A/N: ***Trigger warning: this chapter contains a description of violence and torture.***
Chapter 11
Emma's head was pounding. In fact, it was so much worse than that. What Emma was experiencing was the worst pain she had ever experienced in her entire life. It was so bad it woke her from a deep sleep. It hurt so much she couldn't even open her eyes. A moment later, the pain began to move down her body and before long, every inch of her was in tremendous pain. Every cell in her body was on fire, and every nerve was firing at the same time. It was so bad that she couldn't move. All Emma could do was lay there, wishing for the pain to go away. It felt like she had been in a fist fight with The Incredible Hulk, and she clearly lost. She was convinced she was dying.
After what felt like an eternity, the pain in her body started to lessen, starting with her toes and slowly moving back up, until the only part that hurt was her head, which was still pounding. I'm never drinking again, she thought to herself when she was finally able to have a clear and coherent thought. She tried to will her eyes open, which she quickly found was not possible. She was incredibly dehydrated and in desperate need of a large glass of water, but moving was still impossible. All she could do was continue to lay perfectly still and wait for everything to pass, or death, whichever came first. At some point, she fell asleep again, passing out from the extreme pain in her head.
I didn't go drinking last night! she suddenly recalled, her brain finally catching up as she woke up for the second time. Last night came flashing back. The basement. The rescue mission. The knife. She moved slightly to check her wounds, when she felt someone laying on top of her stomach, one arm wrapped around the upper thigh of her right leg, the other draped across her stomach. She didn't need her brain to work to know who it was wrapped around her body. Her heart always knew her. She would always know Regina.
"Regina?" she whispered, her shaking hand reaching out to touch the top of Regina's head, startling the woman awake.
"Emma?" she asked, unwrapping herself from Emma's body, climbing up to lay next to her. Emma frowned slightly at the loss of Regina's body against her own.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, her brown eyes staring straight into Emma's.
"I have the worst headache of my life," Emma whispered, afraid that if she spoke any louder her head might explode. "And I'm incredibly dehydrated. I feel like I could drink an entire gallon of water and still be thirsty." Emma chuckled, instantly regretting it. She turned her head to the side to look at Regina, reaching out to gently cup her cheek. "I'm sorry, I know this hurts. I just really needed to touch you right now," she said, pulling her hand away.
"It doesn't hurt anymore." Regina smiled, reaching to replace Emma's hand against her face. Emma's eyes shot open as her tired and staggering brain struggled to keep up.
"Regina! Are you okay? Your skin doesn't feel cold anymore. Are you okay? Are you sick?" she asked, fear filling her voice. She shifted quickly to look at Regina, causing her head to pound even more.
Regina smiled, reaching out to cup Emma's face. "I'm perfectly fine."
Emma grabbed Regina's now slightly warm hand. "But you don't feel cold anymore."
"That's because we're the same now." She gently cupped Emma's face, her thumb lifting her upper lip, revealing Emma's brand new fangs.
"Regina…you changed me?" Emma asked, her tongue darting up to touch the tips of her new fangs, discovering just how sharp Vampire fangs really are.
"I did. I'm sorry. I hope you're not mad at me. You were dying, and there was nothing else I could do. I couldn't lose you, Emma." Thick red tears began to form in her eyes. "As it was, I wasn't completely sure I got to you in time. I was so hungry. I was afraid I took too much blood before I gave you mine," Regina said, her face still filled with worry.
"Regina, I am not mad at all. I could never be mad. This is all I've ever wanted. To touch you without hurting you." Emma smiled, reaching out to touch Regina's face, her hand lingering there for a few moments before she leaned over and planted a kiss on Regina's lips. "Wait, I thought you were supposed to bury the Fledglings while they changed?" Emma asked, pulling away from their kiss, her brain finally catching up.
