Chapter 21
She drove around aimlessly for another week, stopping only for gas and to sleep. She remained optimistic that she would find another place to live, but nowhere she stopped felt right like St. Paul did. She called Belle and Marian a handful of times just to check in and find out if they were mates yet, happy to find out that they were well on their way. She reached Washington State about a week and a half after leaving Belle and Marian and she stopped in a small motel for the day. She sat on the bed, staring at a map of the area, trying to decide if she should continue driving into Washington or head south toward California. She remembered her promise to Marian to find the Pretty Woman boutique and decided she would turn south toward California the following night.
She checked out of the motel the following night, bidding the kind woman farewell and made her way back into her car. She loved her yellow Bug, but if truth be told, she was getting tired of driving so much.
She put the key in the ignition and turned it like usual, only to find nothing happened. Cursing under her breath she tried again, finding her engine refusing to turn over once again. She slammed her fists against the steering wheel after trying a few more times, each time met with the same outcome.
She slammed the door closed and stormed back into the motel to see if she could extend her stay even though she had already checked out, finding that her room was still available. After explaining the issue, the receptionist gave her the number of a Vampire friendly tow-truck service and wished her luck.
She waited patiently for the truck to arrive, and watched as the driver pulled her trusty Bug onto the bed of the truck, giving him explicit instructions on how to contact her in the morning when the mechanic took a look at the engine, giving them permission to go ahead with any repairs, as long as they weren't catastrophic. The driver gave her the card to the shop and instructed her to call the following night with any updates. He asked if he could drop her off somewhere, to which she politely declined. Even though she had just spent the last ten years trying to trust people, she wasn't quite ready to trust Humans just yet.
She checked her phone and realized it was still early, and took off walking down the street, exploring the seemingly old and urban neighborhood she found herself in. The more she walked, the more she liked what she saw. She stopped in front of a retro-looking bar, with a big sign on the outside, indicating it was a Vampire-friendly establishment. It reminded her of The Blood Moon from Boston, a time that felt like a lifetime ago. She smiled at the memories of a time she spent there with Regina and decided to go inside.
The bar was large and inviting, with quite a few patrons inside already. A blonde woman was tending bar and gave a warm smile when she heard the door open, silently inviting Emma into the bar. Emma walked toward the bar, giving the bartender her best smile, her heart pounding in her chest. This was the first Human establishment she had been in for a very long time.
"Hey, ummm…is this…a Vampire-friendly bar?" Emma asked shyly, gripping the edge of the bar until her knuckles turned white.
"Yes, of course!" the bartender said, easing Emma's anxiety with another soft smile.
"Great," Emma said, relaxing as she sat on the stool.
"What can I getcha?" the bartender asked.
"Do you have any AB+?" Emma asked.
"Sure. My boss always makes sure…" the bartender started to say as she grabbed a pint glass to fill with dark red blood, when the sound of a case of beer hitting the floor, the bottles inside no doubt shattering on impact, startled them both. Emma and the bartender both turned their attention toward the sound.
Emma suddenly forgot how to breathe.
It was as if the world stopped spinning, and time itself came to a screeching halt as she looked over at the woman standing behind the bar, a similar shocked expression on her face.
The woman was taller than the other blonde behind the counter but a few inches shorter than Emma. Her dark brown hair was short and wild with natural curls and her skin had a natural olive complexion to it. But it was the stranger's eyes that captivated her so much.
Emma would never forget those chocolate brown eyes.
"Emma…" the woman said, her face still frozen with shock.
Emma struggled to breathe. The woman's voice. She would recognize that husky voice anywhere.
The woman didn't wait for Emma's response before she was climbing over the bar, leaping onto the floor and running toward Emma with all her might.
Emma stumbled off the bar stool with just enough time for the woman to propel herself into Emma's arms, wrapping her arms and legs around Emma's body, holding her so tight she could feel the woman's heart beating against her own chest.
"I thought you were dead," the woman said, her body shaking as she began to cry.
