Once Upon a Time 1. Chapter 1

Title - Shades of Something Kinda Grey

Rating - M/NC/17 There be smut peeps

Pairing - Swan/Queen

Disclaimer - Alas, I do not own these characters, but boy if I did…

Summary - The Queen will stop at nothing to destroy Snow White. What happens when she meets the daughter she never knew Snow had? Set in FTL

A/N - So this is my very first SQ fanfic and I'm really nervous about how people are going to like it, but I had to do it. I'm really into this ship and have read some great stories so I thought I'd try my hand at one. Please review and let me know how I'm doing. Good or bad.

A/N 2 - This is going to be a long one, I enjoy reading long stories myself, so I figured, eh, why not?

A/N 3 - I'm a Brit, so for any American's reading this, certain words are gonna be spelt differently, hope that doesn't distract too much from this little story J also, I have no beta, so any mistakes are my own, but I'll try to keep them to a min.

One

She was sick and tried of it all. Nothing she ever said would convince them, and she was tired of living such a caged life. At twenty eight years of age, Emma had decided that life… her life to be precise, was no longer worth living.

Something had to give.

So she ran. Ran faster than she had ever run before. She could hear them, bellowing for her to stop, to come back, but she knew, if she let them stop her, if she left them return her home, then she would never taste free air again.

Her lungs burned and her thighs protested, but she didn't dare stop. Her feet caught from time to time on the forest floor, but she knew she couldn't afford to take the road instead. The rough terrain made it even between hunter and pray, for her guards could follow on horseback, but they would have to go slowly. She would almost be faster on foot.

The tress began to grow thicker as Emma travelled further than she had ever been before and while she was scared, tired and hungry, she felt a freedom she couldn't have imagined before. As the wind whipped through her blonde locks, the Princess of the White Kingdom, the Princess not many knew of, crossed the borders between lands.

And still she kept running.

Night drew, and with it, different sounds filled the forest. Emma knew she would have to finally stop, to rest. She needed somewhere safe to spend the night, and wood to light a fire. As she drained what was left of her water canteen, her head tilted. She needed a stream.

It didn't take long to find one. Easing herself down by the bank, Emma took in her surroundings, eyes sharp. Seeing and hearing nothing to worry her, she removed her riding boots and pulled her socks off before dipping her feet in the cool water, letting out a sigh as the pain in her feet ebbed a little.

This was the first time, ever, that she was truly alone and while that thought may have frightened more Princesses' than not, Emma was not a regular Princess.

Her hunger made itself known as she watched the fish in the stream swim past her feet, the clear water letting her see them clearly in the moonlit sky.

She had to hurry.

Emma gasped as she awoke, sure the previous week had been nothing but a dream. A smile crossed her lips as she listened to the sounds of the forest around her come to life with the dawn of a new day.

Pulling herself up, she straightened her hair as best she could and made her way to the waters edge before removing her clothes and wading into the cool, clear water.

A moan slipped out as the refreshing water wiped away the dust and grime that had clung to her body. Deciding she could enjoy it for a little, she dove forward and submerged herself beneath the surface, holding her breath and swimming as far as she could before coming up for air.

Her life up until now had been sheltered somewhat. The only people that she was ever around were her parents, and those only they trusted.

She had known only ten people her entire life, not counting her guards. She had no friends to speak of. The only person that had truly mattered to her had died. The only time, before running away, that she had rebelled against her life had resulted in the most precious thing.

Emma shook her head, breaking herself from _those _thoughts. They brought nothing but pain.

It was on the tenth day her luck finally ran out. She could hear hooves approaching, faster than she thought possible. Pulling the hood of her cloak over her head to hide her blonde hair, the Princess ducked down into the undergrowth and hoped they would not discover her.

Luck as it was, was on her side once more.

"This land is not safe for us."

She recognised his voice, he was the captain in charge of the men who _protected_ her.

"We cannot return without her Captain, but these lands…"

Emma chanced a peak over the log she was half under and saw the captain shake his head.

"If she is truly in these lands then we must return and inform the Queen and King James."

Emma frowned. This land so far had offered her nothing but quiet, nothing that would have instilled the fear she heard in the Captain's voice.

"If we have not found Princess Emma by nightfall, we shall return to our home and let the Queen and King know of their daughters kidnap."

Emma's eyes widened. Kidnap? Is that what they thought? Surely not, enough had seen her run.

"Why Captain? The Evil Queen doesn't even know of Her existence."

Emma saw the captain of the guards scowl and tighten his grip on his sword.

"Do you really want to tell the King that not only did we allow his daughter to run away from us, elude us, but that she currently resides in the lands controlled by The Evil Queen?"

They had moved on now, so Emma couldn't hear more of what was being said. But she knew she was safe where she was. They had already decided their coarse of action, and the Princess didn't believe that they would wait until nightfall to return to her home.

Perhaps leaving this land and loving on was the best thing to do. But first, she had to wait of her guards leaving. Then and only then, could she make her next move and even though she had only been there but a day, the Princess had felt peace at least.

Lightening split the sky. Emma heard the shouts of the guards as they rode away, as fast as their horses could take them.

Their screams in the distance made her blood run cold. Something had got them, and she wouldn't be sticking around to see what it was.

She was running again in no time but she made a mistake in risking a look behind her, for she missed the purple smoke appearing in front of her body.

She felt it though as she crashed into a wall of some sorts.

As Emma shook her head and looked up, her breath caught in her throat. The woman before her was breathtaking. Emma found her eyes dropping to the lady's feet, taking in the dark knee high boots, long legs encased in black leather, the tight red bodice which showed off more cleavage than Emma had ever seen on a woman and a long black cloak which a high collar that looked to be made from diamonds.

The Evil Queen looked at the woman lying at her feet and was only just able to contain her gasp.

Emma gulped as her eyes met the dark brown ones before scrambling to her feet.

"Would you care to tell me dear, just what you are doing in my private retreat?"

Emma thought quickly. She couldn't tell this woman who she was. For one, she didn't look like Royalty right now and doubted the woman before her would believe her.

"I'm lost."

The dark eyes narrowed and Emma felt something squeeze around her throat before the pressure lessoned.

Regina watched as her magic rolled over the girl, doing her bidding before she lessoned her grip on her windpipe.

"I don't appreciate liars dear."

Emma raised her chin.

"I am not lying. I am far from home and lost."

The dark beauty studied her for moment before a smirk lit her face. She could just take her heart, make her tell her, but something in her eyes stalled that. She found that she enjoyed the little bit of strenght the blonde had showed.

Grabbing her arm, they were back in her castle in moments.

"Take her to the dungeon until I return." Regina didn't look to see that her order was being followed. Her Captain stepped forward and nodded before grabbing the blonde his Queen had returned with.

Emma cried out as her safe haven was taken from her and she found herself on the cold floor of what looked like a throne room.

"No! You can't just lock me up, I have done nothing wrong!"

The Queen laughed before disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke.

She had a visit to pay to her darling step-daughter. Namely, to find out just what a guard squadron of twenty were doing so deep into her Kingdom.

She appeared as she usually did, right inside the heart of Snow's home.

"Dear, do be a dear and tell me why I just had to kill twenty of your men on my land."

Snow White's eyes widened as she saw her step-mother standing in front of her.

Tbc… Well?


	2. Chapter 2

Two

In seconds, fifty guards and three magical users had surrounded her in a show of strength, but in half that time, Regina simply waved a hand and soon there was only three people in the room.

Snow White, Prince Charming and The Evil Queen.

Snow took a step forward, her eyes flashing their anger.

"What did you do to them?"

Regina shook her head and took her own step forward.

"Your men, on my lands. Were you missing me dear? Have I not been paying you attention again, you always were a needy child."

Snow threw a look at her husband, wondering if he knew what Regina was talking about, ignoring the dig her former step-mother threw her way.

She could see it in their eyes; they had no idea to what she was referring to.

That was disappointing to say the least.

The Queen spun, putting her back to them, showing them who held the real power.

"If they weren't in my kingdom to do your bidding Snow White, then why were they there?" It was rhetorical, she did not need an answer as her mind flashed to the blonde she left at her castle.

Could it be they were after the girl? But why? Sure, she was pretty, but Snow White's men tended to not be kidnappers and rapists. Was she part of Snow's guard? Her clothing had suggested at that, dressed to ride a horse properly, not in a gown as some ladies tended to.

Snow White and Prince Charming watched as the Queen stopped, a smirk on her lips as she decided on a plan of action.

They had no idea she was thinking of the tight trousers their daughter had been wearing.

"If you know nothing of your dead men then I must return to a new pet I recently acquired."

The wicked smirk told Snow all she needed to know.

"Isn't that more Maleficent's game?"

Regina nodded her head and smirked at the White Queen.

"Yes dear, but unlike my friend, I don't put my pets to sleep before I have my fun."

Snow White glared as Prince Charming drew his sword.

"We should have killed you when we had the chance."

Regina cocked an eyebrow and smiled before giving a fake bow.

"Alas I must go, but I'll be back soon dear Snow, for now, my blonde awaits."

Regina didn't see the horrified look on Snow White's face, nor the dawning understanding as she yelled for her guards.

"Find me Red."

When they were alone, James turned to his wife and wondered just why she was as pale as he had ever seen her.

"Why do we need Red?"

Snow turned and threw herself into Charming's arms.

"James, twenty is the number that guards Emma, and she mentioned a blonde."

The king felt like he had been punched in the gut.

Emma grunted as she was thrown into a cell with no windows and when the door was closed, there was no source of light. She felt her way along the wall before lowering herself down to sit and rest on the hard floor. She knew there would be no point in trying to escape. Closing her eyes, she tried to find the inner peace she had felt as she awoke in the forest, but it refused to come.

The woman, Queen, she guessed if she had been right about a throne room, had taken her for no reason. That couldn't not end well for her.

Regina appeared in her chambers and rolled her neck before waving a hand. A roaring fire overtook the fireplace and soon the cold room was warm.

When she had been alerted by her mirror that there were guards belonging to Snow on her land, she had gone immediately. Their deaths had been quick, maybe too quick for her. But she had sensed another, and wondered why her mirror had not informed her of the girl also trespassing.

"Mirror."

But a second was all it took for him to come.

"You called?"

Regina scowled at him and tilted her head.

"Why did you not tell be about the blonde?"

He shook his head.

"I did not know of this girl until I was actively keeping a eye on things whilst you were there Your Majesty."

She waved him away before sitting at her desk, various papers littering the surface.

"I heard you got a little present Deary."

She sighed as she heard his voice.

"What did I tell you Rumple about appearing in my bed chambers?" she let her eyes glow purple and he got the message.

"Why Your Majesty, I was merely calling to congratulate you."

She hid her frown.

"On what exactly?"

He paused, sure she knew.

"The blonde."

Regina stood, her chair moving backwards.

"What about her?"

His face fell. She didn't know. And he couldn't tell her, he was bound by his own deal.

"No matter deary, I'll be back when you know just what, or who, you have on your hands." He was gone before she could say anything else.

But she had a course of action now. She was more determined than ever to discover who this blonde was.

A trip to the dungeon was in order.

Emma heard footsteps nearing her door, and squinted when light flooded in as it opened. She had guessed she was only in the dark for a hour, but her eyes still hurt.

When they focused properly, she saw the woman from before standing in front of her.

"I demand you let me go. I've done nothing wrong."

Regina smirked but held the door open wider.

Emma frowned, was she letting her go? That seemed too easy.

The Queen seemed to guess what she was thinking and shook her head no, a smirk on her lips.

Emma's eyes were drawn to a small scar, above her top lip, and wondered fleetingly what had caused it.

"I am not letting you go dear, but I am offering to let you out of here. Your choice."

Emma scowled because it wasn't really a choice at all.

The woman, Queen, lead her up the stone steps and through many corridors and rooms before they reached the dining room.

The smell of food made Emma's mouth water as her stomach growled its displeasure at not having eaten yet today.

Regina raised an eyebrow before calling for her servants to serve lunch.

"Why don't we eat and get to know one another hmm?"

Emma didn't know why this woman had first locked her up but was about to feed her. She was determined to run away as soon as possible though. She had escaped her guards, she would escape this woman.

"What do you want to know?"

Regina smiled and lifted the wine goblet to her mouth, enjoying the refreshing taste before raising her gaze to her _guest. _

"Well, for a start, your name."

Emma took a moment. Something was warning her off telling this woman who she really was. To admit that her parents were Snow White and Prince Charming, she knew was a mistake.

"My name is Emma."

Regina raised an eyebrow, and Emma knew what she wanted.

A name came to her as her mind took her back to the stream.

"Swan. Emma Swan."

After a few seconds, the woman seemed to accept that and turned her attention to her food, watching as Emma eagerly munched her way through her own meal, with surprising grace.

"Well Emma Swan, care to tell me just what you were doing on my lands? And no more of this being lost business."

She swallowed the mouthful of food before taking a sip of her own wine.

"I was running away from some men."

Regina's eyebrow rose again and Emma knew she was going to have to stick close enough to the truth to fool this woman.

"They wanted to take me somewhere and I didn't want to go with them, I've been running from them for days."

Something tightened inside at the thought of this girl being taken from her.

"Well, you can rest assure, they won't be able to get you now dear."

There was something final about the woman's tone, and Emma didn't know if she wanted an answer to the question she was about to ask.

"How can you be so sure?"

Regina laughed, and Emma was struck by the haunting beauty of it.

"Because dear, I killed them all."

Emma's wine goblet fell with a crash as she stood from her chair and backed away, a hand over her mouth.

Regina simply waved a hand, causing the broken glass to disappear and a new one to appear, full on wine, in front of where Emma had been sitting.

"You seemed shocked dear."

Emma was more than shocked. This woman had just calmly told her that she had slaughtered twenty men, and she had used magic again as if it was as easy as breathing was to regular people.

"You killed them all?"

Regina nodded and watched as Emma turned before vomiting all over the front of herself.

The smell hit her and the Queen couldn't help but growl in disgust at the weak display. Little did she know that Emma was sick not because she was weak, but because she felt guilty. Those men had been looking for her. She knew them, trained with them.

And now there were dead. And it was all her fault. Darkness clouded her vision but before it took over completely, she felt herself grabbed by soft arms before her head could hit the floor.

Regina growled. This girl had better be worth the trouble. As she looked down on her though, she felt something flutter inside before she locked it down.

This girl was a mystery. She had lied about her full name and there was more to the story with Snow's men.

She thought for a moment about where to put her new pet. Back in a cage or in one of the bed chambers on her floor.

In the end, and sigh escaped as she ran a hand through block locks.

A bed chamber it was.

tbc


	3. Chapter 3

Three

Emma awoke expecting to be back in the dark. She wasn't. she was lying on a soft bed in a warm room.

Lifting the covers, she groaned. She was no longer wearing her riding clothes. Who the hell had changed her into this sleepwear? She was wearing a long silky nightdress, and she could feel that she was naked beneath it. Despite that fact she was a Princess, only one person had ever seen her naked, and she felt violated that someone had changed her without being aware of them touching her body in such a way.

She opened her mouth to yell out, but had no idea what to say.

"Ah, your awake I see."

Emma bolted up in bed and ran her eyes over every inch of the room, taking in the fact that it was quite a nice one, with a roaring fire against one wall and large balcony windows against another. There was a two doors off to the side, which she assumed led to a bathroom and a wardrobe.

"Over here."

Her eyes moved to the mirror on the bedside table and she gasped as she watched the head floating inside it.

"Hi."

Emma gaped, not sure what to say.

The face in the mirror smirked before disappearing on her.

In seconds the bed chambers doors were thrown open and there stood her captive.

"My mirror tells me your awake finally."

Emma glared and tightened her grip on the bed cover yet again.

"Who changed my clothes."

Regina grinned and let her eyes rake over Emma, able to tell that the action unnerved the girl. There was something about her that drew the Queen in, and she didn't have to fake the expression on her face.

"I did."

Emma gulped at the thought that this woman had seen her naked.

Regina let her squirm for a little longer before drawing closer to the bed.

"With magic dear. I didn't remove your clothes by hand per se. A simple wave and you were clean and ready for bed."

Emma let out a sigh of relief, not even finding it strange that she believed the woman.

Regina did though.

"What happened?"

The Queen grinned and made herself at home by taking a seat on the bed close to Emma.

"You threw up over yourself then passed out."

It came back to her, the dead men, and her part in it.

As she studied the woman before her, something occurred to Emma.

"Who are you?"

Regina had thought this was the case. It was rare she met someone that didn't know her by reputation if not by sight.