"Most of the time, yes. The Sires usually bury their Fledglings to protect them from the sun. Only when the Fledglings are incredibly special to the Sires are they invited to share the Sire's bed during the change. The closeness to their Sires helps to ensure they survive the change and helps to create an emotional bond between them," Regina explained.
"I must be very special to you to wake up with you wrapped around me." Emma smirked, attempting to pull Regina closer to her, her body too weak to successfully move Regina. Regina moved on her own to close the gap.
"You are the most important person in my life, Emma. In my entire existence," Regina whispered, wrapping her arms around Emma.
"You're my Sire," Emma whispered.
"And you're my Fledgling," Regina said.
"Do you have any other Fledglings?" Emma asked after a few moments, jealousy flashing in her eyes.
"Not any that are still alive. I have only changed a few in the course of my time as a Vampire, less than five counting you. Two didn't survive the change and you killed the last one the first time I saw you." Regina laughed as Emma's face relaxed knowing she was Regina's only Fledgling.
"How do you feel? Are you in pain?" Regina asked after a few minutes.
"My head really freaking hurts. Like the worst headache of my life. And I'm really thirsty…hungry, I guess."
"You need to feed. You'll feel better after you feed." Emma just nodded, trusting Regina knew what was best. They were both startled suddenly by a loud knock on the door. "Don't move, I'll be right back," Regina said, crawling out of bed and through the thick curtains.
"Hey, sorry…" a familiar voice sounded after Regina opened the door. It took Emma a moment to recognize it as the voice of Elsa, one of the Vampires that helped her the previous night. "…I just wanted to see how Emma was doing. Did she…?"
"She did," Regina answered. Even though Emma couldn't see her, she knew Regina was smiling. "She just woke up."
"That's great, Regina. I was so worried about her all day," Elsa said.
"Me too," Regina agreed, her voice filled with slight worry.
"So, I managed to contact most of the Vamps that Emma saved last night, and together we collected as much blood as we could for you guys. We all know what you went through, Regina, and we all know what the first day as a Vampire is like. So we wanted to do something for you guys. For Emma," Elsa said, handing Regina two tote bags overfilled with packets of blood. "We tried to get as much O- as we could. The rest is a mix. We didn't know what type Emma would like," Elsa added.
"Thank you so much, Elsa. This is very generous of you guys," Regina said.
"She saved us, Regina. She gave her life to save us. If you hadn't been there, she would have died saving us. It's the least we could do," Elsa said, her voice cracking with emotion. "The rest of us would like to invite you both to The Blood Moon tonight to say thanks."
"I think it's best for us to stay in tonight. Emma is still very weak from the change and I still haven't recovered from my time there either. Can we postpone it until tomorrow night?" Regina asked. Emma didn't realize it until now just how tired Regina sounded.
"Yes! Of course, yes. Tomorrow night is perfect. Yes!" Elsa said, excitedly.
"Perfect, tomorrow night it is. Tell everyone we'll see them at The Blood Moon tomorrow night," Regina said.
"See you tomorrow," Elsa said. Emma heard Regina close and lock the door, her bare feet padding over to the kitchen. She could hear Regina carefully unpack the blood packets, stopping to read each packet before putting some of them in the freezer to keep them fresh before padding back to Emma. Regina tied open the thick curtains across one side of the bed to let in a little light before crawling back into bed, shuffling close to Emma and pulling the blonde back into her arms.
"That was very sweet of them to bring us food…umm…blood. They didn't have to do that," Emma said.
"Despite what The Agency has always told you, not all Vampires are bad," Regina said.
"I know. I learned that when I met you. That's why I did what I did. Once I found out what The Agency was really doing, I had to do something. I couldn't leave you guys down there," Emma said, reaching to run her fingers over the exposed skin of Regina's arm. "And I swear I didn't know you were there, Regina. If I had, I would have come a lot sooner."
"I know." Regina smiled. "You need to feed. We've already waited too long. But before we do, there's something we need to talk about."