"Regina…" Emma whispered, her voice failing her as dark red tears fell down her face, staining the back of Regina's Def Leppard cut off tank top, red streaks dripping down the exposed skin of Regina's shoulder.
Emma held Regina so tight, she was sure she was crushing her ribs, but she didn't care. She didn't know how or why, and in that moment she didn't care. All that she cared about was Regina in her arms, Regina's arms and legs wrapped just as tightly around her body.
"Emma, you're alive. I can't believe you're alive," Regina cried, her body shaking in Emma's arms. Emma could feel Regina's tears dripping onto her shirt as well as they held each other. Emma shook with emotion as she held Regina, afraid to let her go. Neither one of them cared that they were standing in the middle of the bar for everyone to see.
A moment later, Regina moved away from Emma's shoulder, swiftly capturing her lips in a heated kiss. It took Emma a few minutes to realize the kiss was too heated when Regina's lips began to burn hers, as if they were on fire. She pulled away in shock as she looked at Regina, causing Regina to unwrap her legs from around Emma's waist, dropping her feet to the floor in front of her, while keeping her arms wrapped around Emma's neck.
"You're…Human?" Emma asked, wiping away the clear tears that streamed down Regina's face.
"Uhh…Roni?" the blonde bartender asked, pulling Regina's attention away from Emma for the first time. Regina detangled herself from Emma, causing Emma to whimper from the loss of Regina's warm body against her own. "Should I clean that up?"
"Yes, please," Regina said, reluctantly turning her gaze from Emma and to the bartender behind the counter. "Do you think you can hold down the fort tonight, Tilly? I have some very important business to attend to."
"You got it, boss," Tilly said, smiling at the couple in the middle of the room.
"Great. Text me if you need me. Otherwise, I'll see you at closing." Regina smiled, reaching for Emma's hand, lacing their fingers together. Emma's heart skipped a beat when she felt the familiar feeling of Regina's fingers laced with hers, even if Regina's hand was burning hers now. "Come with me," Regina said, guiding Emma toward the spiral staircase in the corner of the room.
Regina led them upstairs to a small landing and unlocked the wooden door in the corner, leading them into the small apartment.
"Is this your place?" Emma asked, looking around at the apartment, full of large windows, the view over the buildings of the Seattle skyline stunning.
"Yeah." Regina looked over at Emma inspecting her home. "I own the bar downstairs as well, so it only makes sense to live in the upstairs apartment," Regina said, taking a tentative step toward Emma. Sensing her closeness, Emma turned around suddenly.
As soon as her eyes met Regina's, she rushed over, picking her up once again, this time carrying her over to the couch and carefully laying her down on the worn material. Their lips only separated long enough to remove their shirts and toss them over the back of the couch.
Emma's cool hands began to roam up Regina's side, her fingertips teasing under the underwire of Regina's bar, while Regina's hands grasped onto the skin on Emma's back, her legs wrapping around Emma's waist once again, holding her tight, before suddenly pulling away, pushing Emma off her slightly.
"Wait, Emma. I'm hurting you," Regina said, her eyes wide with panic.
"I don't care," Emma said, even though her lips felt like they were on fire from Regina's hot skin.
"No, Emma. I'm hurting you. I remember the feeling. I'm hurting you this time," Regina said, desperately resisting the urge to cup Emma's face.
"Regina…" Emma said as thick red tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. "…you died in my arms thirty years ago. Your body turned to ash before my very eyes. I don't care if your touch sets me on fire, I don't want you to stop. Because any minute now I'm going to wake up and discover this is all a dream, and I want to make the most of this moment before I do," Emma said, desperate to continue kissing her.
"If this is a dream, my love, I don't ever want to wake up," Regina said, pulling Emma down for a crushing kiss. "Bedroom…" she whispered as Emma's cool lips began kissing her neck, in the exact way she remembered would make Regina go insane.