"My name is Regina, Queen of the Enchanted Forest, the Dark Forest, the lands of the beasts and the rivers of the North. Also, I'm know by another name… The Evil Queen."

Emma frowned. That name sounded familiar.

When there was still no recognition on the blondes face, Regina frowned.

"Just where are you from Emma Swan?"

She was right then, the woman before her was a Queen, so she would have to treat her as such. She was raised that way after all.

"Well Your Majesty, I come from a land close to here, I must have crossed into yours when I was running from those men."

Regina knew fine well that the only land to border hers in the direction the men had been running to, was Snow White's.

This woman came from the White Kingdom.

So then how did she not know of The Evil Queen?

Regina had had enough of this game.

"You have one last chance Emma and that is it. If you lie to me again I will throw you to my men, and you can rest assured they won't treat you as well as the ones you were running from would have."

It was an empty threat but the blonde would not know that.

Emma gulped and drew back a little as she waited for the Queen to carry on.

"Who are you?"

The threat held true, or so Emma thought. She was convinced that the Queen would give her to her men if she lied. She would tell her, but she would not do so whilst lying in bed wearing nothing but a nightdress.

She got up and walked to the chair where she saw a robe lying. The Queen raised an eyebrow but let her cover herself up.

Emma called on all her training as a royal and it showed. Regina frowned at the change in the person before her.

"My name is Princess Emma of the White Kingdom."

Of all the reactions, Emma had not expected laughter. She scowled as she waited for the Queen to stop and nearly stomped her foot in annoyance.

Regina caught the scowl on the blondes face and stropped laughing at once.

"Your being serious? You think you are the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming?"

Emma nodded her head.

"I am."

Regina growled, as she stood up and stalked the few feet to her captive.

"I told you what would happen if you lied to me dear."

Emma shook her head and stood her ground.

"My parents have kept my existence a secret from all but a few. They always seem to be on the brink of war with someone, and they wanted to make sure I was safe from harm."

A lead ball dropped in Regina's stomach. This girl was telling her the truth.

She was Snow White's daughter.

Emma worried about the look in the Queen's eyes and talked fast, hoping to avoid whatever was about to happen to her.

"I ran away, I wasn't lying before. The guards you killed were my own private ones, looking for me. I ran during a training session and didn't stop until you found me."

Regina snapped herself out of dark thoughts and glared at the girl before her.

"Why?"

Emma slumped a little but didn't answer.

The Queen waved a hand and suddenly Emma was pinned to the wall by an invisible force.

"You will answer me."

Emma shook her head and the force tightened causing a whimper of pain before her training kicked in and she controlled herself.

Regina was impressed but didn't show it. Now many could withstand this particular spell that slowly applied pressure to the entire body. But Emma only let one whimper escape.

Still, she had to know.

"Just tell me Princess, and I'll make the pain stop."

Emma shook her head as black sports danced before her eyes. How could she tell her, tell anyone really of what had caused her to run from her home.

When the girl against the wall passed out once more, Regina growled and threw her back into the bed, placing a spell around it to stop her leaving before disappearing once more to visit Snow White.

"Twice in one day, you should feel privileged."

Snow jumped and spun in her chair to face The Evil Queen.

"What do you want?"

They still hadn't received word on Emma, so they didn't know if their daughter was safe or not.

The Evil Queen soon took away what hope Snow had been clinging to all day.

"Emma."

The wail that came from Snow White was music to her ears.

"I didn't believe her at first, when she told me who she was, but my my Snow, you did well hiding her from me for so long. It's a shame it was all for nothing though."

Snow grabbed a sword and leap towards the woman she had once loved as a mother.

Regina waved a hand and Snow froze.

The Queen's mind was working overtime and when Snow saw the smile that curved her lips, she knew whatever happened next was sure to hurt.

"She's dead."

Though she couldn't move, she could cry, and tears fell hard and fast down the White Queen's face.

Regina was thinking fast on her feet as she waved a hand. And body fell to the ground, an exact replica of Emma. It truth, it was one of the guards she had killed before she met the blonde. A simple glamour spell and he was Snow's missing daughter.

"I brought you the body. I'm not totally heartless dear." After savouring Snow's pain for a little longer, she was gone in a flash of purple.

She returned to Emma, who was once more awake.

"Now dear, lets try again. Why?"

Emma glared up at her and Regina knew she had her mothers strength of will. Whatever made Emma run, the blonde would not be telling her.

Deciding to let the blonde win this once, Regina smiled and dropped the spell around the bed.

"You are free to come and go as you please throughout the castle, but if you try to run, I will find you."

Emma had no doubt about that, but at least she was being given some room to manoeuvre.

Regina nodded and turned to go before stopping again.

"You are to tell no-one else here of who you truly are."

Emma frowned but nodded. That was the life she wanted to leave behind.

"Here you really will be Emma Swan."

Again, the blonde nodded. She was weary of this woman who possessed so much power, but the life she was running from, well she felt anything was better than that.

This was a fresh start for her. She could be a nobody.

The Queen caught her gaze and Emma frowned.

"Do you know my parents?"

Regina laughed again, much like she had when Emma had first confessed who she was.

"Oh dear I know you parents very well." With that, the Queen left her alone once more.

What had she meant by that?

Emma stood and made her way over to the balcony, stepping out to survey the land she now found herself in.

As far as the eye could see was trees, the forest loomed ahead of her, and it brought Emma peace, for she knew her stream was there, somewhere.

She wondered if the Queen would let her go back and visit it.

She didn't have a plan. Snow thought her daughter was dead. That was good, but what was she now expected to do with Emma?

She heard his laugh before she saw him

"Rumple, you knew didn't you?" It wasn't really a question for she was sure of the answer.

"Of course I did deary."

He looked far too smug for her liking.

"How was it that I never knew they had a child Rumple?"

He laughed, in that strange little way of his and danced of the spot.

"Because deary, I hid her from you at their request. Not many know of the child's existence."

Regina fumed. She did not like being kept out of the loop of things.

He seemed to sense the rage inside and waved a hand in the air.

"No matter, you know now, and not only that, but you have the girl here. Now deary, just what are you going to do with her?"

There was only thing Regina knew.

"She is mine now, I'm not giving her back." While Snow believed her child to be dead, Regina had long term plans. She was nothing if not patient.

Only when she was good and ready would she reveal to Snow that her daughter still lived, and even then, she would never see her again, nor get her back.

She missed the look on Rumpelstiltskin's face. It was part glee, part worry.

"You should probably know something before you venture down this path deary. While you will get exactly what you want, this girl wil be the end of you."

What Regina truly wanted, she would never have again. Snow White and her own mother saw to that. But she would settle for the misery and eventual death of her darling step-daughter. That was her own happy ending.

"Then so be it."

Rumple clapped his hands and disappeared in a flash of black smoke.

The Queen turned to face out her own balcony, unaware that Emma was looking at the same view.

Her revenge would be all the sweeter for letting Snow believe her daughter to be dead. But now she had to think on what to do with Emma. When it came to her, she grinned.

tbc


	4. Chapter 4

a/n - just wanna say thanks for the reviews and follows and favourites, glad to see people are sticking with me through this journey.

Four

The next week passed slowly for Emma. She had memorised nearly every inch of the castle she was bound to. If there ever came a chance for escape, she had to know which way to go.

Apart from that, she hadn't really done much, and she was starting to get bored.

Also, she hadn't seen or heard from the Queen again.

There was only one thing for it. She would go do the one thing she loved to do to take her mind off things.

Sixteen guards in uniform stood in the training room, near the swords, chatting. By the looks of it, they were getting ready to practice themselves.

She only got three feet before they stopped her.

"Be gone woman."

They turned back to their conversation, believing that the woman they had seen more and more around the castle would follow their orders.

They were proved wrong when they heard a sword being removed from the wall, and turned as a group to watch the blonde twirl the weapon in her hands.

"Why don't you put that back before you hurt yourself."

Emma smirked and tightened her grip on the sword after she had gotten a feel for the weapon.

"I have a better idea."

She reached for another sword and tossed it to the guard doing most of the talking.

He caught it before looking between it and the blonde.

"You really want to fight me girl?"

Emma nodded and rolled her shoulders before removing her cloak, showing off her tight black riding pants and red shirt.

That had been a surprise. She had woken up the third day of her new life to find that she had clothes now. Her wardrobe was full or riding gear, dresses and some other things that made her blush to think of.

The guards began laughing before one from the back stepped closer to the front.

"Michael, you heard what the Queen said."

Emma frowned, wondering what he was talking about.

The one called Michael turned to glare at his friend and stepped closer to Emma, his sword ready.

"I won't hurt her… much."

With that, he attacked.

Even though she hadn't so much as lifted a sword in the last week, Emma threw her arm up to block his swing with ease. She heard a murmur from those watching as she absorbed the hit before she putting everything but the fight out of her mind. To lose concentration was to lose the duel, and Emma had no plans to lose.

She was happy to let him go on the attack for now, it let her learn his style before she countered with her own.

The freedom she felt had a grin on her face, and though he would never admit it, Michael felt a flicker of doubt. They did not know much about this woman, only that the Queen wanted no harm to come to her.

The men watched with unease as the blonde countered every one of Michael's attacks, batting his sword away as if it was no more than a pesky insect.

The man in question was becoming deeply frustrated. Not only hadn't he landed a direct hit yet, but the blonde was showing him up.

Emma saw the change in him before he took his next swipe. She had ceased to be a mere distraction and now he was about to fight for real.

Finally.

The blonde switched gears herself and began actually attacking.

No-one knew she was there. Her blood boiled as she watched Michael continually attack Emma. She was surprised by the blondes competence with a blade though.

This was the first she had seen the blonde in person over the last week, matters of state keeping her busier than she'd like. Luckily, she had her mirror show her the blonde when she needed an escape.

She was brought back to the present by a grunt of pain and her eyes snapped purple when she saw blood on Emma's arm.

The blonde looked down at the cut that ran along her forearm before raising her eyes back to her opponent.

Now she was angry.

Regina was surprised at the violence Emma unleashed on her guard. She use the sword like an extension of her arm and soon she had brought Michael to his knees, both swords in her hands and criss-crossing his neck as if to chop it off.

The Queen couldn't suppress the shiver that raced through her body at the glint in the blondes eyes.

Emma shook her head, snapping herself out of the rage at the sight of her own blood and released the guard from her swords.

The rest of the men stood, mouths open, still unaware that their Queen was behind them.

Michael slowly stood and Emma was ready for anything. She expected him to attack her with his fists, but he surprised her as he smiled.

"You fight well… for a woman."

Emma smirked and handed him back his sword.

"What is going on here?"

All eyes turned to the Queen, and the men all dropped to one knee.

Emma hid the sword behind her back causing Regina to raise an eyebrow in amusement.

"Are you really expecting me to fall for that Swan?"

Emma gave a half shrug and causally replaced the sword on the wall rack.

"I thought it was worth a shot."

The Queen turned her attention to her guards and dismissed them all.

"Michael."

He gulped.

"Yes Your Majesty?"

Regina threw a hand out and he was suddenly slammed against the wall, pinned there as all the swords in the room hovered in front of his face.

"Wait! It was my idea to fight." Emma was beside them in seconds, scared now that this man was about to suffer.

The Queen's head tilted as she regarded Emma.

"I gave _my _men specific orders Swan."

Emma stepped up between the pinned man and the Queen, eyeing the swords nervously.

"Please don't hurt him."

Regina frowned as Emma placed herself between the guard and danger. Maybe what she had planned for the girl would be easier than the first thought.

Michael couldn't believe the nerve of the blonde.

"Even if it was your idea Swan, he should have followed my orders."

The Queen tilted her head as she studied the two before her.

"Then punish me in his place."

They both gaped at her, though she could only see the Queen from this position.

The images that ran through her head caused a wetness to spread between her thighs, but Regina knew it wasn't time for that yet.

"No. The Queen is right. Please step aside Swan."

Emma growled at him to be quiet and to Regina's surprise, he followed the order.

"_Please Your Majesty_."

She was just able to hold in her gasp at Emma's begging.

The swords returned to their resting place and both Emma and Michael let out a sigh of relief.

"Step aside Emma." Her tone of voice sent a shiver through the blonde, but at the same time she got the feeling that the danger had passed.

Slowly, trust in her eyes that shook the Queen, Emma stepped aside.

Michael gulped as his Queen stepped closer.

"You are no longer apart of the carriage guard."

His eyes widened, he would rather death than a demotion of rank.

"Your Majesty please-"

She held up a hand and he fell quiet.

"You will be the personal guard of Swan here. You will follow her everywhere but the bed chambers-" she glared here to make sure he understood that point "- and if she is able to escape again your life is forfeit, as are the lives of your kin. Are we clear?"

Emma gulped. She had been planning on escaping, but could she live with more blood on her hands?

He threw a look at her, and Emma got the impression he was weighing his options, but they both knew, he didn't really have any here.

"Clear Your Majesty."

Regina dismissed him and turned to Emma, an eyebrow raised.

"Ready to throw yourself on the sword so soon?"

The blonde shook her head no. She had been in a place before where all she wanted was to die. This had not been about that. This had been about doing the right thing.

The Queen smirked when she heard that.

"Go and wash up, you are eating with me tonight."

Emma hid her surprise and followed the Queen's orders.

Regina watched her go before shaking her head. The blonde was definitely her parents child.

Michael was waiting for her outside the training grounds, and fell into step with Emma as she made her way to the castle.

"That was very foolish back there."

She nodded. The adrenaline was leaving her and her hands were starting to shake. To go against such a powerful woman and not be blasted away… yeah, her hands were shaking.

He reached out and touched her arm where she was still lightly bleeding.

"Lets go clean that up."

She had forgotten she was bleeding, and now that she remembered the cut, it started to throb.

"Great, I liked this shirt."

He laughed as they entered the castle, causing the guards stationed at the main doors to look their way.

She didn't know it, but standing up for him like that, to the Queen of all people, he would be forever loyal to her.

"So, what are we doing the rest of the day?"

Emma sighed and rolled her neck as they walked deeper into the castle, leading the way to her chambers.

"I have a dinner with the Queen to get ready for."

Michael nodded his head and stopped at the double doors Emma was about to go through, his Queen's warning ringing in his ears.

"Why don't you go clean up, I'm not going anywhere other than to the Queen."

Michael searched her eyes before nodding his head and leaving her to it.

Emma sighed as she closed the doors behind her. She slumped down to the floor and rested her head on her knees. Now that she was alone, she embraced the feelings inside her. There had been something about the Queen earlier that drew her in, touched something inside the blonde, and Emma shivered as she thought about what that meant.

A smell hit her senses and she scowled when she realised it was coming from her. Picking herself up, she made her way to the bathroom and smiled when she saw a bath full of hot water waiting for her. She didn't know how she knew, but she was sure the Queen had something to do with it.

As she eased her body into the water, she groaned and sunk beneath the surface.

Emma wondered where the woman had been the past week. She hadn't even seen her as she was scouting out the castle and its grounds.

As she let the heat sooth her muscles, Emma used the soap to wash the cut on her arm, glad the bleeding had stopped.

Job done she leant back and relaxed, letting a deep sigh roll off her lips. She didn't feel herself slipping off to sleep.

"Your Majesty?"

Regina turned to face her mirror.

"Its the girl Your Majesty."

She frowned, wondering what he was talking about.

"What about her?"

He rolled his eyes and tilted his head.

"She's fallen asleep in the bath."

Regina was swallowed by a purple mist as she appeared in Emma's bathroom, not liking the concern she felt for the blonde's safety.

Seeing the she was indeed sleeping, and slipping further into the water with no sign of waking, Regina reached down and pulled her forcefully closer to the surface.

"Wake up!"

Emma jumped, splashing in the water to see the Queen holding her up by the shoulders, a scowl on her face.

Her arms came up to cover her breasts before she brought her knees up to rest her chin on them.

Regina frowned as she watched the blonde cover up. She had been in that much of a panic over her drowning herself, she hadn't taken the time to even glimpse the pale flesh on show.

"Care to tell me just how you managed to fall asleep in the bath?"

Emma's eyes widened as she realised what had happened and a blush rose to her cheeks.

"It was an accident." She looked up at the woman before her, and saw the worry she was trying to hide.

"Thank you for coming in here, but I'm sure I would have woke up if I actually slipped under."

The Queen scowled and turned her back before Emma's voice pulled her back.

"How did you know?"

Turning her head so she could see Emma out of the corner of her eye, Regina finally took in the blonde. She was beautiful laying there, water covering her skin.