"Becoming mates?" Emma asked, keeping her hand planted against Regina's bare skin.
"Yes. Since you are a Fledgling, it's better to do it before your first feeding, since your stomach will not be sensitive to Vampire blood."
"And you would be alright drinking my blood?" Emma asked, concerned with Regina during this phase.
"Yes. Since I am your Sire, I still have your Human blood inside me. But it won't last long, which is why time is a factor."
"Good. Then I'm in." Emma smiled. "What do we need to do?"
"We would need to bite each other on the left wrist. First you bite me, and if you are able to stop feeding, I will then bite you," Regina explained.
"Wait, what do you mean if I am able to stop feeding ?" Emma asked, her brain still a little slow.
"Your first time feeding after changing is a very intense experience, regardless of whether the blood is Human, Vampire, or animal. Some Fledglings do not have the self control to stop drinking from their Sire," Regina explained.
"What happens if I can't stop?" Emma asked, her voice shaking.
"Then I will perish," Regina said sadly. "I trust you, Emma. I trust that you'll be able to stop." She smiled.
"Okay, then I'm in." Emma smiled nervously.
"I'll let you know when to stop." Regina smiled, offering Emma her left wrist.
"I just…bite?" Emma asked, suddenly unsure what to do. Regina nodded as she smiled warmly.
"Yes. Just bite down and drink. Your Vampire instincts will kick in. You'll know what to do," Regina said. Emma nodded and looked down at Regina's pale wrist. She opened her mouth and wrapped her mouth around Regina's wrist, being careful to avoid the deep gashes left from her shackles, her sharp fangs puncturing the soft skin she found there.
Her mouth erupted with hunger as soon as Regina's blood touched her tongue, her instincts taking over as she quickly started swallowing Regina's blood. It tasted amazing, like nothing she had ever tasted before, and the more she drank, the more she wanted. Her mind began to fog, focusing only on the warm liquid in her mouth.
"Emma, it's time to stop," Regina whispered. But Emma didn't stop, didn't even slow, as she kept sucking blood from the tiny holes in Regina's wrist. "Emma. You need to stop," Regina said again, a slight panic rising in her voice. "Emma. Please. You need to stop. You're taking too much," Regina said, panic completely evident in her voice as she closed her eyes. Maybe Emma wasn't ready after all. "Emma…" she whispered, reaching her other hand to rest on Emma's face, a last ditch effort to get her attention before Emma drained her completely. Emma suddenly pulled away from Regina's wrist, gasping for breath as she composed herself.
"Regina, are you okay?" Emma panicked, reaching for Regina's face.
"I'm alright." Regina smiled weakly, her eyes fluttering open.
"I'm so sorry. I tried to stop. I tried so hard, but I couldn't. I'm so sorry," Emma said, a red tear forming in her eye.
"It's okay. You stopped, that's all that's important. The hardest part is over." Regina smiled, reaching for Emma's left hand, kissing the skin on Emma's wrist. Emma nodded when she looked back up at her, giving Regina permission to bite.
The reaction occurred the second the slightest drop of Emma's new Vampire blood hit Regina's tongue. First, it felt like fireworks exploding in their chest, bright lights of energy visible even under their shirts, emanating from their hearts. Then, a warm energy spread through them, reaching every corner of their bodies, warming their cold skin, but not hurting them. It was a warmth Regina had never felt before. The more of Emma's blood Regina drank, the more intense the warmth felt, until it became unbearable, forcing Regina to stop. Their hearts began to beat as one, their shared heartbeat pounding in their chests. They gasped to catch their breath as their hands found each other, their fingers lacing together, grasping onto each other so tightly that deep purple bruises began to form in between each finger. They could feel the other wrap around each cell in their body as they pressed their foreheads together, as if attempting to communicate telepathically, since they had long since lost the ability to speak. No orgasm they had ever experienced before felt anywhere near as amazing as the feeling of their shared blood coursing through their veins.