Emma climbed off Regina, helping her off the couch and allowing Regina to lead her into the bedroom, closing the door behind them. Almost immediately Regina was laying on her back once more, Emma's cold fingers reaching between her back and the mattress to swiftly unhook her bra, pulling it off and tossing it on the floor before unbuttoning her jeans, pulling them off, taking her panties with them. Regina could see more tears welling in Emma's eyes as she looked down at her, lying beneath her, just as perfect as the day they met over thirty years ago.
"What's the matter?" Regina asked, fear rising in her voice.
"I've missed you so much, Regina," Emma cried, the tears she was trying so desperately to control beginning to fall down her face.
"I missed you too, my love," Regina said, reaching up to wipe the tears from Emma's eyes, her warm fingers leaving a trail of fire across her cheeks. Regina sat up to kiss Emma properly just as Emma pulled her into a tight hug, pulling the woman into her lap. Regina wrapped her arms and legs around Emma, holding her so tight she thought she might puncture Emma's lung.
Emma began to weep uncontrollably, her red tears dripping down Regina's bare back, their bodies shaking as they cried together, holding each other tighter than they thought possible.
"Emma, I am going to have to insist you remove the rest of your clothes," Regina whispered once they had both stopped crying. "I need to feel you against my skin, and your clothes are getting in the way."
"Of course." Emma chuckled, pulling away from Regina, reaching behind and quickly popping off her bra. Regina helped pull her jeans off her legs, tossing them to the side before she resumed her post in Emma's lap, her arms instantly pulling Emma in closer, their breasts pressing against each other once more. They both sighed at the familiar feeling as they pulled each other into another deep and passionate kiss.
Regina shuddered slightly when she felt Emma's cold fingers make contact with her clit, pressing slow circles around it, sending waves of pleasure through her body. Even after thirty years, Emma still knew exactly how to drive her crazy.
Just as her first orgasm began to wash over her, she felt Emma's fingers slowly penetrate her soaking wet core, instantly finding the exact spot deep within her that sent waves of electricity through her body. Her hips began to rock against Emma's fingers, their bodies moving like the well-oiled machine they once were. Emma's fingers felt like they were on fire as she continued to finger Regina as Regina's quickly warming body burned her skin, the thin layer of sweat on Regina's tan skin causing their skin to stick together. But none of that mattered to Emma. All that mattered was the woman in her arms, the same woman who died in her arms thirty years ago. The love of her life. Her Mate. If Regina's body caused her to spontaneously combust, she would die happy knowing she was able to be with Regina one last time.
"Emma…" Regina whispered, her voice breathy. "…bite me…" Regina managed to say, a deep moan escaping her throat.
"Are you sure?" Emma asked, stilling her fingers for a moment.
"I've never been more sure of anything," Regina said, her brown eyes locking with Emma's green. Emma smiled, her fingers slowly resuming their previous activities, causing Regina's eyes to close tightly.
Regina could feel Emma's lips on her neck, kissing her skin so gently and lightly she almost missed it. A moment later, she felt the slight pinch of Emma's fangs as she carefully bit into her skin, drawing blood to the surface. Emma was so gentle it brought tears to Regina's eyes.
Regina is AB+, Emma thought as Regina's blood touched her tongue. Just like me.
The moment Emma swallowed just the slightest bit of Regina's blood, their bond was created, sending waves of energy through their bodies, linking them in a way they haven't been for the last thirty years.
"EMMA!" Regina screamed so loud as her orgasm ripped through her body, she was sure they could hear her downstairs, even over the noise of the busy bar. "Don't stop! Please don't stop," she moaned, her body shaking slightly as she continued to ride Emma's fingers.
"Not until the day I die," Emma whispered into Regina's ear, never even slowing down.