The urge to lean over and lick up the droplet currently running down her collarbone hit Regina hard.

"My mirror told me."

Emma's eyes widened as she left the room in a flash of purple knowing only that from now own, the mirrors in her rooms were being covered. The thought of being watched like that did not sit well with her at all. It didn't matter that it had helped her this time.

When she emerged from her bath and made her way to her room, she sighed when she saw the dress that had been left out for her to wear.

Damnit.

tbc


	5. Chapter 5

Five

Regina's breath caught when Emma finally entered the dining room. The dress she had picked out looked stunning. Midnight blue in colour, it fell to the blonde's feet. The strap, a single shoulder one, fell down to meet the tight bodice which moulded itself into a loose flowing skirt. The blonde had left her hair down in curls.

Stunning.

But the blonde didn't look the most comfortable Regina had seen.

"Something the matter dear?"

Emma look up and caught the Queen's eyes, wondering at the look in them.

"It's a little tight is all."

The Queen smirked and motioned for her to sit.

"Its perfect."

Emma was sure that the eyes looking back at her showed more interest than was appropriate. She didn't know what to do about that, so she chose to ignore it for now.

As soon as she had settled, food appeared in front of them like magic, which made the blonde raise an eyebrow.

"Does everything you do rely on magic Your Majesty?"

Regina tilted her head, considering the girl before her.

"No… not everything."

Emma shivered and it had nothing to do with the heat, or lack of it, in the room.

The Queen took a sip of her wine before starting on her food.

"Where did you learn to sword fight like that?"

Emma hadn't been aware that the Queen had been present long enough to watch her fight Michael.

"I trained with my guards, and my… dad… he taught me as well."

Regina's eyes narrowed at the mention of Charming before she regained her composure, a question on her lips she dared not ask yet.

"Well… they taught you well."

Emma smiled at the compliment before tucking into her dinner, surprised she was so hungry.

The silence grew thick until Emma decided to break it.

"You said you knew my parents, can you tell me how?"

Regina held her gaze as she weighted her options up before deciding to make a deal.

"I'll tell you anything that you want to know, if you tell me the same."

Emma sat back in her chair. There were certain things she didn't want to tell anyone, and she knew from experience that this woman could tell when she lied.

"I'm sorry, but I can't make that deal."

Regina frowned, she wasn't used to not getting her own way.

"I could _make_ you tell me dear." She let that sink in before smiling.

"But I won't."

Emma let out a sigh and turned her attention back to her meal.

Regina was surprised yet again at the blondes easy trust.

"You get to ask one question." Twice now, she had let Emma win between them. She didn't know where that compulsion came from.

Emma looked up before giving the Queen her full attention.

"Then you know what I question I will ask."

Regina grinned, because she did indeed know. Very well, lets see what Emma thought of her after.

"A long time ago I saved a child from a runaway horse…"

Emma listened with rapt attention as the Queen told her of how she met Snow White.

"- wait, you're my step-grandmother?" She found she couldn't keep silent anymore. The thought of being related to this woman didn't sit right with her, not with some of the thoughts running through her head as she watched the blood red lips move.

Regina laughed and shook her head no.

"When the king was killed I denounced him and his daughter."

The wheels turned quickly inside her head at the same time relief filled her.

"How did he die?"

"I had him killed."

She gave that information up as easy as she was saying that it was now night time.

Emma gasped and sat back in her chair. This woman had her grandfather murdered.

"Why?"

Here was where Regina drew the line. She would not speak of her treatment at the hands of the king, not without a little give from Emma.

"That dear, is my business, unless you wish to rethink that deal I offered?"

Emma shook her head no forcefully before standing from the table.

"Maybe you really are an Evil Queen."

For once, the title didn't fill her with pride.

"Evil isn't born dear, its _made._"

Emma turned on her heel and left the room, not caring that the Queen had not gave her leave to do so.

She had to get out of here. That woman was a murderer, she knew it already, true, but to sit so calmly and take of ending a persons life, by her own hand or not, the blonde could not wrap her head around that one.

Running to her room she changed quickly into her riding gear before taking the quickest route to the stables.

Spotting a beautiful black horse in the end stall, she grabbed a saddle and make quick work of getting him ready to ride.

She paid no heed to the guards around her until the last minute. The second before she could have crossed the gates of the castle, his face swam in front of her eyes and she made a decision there and then.

Turning to the man at the gate she barked out for him to fetch Michael.

She had to wait, longer than she liked, before the man in question arrived. She saw his eyes widen at what he thought she was doing.

"Emma?" He had trusted her.

"Get on."

He frowned, but followed her order and got onto the back of her horse, wrapping his arms around her waist as she took off, the horse galloping fast through the woods.

He wondered what the Queen would do to him when she found out they were gone.

He didn't think Emma would be able to save him this time.

The rode for what felt like forever before Emma slowed the horse to a stop. Michael recognised the area of course.

"Why are we here?"

Emma jumped from the horse and ran to the stream, her stream, before shucking her boots and wading in, not caring that her clothes were getting soaked.

The stream brought with it the peace she needed. Strange how this water calmed her emotions so vividly.

She ignored Michael as she dove under the water and swam to the other side before breaking for air. She continued until she felt totally calm before making her way back to Michael.

"Care to tell me what the hell is going on?"

Emma shrugged as she lay back on the grass, feeling the cold now in her wet clothes.

"I just needed to get away for a while."

Michael gathered that the dinner did not go well, but also gathered that the blonde had intended to return to the castle.

"Ok, why did you make me come?"

Emma rolled her head so she cold see him.

"I didn't want her to kill you if she found me gone."

He half smiled.

"But you were going to return."

When Emma kept quiet, his smile dropped.

"You weren't were you? You were going to leave."

Emma nodded though there was no need to.

Michael felt anger for a second before he realised that she hadn't only so he wouldn't be hurt.

"Thank you,"

Emma smirked before laying back again.

"Don't thank me yet, we still have to deal with the Queen when she finds out I'm gone."

He knew that, he wasn't looking forward to it.

Regina paced her rooms, her cloak fanning out behind her as she moved.

She understood why Emma stormed off, or course, but it still annoyed her.

The blonde annoyed her, more than she would like. She got under her skin like no-one had since… No. She wasn't going there. Emma was a means to an end, that was all. Maybe she would get to have some fun with her, but if she did, the blonde would have to be fully involved. Snow needed to know that her precious daughter was fully loyal to her greatest enemy, and if she became a bed warmer, then she would be a _willing _bed warmer.

"Your Majesty?"

She spun to face her mirror. She had sent him to search the castle and its grounds for Emma.

"Where is she?" He knew her tone well and knew she would not like what he had to say.

"Gone."

Fire exploded from her hands before flowing outwards. It covered the floor, the walls, everything it could.

And there, standing in the middle, was one pissed off Queen.

tbc


	6. Chapter 6

Six

When they made it back to the castle, they both paused, able to feel something in the air. Even the horse was unhappy, the shifting of his hooves giving away his unease.

The guards on the gates threw them murderous looks as they passed and Michael could only guess, but he was sure the Queen had discovered Emma's absence.

"Something tells me she isn't happy."

He was surprised the blonde could read the Queen so well, having not really spent that much time with the woman.

"No I'd imagine she isn't."

The air around them shimmered purple and then the Queen stood before them, anger in both her eyes and her stance.

Emma jumped down from the horse and made her way over to stand in front of the Queen, ready to take the blame again.

"Oh settle down dear, _Michael _isn't the one in trouble."

Emma winced before standing straighter. She would take whatever this woman wanted to dish out. For some reason, she trusted that the Queen before her wouldn't go so far as to kill her.

The Queen reached out and grasped the wet sleeve of Emma's shirt before they both disappeared in a flash of purple.

Michael worried for the blonde, and made his way to the dungeon, sure that's where the Queen had taken her.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

Emma tried not to vomit when they reappeared in her chambers. She wasn't used to just disappearing and reappearing like that.

The Queen threw her onto the nearest surface, which just so happened to be her bed. Emma watched as the other woman paced the room, purple firing from her finger tips sporadically.

"I specifically told you _not _to leave the castle grounds."

Emma nodded her head, knowing the Queen didn't require her to speak just yet.

"Not only did you disobey that order, but you took _Michael _with you!"

Was that jealously she heard?

Regina was fuming. Maybe she had misread the situation between the blonde and Michael.

Emma belonged to _her._

"I didn't want you to hurt him if I just took off on my own."

A shapely eyebrow rose.

"So you thought riding off for a romp in the woods with him was the smart thing to do?" Regina spit the words out like they were filth.

Emma definitely heard jealously that time but she didn't like what she was being accused of, she was a Princess by birth after all.

"I did no such thing _Your Majesty!_"

Emma stood from the bed and walked closer to the Queen.

"I was upset, and for some reason, that stream was able to calm me like nothing I've ever felt before, so I wanted to go there. I knew if you discovered I'd gone, he would pay the price, so I took him with me."

Regina furrowed her brow. She couldn't understand _how_ the stream calmed Emma, it did the same for her or course, but it was her magic which ran through the water, had done so ever since she had discovered the stream years ago. She had been confused at first that Emma had been able to stumble across it in the first place, the wards she had around it should have concealed the area for the blonde as it had for the guards following her. That was why, with them standing only feet away from the blonde and the water, they had never realised both were there before she killed them.

Yet Emma had been able to get through her wards with no trouble at all. How?

Emma could tell the Queen was deep in thought, and decided to stay quiet for now.

"Regardless of why you left, the fact remains that you did."

Emma stepped closer and tilted her head ever so slightly.

Regina followed her with her eyes. Her gaze dropped when she saw Emma lick her lips.

"Then do whatever it is you have to so we can get past this."

She couldn't know the thoughts that were running through the Queen's head. If she had, Emma may not have offered herself up so freely.

A fireball formed in her hand causing Emma to jerk back and Regina to smirk.

"Its not for you dear." She threw it towards the fireplace and soon the room was filled with a warm glow.

She walked closer to Emma and lifted a hand, resting it over the blondes heart but away from skin.

"All I have to do, is reach in and take this. Then you would have to do whatever I asked of you. Do you want that?"

Emma's eyes widened as she shook her head no. Even though the Queen wasn't touching her physically, she swore she could feel her hand resting between her breasts.

Regina held her gaze a moment longer before withdrawing her hand. Making her way to the balcony, she looked up to the night sky, trying to tame her anger lest she truly hurt the girl.

Emma knew she should keep her distance, but something drove her towards the Queen.

The magic itched underneath her skin begging to be let loose. She felt Emma draw nearer and wanted to warn her off, but the words wouldn't come. This was her land, her word was law, and Emma had gone against that law.

Before she knew it, the blonde was face first against the wall and the back of her shirt had been ripped down the middle and fire was exploding across her back.

She couldn't withhold her scream of pain.

Regina blanched when she realised what she had allowed herself to do. Emma's back was bleeding now, the magic she had unleashed having wounded her from the top of her left shoulder to the top of her right buttock.

The binds holding her in place fell and Emma forced herself to remain standing as she turned to face the Queen.

Regina took a step forward only to stop when the blonde flinched.

"Turn around."

Emma gulped in air, wanting to defy the woman before her but worried what the outcome of _that _would be.

Slowly, she showed her back once more.

Regina's hand lifted as she walked closer to Emma before waving it gently the entire length of the wound, watching as it healed before her eyes.

Emma gasped as the pain faded and turned to see the Queen right in front of her.

Regina looked from her hand to Emma before stepping back.

"Do not disobey me again or the punishment will be worse."

She left the room then before Emma could do or say anything else. She just had to get away. She didn't trust herself.

Emma flexed her shoulders to make sure the pain was gone before her eyes moved to the doorway. She wasn't stupid, she had seen the look in the Queen's eyes.

While it had hurt like hell, Emma understood that Regina hadn't mean to hurt her like that. How quickly she healed it showed her that.

It didn't feel right, leaving things like that between them.

Before she knew it, Emma had changed from her wet clothes and had left in search of the Queen.

Thirty minutes later and with no sign of her, the blonde growled and turned to the nearest mirror.

"Mirror?" She waited, and when he didn't come she tapped the glass and called him louder.

"What do you want?"

Emma let out a sigh of relief and asked him where the Queen was.

He looked at her before disappearing. Just as she was about to try to get him back, he returned.

"She doesn't want to see you right now."

Before he could leave, Emma called him back.

"Could you just tell her something then… please?"

He seemed to consider her a moment before nodding his head.

"Tell her I'll be in the stables, if she wants to talk."

He nodded and left her again.

Emma groaned before making her way down to the horses. In all the fuss she had forgotten to brush down the horse she had borrowed, and that action usually quieted her mind so that's what she was going to do.

It would give her time to think. And there was one thing that was running through her mind non stop.

When she had been pinned against the wall, the Queen in front of her after healing the wound, all Emma had wanted was for the woman to lean that little bit forwards and kiss her.

The desire had hit her hard, and she didn't know what to make of it. The woman had just drawn her blood and all she could think about was tasting her lips.

But it was the look in the Queen's eyes, the guilt she had seen in them before it was covered up with a threat. That was what drove her to find the woman.

Regina paced her room, having dismissed her mirror after his message from Emma.

That had been a surprise. She didn't think the blonde would have wanted anything to do with her. She had lost control. Her jealously and anger had clouded her judgment and her magic had attacked the person responsible for both.

It was madness, she knew. She hadn't know the girl long enough, but something inside her responded to Emma like no other. Emma reminded her of the girl she had been before she hardened. She found she missed that girl sometimes. She was having a hard time believing that it was Snow White's daughter that was bring things out of her that she had kept locked away for so long.

After looking to the balcony one more time, she growled before purple surround her.

Emma looked up from her place at the horses head to see Regina appear. She was glad she had come.

"Your Majesty."

Regina frowned a little at the bow Emma gave but said nothing.

"I'm glad you came."

Emma abandoned her place by the horse and made her way closer to the Queen.

Regina stood her ground as she watched Emma walk closer. She doubted the blonde knew that right now, all she wanted to do was throw her against the closest hard surface and… maybe giving Emma all those _tight _fitting clothes hadn't been so smart on her behalf.

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

Emma paused a few feet away and took a deep breath. The arousal she felt earlier had returned at the very sight of the woman and she felt her eyes trying to drift down to take in the cleavage currently on show.

"I wanted to apologise for running away at the dinner table."

Regina's eyebrows rose. She hadn't been expecting that.

"I was raised a certain way. Good and evil. Straight down the line, no middle ground. You killed my grandfather. Evil right? Well, I did something thinking when I was swimming earlier and I came to a conclusion."

Regina frowned, not knowing if she wanted to hear this or not.

"I never knew him, obviously, but being forced to marry anyone is bad enough, but to marry a man more than twice your age can't have been easy. I know there are two sides to every story and I'm sure you had your reasons for doing what you did. But can you see where I have a problem with the fact that you had him killed?"

Regina didn't want to talk about this.

Emma took her silence as a bad thing and reached forwards without thinking to grab the Queen's hand.

They both gasped at the magic that surrounded the place their skin touched, not purple like the Queen's usually was, but blue.

"You may not believe me Emma, but I honestly did not see any other way out. He was the _king. _I couldn't just leave him."

Emma nodded, she got that. She knew of certain kings that were less that noble and knew of the lengths some went to.

"I know, I mean I guess I get it, a little. But my point was, I shouldn't have called you evil. Other than keeping me here you haven't really hurt me in any way-"

"I think the blood on your skin earlier proves you wrong there."

"-until I did something to earn a punishment." Emma continued as if the Queen hadn't spoken.

"Good, evil, white, black. I think I'm discovering a new colour."

Regina raised an eyebrow as she felt Emma draw nearer to her and a thumb stroked the skin on her arm.

"Really dear? What might that be?"

"Something kinda grey." Emma leant in and pressed her lips to the Queen's, not sure if they would be welcomed or not, but having to go with the intense urge inside to feel the other woman's lips on her own.

tbc

a/n - so there may not be 2 updates tomorrow as I have RL shit to do :( but the weekend will bring more if I can wrangle some free time :) wanna say thanks to those taking the time to review this, I'm glad people are taking the time to read :) feel free to drop me a pm if you have any questions...


	7. Chapter 7

Seven - trigger warning for talk of rape.

So many things ran through her head in the seconds she had Emma's lips pressed to her own. But the main feeling, was that of surprise.

Her head jerked back, and somewhere, in the back of her mind, she was glad to see Emma tried to follow her before hands on her shoulders made her stop.