Time stopped as they laid in their bed, clutching each other as the fireworks continued to explode inside them, tapering off gradually until they returned to normal, their hearts continuing to beat as one.
"That was intense," Emma whispered, once she regained the ability to formulate words.
"It certainly was." Regina smiled.
"You're stuck with me now." Emma laughed.
"I wouldn't have it any other way. I've waited a hundred years to meet the love of my life," Regina said, the tear trailing down her face. "And now that I have you, I'm never letting you go."
"I'm sorry it took so long." Emma frowned, reaching out to wipe away Regina's tear before it hit the pillow, smearing her face with a thin line of blood.
"I would wait another hundred years if I had to, if that's what it took to be with you," Regina said.
"Luckly, you'll never have to wait for me again." Emma smiled.
"Thank god." Regina smiled, kissing Emma sweetly. "Let's get you fed. Vampire blood won't satisfy your hunger." Regina slowly pried herself away from Emma, making her way out of bed, Emma following behind her. "No, stay in bed. Rest. I'll heat up some O- and bring it to you," Regina said, instructing Emma to stay in bed. Emma sat against the headboard and listened to Regina prepare their meal, a smile so wide across her face her cheeks started to hurt. A few minutes later, Regina slowly made her way back over to the bed, two mugs of warm blood in her hands, offering the yellow one to Emma.
"Yellow, my favorite color." Emma smiled, taking the offered mug from Regina.
"I know. I bought it for you a while ago. So you had something that was just yours here. Something that didn't have blood in it at some point. Ironic, isn't it?" Regina said, carefully climbing back in bed next to Emma.
"That was very sweet of you. Thank you." Emma smiled, moving to take her first sip of the Human-animal blood mixture.
"Drink it slow. I know you're very hungry, but you need to drink it slowly until your body becomes accustomed to the blood," Regina explained, taking a small sip of her own mug.
Emma took a deep breath before taking a tentative sip of the thick red liquid, her thirst instantly sated with just the first sip.
"What do you think?" Regina asked, sipping her mug again.
"It's kinda bland," Emma said, making a face. "Your blood tastes much better." She smirked.
"Yours does as well." Regina smirked back. "O- blood is quite bland. That's why we only really drink it when we're sick and recovering or for a Fledgling's first meal or two while their body is still adjusting to the change," Regina explained.
"Are you drinking O- too?" Emma asked, her subtle way of asking if Regina is still recovering.
"Yes. I still have a bit of healing left to do," Regina answered sadly.
"You'll get better now that you're home. I'll make sure of it." Emma smiled, reaching out for Regina's hand.
"And now that we're my Mate, just having you near me will help heal me as well." Regina smiled, laying her head on Emma's shoulder.
"Well, you'll never have to worry about that ever again, because I'm never going anywhere," Emma said, kissing the top of Regina's head. She was already feeling better, and she could tell that Regina was as well.
"What happened last night?" Emma asked, breaking the silence, her voice sounding slightly scared.
"What was the last thing you remember?" Regina asked.
"I remember feeling you bite me. Then everything went dark."
"I drank from you, Emma. I drank from you until your heart stopped beating, which is usually when it's too late to change someone. I didn't even think about it until I was already bleeding into your mouth. Someone, I don't know who, told me it was probably too late, that you were too far gone. But I had to try anyway," Regina said, her voice very low. "I couldn't let you go."
"Clearly, I hung on just a little longer, for you." Emma smiled, trying to cheer Regina up.
"I killed you, Emma. I took your life when I promised you I would never do that," Regina said, a deep sadness in her voice. It was evident that she would never forgive herself for taking Emma's life, even if it meant saving her in the long run.
"I was dying, Regina. We both knew I wasn't going to make it to the hospital. And if I remember correctly, I made you drink," Emma said, her voice so soft.