After her third or fourth orgasm, Regina's body finally gave out from exhaustion and collapsed into Emma's arms, her head resting on Emma's shoulder as Emma's strong arms held her tightly, her body still tingling from the powerful orgasms. Emma slowly and gently laid Regina down onto the bed, careful not to wake the sleeping woman. She pulled a small blanket around her to make sure she didn't get cold, remembering what it felt like to snuggle with a Vampire. Emma gently ran her fingers through Regina's short and sweaty hair, staring at the woman as she slept in her arms, afraid if she closed her eyes she would disappear again.
"Hey," Emma whispered, once she felt Regina stirring in her arms.
"Wow," was all Regina managed to say as she tried to force her eyes to focus once more.
"I hope I was worth the wait," Emma said, her voice filled with the slightest hint of doubt.
"I waited a hundred years to be with you, remember. Thirty years is nothing." Regina chuckled as her brain began to clear. She laced her fingers into Emma's hair, her fingertips making contact with her cool scalp.
"I don't have a dildo," Regina said sadly.
"That's okay." Emma smiled.
"No, it's not. It'll hurt, Emma. I remember. I refuse to hurt you."
"How the tables have turned." Emma chuckled, gaining a soft slap on the shoulder from Regina.
"Wait! I have an idea!" Regina said, climbing off the bed and stumbling a little as she walked toward the bedroom door. "I'll be right back." Regina disappeared into her apartment. Emma could hear some banging in the kitchen and a few minutes later Regina returned, a large bowl in her hand.
Regina climbed onto the bed and placed the bowl next to Emma's hip. Emma propped herself up on her elbows to see what Regina had come up with, just in time to see her spit a half-melted ice cube into her hand, dropping it into the bowl.
"Lay down, Miss Swan," Regina said, gently pushing Emma's legs open, settling in between them. Emma's breath hitched in her throat when she felt Regina's cold tongue run through her soaked folds, settling on her sensitive clit. After a few rotations of her cold tongue around the swelling nub, she slowly thrust it deep inside Emma, the tip seeking out that special spot deep within Emma. After a few minutes, Regina's tongue began to warm up. Just as Regina's warm tongue started to burn just a little, she pulled it out quickly, causing Emma to whine slightly at the loss of Regina's touch. Emma could hear the sound of ice rattling in the bowl off to the side and sat up just enough to see Regina removing her hand from the cold bowl, popping another piece of ice in her mouth. A moment later, Emma could feel Regina's cold fingers thrusting inside her, instantly finding the spot, causing her eyes to roll to the back of her head. It didn't take long for her first orgasm to rip through her.
Regina didn't still for even a moment as she continued to finger Emma, switching hands when one got too warm, returning them to the quickly melting bowl of ice until there was nothing left but room temperature water and an equally exhausted Vampire. Regina curled up next to Emma and watched her sleep, a warm smile spreading across her face.
A few minutes later, Emma stirred, reaching out for Regina, her eyes springing open when she felt her warm skin against her cool hand.
"You're here," Emma whispered, turning her body toward Regina.
"There's nowhere in the world I would rather be," Regina whispered, softly caressing Emma's cheek. Their bond had caused Emma's skin to warm slightly, allowing Regina to touch Emma with less pain than before.
"Now I know this isn't a dream. Because everytime I dream of you, I always wake up before we get to be together," Emma whispered, her slightly less cold hand reaching to cup Regina's face as well.
"I used to dream of you too," Regina said, clear tears welling in her eyes.
"What happened?" Emma asked, thick red tears welling in her eyes as well. "You died, Regina. You died in my arms and your body turned to ash before my eyes. But you're here. You're here in Seattle, with me."