The blonde frowned before embarrassment overtook her features.

"Sorry."

Regina kept Emma pinned to the wall, using her hands instead of magic.

"Why did you do that?"

Emma caught her eyes before lowering her own.

"I wanted to… I thought you wanted it too."

Years of not trusting anyone but herself forced Regina to doubt that.

"Trying to make your stay easier on yourself dear?"

Emma frowned and took a step back.

"That's twice tonight you've referred to me as a whore."

Regina shrugged and turned to look at the horse Emma had been brushing down.

"Your actions speak louder than words dear."

Emma watched her, feeling the hurt and embarrassment creep over her.

"Do you actually think that?"

Regina paused her hand mid stroke before lowering it back to her side.

"What kind of girl takes off into the woods with a man, before trying to seduce a Queen into making her stay more _pleasurable?"_

Emma sighed and lowered her head. It was clear whatever she had been feeling for the woman before her was one sided. Hurt and disappointment battled for first place in her chest.

Regina walked forwards until her body pined Emma's to the wall. Time to test the girl and play a little.

"Of course… I wouldn't object to some _fun_."

Emma's breath caught at the proximity of the Queen. She could feel her breasts pressing against her own, and she fought to keep a moan from slipping out as her nipples hardened and wetness appeared between her thighs.

She kept her palms flat against the stable wall to curb the temptation of reaching out to the Queen.

"If you really think me a whore, then fine, take what you want."

Regina smirked and crushed her lips to Emma's, the softness of those lips surprising her yet again. She swiped her tongue along the seam and Emma granted her wish. Her first proper taste of the blonde heightened her arousal as her body pushed forward until they were touching from head to toe. A thigh slipped between Emma's as the Queen moaned when she realised just how wet she herself was.

It didn't take her long to notice though that while Emma may be allowing the kiss, she was not returning it. Regina pulled back and met the blondes eyes, a little shocked to see hurt shining clearly before a wall came down hiding the blondes emotions from her.

Emma reached up and started undoing the buttons on her shirt and Regina was too entranced in the skin being exposed to stop her.

It was only when she happened to look up and see Emma had her eyes closed and her head turned to the side, that she reached out to stop her.

Emma let her hands fall away, waiting for the Queen to take what she wanted. She went to that place in her mind she had only been to once before.

Regina had called her name three times already as she redid the buttons Emma had opened, but the blonde wasn't responding. In seconds she had them both in her bed chambers and lay Emma on the bed while she thought of what to do.

Emma didn't even register the change, but she noticed when she was lay down. She waited to feel the weight pressing her into the mattress and without her knowledge a lone tear slipped out.

Regina didn't do panic, but the blonde was not responding to her at all. Then she had an idea.

Emma gasped as the water of the stream soothed her, brought her back from that safe place her mind had taken her too.

She was confused though as she sat in the water, looking up at the woman holding her. Then she remembered. Looking down, she sighed seeing she was still dressed. She had hoped it would be over by now.

Regina exhaled in relief. It had worked.

"Why are we here?" Emma couldn't do this here. This place brought her peace. She didn't want it tainted like that.

Regina frowned and helped Emma from the water. In a flick of the wrist they were both dry and a fire was burning in front of them.

"Because you are not a whore. I do not trust well or easily Emma."

Emma let out the breath she had been holing in.

"I brought you here because you shut down. Nothing I did snapped you out of it." Regina paused, wanting to go on but not sure if she _should._

"Emma, who hurt you?"

Emma flinched and tried to move away, but the feel on the Queen gently grasping her arm stayed her movements.

Regina felt the rage well up inside at the idea of anyone hurting the woman before her. The protectiveness surprised her, the possessiveness did not.

Emma shook her head, she didn't want to talk about it.

Regina sighed and shifted closer to the blonde, staring at the fire she had created.

"When seventeen I was married to the king. I was innocent in every way until my wedding night. Every night after, he would come to my bed chambers, and every night I would beg him not too before going to a place in my mind where I didn't have to feel him or know what he was doing to my body. I always needed the healers afterwards. There was no reprieve, not until Rumpelstiltskin came to me after a particularly bad night. He healed me and offered to teach me magic. From that moment on, _he_ never got to touch me again."

Emma's mouth opened but no words came out. This was her grandfather the Queen was talking about.

"Every night when I heard him enter my room, I wanted to kill him, to make the pain stop, and every day I grew angrier and lost more of the person I was. Even after his death, the darkness in me grew."

Regina stopped and turned to face Emma fully.

"You are the first person I have ever spoken to about that time of my life."

Emma gulped and turned to face the fire once more.

"I didn't tell you to make you tell me what happened to you. But I hope one day, you can and will." Regina reached out and cupped Emma's face between her palms.

"I meant what I said earlier. I don't trust very well, but something inside is telling me I can trust you."

Emma nodded her head and watched a small smile appear on the Queen's lips before it fell away and a serious expression took over.

"Do you… do you want to leave?" Regina asked, a lump in her throat as she waited for the blonde's answer. This was the only time she would ask. If Emma said no, she would be with her always. A part of her, the evil Queen part, rebelled at the idea of being so soft with the blonde, but the girl Regina used to be was rising more to the surface when she was around Emma.

"Yes."

Regina felt a pressure settle on her chest and almost gasped aloud at the pain it brought with it.

"I'm tired, its been a long day. I really just want to lie down in bed and sleep for a few hours."

Before she would leave for good. Dark thoughts began entering her head, but she soon cleared them.

"Are you ready to leave?"

Regina nodded and stood up. When Emma's hand settled on her arm, the Queen looked up and the blonde was amazed to see defeat in the dark eyes before her. Defeat and loss.

"Where should I take you? Back to your parents?"

Emma frowned tilted her head, wondering why the Queen was even asking until she got it.

"I meant I would like to leave here, and go back to the castle. That was all."

Slowly, a smile covered the Queen's face, and before she could stop herself she leaned forward and left a kiss on Emma's right cheek.

When the blonde opened eyes she hadn't know she'd closed, she saw they were back at the castle.

Emma waited until the Queen excused her, but the older woman didn't seem to realise that was what the blonde was doing.

"What is it?"

Emma slipped into a low bow.

"May I retire Your Majesty?"

Regina half smiled and reached out to ease Emma up.

"Whenever we are alone, you can skip all the expectations Princess."

Emma grinned and turned to leave the room. She paused though, before opening the door.

"Was I right, back at the stables?"

Regina raised an eyebrow.

"About what dear?"

Emma blushed but stood straighter.

"Did you want the kiss?"

Regina drew in a breath before letting it out slowly.

"Yes."

Emma smiled as she left the room.

"See you tomorrow My Queen."

The lust that hit Regina made her stumble back, and the look Emma shot her, the blonde knew exactly how the Queen would react to those words.

"Enjoying the girl are we deary?"

All thoughts of lust left her mind as she turned to Rumple.

"What do you want?"

He laughed and settled himself on a chair.

"The girl. What are your plans?"

Regina frowned and looked back to the door Emma had left through.

Rumpelstiltskin follow her movement with his own beady eyes.

"Ah. I see." When she turned back, it was to see a smirk on his face.

"I will not work out Your Majesty. That girl is to be your downfall."

Her eyes widened as she took in his words.

"You know this for a fact Rumple?"

He nodded his head, laughing as he left her alone again.

Regina sighed and sat before her mirror.

"Show me Emma."

In seconds she was watched the blonde. Emma had collapsed fully clothed onto her bed, and was out like a light.

As she watched the blonde, Regina thought over Rumpelstiltskin's words with a heavy feeling in her heart.

Her mother always told her love was weakness.

It took a few moment before that thought sunk in. When it did the guards outside her rooms could heard the explosion she created inside.

tbc...

a/n - I had to do all of this to them to get them where I need them to be J I have a reason for everything. I know Emma seems very off here compared to canon, but as I said at the beginning, this is gonna be a long one and to get her where I need her to be, she's gotta start out like this.

p.s sorry its taken so long to update, there is not enough hours in the day to do everything I'd like. Hopefully I'll get another chappy up this weekend.


	8. Chapter 8

Eight

Emma didn't see the Queen the following day, nor for three days after that. She wondered if this was how it was in this kingdom, its ruler missing for days at a time.

"Swan!"

Emma turned to see Michael running towards her.

"Time to train blondie."

Emma smiled and forced her mind off the tempting Queen.

SQSQSQ

Regina scowled as she watched Emma through the mirror. The blonde was currently fighting three of her guards at once,. Even though she was winning, Emma would be covered in bruises. This Princess really was something else. Wondering just what that something else was, Regina had found herself in the White Kingdom for the last few days.

It hadn't been difficult to find a trusted guard and render him unconscious before using magic to take his place, but it had taken her until now to be alone in the same room with the king and Queen and to finally hear anything of worth.

"Snow we need to attack! Now!"

Snow shook her head at her husband.

"She'll be expecting it, we'd never get near the castle never mind Regina."

Prince Charming banged a hand on the table, causing Regina, in her guise of guard, to actually really look at him. She could see how tired he was. Tired and angry.

"Emma was our daughter! All her life we kept her safe from The Evil Queen, and now this? That woman deserves death!"

Snow nodded.

"I know James, and she will die, but we have to be smart about it."

They both fell silent, ignoring the guard standing by the doors.

"Emma…" Snow's voice broke before she took a shuddering breath. "We did so wrong by her James… and now she'll never know…"

James grabbed his wife and hugged her hard, his own tears beginning to fall.

"We did what we thought would keep them safe."

_Them? _Regina frowned.

"He'll never know her. Its not right. I always thought, when the danger had passed, we could tell her, tell him, one day… what did we do?"

James shook his head.

"I don't know."

Regina wanted to leave, they were sickening. But she wanted to know who the 'he' was they were discussing more.

"Marcus?"

Regina took a small step forward.

"Yes Your Majesty?"

Snow frowned. He didn't usually call her that. Must be the stress of everything getting to him.

"Would you tell Granny that James and I will be up to check on Henry soon?"

Regina nodded her head, hiding a smirk.

"Of course."

Snow watched as their guard bowed out, a frown on her face.

It didn't take Regina long to find them, a tracker spell took her right to Granny.

"The Queen bid me to inform you she and the king will see to Henry soon."

Granny nodded and turned away.

"Tragedy is it not? That they will never know of one another?" Best not to imply too much. She was simply using only what she knew as truth.

"Its not for us to talk of Marcus. Snow did what she thought was best." Granny scowled.

Regina scowled inside.

"Yes of course, I just mean…" She trailed off, not knowing what to say because she didn't have the whole story just yet.

Granny's frown changed then into a sad look.

"It's a shame though, little tyke won't ever know her."

Regina froze. Henry was a child. Brother? Did Snow have yet another child?

"Well… his grandparents will look after him."

As if on queue a child attached himself to Regina's legs, and she saw Emma's eyes staring up at her.

SQSQSQ

Emma grunted as she blocked hit after hit. This is what she needed after days of doing nothing. However, she was tiring, fast. She needed to start training everyday again. If she hadn't of been so confused about the Queen she would have thrown herself back into some sort of a routine.

Michael sensed this and called a halt to the fun. The guards each slapped a hand on her back as they left, causing the blonde to grin.

"Its amazing you know. They usually don't like new people and for a _woman_ to join them…"

Emma scowled at him playfully

"This _woman_ could beat anyone in the Queen's employ without much effort." She smiled though and nodded her head, acknowledging his remarks as true.

Unfortunately for Emma, there was someone there that wasn't fond of her, and he made himself known.

"Fucking Whore's thinking they can do whatever the hell they want."

Emma and Michael both turned, incredulous looks on both their faces. Michael's more so because their _Queen_ had made it clear Emma was _hers._

Emma was incredulous that he had the balls to say it in her presence.

Michael raised his sword and took a step closer to the other guard.

"Think very hard about what I'm about to ask you Claude… What did you just say?"

Claude smirked and, not realising the danger he was in, repeated, word for word, what he thought of Emma.

Emma may have been tired, but Michael wasn't.

There was anger in his eyes that Emma had never seen before, and for a second if actually scared her.

SQSQSQ

Regina froze as a child wrapped his arms around her legs.

"Hey Marcus!"

Regina forced a smile to her mouth as she looked down into his face, and the likeness to Emma was striking.

"Hello Henry."

He frowned up at her, and Regina knew she had made some sort of mistake but couldn't tell what.

"Only grandma and grandpa call me Henry, what's wrong with you?"

It was amazing how children could see through things adults could not.

Granny froze and met the guards eyes.

Regina waved a hand and showed herself to the young Prince and his caretaker.

Granny growled reached for her cross bow. Henry gasped as a woman appeared where his friend once stood. A woman he knew.

The Queen waved a hand and froze the old woman in her tracks.

"You will explain everything to me. Right. Now."

Henry looked up at her at the same instant she looked down at him, and her gaze softened.

This was Emma's child.

"I won't harm you Henry."

He nodded his little head.

"I know, I dreamt about you and a blonde lady. I think it was my mother."

The Queen froze again at his words.

"You dreamt about me?"

Henry nodded his head and took hold of her hand. Regina looked down at the little hand in her own and there and then he belonged to her.

The protectiveness and possessiveness she felt towards his mother just extended to him.

Regina smiled but took them back to Granny, her gaze hard once more.

"Talk."

SQSQSQ

Emma scowled as Claude's blade caught Michael on the arm even as she saw more of the guards fill the room, drawn by the shouts and the fighting.

"What's going on Swan?"

Emma never took her eyes off the fight as she answer whoever had asked.

"He upset Michael."

The guard, Kendall, snorted and turned back to watch.

"No shit."

SQSQSQ

They were interrupted by Snow and Charming, who both froze before drawing their weapons at the sight of The Evil Queen standing beside their grandchild.

"Get the _hell_ away from him."

Henry gripped her hand tighter. He had never seen his grandparents like this and it scared him.

Regina looked down to the child and squeezed his hand in reassurance before looking back up to the pair standing in the door way.

"Henry, I need you to do something for me ok?"

He nodded his head at her and Snow's mouth dropped open.

"I need you to go to your room and grab a few things you want to take with you."

There was a loud explosion at that, from every other adult in the room, but Regina only had eyes and ears for the boy by her side. She waved a hand and forced the other three to freeze where they stood.

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to take you to your mother."

Snow gasped, hating this woman even more.

Henry frowned and a tear fell from his eye.

"My mother died when she had me."

The rage in Regina's eyes as they met her ex step-daughters was worse than Snow had ever seen.

"She is alive Henry. You told me you dreamt of her, remember?"

He nodded, confused.

"Yeah, but I thought that was from the past." He turned his little head to face his grandparents.

"You told me she was dead!"

Snow began crying.

"She is Henry. The woman beside you killed her."

Henry gasped and shook his head no even as Regina growled.

"No Snow White, Emma is very much alive. Henry, go pack."

Though he had really only just met her, Henry trusted this woman, felt connected to something inside her. He threw a heartbroken look towards his grandparents before doing what Regina asked of him, tears of betrayal falling from his eyes.

SQSQSQ

"Enough of this." Emma had enough. This looked to be more and more a fight to the death, and she didn't want that.

When Michael skipped back to dodge a lunge, Emma grabbed him by the back of his shirt and pushed him behind her.

"This is over."

Claude smirked and shook his head.

"I don't take orders from you Whore."

The other guards took offence to that and formed a half circle around Emma.

Claude looked at them all, gathered around the blonde, before saving face and walking away.

"This isn't over Swan."

Emma glared at his back even as Michael pulled her away.

"Come on blondie, I'm starving."

The two of them now seemed to have a following, and as they entered the dining room, Emma finally noticed them.

"Um.. Guys?"

"Our Queen told us nothing was to happen to you. Until she returns, we are your shadow."

Emma rolled her eyes but she smiled, knowing that the Queen wasn't the only reason they were with her.

SQSQSQ

"She's alive?" The hope in Snow's voice would have at once demanded Regina to break her.

But she was too angry for that.

"You told _her son _she was dead?"

"To protect them from you!"

It amazed Regina how Snow reasoned doing that to her own child.

"And Emma?"

Snow White frowned and threw a look to her husband.

"What about Emma?"

Taking a step closer, Regina lowered her voice and threw up a sound barrier, lest Henry hear any of what they were saying.

"Contrary to what you may think, I did not steal Emma away. She ran. Her guards followed her onto my land where I killed them. Now… after getting to know your daughter, I find it very hard to believe that she would just leave her child behind, coupled with the fact I was in the room with you earlier on… what did you tell her?"