"That's true," Regina said, a half smile reaching across her face. "After that, a group of about ten Vampires protected and escorted us out of the building while I carried you. August and Elsa walked back with us and offered to help me, but I sent them away, which is probably why Elsa came back a little while ago." Regina chuckled.
"Now it all makes sense." Emma laughed.
"You had left some clothes here before we…broke up…" Regina said, her breath catching for a moment. "So I carefully changed your clothes and laid you in bed. And then I just held you." Regina paused to control her emotions before continuing. "I held you so close and prayed that I wasn't too late. I prayed that you would survive the change. I prayed that you wouldn't be mad at me when you found out what I had done." Regina paused once again. "I just held you and prayed and whispered loving words into your ear until I eventually fell asleep," Regina explained, a hint of a dark tear forming in the corner of her eye.
"If I had any power over the change, I know I would have been fighting to get back to you, Regina. Being with you, being able to hold you and touch you without hurting you, that's all I've ever wanted. All I've ever wanted was you," Emma said, reaching to pull Regina in for a crushing kiss, filled with so much love and passion that both their hearts threatened to burst. Regina ended the kiss when Emma started taking things a little further, encouraging Emma to finish feeding.
"How do you feel?" Regina asked as soon as both of their mugs were empty.
"Much better, actually. My headache is just about gone. You were right," Emma said, settling in Regina's arms once again.
"Of course I was." Regina chuckled, wrapping her arms around Emma. They sat together for a little longer, basking in the feeling of their bodies intertwined. "We should probably shower. I tried to make myself a little presentable last night, but I could definitely use a proper shower," Regina whispered.
"You're probably right. I was pretty sweaty and dirty before I found you." Emma chuckled.
"Come on, let's go shower while we still have the motivation to do so." Regina smiled, sliding out of bed, reaching her hand out for Emma, helping her slowly climb out of bed. The moment her feet hit the floor she buckled, her weak legs unable to hold her weight. Regina was there to catch her as soon as she began to fall, wrapping her arms around her body tightly for support.
"I guess I'm weaker than I thought," Emma said, disappointment in her voice.
"It's a good thing I don't plan on letting you out of my sight tonight, or any other night for the near future." Regina smiled, scooping Emma up in her arms, carrying her to the bathroom. She placed Emma gently down on the toilet while she began preparing the shower, pulling out Emma's usual towel. Emma sat and watched as Regina quickly undressed, her heart breaking when she saw the bruises and deep cuts that have still yet to heal littering her body. She knew they had to be really bad if they were still there even with Regina's Vampire advance healing.
"I'm going to be fine," Regina said, feeling Emma's heart breaking.
"I know…" Emma whispered, her voice still sounding sad, the idea of Regina being hurt still tearing her apart.
As soon as the shower was ready, Regina reached out to help Emma stand, slowly pulling Emma's shirt over her head before she gently eased Emma's yoga pants off her hips, allowing both garments to pool in the floor in a heap next to her own. Slowly, she led Emma to the shower, holding on tight as Emma stepped under the lukewarm spray.
The water felt amazing against Emma's dirty skin, the temperature feeling slightly warmer due to her lower body temperature now. Regina stepped in behind her, wrapping her arms around her from behind immediately, holding her so close Emma swore they had melded into one. It had been nine months since their naked bodies were pressed together, and they made sure to savor every moment now.
"How is it that you've become more beautiful in the last nine months?" Emma asked as she felt Regina's breath against her neck.
"That's physically impossible," Regina whispered. "And not at all true."
"It must be my new Vampire eyes, allowing me to finally see your true beauty," Emma said, a soft chuckle in her voice.
"Then it appears your Vampire eyes may need glasses," Regina said, a slight sadness in her voice.
"Nope, my Vampire eyes see in perfect 20/20," Emma said, carefully turning around in Regina's arms, cupping her face gently. "And they are looking at the most beautiful person on the planet." She kissed Regina softly.
"You must be looking in the mirror," Regina said. Emma felt something change in her chest, a strong feeling of sadness coming from Regina.