"I woke up from a coma about five months after I…after I…after I died," Regina started to say. "Apparently, I was found on the side of the road, naked and unconscious. No one knows where I came from or how I got there, or even who I was. When I woke up, I insisted I was an Elder Vampire and that I needed blood. I refused to eat and eventually they were forced to admit me into the psychiatric ward because I kept insisting I was a hundred-year-old Vampire. It took me another month to realize that I was, in fact, Human. It was my tears that convinced me. When I realized my tears were clear and not blood, I knew I was Human. I still don't understand why. I eventually convinced the doctors that I was better and I knew I was Human and they eventually discharged me. I booked a flight back to Maine and made my way to Storybrooke as soon as I could to find you. But once I got there, the cabin was gone and so were you. I asked around town to try and find out what happened, and someone told me there was a fire. I asked what happened to the people living there, and they said everyone thinks they died in the fire, because no one had seen the two women living there," Regina explained, tears falling down her cheeks. "So I came back here, assumed the name "Roni Hart", bought the bar and tried to move on. But no matter what I did, I couldn't move on, Emma. I could never move on from losing you."
"That fire…was because of me…" Emma explained, not quite sure she should tell Regina the true cause of the fire. "The Wolves helped me so much after the fire. I left the following night. They knew where I went. You must not have spoken to them."
"You knew the Wolves as Humans?" Regina asked.
"I never formally met them as Humans. But I've kept in contact with them over the years. They helped me so much after you died, I couldn't abandon them."
"Was Omega pregnant?" Regina asked, remembering back to that night when Emma suspected Omega was pregnant.
"She was!" Emma said, excited. "They have two kids now, a boy and a girl. In fact, they are probably all grown up now."
"I'm so happy for them." Regina smiled.
"But I don't understand, how are you Human?" Emma asked, changing the subject once more.
"I don't know. I don't even know how I got here to begin with. It's like I got a second chance," Regina answered.
"But you look exactly the same. You haven't aged a day, almost as if you were still a Vampire."
"I have no idea. It goes further. It seems as though…" Regina stopped, silently decided if she should continue. "…it appears I can't die either," Regina finally said.
"What do you mean? How do you know?" Emma asked, concern in her voice.
"I tried to kill myself, Emma. About a year after I found out you were gone," Regina said with sadness in her voice. Emma reached out for Regina, pulling her even closer, red tears falling from her eyes.
"I did too," Emma whispered. "A couple times. The fire that burned down the cabin was due to an attempt. I met the sunrise and tried to burn myself. But I couldn't do it either. Everytime I tried, I survived, no matter what I tried."
"I guess fate wanted to keep us together," Regina said, a tear falling from her face. Emma reached forward to wipe the tear away, giving Regina a clear view of her left arm.
"Emma! Your arm! What happened?" Regina exclaimed, grabbing Emma's arm, twisting it to get a better look at the scars.
"I did that," Emma said, not pulling her arm away. "One mark for every year you were gone."
"You'll never have to do that again," Regina said, kissing the skin on Emma's left arm. She kissed each bundle of marks, making her way to Emma's forearm, kissing each letter in "Regina". She started kissing her way back up Emma's arm toward her neck when she heard the sound of her phone beeping from inside her pocket of her jeans, which were discarded somewhere on the floor.
"Shit. That's probably Tilly. I told her to text me if she needed help downstairs," Regina said, rolling off the bed, searching the floor for her pants, retrieving her cell phone. She frowned when she tapped the screen and read the text, confirming her suspicions. "I was right. I have to go." Regina tapped a reply before quickly redressing. "You can stay up here if you want. I don't mind." Regina secured her bra and pulled on her shirt, ignoring the semi-noticeable blood tears dripping down the back of it.
"I'll be down in a minute," Emma said, smiling as she watched Regina fix her hair, a wide smile reaching across her face. She rushed over to give Emma one last kiss before running out of the apartment to save her bartender from the thirsty crowd.
Emma took a few minutes to process the events of the previous hour.
Regina was alive.
Regina was a Human.
But most importantly, she was there, with her. Taking a deep breath, she climbed out of Regina's bed and searched for her clothes, getting dressed quickly. She stopped in the bathroom to wash her face, making sure all traces of her blood tears were gone before she made her way back downstairs to join Regina in the bar.
As soon as she entered the room, her eyes fell on Regina tending bar, mixing and pouring drinks for patrons with a bright smile on her face. She sat in the corner of the bar and watched for a few minutes until Regina caught sight of her, immediately grabbing a glass and filling it with blood from the tap, bringing it over to Emma.