Snow whimpered before she stood tall once more.

"I did what I did to protect my child and grandchild. From you… so don't you _dare_ judge me."

Charming growled and tried to move his sword arm, but the Queen merely flicked her gaze to him, a smirk on her lips.

"You told Henry his mother died during childbirth, I'll assume you told Emma the same then? That her son didn't make it?"

Snow's silence was all the answer she needed.

Henry returned to the room then, tear tracks of his face.

"If you take him with you we will hunt you down. I will never stop Regina. Our men will march within the hour and we will get our family back. And you will die."

Henry walked over to his grandmother and looked up to his grandfather.

"I want to go see my mother. Regina won't hurt me."

Snow looked down at him and shook her head.

"You're a child Henry, you don't know how evil she is."

He shook his head and turned to Regina.

"If I want to come back, will you let me?"

She wanted to say no with everything in her.

"Yes."

Henry beamed at her and turned to his grandparents.

"I believe her. I wanna meet my mother."

Snow looked up at Regina.

"I want a blood oath first that you won't hurt Henry and that you'll allow him to leave and come back. Emma too."

"What makes you think either of them will _want _to return here after everything you and your Prince Charming put them through?" Regina scowled but agreed anyway. "Only if they want to leave, then they may."

"Rumpelstiltskin!"

The little green man appeared shocked to see Regina holding the hand of the little Prince. There was also something else lurking beneath his gaze, but Regina was too busy concentrating on Henry to notice it.

"We need a blood oath."

As much as she didn't trust him, it was Snow White that made the deal needed in exchange for his help, so Regina could care less what that was.

SQSQSQ

Henry looked around the room he was in, in awe.

Regina smiled as she watched him take in her chambers.

"Henry, I think it would be best if I explained things to Emma before you meet her."

He looked up at her and nodded his head slowly.

Regina took a seat beside him on the bed and reached for his hand holding in her gasp when she felt a current run through her before it disappeared as quickly as it came.

"Tell me about you."

Henry smiled.

"Well, I'm seven years old. Nearly eight." He was quite proud of that.

Regina listened as he described how he loved to sword fight and ride horses with a smile on her face. It amazed her. For the best part of four decades she had been filled with hate and pain, but these two, members of Snow White's family no less, were reminding her of the girl she was.

Her smile slipped when she noticed just how tired the boy was.

"Come on, time for bed. You can sleep in here while I go and find Emma."

Henry nodded and picked at a piece of lint on his trouser leg and she knew he had a question. Showing patience she normally would never have, Regina waited until he was ready to ask.

"What if she doesn't like me?"

The Queen shook her head.

"She won't like you Henry, she'll _love_ you from the moment she sets eyes on you." _much like I did._

Henry gave her a brave smile before throwing his arms around her and kissing her on the cheek, missing the flabbergasted expression his actions caused.

"Com on, into bed with you."

It was time to find Emma and right some wrongs.

SQSQSQ

She didn't expect to find Emma drunk and in the company of so many guards.

"What is going on here?" She couldn't keep the jealously from entering her tone.

All the men stood, or tried to in some cases.

"Your Majesty." They were worried. They hadn't meant to get the blonde drunk. How were they to know she couldn't hold her ale?

Emma stood up, swaying lightly as she did so.

"Your Majesty." Regina rolled her eyes and gestured for Emma to follow her. When Michael moved to come as well, the Queen held up a hand stalling him.

Emma stumbled outside and used the wall of the tavern to hold herself up. Maybe she really shouldn't have drank so much, but she was bonding with the guys, and they wanted ale.

Regina frowned. How was she supposed to talk to Emma in this state. The Queen sighed and grabbed Emma's arm, taking them to the stream.

"Lets hope this works again because we really need to talk."

Emma opened her mouth to speak but before she could, Regina pushed her backwards into the stream.

Regina still had no idea just why this place held such power over the blonde. Her magic, for some reason had latched onto Emma the second she had stepped foot in her lands.

Emma came up spluttering, sober as hell.

"What was that for?" She had been enjoying her buzz, feeling safe for the first time in years to indulge in ale herself as she had Michael and the others by her side.

"We need to talk and I really need you to be sober when we do."

The look on the Queen's face worried Emma. It was equal parts rage and worry. For the blonde herself Emma realised.

"What is it?"

Regina took a deep breath before reaching out and cupping Emma's face between her palms.

"I have something to tell you, and I need you to let me without interrupting, can you do that?"

Emma nodded but moved her head free from the Queen's grasp. This was the first time they had seen each other let alone touched since the kiss and everything that had followed.

Regina frowned, but understood Emma wasn't ready for anything she had to offer her physically just yet.

As she opened her mouth to say the words, Regina found nothing came out. How? How was she supposed to tell this woman the truth?

Emma took a step forward seeing the expression on the Queen's face.

"Whatever it is, you can tell me you know."

Regina half smiled and led them over to a clear, conjuring up a few blankets a pillows, she pulled Emma down to sit beside her.

"I need to tell you where I've been for the last few days."

Emma nodded her head and focused her gaze completely on the woman in front of her, causing Regina's breath to catch before she righted herself.

"I was with your parents."

Emma froze before her eyes flittered away from the Queen's. Was she sending her back? She knew she wouldn't survive it this time. Not now she had tasted freedom.

Regina reached out and grasped the blondes chin, turning her gaze back where she wanted it.

"I wanted to know more, so I disguised myself as a guard and sought out any information I could about you, which wasn't as easy as I thought considering not many know of you to begin with."

Emma knew where this was going and waited for Regina to tell her she was going back to the White Kingdom.

She didn't realise she had begun to cry until Regina wiped her tears away.

"Your parents… they lied to you in the worst way imaginable my dear."

Emma looked up, but kept her silence, confusion in her eyes.

Regina took a deep breath, ready to tell her everything.

SQSQSQ

Emma blinked as she looked down at the sleeping child, her tears falling unchecked. He looked so beautiful there, wrapped up in Regina's bed covers.

How could they do this? How could they let her think her little boy had died before he was even born?

Regina watched her stare at her son. Emma had only whispered three words when she was told the truth.

_Where is he?_

The Queen jumped a little when she felt Emma's hand slide into hers and felt the current she had felt with Henry, only much stronger. She wondered if Emma felt it too.

"He looks like me."

Regina half smiled.

"He does, he has your eyes."

Emma's tears continued to fall as she squeezed the hand in her grasp.

"Thank you."

The Queen shook her head and stepped closer to the blonde.

"You never need to thank me for this. Go lie with him. You won't be disturbed."

Emma turned her head to meet Regina's eyes before nodding.

The Queen watched as Emma settled beside her son before flicking a hand to the fire, making sure it stayed lit for them and taking herself over to her desk, various papers spread over them to distract herself from the other side of the room.

Emma gazed at her son, love filling every fibre of her being as she looked at his sleeping face. She reached a shaking hand out to move some hair from his forehead before resting her face close to his.

"_Henry."_

Regina looked up and over to the bed before turning back to her papers.

Emma leant in and left a kiss on her sons cheek.

"I promise you, no one will _ever_ take you from me again."

When the Queen next looked over to the bed, both mother and son were fast asleep and Regina moved to settle herself in a chair closer to them, unable to stop watching.

How could Snow do this? There had to be more to it than just protecting them from her.

As much as she hated the other woman, Regina knew Snow White and the woman she knew, well, to go to these extremes something much darker was at the root of this.

A small noise from the bed drew her attention back and she saw Henry's wide eyes staring at Emma. Regina waited with baited breath to see what he would do.

His little head lifted until he found her gaze and the smile he gave her was one she would never forget no matter how long she lived. She watched as he snuggled further into the blonde, who in turn wrapped an arm around his body, pulling him against her.

"Regina?"

"Yes little one?"

Henry smiled up at her again and Regina found he didn't need to say the words for her to know what he was telling her.

She gave him a soft smile back. "Sleep Henry, I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a very long day indeed." He grinned but did as she said, and was soon sleeping against in mother in no time.

Regina sat there a little longer before leaving them in peace. She retired to Emma's room and collapsed onto the bed, taking in the scent of the blonde. A thousand questions ran through her head, but the one that stood out from all others concerned the child's father, and who exactly that was.

a/n - this took so long because I had to get it right. I actually have the middle and the end of this story finished. I know exactly where it is going and how everything is explained. Maybe I've went about it a little backwards lol but hey... I just had to get the begining right and this chapter esp, please let me know what you think and feel free to pm with ideas on who you think Henry's dad might be...


	9. Chapter 9

Nine

When Emma woke, Henry was still in her arms, fast asleep. She twisted her head, looking for the Queen since they _were_ in her bed, but couldn't see her in the room. Her movement must have woken her son, because when she turned back, her own eyes were looking back at her.

"Hello."

Emma gulped when she heard his voice for the first time and tears filled her eyes.

"Hello Henry."

"Regina said she'd bring me to you. I knew I could trust her."

Emma half smiled and tightened her grip on the child.

"Yeah, we can trust her."

SQSQSQ

Michael jumped to his feet when the Queen appeared before him.

Regina cast her eyes over the naked woman in his bed before putting her full attention on him, an eyebrow raised.

"Come with me."

He followed her, still pulling his leathers on over his legs and grabbed his shirt off the back of a chair. His boots were by the door so they were easy to jam on in a hurry.

Regina didn't need to look to see if he was following her. She took him to the library and sealed the room with magic once they were inside. No-one else needed to hear what she was going to tell him, and she wasn't so foolish to think there were no spies in her castle.

The Queen stared at him, and Michael tried not to flinch at the look in her eyes. He tried to pre-empt her anger a little.

"I apologise for letting Emma drink so much Your Majesty. We lost track of just how much ale we enjoyed but there is no excuse."

Regina smirked and stepped closer, her fingers twitching at her side, purple sparks making Michael nervous.

"While at any other time that would be cause for my displeasure, it is of no concern to me right now."

Michael frowned, wondering then what the matter was.

The Queen sighed and took a seat, her dark eyes on Emma's guard.

"You care about Emma?"

Michael winced. He almost wished for anger over jealously.

"I do Your Majesty, but not… I mean as I would a _sister_."

Regina smiled.

"Good."

He let out a sigh of relief.

"Emma has a child. His name is Henry, and he is going to be staying here. I'm tasking you to protect them both."

Michaels eyes widened as he processed what the Queen was telling him.

"With my life Your Majesty."

Regina palmed a fireball and waited until his eyes met her own again.

"I don't need to explain what will happen should you fail in this task?"

Michael shook his head no. he could guess.

SQSQSQ

Regina appeared in her chambers in a cloud of purple.

"That was amazing!"

Henry appeared at her side and wrapped his arms around her legs.

Emma's eyes widened at seeing her son grabbing onto the woman. She was about to call him back to her side when Regina leant down to pick him up in her arms.

"Good morning little one."

Henry grinned at her before shocking both Emma and the Queen by leaving a kiss on her cheek.

"Morning Regina."

The Queen grinned before setting him down again and making eye contact with his mother.

"I trust you both slept well?"

Emma nodded a half smile of affection on her face.

"Thank you for letting us use your room."

Regina waved her hand like it was nothing.

"Have you both eaten yet?"

"Mama wanted to wait for you."

Regina looked at Emma, smiling softy at the blonde when she saw a slight blush cover her cheeks.

"Well, how about we get the cook to fix us something special then."

SQSQSQ

Regina smiled as she watched Emma with her son. Like she had told the child, Emma loved him. That was clear to see. Her thoughts turned to her own mother. Her face hardened and purple appeared in her eyes without her knowledge.

Emma happened to glance over and flinched at the look in her Queen's eyes. She pulled Henry to her and made sure to keep his gaze averted.

The child was not stupid though and could feel the tension in her arms and tried twisting his little body to see what the matter was.

Regina saw none of this. In her mind she was cleaning up the blood after another of her mothers _lessons._

Henry looked up to his mother and made a stern face at her. The surprise at seeing it caused Emma to do what he wanted her too, but she was staying close.

Regina had been nothing but caring towards the child all morning, but Emma could tell the Queen wasn't fully with them right at the moment.

His little legs took him over to the Queen and he scrambled up into her lap, taking no notice of the sparks firing from her fingertips.

Emma watched on shocked as the magic washed over him, causing no harm.

Henry wrapped his arms around the Queen and buried his face in her neck as his mother waited to see what the other woman would do.

SQSQSQ

Michael was going to take his new role seriously. Protecting a grown woman who could fight was one thing, but protecting a child, even one he had yet to meet, was quite another.

And he had to remove anything that might prove a threat.

Claude had to go. He couldn't risk it. He had seen it in the other mans eyes, his hate for Emma.

It didn't take him long to find the man, and when he did, Michael didn't waste time with pleasantry. He took his sword and ran it through Claude's chest with no fuss.

The uproar it caused among the men there was of no consequence to him. They hadn't been present the night before, knew nothing of the fight nor the words he had spoken to the blonde.

"Have you gone mad?"

Michael turned to the master at arms and tilted his head.

"Why do you ask?" He smirked before shaking his head.

"The Queen will hear of this!"

Michael smirked and left them too it.

"Good luck with that."

SQSQSQ

Slowly, heat began to seep into her bones that had chilled with the memories flashing through her mind. When her thoughts cleared completely, she was surprised to feel Henry wrapped around her, gripping on tightly to her neck with his little arms.

She was even more surprised to see that her magic was wrapped tightly around them both.

Her eyes shot up to met Emma's and she was again surprised that the blonde was so calm.

Emma half smiled able to read the worry in the Queen's gaze.

"You didn't hurt him."

Henry pulled back and met Regina's gaze. The Queen cupped his cheek and placed a kiss on his forehead.

"Thank you Henry."

"She can't hurt you any more."

Regina's eyes widened and Emma just looked confused.

"Henry, how do you know what I was thinking about?"

He shrugged.

"I don't know, I just do. And she can't hurt you any more."

Regina closed her eyes. The boy was right of course. Her mother was long dead, but the memories would always remain.

Emma knew the Queen was going to have questions about Henry, one glaringly obvious one to begin with, but Emma was determined to enjoy the day with her son and her… with Regina… before letting any negative thoughts ruin her mood. She stood up then and grabbed both their attentions.

"How about we go out and get some fresh air? We could go to the stables."

Regina shook her head no as she stood.

"I have work to do, but you and Henry should go and enjoy yourselves. Call Michael first though please."

She wanted to give them more time to bond, but the disappointed looks that grazed both of the faces before her were identical.

With a huff she agreed and soon all three were on their way, Henry happily walking between them swinging his arms.

The trouble began when Regina was stopped halfway there by one of her master at arms.

"Your Majesty." He bowed to her and ignored the two she was with. Henry didn't like the slight to his mother before he remembered the Queen telling him that no one here knew about Emma being a Princess.

"What is it? I'm a little busy right now." She growled as she moved forward a few paces, her gaze on the stables in the distance.

He did not heed the warning in her tone.

"Its Michael Your Majesty."

Emma stepped forwards, concern for her friend pushing her.

"Is he ok?"

He threw her a quick glance before dismissing her.

The Queen scowled and took a step nearer him.

"She asked you a question, you'd best answer it."

He frowned, wondering just who this woman with the Queen was. His frown deepened when they landed on Henry.

"He is fine, but he just ran Claude through with a sword."

Emma covered Henry's ears and glared at the weapons master.

Regina smiled.

"Yes, so I think we need a new head archer then."

His face went from outrage to surprise and then realisation.

"You knew?"

The Queen nodded her head and walked pasted him.

"You'll find that there is little going on around here I don't know of."

Emma and Henry followed her closely, Emma once more throwing a glare at the man for casually discussing murder in front of her child.

"What was that all about?"

Regina looked down at Henry and then up to Emma.

"I'll explain later."

Emma nodded that she got it and took Henry's hand in her own.

"So, you think you'll want to ride today?"

He laughed and nodded his head.

"Whichever one you pick out you can keep," the Queen told him with a smile before frowning. "Except for the black stallion, he is mine."

Henry threw himself at Regina with a squeal, causing a few of the guards to stand to attention before they realised what was going on. Mouths dropped open as people watched The Evil Queen laugh and tickle the child currently wrapped around her.

Emma's breath caught at the look she could see on the Queen's face. It was the first time she had seen the Queen look happy. Their eyes met, and the heat that shot through Emma caused her body to flinch and she looked away.

Regina smirked when she caught her gaze again and Emma got the feeling that the Queen knew exactly how the blonde was feeling.