"Hey, what's the matter?" Emma asked.
"Nothing. I'm just happy to have you back," Regina answered, her head falling to hide her face.
"Hey, I know that's not true. I can feel it, remember?" Emma said, reaching to gently raise Regina's chin. "What's going on?"
"It's just that…" Regina started to say, her voice cracking as she tried not to cry. "I've never felt beautiful…not truly beautiful…not until…" she said, a thick red tear escaping her eye and fell down her face, landing on the floor between them. "…until you…"
"Regina. You are the most amazing and beautiful person on this planet," Emma said, cupping Regina's face so gently. "The first time I saw you, I literally stopped breathing. And I didn't even see your face until I so eloquently walked right into you hours later. I literally forgot how to breathe when I saw you…TWICE." Regina didn't respond, she simply sniffled as she held back more tears. "I was willing to die for you, Regina. I DID die for you. You don't do that for mundane people."
"You didn't know I was down there…"
"And if I did, I would have burned the entire building down to free you. I love you, Regina. I will move heaven and hell for you," Emma said, kissing Regina softly.
"No one has ever made me feel the way you make me feel," Regina whispered. "And no one has ever made me feel beautiful just by simply looking at me."
"The rest of the world are idiots," Emma said, without missing a beat. "You are my world, Regina. My entire world. My heart literally beats with you." She rested her forehead against Regina's, her arms tightening around Regina's neck.
"I love you so much, Emma," Regina said, breaking the silence, dark red tears falling down her cheeks.
"I love you too, Regina. More than words could ever explain," Emma responded, pulling Regina in for a deep and passionate kiss. She slowly ran her hand down Regina's body, stopped at her butt, caressing it in the way she knew Regina loved, pulling Regina's hips and crotch against her own, pressing their cores together.
"Emma…we shouldn't," Regina whispered, her body already starting to heat up from the contact with Emma. "You need to rest. We both need to rest." Regina said as she pressed her forehead against Emma's.
"I know. I just missed you so much, Regina. I missed all of you."
"I missed you too," Regina said, tightening her grasp on Emma. "But we both need to rest." Regina pulled away from Emma, gazing into her lust-filled green eyes. "We have an eternity together now, we can wait one more day."
"You are a very wise woman, Regina Mills." Emma laughed.
Regina slowly pushed Emma under the water, allowing the spray to run through the blonde's hair and body, washing away dirt and blood in the process. She turned her around slowly so she faced away from her, grabbing the bottle of shampoo, squirting some into the palm of her hand.
"I hope you don't mind smelling like my shampoo," Regina whispered, rubbing the shampoo in Emma's long hair, creating a lather immediately.
"I never did before." Emma smirked. "I can do that," she added, reaching up to wash her hair.
"No, you will not." Regina gently slapped Emma's hands out of the way. "It's my job to take care of you tonight. Anything you need, anything at all, it's my job to do it," Regina said, scratching her short nails against Emma's scalp. "A Fledgling's first night is very important. When a Fledgling is paramount to their Sire, they spend their first night alone together and the Sire takes care of their Fledgling. It helps to create a deeper bond between Sire and Fledgling. It starts the moment the Fledgling wakes up after the change," Regina explained, stopping suddenly to ensure Emma was paying attention to the rest of her statement. "I'm going to do everything I can to help you, Emma. Everything I can do to ensure our bond remains strong." Regina's soapy hands wrapped around Emma once more, holding her close as she rested her chin on Emma's shoulder.
"Thank you," Emma whispered quietly, her voice barely heard over the sound of the running water. Regina held her for a moment more before she continued to wash her hair, eventually turning Emma around to face her once more, pushing her hair under the water to rinse the shampoo out.
Once the shampoo was gone, she quickly conditioned Emma's hair, leaving the product in while she soaped up a washcloth, slowly and gently washing Emma's body. Her skin felt soft once again, now that the dirt and blood was gone.