"Only the best for my love," she said as she placed the glass on the counter in front of Emma.
"Thank you." Emma smiled, her eyes falling onto the two tiny holes on the side of Regina's long neck. "Do you want me to go upstairs and get you a scarf or something to cover that?" she asked, pointing to Regina's neck.
"Don't you dare." Regina smiled, propping herself up on the counter to lean over and give Emma a deep kiss. "I wear those like a badge of honor." Before Emma could respond, Regina was called away to help another customer, an excited swagger in her hips as she moved.
Emma watched as Regina worked for a few more hours, eventually taking a short break to join Emma at a table in the corner while she ate a plate of loaded nachos.
"It's weird to see you eat regular food." Emma laughed as she watched Regina shove a large nacho in her mouth, barely able to chew.
"It definitely took some getting used to when I started." Regina laughed, nearly choking. "The first thing I ate when I was released from the hospital was a bacon cheeseburger. I now know why it was your favorite." Regina laughed, shoving another large nacho in her mouth. "I try to eat one as much as possible, in your memory." Regina smiled, bringing tears to Emma's eyes. Regina disappeared again after she finished eating and continued to rush around for the remainder of the night, serving drinks and cleaning up as she went along.
The night eventually came to an end and Tilly left for the night, leaving Regina to finish closing just before sunrise. Emma offered to help her with her chores, but Regina insisted Emma go upstairs and rest, telling her she will join her soon. Emma made it upstairs just as the sun was starting to rise, the first rays of sunlight streaming into the huge windows in Regina's living room. Emma ran into the bedroom, diving under the covers. Even though the shades were closed in Regina's bedroom, a few stray rays of light found their way inside.
By the time Regina finished closing up and made her way upstairs, Emma was curled up under the blankets, fighting the urge to fall asleep until Regina was back in her arms again. Emma was starting to feel the beginnings of sun sickness when Regina finally climbed into bed, wearing only her panties and tank top, sans bra.
"Emma? You're still awake? You should be sleeping," Regina said, curling up next to Emma, forgetting for a second how cold her skin was.
"I was waiting for you," Emma said, savoring the feeling of Regina next to her. "Plus there was a little light coming in and I can't close the blinds," Emma added, her voice sounding weak from the sun.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," Regina said, racing out of bed to fix the blinds, blocking all remaining light before climbing back into bed. "I forget about those things."
"I still can't believe this is real," Emma said, fighting against her exhaustion as her eyes started to close involuntarily.
"Me neither, my love. Me neither," Regina whispered, holding Emma tighter.
"I'm afraid to go to sleep," Emma said, her voice sounding even weaker from the sun. "I'm afraid if I go to sleep, this is all going to be a dream, and I'm going to wake up and you're still going to be dead."
"I am very much alive, my love. We are both very much alive," Regina said, wiping the tears off Emma's face. "And I'm not going anywhere."
"I missed you so much, Regina. I missed you so much it physically hurt," Emma cried, more tears escaped from her eyes. "A part of me died every day I was away from you. Every moment of every day, I was dying."
"I know the feeling." Regina smiled, clearly staying strong for Emma, who was quickly unraveling in front of her. "I tried to kill myself because I couldn't stand the idea of living in a world without you in it."
"I couldn't live in this world without you. Everyone kept telling me to re-enter society. To move on. But I couldn't. I tried but I couldn't do it, Regina. I couldn't live without you." Emma weeped, the bed shaking as she broke down in Regina's arms. "I missed you so much, Regina. I love you so much," she said, fighting back the nausea from sun sickness. She knew she was moments away from getting sick, but she didn't care. She couldn't leave Regina's side even if the building was on fire and burning down around them.