_**a/n - just a nice fluff chappy. wanted to show some interaction with Henry really but it wouldn't have worked with what is coming next. Thanks so much to everyone taking the time to review, follow and fav this story, I'm glad I seem to be on the right track. Some of your ideas as to the ID of Henry's dad have been funny... and scary lol no worries tho, all will be discovered soon enough :)**_


	10. Chapter 10

Ten

Regina felt like a week was more than enough time. She hadn't wanted to bombard Emma with questions about her son, but know she really needed to know. She needed to know what they were dealing with. If there was going to be a father breaking down her castle doors, or trying to at any rate.

Something else that worried her was the blood oath. While she was bound to it, Snow White was not. What was there to stop Snow and her Prince from declaring war? Truthfully, Regina was surprised they hadn't already. She would have moved all the lands to get back what was hers.

"Emma?"

Emma looked up from watching Henry sleep, still not believing that he was right in front of her, and turned to face the Queen.

"I think its time, don't you?"

The blonde sighed but nodded her head.

"Go get Michael then."

Had anyone else dared to order her around like that they would have found themselves on the end of a magical blast, but the past few weeks had showed her Emma could get away with more than most, and Henry even more than Emma in the last week.

Emma kissed Henry's cheek and turned to Michael with a smile.

"When he wakes up tell him I'll be back soon."

"Aye Princess." Michael smirked. It had been decided that as he was going to be with them a majority of the time, he needed to know everything. To say he had been shocked when he discovered Emma's parentage would have been an understatement.

Emma rolled her eyes but turned her attention to the Queen.

"Can we go to the stream?"

Regina reached out and grasped Emma's arm. In a flash of purple they were gone, and Michael was left guarding the little Prince with the smell of magic floating around him.

SQSQSQ

As soon as the smoke cleared Emma made a break for the bank of the stream and removed her boots to sit and dangle her feet in the water.

She was shocked when the Queen copied her move. She couldn't picture the regal woman voluntarily sitting on damp grass.

She expected the questions to start right away, but the Queen stayed silent.

Regina knew she couldn't push Emma. She needed to start this herself. She had an idea on how Henry came to be, and if she was right then whomever responsible would burn. But there was more to discuss than just who Henry's father was.

"I was bored. Trapped there. Every single day was the same. I convinced three of my guards to ditch the rest and we snuck out into a village close by."

Emma paused, lost in her memories.

Regina turned her gaze to the water, able to see the faint shimmer of her magic as if wrapped around Emma's feet. Something else she had to get to the bottom off. Ever since the blonde appeared in her life the Queen seemed to have more questions than answers.

"We found the tavern and settled in. No-one knew me so its not like there was a risk right?"

Regina reached over and squeezed Emma's hand, but the blonde pulled away. That was one thing that hadn't changed between them. Though she could sense that Emma was attracted to her and vice versa, the blonde made no move to touch her and when touch was offered it was denied. The Queen wonder if Emma would ever welcome her touch again, or if she had ruined things with her stunt in the stables which felt like so long ago.

"I was flattered when I first saw him looking at me. The only men I had ever been around were guards. It didn't take long for him to make his way over, but my guards cut him off before he got near."

Emma twisted her head to see Regina staring down at her hands, her fists clenching and unclenching before the blonde turned her gaze back to the water, feeling it lap at her toes, calming her and letting her tell this story without breaking down completely.

"I wasn't too happy and it didn't take much eye contact with this mystery man to make me ditch them. I told them I needed the toilet and when they stopped looking in my direction, I bolted outside."

Emma's fingers dug into the grass beside her as the memory of his breath stole over her.

Regina wanted to reach out but stopped herself.

"At first, it was nice. I'd never been kissed before… but then his hands started to… and I wasn't ready for that. I-I-I told him not to… but I hadn't realised he'd backed me into a darkened alleyway."

Emma took a deep breath, needing the currage to say what she was about to.

"He raped me."

Her fears confirmed, Regina had to work hard to hold in the rage. How _dare_ he.

The blonde choked on a sob then and Regina didn't care if her touch was wanted or not. She reached around and pulled Emma to her, sighing in relief when the blonde curled her body to accept the hug.

When the blonde had composed herself, Regina pulled back a little and cupped her cheeks with her palms.

"Do you know his name?"

Emma shook her head no.

"He told me at the start it was Thomas, but I think he was lying."

Regina cursed before an idea came to her.

"Emma… do you trust me?"

Emma pulled back completely and regarded the woman before her.

"With what?"

Regina half smiled and raised her hands, palms out.

"With magic dear."

Emma frowned, wondering what magic had to do with anything.

"Yes but-"

Regina cut her off and placed both hands on Emma's own.

"Let me see."

Emma got what she meant and shook her head no. She never wanted anyone to see that. The Queen was expecting that and rushed to reassure the blonde.

"You don't have to show me _that _just take me to the tavern, inside, and show me the man who did this to you."

Emma's eyes asked how and the Queen smiled.

"Focus on that memory only, hear the noises, smell the ale, the voices of your guards. I will use magic to enter your mind, but you decide what I see ok?" That was not actually true. Regina could access what she wanted to from Emma's memories, but she wouldn't. She would only see what Emma allowed her too.

Emma finally nodded and closed her eyes. She forced herself to focus as the Queen had asked, and nearly gasped when she felt Regina standing right beside her in the memory.

The Queen looked around the room, trying to see if anything was familiar to her. Sadly, it looked like it could have been anywhere.

As her eyes ran over the men in the room one stood out from the rest. One whom she really wished was only there to indulge in the ale.

Emma turned to look at her as the Queen took in the room. It was strange watching herself as a memory as the real thing stood only a few feet away.

Emma forced her gaze away from the Queen and scanned for him at the bar. When she found him she took a step closer to Regina.

"There."

Regina's rage as her thoughts were confirmed wanted to overflow.

Emma saw the look on her face as she watched the man before the blonde reached out and placed a hand on Regina's arm.

"Time to go."

When the blonde opened her eyes, they were once more by the stream, but the Queen was up and pacing, muttering angrily.

Emma wondered why the woman was so angry on her behalf but pushed it from her mind as the Queen suddenly stopped and turned to Emma with a look so dark in her eyes the blonde took a step back.

"I know who he is."

Emma paused and tilted her head.

"How?"

Regina knew this was not going to go down well, and would in fact probably hurt her… whatever it was… with Emma.

"He's a friend."

She knew her mistake as soon as the words left her mouth. She had meant to say _was a friend._

Emma blanched and turned her back, betrayal screaming from every cell in her body.

Regina rushed forward and stopped the blonde from leaving by placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I knew him, long ago Emma. I haven't seen him in years."

Emma scoffed and shrugged off the Queen's touch.

"Really?"

Regina grasped Emma tighter and pulled her closer.

"Really Emma."

The blonde paused, able to hear the truth in the Queen's words.

Regina let out a breath as she felt Emma relax. She pulled the blonde into a full body hug and ignored the feel of their breasts pressed together as best she could. The want she had in her for this woman was going to be her undoing. Maybe Rumple was right about that.

"I'm going to find him Emma."

Emma shook and pulled back.

"I don't want him here, you can't bring him here."

Regina smirked and shook her head no.

"Don't worry about that, he won't survive the encounter."

Emma met her gaze before nodding. The hate she had inside for him filled her heart.

"How will you find him?"

"Leave that to me." Regina smiled and pulled Emma back into her arms.

Emma sighed and buried her face in the crook of the Queen's neck, breathing in her scent. There was something so comforting about being in her arms.

Regina's breath hitched as she felt Emma nuzzle closer. She wanted nothing more than to pull Emma's lips to her own, but after the disaster that happened the last time, the Queen was not taking any chances.

Emma pulled back slowly, blushing as she finally realised their position.

"Why are you doing all this?"

Regina couldn't put what and how she was feeling into words, so she simply pulled Emma closer again and left a soft kiss on her cheek.

"I think you know why."

Emma sighed and turned her head, seeking Regina's lips with her own.

Regina had not been expecting Emma to kiss her. She was even more surprised when instead of pulling back, Emma pressed harder into the kiss, her mouth opening as she moved her lips against the Queen's.

Regina cupped the back of the blonde's head and pressed slightly harder into the kiss herself, trailing her tongue lightly over the Princesses lips. It only took the briefest contact to make Emma open her mouth more, urging Regina's tongue to move deeper.

The Queen wasn't about to refuse the invitation as she slid her tongue passed Emma's lips into the warm mouth beyond, moaning softly as she did so at the taste she found there. Emma, who was surprised by the noise that came out of her own body, echoed the moan and clutched the Queen tighter to her own body.

They both pulled apart breathless as they stared at one another. Neither had ever felt that much from a simple kiss, and Regina wanted nothing more than to feel it again.

Regina pushed back to recapture the blonde's lips, this time going into the kiss with an open mouth and an eager tongue. Emma groaned when their mouths parted for a moment, a moment she didn't let linger as she sunk into the luscious feeling their kisses brought her and kissed Regina yet again, her hands wrapping rightly into the Queen's thick locks as she pulled the other woman closer still.

It was only when hands started to wander south did Regina pull back.

"As much as I want to Emma, we need to get back to Henry. We've been gone far longer than I'd like."

Emma gasped as she tried to get her lungs to work properly. All she wanted to do was lose herself in this woman, forget everything she had just relieved.

Regina knew this and that was why she had called a halt to it. When they finally got to be together, she didn't want any thoughts in Emma's head other than her. She was a possessive woman by nature.

Emma seemed to get that and gave the Queen a soft smile.

"Right. Lets go see Henry."

Regina held out a hand, smiling when Emma placed her own in it and linked their fingers.

"We still need to talk about Henry." Regina approached the subject lightly, wanting to test the waters with the blonde.

"You mean about the fact that he seems to be dreaming about you, knew what was upsetting you earlier and that your magic didn't hurt him? Yeah, we need to talk." Emma tilted her head with a smile on her face.

Regina grinned and brought Emma in for a quick kiss, letting their lips linger as she teasingly ran her tongue along the blonde's bottom lip before grasping it with her teeth and pulling ever so slightly.

Emma moaned and pulled back, a playful scowl on her face.

"Tease."

The Queen simply laughed as purple engulfed them to take them back to Henry.

SQSQSQ

It didn't take long to find him, she knew where to look after all. He was a creature of habit after all.

When he noticed he was no longer alone, he looked up, a half grin on his face when he saw her standing there in all her regal glory.

"What brings you by Your Majesty?"

"You and I need to have a little talk Jefferson." Regina reached out and magically gripped him by the throat as she pinned him to the wall.

His eyes widened. He hadn't seen her in years, what had he done to reap her wrath?

The Queen's eyes swirled with purple as she took him to her dungeons. Emma never needed to know he was there and Regina really wanted to torture him before she ended his life.

"Why are we here?" There was fear in his voice.

Regina had him shackled to the wall and stripped naked in seconds.

"Emma."

"Who?"

Jefferson knew that was entirely the wrong thing to say as the Queen raised a hand and his throat closed over.

She let him get to the point of almost passing out before she let him breath.

"We are just getting started Jefferson, so I'd suggest you make yourself comfortable with your new surroundings."

She turned to go but stopped at the door.

"The next time I come here, you better know exactly why I have you here."

She closed the door behind herself and placed various spells on it. She would be the only one to enter and he would never be able to leave.

It was time to go and find Emma and Henry and try to discover just what abilities the child possessed.

_**a/n - wow I'm so pleased ppl like this :) was really nervous about posting it to begin with. I wasn't planning on posting a new chap today, but I found myself with some free time and figured... why not eh? who guessed Jefferson? All isn't as it seems tho :) to anyone from the good ol' US of A, congrats that ur gov did good :) #NOH8**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**a/n - **__**slight **__**torture in this one folks, also, its been brought to my attention that the dude that plays Jefferson is dating JM in RL, didn't know that, is it too ick now that he was her rapist? Also, sorry for the delay, RL again**_

Eleven

Jefferson groaned as pain filled every fibre of his being. Regina was nothing if not creative in her torture methods. In all the years he had known her though, this was the first time her ire had ever been towards him. He had lost track of how long he had been hanging on her wall.

His eyes opened as she pulled the magic back inside herself and he was given some relief.

"Have you really raped that many women that you can't remember differentiate between them?"

All the blood drained from his face, but Regina wasn't facing him to see it. Now he knew why he was there. The blonde filled his mind as he remembered what he did to her. What he had been forced to do to her.

He was in so much more trouble than he thought.

The Queen turned and saw recognition in his eyes.

"Ah. So you do remember her. Good." She lashed out and more cuts appeared on his skin, his blood running freely as she flicked him so he was prone against a table she conjured up.

"What happened to you Jefferson? The man I knew would never rape a woman."

He said nothing. There was nothing for it, to tell her would mean his death, to keep silent would result in the same.

Regina was confused by his silence and decided to give him a reason to use his voice.

A leather whip appeared in her hands, the ends braided into a thick rope. His eyes widened even before she pulled back for the first blow.

It would be easy to use magic solely to hurt him, but this was personal to the Queen, and she wanted him to feel that with every lash of the whip.

As the noise of the leather whipping through the air filled the room, it was soon drowned out by the mans screams as each stroke lifted the skin on his feet with ease.

SQSQSQ

Emma smiled as she watched Henry duel with Michael. They had just gotten back from a horse ride, and Henry had demanded to see the swords when they heard other guards practising.

She kept looking up, expecting to see Regina joining them, but the Queen had been absent more than not the last few days. If not for the looks and soft touches, Emma would have been worried that the kiss they had shared by the stream was not to the Queen's liking.

"Mama?"

Emma looked down to see Henry holding his arm, blood welling underneath his hand. Her eyes widened and Michael blanched when he saw the blood.

"What happened?"

Henry sobbed as he let her see his cut.

"I asked Mike if I could put the swords away and I tripped and scraped my arm against a really sharp one."

Emma picked him up in her arms and sent Michael ahead of them to fetch the healer.

"Get Gina, she can fix it."

Emma sighed and placed a kiss on his forehead.

"She's not here kid, she said she had stuff to do."

Henry whimpered and buried his face in Emma's neck. Neither one noticed that his blood was now coating her shirt so much it looked like she had been run through with a sword herself.

"But it hurts."

"I know baby."

They reached their chambers before the healer and Emma set Henry down on the bed before an idea hit her. She knocked on the mirror.

"You called me Princess?"

Emma sighed in relief.

"Is the Queen in the castle?"

The mirror nodded his head.

"She is, but she told me she was not to be disturbed."

Emma scowled at him and moved her face closer.

"Go get her, tell her Henry needs her."

The mirror huffed but obeyed. He knew of the Queen's devotion to the child.

Emma had barely turned back to Henry when she felt the magic in the air. She was getting more accustomed to Regina appearing before her that she had come to sense when it was happening.

"What happened?" both Emma and Henry could hear the worry in her voice but it was Henry that got there first.

"Make it better."

Regina's breath caught at the sight of him in pain and bleeding.

"This may hurt a little Henry." She rushed to his side and ran a gentle hand along the cut, knitting the skin together and sealing the wound.

She turned to find Emma and her knees went weak. She raised a shaky hand before her brain caught up to what she was seeing. She was beside Emma in a flash and running her hands over the blondes torso trying to heal the wound she couldn't see, her eyes a solid purple.

Emma half smiled before catching the real worry in the Queen's eyes.

"Hey, its okay, the blood belongs to Henry."

The relief that hit Regina was staggering, and not caring that Henry was in the room she threw her arms around the blonde and smashed her lips to Emma's.

Henry grinned from his place on the bed as he watched them kiss, his arm no longer hurting.

The two only pulled apart when the chamber doors burst open to reveal Michael with the healer.

Henry waved his arm in the air, letting Mike see that he was all better. The guard let out a sigh and waved the healer away before closing the doors and going to sit by Henry.

Regina finally came back to herself and turned to take in all three of them.

"What happened?"

When her mirror had informed her something was wrong with Henry, she hadn't been expecting to see blood. And then to see Emma covered in it as well…

Emma seemed to sense that the Queen's balance wasn't quite right and smiled at Henry.

"Why don't you get Michael to take you to the library and you can pick out a new book for tonight?"

Henry was a smart kid. He nodded before going to Regina and throwing his arms around her, smiling when she gripped him in return.

"Thanks Gina."

Regina started. That was only the third time he had shortened her name, but she found she liked it.

"See you later kid."

When they were alone, the Queen turned to the blonde, taking in once more the sight of the blood.

"Change that top _now._"

Emma looked down at the blood before pulling the shirt up over her head, not caring that all she had underneath was her undergarments..