"I know you haven't been taking care of your hair when we were apart. So we're going to leave the conditioner in for a little while longer." Regina chuckled, switching spots with Emma and grabbing the shampoo, quickly shampooing her own hair. Emma stood and watched as Regina washed and rinsed out her long hair, leaving the conditioner in her own hair as well, while she washed her body. Dirt and blood washed off of her skin, leaving her pale skin clean, before rinsing her hair once more.
Regina gave Emma a light kiss before guiding her under the water once more, rinsing the conditioner out of her long blonde hair. They held each other for a few more minutes until their skin pruned, telling them it was time to end their shower.
There was a slight chill in the air when Regina turned off the shower, their weakened state allowing them to feel the cold slightly. Regina wrapped Emma in her usual towel, rubbing the soft material over her body to dry her skin, making sure not to leave even a drop of water behind, before wrapping Emma's hair up in her towel. She quickly dried herself off, wrapping her own hair in her towel before rushing out of the bathroom, instructing Emma to stay right where she was. A minute later, Regina returned fully dressed, carrying a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt.
"I hope you don't mind wearing some of my clothes. You only left one set of clothes over here," Regina said, presenting Emma with her clothes.
"I love those pants. If I remember correctly, I've borrowed them quite a few times." Emma smirked. Regina smiled as she knelt down in front of Emma, carefully pulling the pants over her legs up to her thighs, helping Emma stand and pulling the pants all the way up. She bunched up the black T-shirt, pulling it over the towel around Emma's hair and over her head, not scolding Emma when she helped by pulling her arms through the shirt, allowing Regina to pull the shirt the rest of the way down her body.
Regina led her back to bed without a word, grabbing her hairbrush as they left the bathroom. Regina quickly moved to sit behind Emma, unwrapping her hair and letting it fall down her back. Softly and gently, Regina began to brush out Emma's long hair, being extra careful when she encountered a snag so as not to pull on the blonde's scalp too much. Once Emma's hair was knot and tangle free, she quickly brushed out her own hair, grabbing both towels and the brush and rushing to return them to the bathroom, hanging up the towels to dry. She rushed back to Emma as fast as she could, crawling back in bed next to her and pulling her back into her arms.
"How do you feel now?" Regina asked, running her fingers through Emma's wet hair.
"Better. That shower really did the trick."
"Good. Are you hungry? Do you want some more to eat? I don't remember if Fledglings are more hungry on their first night than usual," Regina said.
"Maybe a little, but we can wait a little. I just want to lay here for a little longer if that's okay?" Emma smiled.
"Of course," Regina said, her hand finding Emma's cool face.
"Regina…" Emma asked after a few minutes.
"Yes, my love?" Regina asked as she watched Emma's expression change suddenly.
"What did they do to you?" Emma asked, her voice getting caught in her throat.
"Are you sure you really want to know?" Regina asked. Emma nodded slowly. Regina took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she was about to tell Emma. "They were studying our advanced healing, trying to understand it so they could exploit it in their favor. They were trying to find the right conditions to stop our natural healing. After each 'experiment', as they called it, they would stab me in the stomach and time how long it would take me to heal. When they first took me, the first thing they did was strap me to a metal table and electrocuted me. First, for just a few seconds. By the end, it was up to ten minutes of constant electricity flowing through me, followed by a stabbing. When electrocution didn't work, they turned to fire, eventually setting half of my body on fire for almost ten minutes. That one nearly killed me. Then they switched to holy water, holding me under the water in different increments. When ten minutes of holy water didn't work, they switched to beatings, shackling me from the ceiling where you found me, basically using me as a punching bag."
"Regina…" Emma whispered, her voice failing her.