"I tried too. That's why I bought the bar," Regina said, running her fingers through Emma's hair, a move she knew would calm her down. "I buried myself in work, building the business from the ground up as a way of distracting myself from my constantly breaking heart," she continued, her voice soft and soothing. "You're the love of my life, Emma. My entire life."
"I love you so much, Regina," Emma said as she felt the blood rise in her throat. Any minute now she was going to be sick if she didn't close her eyes and go to sleep.
"I love you too, Emma. More than life itself," Regina said, kissing her softly. "Emma, you need to go to sleep. You're going to get sick."
"I'm already getting sick," Emma said, her voice sounding very weak.
"Go to sleep, my love," Regina whispered.
"Will you be here when I wake up?" Emma asked, her eyes filled with hope.
"I promise," Regina said. Emma smiled as her eyes started to close. Regina held her tighter, even though her cold skin was starting to give her goosebumps. There was nothing in this world that would stop her from holding Emma. "I love you," she whispered, kissing Emma's forehead as she felt Emma fall asleep in her arms.
Emma woke up the following evening to an empty bed. She sighed, her heart breaking all over again as she instantly assumed the previous night was a dream, until she heard movement in the next room. Peeking her head out of the room, she saw Regina in the kitchen, cooking something on the stove, humming softly to herself. She was still wearing just her panties and tank top she had gone to bed in the day before, her hair still tousled from sleeping.
"Good evening." Regina smiled, rushing over to Emma, kissing her deeply.
"You're cooking?" Emma asked, forgetting for a minute that Regina was Human, even though her lips were still burning from Regina's kiss.
"Yeah, I need to eat." Regina laughed, bringing a plate of scrambled eggs to the kitchen table before emptying the contents of a small saucepan into a mug, placing it on the table next to her plate. "I warmed up some A+ for you. That's still your favorite, right? We ran out of AB+ last night," Regina said, slightly nervous.
"I love it, thank you," Emma said, taking a seat at the table and taking a sip of her blood. "It's perfect." Regina released the breath she was holding and sat down next to Emma, taking a large bite of her scrambled eggs.
"So, I have to work tonight, but I was thinking, maybe after I'm finished…you could turn me…" Regina said, so shyly that Emma almost missed what she said.
"Are you sure you want to do it tonight? We can wait a little if you want," Emma answered.
"Not a chance. I can't bear to go another day being different than you," Regina answered, taking another bite of food. "And I can't keep hurting you," she added, shyly.
"Then tonight's the night." Emma smiled, reaching for Regina's hand, biting her tongue from making a sarcastic comment.
"Great!" Regina said, her eyes lighting up. "I'll tell Tilly that we'll be closed the next two nights, since I'll be in no shape to work tomorrow night. And I'll ask her to close tonight, so we can get started early," Regina suggested. "Things are going to have to change at the bar. Looks like Tilly is getting a promotion." Regina chuckled, taking another large bite of scrambled eggs.
"Good idea. I should head back to the hotel and grab my things and check out. And my car! Crap! I need to find out about my car too," Emma exclaimed, suddenly remembering her life outside of Regina.
"And I need to get you a set of keys to the bar and the apartment. I assume you'll stay here with me. If that's alright," Regina said, blushing slightly.
"Of course!" Emma said, reaching across the table to touch Regina's hand. "I'm in this forever." Regina smiled at the idea of actually getting to spend an eternity with Emma.
As soon as they were finished eating breakfast, Regina made her way downstairs to work, greeting Tilly as they began working for the night. Emma eventually made her way out into the city to run their errands, sneaking back in and upstairs with her duffle bag a few hours later.
"Hey, Tilly, I need to talk to you for a second," Regina said when they reached a quiet lull in the evening.
"Sure, what's up, boss lady?" Tilly asked, tossing a rag over her shoulder.
"Would you be able to close tonight?" Regina asked.
"Sure, no problem," Tilly said, turning to walk away.
"There's more," Regina said, grabbing Tilly's attention once more. "We're going to have to close for about two days. But, I'm going to need you to come in for a little meeting the night after tomorrow. It's nothing bad, I promise."