Regina's breath caught at the amount of flesh on show and she was once more in front of Emma in a flash.

The blonde gulped at the look in the Queen's eyes, not sure she was ready for what those eyes were telling her.

Regina's hand lifted and rested on the spear of blood that had seeped through Emma's shirt, just above her heart.

"I thought…"

"I'm fine." Emma reached up and gripped the wrist of the hand resting over her.

Regina looked up and met the blonde's eyes before lowering her gaze back to her hand that was resting on Emma's chest. She could feel the thump thump of Emma's heart and her magic coiled, ready to reach through and check for herself that it was there and in working order.

Emma gave a gentle squeeze to the wrist in her grasp.

"Henry is too, he cut himself on a sword and he was scared. But he knew you'd fix it for him."

"I couldn't bare it if something happened to either of you." Regina looked up and met Emma's gaze.

Emma groaned before pushing forwards, pressing Regina against the nearest wall as she thrust her tongue into the Queen's open mouth.

The woman in question growled as she sucked on the offered tongue before nipping at it with her teeth. Emma pulled back with a moan as she watched Regina catch her breath.

"You are beautiful."

The Queen gave Emma a soft smile before pulling the blonde back to her lips. Reaching down, she took Emma's right hand and moved it so the blonde was cupping her breast. The groan that left Regina's mouth when Emma gave a gentle squeeze had the blonde increasing the pressure.

"Emma…"

The blonde pulled back from the Queen's mouth but kept her hand where it was. The desire in Regina's eyes was clear to see and it scared the blonde. Recent events had her relieving certain things in her mind and the thought of letting anyone, even Regina, touch her was not helping matters.

Thankfully before she had to voice her fears, they were interrupted by Henry bursting into the room, not seeming to notice his mothers hand quickly leave the Queen's chest.

Henry threw Regina a look before bouncing up to sit on the bed across the room from them.

"Why are you leaning against the wall? Are you tired?"

Emma smirked as the Queen pushed herself off said wall and made her way over to the child.

"Never mind me, how is your arm?"

Henry waved him arm in her face as if to say 'all better' and Regina let out a sigh before she turned her attention to Michael.

He took a step back at the look in her eyes.

"How did this happen?"

Henry spoke up before Michael could and told her how he had cut himself replacing the swords.

Regina sighed and took a seat by Henry, surprised when his little hand reached for her own.

"I told mama to get you, but she thought you weren't home."

The fact that Henry considered this castle home was not lost on either woman.

"Where were you?"

Regina frowned. She didn't want to lie to the child, nor his mother, but she hadn't yet told Emma that she had Jefferson locked up in the dungeon.

"I was dealing with a bad man Henry, but you don't need to worry about that, ok?"

He nodded. He remembered when his grandparents had to deal with the bad men.

Emma met her gaze, a question in her eyes but Regina shook her head no.

They would talk about it later.

"What book did you get?" the Queen pulled the child into her lap and looked up to see Emma talking with Michael before he left the room.

"I sent him down to the kitchens, we can eat in here for today."

Henry smiled. He had never been allowed to eat in him room before.

"Good, because Gina was just about to start my book."

Emma took a seat by the fire and watched as the Queen curled up with Henry on his bed. She let the woman's voice roll over her, and couldn't help the reaction it caused.

Thank god her son was in the room.

SQSQSQ

_**a/n - hope I got the contrast between torturer Queen and loving Queen right, lemme know?**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**a/n - again, slight torture **_

Twelve

Emma knew something was going on. Regina had been… different… the last week or so. Darker somehow. Moody.

The guards had noticed as well, but to them, their Queen was merely acting like herself once more and not like the woman she had become since Swan and the child had arrived in the castle.

When they were alone, Regina was quiet, and never initiated closeness between them, which meant there hadn't been any because Emma was now too unsure of the other woman's affection However when Henry was with them, the Queen was her usual happy self, but Emma saw that underneath the façade, something was… off.

And she had had enough of it.

She told Michael to take Henry on a tour of the castle gardens. She had a Queen to confront.

SQSQSQ

Regina closed the door behind herself and stared at the man tied to the chair in the middle of the room.

Sleep depravation wasn't something she had used before, but it seemed to be working amazingly in such a short time. It had been forty-eight hours since she had let Jefferson rest enough to even try and sleep.

Today though, she wanted to add something else to the mix. She had actually gotten the idea from Henry had done that morning.

Nails on a chalk board made her cringe, which led Regina to think of other sounds that would drive her crazy.

The sound of bat sonar filled the small space and Regina smiled as she watched the effect it had on the bound man. With his hands tied behind his back, there was no protection for his ears as he cringed and pulled at the ropes.

Flicking a wrist, Regina made certain the noise could not be heard outside this dungeon cell and strengthen the spell on the noise maker to ensure it wouldn't fade. The spell would ensure that ever thirty minutes that the sound would fill the room and that it would last for fifteen minutes at a time.

She didn't want to take the chance Jefferson would grow immune to it. She wanted him to suffer after all.

With one last look, she turned and left the room. She had matters of court to deal to and wanted them over as quickly as possible.

As she entered her throne room, the Queen didn't expect to see Emma sitting on the steps below her seat of power, her head resting on a closed fist.

Emma looked up when she heard the double doors open.

The guards stepped aside to let the Queen enter, and Emma saw her pause when she caught sight of the visitor sitting below her throne.

Regina waved off the guards and closed the doors with a flick of her wrist.

"What are you doing in here?"

Emma stood up as the Queen drew closer, her cloak sliding along the ground behind her. The blonde took in the tight leather trousers before forcing her mind away from that pleasing image and watched the Queen ascend the stairs to her throne.

"I need to talk to you."

Regina tilted her head as she took a seat, her arms resting on the arm rests of her throne, her legs crossed showing off the leather that looked painted onto her skin.

Emma gulped.

"About what dear?"

Emma settled on the top step, her body turned towards the Queen, not noticing that Regina's eyes had darkened with desire at the blonde effectively kneeing at her feet.

"What's wrong with you?" She never was one to hold back.

Regina raised an eyebrow but chose not to comment on Emma's tone.

"Other than being held up right now, absolutely nothing Emma."

The blonde rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"No Regina, you haven't been yourself lately, and I want to know why."

Regina stood from her throne, a fierce look on her face.

"When we are in _this_ room Emma, I am a _Queen_."

Emma blinked, not at all unnerved by the look nor the tone of the Queen.

"_Fine_. Your Majesty. What the fuck is _wrong_ with you?"

It was the first time she had heard Emma speak so vulgarly. The little shiver that raced down her spine lead her to believe she liked it.

Regina smirked and retook her seat.

"I am perfectly fine, you however aren't acting like yourself dear."

Emma scowled, there was nothing wrong with _her._ Unless… That hadn't actually occurred to her. Maybe the Queen was right and there was nothing wrong with her. Maybe Emma was the problem.

Regina didn't like the look that flashed over the blonde's face.

Emma's mind raced as she ran the last week through her brain. Every moment she had spent with the Queen, both alone and in the company of others.

She froze. She was the common theme. The blonde completely dismissed the fact that Regina had constantly either told or showed her that she was wanted.

Emma hadn't realised just how much she liked having Regina around until the Queen had become scarce… distant.

Regina _really _didn't like the expression on Emma's face.

"Your right. I have been a little… tense… lately."

Emma looked up, a weary look in her eyes.

"… why?" She was afraid to ask. _please don't say because of me_

Regina slipped from her throne to sit beside Emma on the stone step and took one of the blondes hands into her own.

It occurred to her that she hadn't really touched the blonde all week. She wondered if Emma missed her touch.

Not only had she not touched the blonde, they hadn't kissed in that time either, and now that she was thinking about it, it was all Regina wanted.

Not one to deny herself, especially when she was in the room they were in currently, Regina did what she wanted to.

Emma's eyes widened as Regina closed the distance between them and then they closed as the softness of the Queen's lips touched her own. Desire burst through her veins as Regina's teeth pulled on her lower lip before the Queen's tongue demanded entrance into Emma's mouth.

Emma pressed herself closer to the brunette and brought her arms up to wrap them around the Queen's neck even as she pressed her lips harder against Regina's.

The Queen growled as she sucked on Emma's tongue before nipping it with her teeth. Regina pulled back and drew Emma's tongue into her own mouth, groaning as the blonde turned and climbed up so she was straddling her lap.

Without knowing it, Emma began to rock her hips, craving some friction when she desperately needed it. Regina smirked. Seemed Emma had indeed missed the closeness they usually shared this past week.

Emma pulled back, gasping for breath, glad to see Regina was just as breathless.

"This… isn't… we need… to talk."

Regina nodded but pulled Emma's mouth back to her own, unable to deny herself another taste.

Moans echoed through the room. The Queen pulled Emma tighter against her body as she slipped a hand up to palm a breast, able to feel the pebbled nipple through the blonde's clothes.

Emma gasped and arched into the touch, one she didn't know she had been craving. Regina pulled back and watched Emma's face, looking for any sign that the blonde didn't want this. The lust she could see shining back at her allayed her fears as she lowered her lips to the long neck in front of her.

Emma groaned as she felt Regina's tongue map out the main vein before the Queen used her lips, teeth and tongue to ensure the mark she was making would be seen for a few days. Emma didn't seem to mind much if the noises she was making were any indication.

One hand slipped down the blondes back until Regina was able to pulled Emma tighter still by one hand on her ass.

Emma's hands pulled at the pins holding the Queen's hair in place until she was able to wind her fingers through it, tugging sharply in her pleasure.

The Queen groaned and brought their mouths back together.

She was fully prepared to strip Emma naked and take her on the floor, if not for the fact that she knew they were about to be interrupted.

She did have subjects to see to after all.

"Emma…"

Emma groaned and pulled Regina by the hair, making the Queen tilt her head before the blonde attacked her neck with lips and teeth.

The sound that left Regina had _Emma_ gasping and pulling back, a rush of desire making her thrust harder against the body below her.

The Queen had enough. She couldn't take it anymore.

Using as little magic as she could, she flicked Emma off and away from her, conjuring a soft landing for the blonde.

Emma shook her head and looked up, her eyes clouded with lust as she stared at the panting Queen.

Regina watched as Emma brought herself under control, a blush staining her features.

When the Queen had calmed enough herself, she made her way to the blonde and held out a hand.

"I have to hold court, but when I'm finish, we'll talk."

Emma nodded and grasped the Queen's hand, squeezing lightly.

"Okay. We'll wait until your finished before we eat Your Majesty."

Regina frowned. For some reason she didn't like that she had demanded Emma use her title. She liked when the blonde did it of her own free will.

"Emma, its _always_ Regina."

The blonde grinned and leaned in to place a soft kiss on the Queen's lips.

"Yes My Queen."

Regina smiled and waved a hand to open the doors. Emma watched as the some of the people of the kingdom filed in, egger to bring their concerns to their ruler.

She slipped out, her body still not fully calmed down from the whirlwind that was Regina.

So if the issue with Regina wasn't her, then what was making the Queen cranky?

SQSQSQ

Before heading to eat with Emma and Henry, the Queen took a detour to see how her captive was holding up. She decided not to enter the room and instead opened the view slot in the door.

Jefferson's eyes were blood shot, his face drawn. She could see how his Adam's apple bobbed and the pulse that raced along his neck. He was covered in a thick layer of sweat, staring longingly at a pitcher of water sitting in front of him that he would never be able to reach.

Things were coming along nicely then.

If only he would talk.

She had to tell Emma he was here, what she was doing to him. The blonde had been right. She had been acting differently towards her, and Regina was sure it was out of guilt for keeping Jefferson's capture from the blonde so far.

SQSQSQ

Henry jumped up when he saw Regina enter their chambers.

"Look what I painted for you!"

The Queen took in the picture of a blonde and a brunette with a small child between them. In the background was a guard, she assumed it was Michael, and beside him was the horse Henry had chosen for himself, Raphael.

"Its lovely Henry. We'll see about getting it framed and hung in the great hall."

He beamed with pride and ran over to set his picture down safely on the desk.

Emma smiled when their eyes met, feeling lighter in the Queen's presence once more.

They sat down to eat once Regina had called the cook to have food sent up, Henry happily telling them both about his day and pointing to the apples Michael had helped him pick from the gardens.

When they were finished though, Emma sent Henry off to wash and excused Michael. Alone once more, Regina held out and hand and pulled Emma with her to the love seat. Emma sat and snuggled into the Queen's side, feeling how tense she was.

"Whatever it is, you can tell me."

Regina took a deep breath. It was now or never.


	13. Chapter 13

Thirteen

Emma paced the room, throwing glares every now and then at the woman still seated.

"I _told _you…" trailing off, she threw her hands up and resumed her pacing.

Regina watched, worried that the blonde was getting ready to explode. When she had told her about Jefferson, Emma had froze for a split second before she yanked herself away from the Queen's arms and began pacing the room like a caged tiger.

"Begged you actually…"

Emma growled and kicked the table leg so hard it buckled in the middle causing it to slant at a strange angle. The oil lamps, tea set and maps currently calling the table home crashed to the floor, sending shards everywhere.

Regina groaned. She had liked those lamps.

"Why?"

Finally she sensed Emma was ready to listen.

"Because he hurt you. Because I _really_ want to hurt him. Because the thought of him still being free turns my stomach and because I _care_ about you!"

Emma shivered at the emotion she could hear in the Queen's voice.

"I don't care what you do to him Regina, but I told you I didn't want him here. You brought him to our home!"

Regina froze and it took Emma a minute to realise why.

"I mean your home."

Regina shook her head as she made her way to the blonde.

"You really consider my castle home?" For Henry to do so was one thing, but for Emma? Quite another in Regina's book.

Emma blinked and roughly shook her head no.

"We aren't talking about that right now. Right now you are in trouble."

Regina reached out and rested both hands on Emma's hips, walking the blonde back until she hit the far wall.

"I'm sorry I brought him here but he is locked up in the dungeon and he will _never _escape or be freed."

Emma lowered her eyes and shook her head.

"That doesn't matter Regina. _He's _here. Under the same roof as me. I don't want that."

Regina paused, unsure of what to say. She knew how Emma felt, knew that bringing him to the castle had been wrong. But there was a difference between knowing something to be true, and admitting it.

Emma pushed her back, giving herself some space.

"All those reasons you just listed, they all had to do with how _you_ feel. You never once took into consideration how this was going to affect me Regina."

Regina glared and stalked forward until Emma was once more pinned to a wall.

"No."

Emma scoffed and rolled her eyes, causing Regina to reach up and grip her chin to force Emma to look at her.

"I did this for you. Do I take pleasure in hurting him? Yes. However the fact that I want him dead has very little to do with that."

Emma swallowed hard at the emotion she could see in the Queen's eyes that she couldn't really put a name to.

"I'll move him away."

Emma shook her head and tried to push the Queen back, but Regina wasn't moving.

"Its too late for that. I know he's here now, I know that _you_ brought him here!"

Regina growled, an honest to god growl, and the heat that flashed through Emma when she heard it confused the life out of her. She was meant to be mad at this woman.

"How do we get past this?" Regina really wanted to know. Before Emma, she had not cared to take others feelings into account.

Emma shook her head, a hurt look on her face.

"I thought you were different! All my life, I've been told what to do, how to act, never getting to make any decisions for myself. You know how many things I've ever asked for in my life that really mattered? Two things. I asked my parents to let me see my sons body before we buried him I and asked you not to bring that man here. Both times I was denied."

Regina took a deep breath and tried to move closer, she did not like where this was going.

"Your just like them!"

Emma picked up the nearest object, one of the now broken oil lamps and threw it towards the fire.

The burst of flames that shot out of the fireplace didn't faze either the Queen of the blonde as Regina waved a hand containing the flames before they could burn down the room around them.

"Emma, I'm _sorry_."

Emma just shook her head as her eyes hardened.

"So am I. Henry and I will be leaving first thing in the morning."

Regina scowled and took another step closer.

"No, you can't leave, we need to fix this. You can't run from me."

Emma half laughed and pushed Regina back with a hand to the chest causing the Queen to groan slightly at the rough treatment.

"You took a blood oath, you cannot stop us."

The pain she felt in her chest was entirely knew to the Queen.

"You would rather go back to your parents, the people who lied to you and told you your son was _dead_, than stay here?"

Emma shook her head no, giving the Queen a second of hope before it was snuffed out.

"We are not going back there, but we can't stay here. I _trusted_ you Regina."

Emma sighed and shook her head, ignoring the look on the Queen's face.