"There's more," Regina said sadly. "After the beatings, they kept me awake for days at a time, studying the effects of sun sickness on healing. I spent days throwing up and convulsing while being stabbed, discovering that sun sickness only prolonged the healing process, but not stopping it completely. That's when they stopped feeding me altogether. I'm not even sure if that was part of the experiment or if they were just so pissed that nothing was working that they just gave up and decided to torture me instead. Apparently though, starvation is the only factor in our healing abilities," Regina said, motioning toward the still-visible wounds on her stomach and wrists.
"Oh god, Regina…I…I'm so sorry," Emma cried, thick red tears forming in her eyes, threatening to spill over.
"It's okay. It's all over now. You found me and you saved me," Regina said, brushing her fingers lightly over Emma's face.
"I should have come sooner, Regina. I should have known something was wrong and I should have been looking for you this whole time. I should have known." Emma continued to cry, her blood tears escaping her eyes and falling down her face, staining the pillowcase under her face.
"Oh honey," Regina whispered, reaching the nightstand for a box of tissues, quickly grabbing a couple and wiping the tears from Emma's face and blotting the pillowcase. "You cry blood now. You need to be careful." Regina smiled.
"Oh shit. I forgot. I'm sorry," Emma said, embarrassed as she scrambled to help blot the small blood stain on her pillow.
"It's okay. That's why I have black sheets. I've stained these sheets numerous times. Just be careful when you're not around dark materials." Regina smiled, wiping all Emma's tears off her clean face.
"I'm so sorry they hurt you, Regina." Emma started crying again, unable to move on.
"It's okay. It's over now. I'm here, and you're here. And we are together again. We're Mates now, and that's all that matters," Regina said, trying to cheer Emma up.
"It's not okay, Regina. Those people are horrible. I can't believe I ever worked for them."
"Yes, they are horrible. But you stopped them. You save me. You saved a lot of Vamps. You risked your life, and because of you, seventy Vampires are alive and free," Regina said, gently brushing a stray hair from Emma's face. "All that is in the past now. I don't want to think about it anymore. All I want to think about is you and me, and the rest of eternity we have together." Regina quickly wiped her own tears from her eyes before they stained the pillow.
"An eternity. That sounds nice." Emma smiled, pulling Regina closer.
"I'm going to warm us up some more O-. I don't want you to be hungry," Regina said after a few minutes. Emma nodded, the emotional conversation taking more out of her than expected.
Regina worked quickly, stirring the blood to make sure it doesn't burn, when she suddenly felt Emma's arms wrap around her waist, her body pressed tightly against her back.
"You're supposed to stay in bed. I'm supposed to be taking care of you." Regina smiled, resting her head on Emma's shoulder, basking in the feeling of Emma's body against hers again.
"I need to wrap my arms around you," Emma whispered, kissing Regina's neck softly.
"I guess I'll allow it." Regina smiled, stirring their blood.
They sat on the couch together, Emma wrapped in Regina's arms as they drank their blood in comfortable silence, simply enjoying their time together. Eventually, they made their way back to bed, Emma once again wrapped in Regina's arms, silently enjoying the feeling of being together again, this time forever. Regina felt Emma's body slowly relax and melt into her, indicating that Emma had fallen asleep, even though sunrise wasn't for another hour and a half. Regina held Emma tight as she watched her sleep, shifting slightly when her body started to feel the sunrise, trying hard not to wake her sleeping Mate.
"Where are you going?" Emma asked, feeling Regina's movement.
"Nowhere, darling. I'm just closing the curtains around the bed. Sunrise is coming. Go back to sleep," Regina whispered, reaching for the curtains, securing them closed.
"Will you be here when I wake up?" Emma asked, her subconscious speaking in her sleeping state.
"Always," Regina said, kissing Emma's head as she settled back next to her. Emma crawled into her arms, placing her head on Regina's chest, falling asleep again, their shared heartbeat thumping in her ear. "I'll always be here," Regina said once more, closing her eyes, falling asleep almost instantly.
A/N: See, I told you everything was going to be alright. I hope you're not still mad at me now!