"Sure…" Tilly said, her eyes filling with concern. "Roni? Is everything okay? Does this have something to do with that woman who showed up last night?" she asked, ready to step up and defend her boss if necessary.
"Everything is perfect." Regina smiled. "We'll explain everything to you in a few days, I promise."
"If you say so." Tilly smiled, not entirely convinced that her boss wasn't in trouble.
Regina left work around two am, as planned, and practically ran up the stairs to her apartment, where she knew Emma was waiting for her. She opened the door to the smell of food cooking in the kitchen. Rushing toward the smell, she found Emma standing in front of the stove.
"You're cooking?" Regina asked in shock.
"I wanted to give you one last meal, before your diet changes drastically," Emma said, placing the plate on the table, next to the bouquet of roses.
"And you got me flowers?" Regina lowered her face down to the delicate flowers, inhaling their scent. "Thank you." Regina said as she leaned in to give Emma an appreciative kiss. She sat down and took a huge bite of her burger. "It's delicious," Regina took another bite, savoring in the flavors for the last time. "You're not eating?"
"I'm going to eat later…remember…" Emma said, referring to the process of changing someone, which required the Vampire to drain the Human to the brink of death.
"Saving room, I see." Regina laughed, causing Emma to laugh with her. Their hearts were so full now that they were together. They felt like they could conquer the world.
An hour later, the kitchen cleaned up and dishes were put away, Regina and Emma retreated to the bedroom. They settled into bed as Regina marveled at the new bed curtains that Emma had hung up while Regina was working, figuring they would need them now that they would both be Vampires again.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Emma asked, her heart pounding in her chest. "There's always a chance that you might not survive," Emma added, scared at the idea of Regina not surviving the change.
"That's a chance I'm willing to take. I would rather die trying to have an eternity with you, than not have you at all," Regina said, reaching across to grab Emma as if she might drift away.
"Me too." Emma kissed Regina softly, shifting closer to her. "Are you ready?" Regina nodded, biting her lip slightly. "I've never done this before. You'll be my first Fledgling. What if I screw it up?" Emma asked, her stomach in knots as she pulled away slightly.
"I trust you." Regina smiled.
"Okay," Emma said nervously, taking a breath. "One last kiss," Emma said, leaning in to kiss Regina once more, hopefully feeling the burn of Regina's skin for the last time.
Emma pulled away after a few minutes and locked eyes with Regina for a moment before Regina turned her head to the side, giving Emma more access to her neck. Emma leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Regina's neck before opening her mouth and biting down until her fangs pierced Regina's warm skin. Regina inhaled quickly when she felt Emma's fangs, and Emma could feel her nerves as Regina's heart started to pound in her chest. Emma began to drink from Regina, placing her fingers on the other side of Regina's neck, keeping a close eye on her pulse as she continued to drain her, making sure not to drain her too much and kill her before the change could occur.
Regina was struggling to breathe when Emma stopped drinking, her heart moments away from stopping from the blood loss. She quickly brought her own wrist up to her lips, biting down hard to pierce her own skin, causing blood to rise to the surface. She placed her wrist against Regina's lips, whispering for her to drink from her before it's too late. Regina drank a few drops, but her inability to breathe stopped her from drinking much before the wound healed. Emma bit her wrist open again, providing more blood for Regina, but once again she was only able to drink a few drops before the wound closed again.
They were running out of time.
Panicking, Emma bit down on her wrist, this time ripping off a chunk of skin, creating a larger wound. Blood gushed into Regina's mouth as she continued to struggle to drink enough before her body shut down.
A few moments later, Regina's body went still as her heart stopped beating and she stopped breathing. All that was left to do was wait. Wait to see if Emma was successful in changing Regina. And wait to see if Regina survived the change.
"Come back to me," Emma whispered as she curled up against Regina's side, resting her head against Regina's shoulder.
A/N: Told you :D I hope you're not mad at me anymore.