, "What the hell was that about?!"

"You're lucky, I intervened when I did." Blue huffed in response, "You were on the brink of making an absolute mistake!"

""What are you talking…?"

The Fairy ignored the blonde and continued as if Emma hadn't spoken, "I mean, seriously? The Saviour and the Evil Queen? Have you truly lost your senses?"

"She's not Evil…" The words were out of her mouth before it dawned on Emma that the fairy had seen what had been about to happen and had realized what that meant. The former sheriff also realized she hadn't even tried to deny what had been about to happen. She also realized she had no desire to deny it. She was just pissed it hadn't actually happened.

"Oh, but she is." Blue snarled.

It took Emma a moment to catch back up to the conversation. The topic made her scowl even harder at the self righteous prig.

"She may have assuaged your parents, mollified the populace, and obviously fooled you;" the fairy eyed the blonde with distaste, "but I know better. She was, is, and always will be, Evil." Blue paused briefly to glare at Emma, before continuing her tirade,"What else could be expected though. She's from that stock. Her mother was the same, just as evil. There was no way Regina could be anything else but evil as a byproduct of that witch."

Pointing her wand at the Saviour she continued her tirade, "You, however, should know better and should behave accordingly, Your mother is the fairest in all the lands. Your parents have true love, which you are a product of, need I remind you. You are their Hope! Everyone's hope. You are meant to vanquish evil, not pucker up and kiss it!"

Emma recoiled from the fairy but Blue was on her soap box and too far into her rant to notice. "What would they think? Hmm? Of their daughter, their Saviour, mixing with the Evil Queen? Do you think they would be proud? Disgusted more like."

Emma thought about her parents. How David had seemed to know about Hook and had pulled her aside to remind her how they loved and supported her no matter what. And Snow had made Teguna the good Queen. It was still hard for Emma to get a read on her mother, she knew she loved her. Would that be enough?

Blue prattled on, "What about your children? What would they think of all this? What kind of role model would you be?"

Emma scoffed at that argument. Henry and Hope adored Regina. Half the time she thought Hope liked the Queen more than Emma. 'Plus, I've been in prison.' She thought to herself, 'It's not like I'm that worried about my kids' opinions being based on superficial crap like who I lov-like, who I have feelings for. Henry still adores me and he knows all about my past.'

"What about the town? You owe them. Do you really think they will rally behind the likes of you when they see who you associate with? How you treat your marital vows?" Blue continued to spit forth hate and vitriol.

Emma's blood boiled as she listened to the fairy's rant. Sadly, she recognized some of her own ghosts and inner demons come through the speech. She had actually feared some of these things, whether she ever consciously realized them or not. Her subconscious, however, seemed to have influenced her decisions on similar if not identical bases. The more Blue spoke, the more Emma saw her actions in response to those voiced fears.

With her upbringing, or lack thereof, she knew she had developed an urge to constantly prove herself, along with a desperate need for validation and approval. Especially from her parents. She had felt like an imposter with them. She had never been a princess. Even in the wish realm it felt… off. It didn't fit her. She had tried. God had she tried. She even married the pirate, a man, because that was what she had felt was expected of her. Never had she been enough. That wasn't a new feeling for her. It was just another home where she wouldn't measure up, but she had sucked it up and done what they wanted.

Including being the Saviour. That stupid role, that ridiculous title. That had been mostly for Henry, but then also for her parents and finally the whole town. A huge burden to carry for people who wouldn't accept her as herself, as Emma.

Or maybe she hadn't given them the chance to…?

"As the Saviour, you should…"

The words triggered something in Emma. That was it, Enough was enough. She was good enough exactly as she was. She didn't need to fill a title or a role. If someone didn't like that it was on them. Emma deserved to be happy. She deserved to live life in her own terms as herself. If anyone ever understood that or made her feel being just Emma was all she needed to be, it was Regina. This Saviour crap ended now!

"No! You don't get to finish that statement." Emma stood gesturing wildly, before getting in the fairy's face. "Here's the thing: I didn't ask to be the Saviour. I never wanted any of it. I still don't. I won't run from it, not anymore, but that title, that weight you've all placed on me, well I won't carry that burden."

Blue opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say anything, Emma continued her rant, glaring daggers at the fairy.

"I refuse to let your ideas of who you think I'm supposed to be, dictate my life! You don't get a say in who I am because of some stupid role you believe I need to fill." Glaring even harder at the fairy, the blonde stopped and stood taller with the confidence of her own words. "I decide who I will be, what I will and will not do, and who I will allow in my life. I choose who I will love." She pointed at Blue, "Not you!" She slashed her hand for emphasis, "Not my parents! Not some curse! Not Gold! Not the town! Me!"

The blonde hit the spot over her heart twice, "I decide!"

At the conclusion of her rant, the candles surrounding them in the room hissed and sparked and the flames shot up higher. The end of Blue's wand shot out a bolt of unbidden magic, surprising the fairy. Emma jumped as a spark of heat shot from her palm onto her chest and she pulled her hand away, watching as a tiny fireball emerged for a moment before imploding on itself and sending a ring of energy out from the blonde's upturned palm.

The ring of energy passed almost seamlessly through Emma but when it hit Blue, the nun's eyes flashed with the familiar red and blue lights, before the swirling energy fizzled, popped and faded from existence.

As soon as the weird lights left Blue's eyes, all the candles went out, leaving the two in sudden darkness.

—

There is a reason for this to have played out the way it did. Emma is learning some things about herself on this journey :)

I'm also learning things on my own journey so not sure when the next one will be posted. Will try my best to keep trucking. Thank you again for being on this journey.