Regina was cursing the fact she had made a blood oath in the first place now.

"You can trust me! Have I ever given you a true reason to doubt that before? You and Henry, Emma… please don't leave, we can work this out! I'll go kill him right now and then come back and we can start to fix this."

Emma could see and hear the desperation coming from the Queen and cursed herself for what she was about to do.

"Fine. Go."

Regina smiled before throwing her arms around the blonde and pressing her lips to Emma's. For her part, Emma allowed the kiss but did not return it.

The Queen was gone in a flash of purple.

"Goodbye Regina."

SQSQSQ

Jefferson couldn't lift his head when the Queen appeared before him. She smiled at her work. He was half delirious. If only she had longer. Pity that.

"Time to put you out of your misery."

His mouth worked, like he was trying to speak. Curious, Regina lifted the water to his lips and let him wet his throat.

"Tell me what I want to know or I'm going to find your daughter and give her to my guards as a plaything. She's fifteen summers now, yes? You'll agree that's a fate worse than death. If you tell me what I want to know, I'll make sure Grace is taken care of for the rest of her life. You have my word. Just tell me why the man I knew would do _this._"

He blinked, sanity returning in a short flash. She would look after his Grace. He believed that much. Grace stood a better chance with the Queen behind her that running from two powerful enemies.

Regina leant closer to hear the words he spoke, her eyes widening before they darkened.

Her hand burst through his chest and yanked his heart from its resting place with ease. Out of all the hearts she had crushed, never before had she felt such pleasure in the act.

He was dead before her fist closed completely.

SQSQSQ

"Why are we leaving so late Mama?"

Emma tightened her grip on Henry as she pushed her horse faster.

"We just needed to leave Henry. Don't worry about it."

He twisted his little head up to gaze at her.

"But where's Gina?"

Emma blinked away tears.

"Regina isn't coming with us. We're leaving the castle and we are not going to return."

He started crying, asking her why, but she couldn't tell him.

They needed to make it through this section of the forest before the Queen found them both gone. She hoped that Regina spared Michael. She had not told the man they were leaving and realised that she had betrayed his trust just as Regina had betrayed hers.

The forest suddenly burst to life and she knew then, that Regina had discovered her trickery.

SQSQSQ

The Queen raised her arms towards the woods, knowing that's were Emma and Henry where. She felt the tress come alive at her bidding, their branches moving freely by her will alone. Her mirror caught a glimpse of the two on horseback as they passed through a puddle of water and her hands froze.

She had already betrayed Emma, she couldn't do so again. Not like this. It was one of the hardest things she had ever done, but Regina let the forest rest once more.

"Come back to me Emma." A single tear slipped down her cheek before she wiped it away and turned to Michael.

"Go, follow them. Make sure they don't see you and keep them safe."

He nodded and left, surprised that the Queen had not kept her promise to him should he allow the blonde to leave the castle unaccompanied.

Regina turned back to her mirror and forced her mind from Emma and Henry to Jefferson's last words to her.

"Fine me Rumpelstiltskin."

SQSQSQ

Emma braced herself to be trapped, but as soon as she felt and heard the forest come alive, it settled once more.

"Mama?"

"Henry please, try to sleep."

He nestled his little body into his mothers and closed his eyes, seeing the dark Queen behind them. He had to get his mother to change her mind and let them go home.

_Gina._

SQSQSQ

Regina froze as she waited for her mirror to tell her of Rumple's location, sure she had heard Henry call to her.

_Henry?_

SQSQSQ

Henry sat bolt upright, causing Emma to sigh and again tell him to sleep.

He ignored her for now and concentrated.

"_Gina? You can hear me?"_

It didn't take but a second for the reply to come back.

"_Yes Henry, are you two okay?"_

He nodded before realising that she wouldn't be able to tell he had done so.

"_Yes, but Mama says we won't be coming home again. Why Gina? Do you not want us anymore?"_

SQSQSQ

Back in her chambers the Queen's heart broke at the pain she could hear in the child's voice.

"_Oh Henry, I want you both very much. I promise you, we'll all be together again soon my child."_

SQSQSQ

He smiled, believing her even as his eyes slipped closed.

"_Sleep little one, I will see you both again soon. Look after your mother for me."_

SQSQSQ

Her mirror caught her attention just as Henry bid her goodnight.

"I have found Rumpelstiltskin Your Majesty and told him you request a meeting. He informed me to tell you he was in his castle, in the spinning room to be exact."

Regina put her game face on and waved a hand over her body, transforming her clothing. Gone was the dress she had been wearing, in its place tight black leather trousers, and blood red corset and her trademark black and red cloak. Her hair pinned in place and dark makeup finished the look. Her spiked leather boots gave her a few extra inches. She liked looking down on the little man.

"Tell the Huntsman he is in charge of the men until my return."

Her mirror nodded and left to do his Queen's bidding.

Allowing herself one more moment to think of Henry and Emma, Regina disappeared in a cloud of purple.

SQSQSQ

Rumple looked up when he felt the magic in the air and sure enough, Regina was soon before him.

"Your Majesty, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

She had never wanted to kill him more. Her anger was a living, breathing organism, and one she needed to learn to control if she was to survive this encounter unharmed.

"I think you know exactly why I'm here Rumpelstiltskin."

He giggled, in that insane way of his.

"Oh no Dearie. I'd much prefer you tell me yourself."

Regina drew herself up to her full height and readied her magic, just in case.

"Is it true?"

He stopped moving altogether and it was the stillest she had ever known him to be.

"Not the first question I thought you would ask Your Majesty."

Regina took a step closer to him.

"Oh believe me, we will get through them all, but I want that one answered first. IS IT TRUE?"

He giggled again and threw his arms out.

"Yes Dearie. Its true."

tbc...

a/n - wow, didn't mean to take so long but for those of you who live in the UK, Northern Ireland specifically, you'll know how nice the weather has been, which isn't the usual for us :) hope this chap makes up for the wait - spread love peeps not hate esp to our leading ladies, that is all I'm gonna say on the matter


	14. Chapter 14

_**a/n - a few questions answered in this chapter. This was actually the first chapter of this story I had written, so I'm excited to share it with you lot :) feel free to PM me with any questions**_

Fourteen

Regina threw curse after curse at the little imp, but each time he reflected them easily, laughing off her attempts. She couldn't believe he admitted it.

"Come now Dearie, look at all the power you are wasting here."

Regina growled and flicked a wrist, shattering his display cabinet and sending the items inside crashing to the ground. She watched in amusement as he jumped to catch a chipped cup. Seemed he did have a weakness after all.

How could she have forgotten poor Belle? Locked away and thought to be dead.

"Why Rumple? I know your evil, but _this_? I would never have expected that."

He set the only item he truly valued in the room down on a cushion he conjured before turning his attention back to the Queen, not quite as joyful as he had been, anger now shinning in his dark eyes.

"Watch yourself Dearie."

Regina lowered her hands. She wouldn't be able to kill him this day. Destroying Rumpelstiltskin took planning.

"At least tell me why."

He laughed and waved a hand in the air as he danced on the spot.

"And where would be the fun in that Your Majesty?"

Perhaps it was the look on her face, one which he had seen so often on his own, that made him pause.

"I did it for Bae, to find him."

Regina refrained from rolling her eyes.

"Rumple, your son disappeared over three hundred years ago."

The roar that sounded shook the room.

"I know that! But I also know, that he is still alive Dearie."

The Queen titled her head, she knew of the insight he had of future events, but she wondered if he was fooling himself.

"But how does having Jefferson rape Emma play into that for you?"

He stopped moving again and she swore that just for a second, there was remorse in his beady little eyes before it was snuffed out.

"It wasn't so much the rape Your Majesty, but the result it wielded."

It only took her brain a second to work it out and fury like no other spread rapidly through her veins. She had been angry before, but this feeling, this was something new entirely.

_Henry._

Rumpelstiltskin saw how black her eyes had gone and threw a barrier up just in time. It surprised him though just _how _much energy he had to put into keeping her anger at bay.

Regina could feel the difference this time.

"Why do you need Henry? He's just a _child!_"

Rumpelstiltskin threw up both hands and suddenly Regina was pinned to a wall, his face inches from her own. She tried not to gag at his breath rushing over her.

"Yes now, he is but a child. However the day will come when boy begins to turn to man, prophesy has foretold it, and that _Regina _is when I'll bleed him dry to open a portal to the world my Bae is lost to!"

The cold hit her chest hard.

"Why didn't you just get Jefferson to take you there in his _fucking_ _hat?"_

Rumple laughed and tightened his magical grip on the Queen. It amused him she had lost enough control to use foul language. It really wasn't befitting of a Queen.

"Because Dearie, the world my Bae is trapped in, is a land without magic, and the only thing that will get me there, is the blood of a child born of True Love."

All the fight left her then. How the hell was Jefferson Emma's true love? She had only just admitted to herself that she _loved _Henry, to admit that she loved his mother too? When it was clear that it would never be true? Regina didn't think she could deal with that.

"Why didn't you just use Emma?"

He tilted his head, debating on whether or not to reveal this next piece of the puzzle.

Misery did like company after all and he couldn't wait to see her face when he spilled the beans.

"Because Dearie, neither Snow nor her Charming Prince have magic apart from that of true love. Emma doesn't count. I needed a child born of true love, with one of the parents being magical."

Her own magic was starting to fight back and she could see the strain holding her to the wall was taking on the Dark One.

"So, you forced Jefferson, with threats against his child, to rape Emma, his true love, so that they would produce a child which you would then bleed at the right time to open a portal to take you to a land without magic to get back _your _son? Have I got all that?"

He laughed and danced, sure nothing would be able to stop him. He had seen this path laid before him decades ago, nothing would deter him from it.

Regina growled and sprung herself free.

"I will destroy you if it's the last thing I do!"

Just as she was preparing to disappear, Rumpelstiltskin held up and hand.

"You just got one little bitty part wrong."

Regina raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to inform her of the mistake she had made.

"You see Your Majesty, while I may have used Jefferson as my vessel, he is not the boys father."

Damn him. Regina took a breath and focused her thoughts. If he revealed that Henry was his own child, she was going to explode.

"If not Jefferson, then who is Henry's father?"

He sucked in his own breath, better to savour the reaction he was sure to get from her.

"You are."

SQSQSQ

Emma jerked awake wondering why she was lying on damp earth. It didn't take long for the memories to return to her. Twisting her head a little, she stared at her son, curled up and resting his little head in her lap.

They had only been gone a night and already she missed Regina. She hadn't really thought much of her feelings for the Queen, at least not consciously, until she made the decision to leave.

She wondered though, if the pain in her heart would ever leave her or if she was destined to carry it with her always.

"Mama?"

Emma jumped and looked down to see Henry staring up at her.

"Good morning."

He gave her a half smile before wincing. Sleeping on the ground was a new experience for the little Prince.

"I'm hungry mama."

Emma pulled the saddle bag closer to them and dug around inside it for some bread and cheese.

"Its not much, but it will do us until we can get to a village."

"If we went back to Gina we wouldn't need to worry." Henry scowled, his little face all scrunched up with the effort.

Emma sighed.

Her head jerked to the left when she heard a branch snap. A sword was in her hands before she had even reached her feet.

Michael stumbled through the bushes to them, a grimace on his face.

"If the Queen ever asks, you never knew I was following you, ok?"

Emma rolled her eyes and lowered her sword.

"Is she here?"

He shook his head no and wrapped an arm around Henry who had decided to cling to him.

"No, she sent me to make sure nothing happened to you both."

He looked up at her, asking with his eyes why she had left. Emma moved her own eyes to Henry and shook her head no.

Michael sighed and picked Henry up in his arms.

"Is Gina alright Mike?"

Michael smiled at the child but didn't answer him.

Emma wondered what the Queen was doing. The blonde knew the forest could have held them captive until Regina reached them but the Queen had let them go only to send Michael as protection.

"Where are we?"

Emma hadn't recognised the area they were in. She had wanted nothing more than to go to the stream and think, but she knew Regina could find her there, so she taken them in the opposite direction.

Michael took a look around and raised an eyebrow.

"Still well with our own borders, the Queen's lands are vast. Home is just over that way."

Emma sighed. Just as she had thought.

SQSQSQ

Regina paced from one end of the throne room to the other, his words echoing around in her head. Her guards were keeping their distance, her angry strides letting them know just how _upset _their Queen was.

_Strand of Emma's hair, one of your tears_

_Mixed together to create a potion_

_All Jefferson had to do was drink it and low and behold a baby born of true love_

She didn't know how, but she was going to find a way to destroy that imp.

But first she had to get back Emma and Henry.

"Mirror, show me Emma."

In seconds the face in the mirror was back.

"I can't find her. Wherever she is, there are no reflective surfaces."

Regina scowled. Emma was smart. Of course.

"Wait, Michael is with her, I have them."

The Queen watched through the armour of Emma's guard, her eyes drinking in the sight of the woman she knew to be her true love, and the son they shared. She wasn't even annoyed Michael had disobeyed her order of staying hidden.

"Let me hear them."

At once the sounds of the forest filled the room.

"Is Gina alright Mike?"

She stared at her son in wonder. Having a child was something she had dismissed, but with Henry, from the very second she had met him, there had been a connection she hadn't been able to explain.

Not until she had discovered the truth.

Her magic ran through him. That was why he dreamt of her, why her magic hadn't harmed him. How they could speak to each other.

_Henry?_

She watched his little head shoot up and smiled when a grin crossed his face.

_Gina! Are you okay? I miss you."_

Her heart melted.

_I'm okay little one. I'm coming to get you two, I'll be there in a few moments, but don't tell Emma, ok?"_

She saw him nod his head, a smile on his face. She saw Emma turn to look at him, wondering just why her son was so happy.

Emma jumped when she saw the flare of purple that could only mean one thing.

Henry laughed and squirmed out of Michael's arms and threw himself at Regina before she had even fully materialised in front of them.

As soon as her arms were wrapped around him, she never wanted to let go. A tear slipped from her eye, and Emma wondered at it.

"What are you doing here?"

Regina looked up and met angry eyes. Sighing, she placed a kiss on Henry's head and stood up with him in her arms.

"Hello to you too dear."

Emma scowled.

Michael backed away, wanting to give them privacy and he fell into his default role of a guard for the Queen, his keen eyes surveying the area and making sure there wouldn't be a pending attack.

Emma took a step closer to the Queen and her son.

"Answer me."

Regina drank in the sight of the blonde. Now she knew the truth, she was no longer afraid of the feelings Emma stirred inside her.

"I've come to take you both home."

Henry smiled and rested his head in the crook of her neck.

"I've been telling mama since we left that we had to go back, she wouldn't listen to me."

Emma glared at them both and rested her closed fists on her hips.

"What makes you think I will return there?"

Regina looked between their son and his blonde mother before calling Michael over.

She handed him Henry, who wasn't to happy to be out of her arms, and waved a hand, making them both vanish in an instant.

Emma shot forward, trying to grab onto Henry but he was gone before her eyes.

"Regina!"

Regina reached out and gripped Emma by the arm before taking them both to the stream.

The blonde refused to go near the water. She wanted to stay angry with the Queen, and she knew if she let that water touch her, she would lose that.

"How dare you!"

She pushed the Queen as far as possible until Regina was backed into a tree trunk, Emma's arms planted on either side of her face.

"He is _my _son and I want him back!"

She couldn't help herself. Regina pulled Emma close and took her lips in a fierce kiss, gripping on when the blonde tried to pull back. She poured her entire being into that kiss, and groaned when she felt Emma return it.

Emma tried to fight it, but she was in love with the woman before her and groaned, giving in.

Regina's hands locked possessively around the blonde. Now that she had her, Emma was never leaving.

She pulled back to gasp for air, smirking as she watched Emma do the same. She hadn't expected the blonde to command her lips once more though.

Emma's tongue took possession of the Queen's mouth as her hands shifted to body in front of her.

When she felt hands cupping her breasts, Regina had never been more grateful to have such enhancing corsets.

Emma groaned at the feel of flesh under her hands and used her fingers to push the corset down, intent on getting to the prize beneath.

Regina's head fell back against the tree when she felt Emma's fingers tweaking her nipples and she had finally had enough of being passive.

The blonde groaned at the speed the Queen moved with. One minute she was pressing Regina into the tree, the next the Queen was in front of her, claiming her lips again and tugging at her shirt to get to the skin beneath.

When she felt lips wrapping around her right nipple, Emma gasped and fell back to earth with a bang.

"We can't do this!" She pushed Regina back, watching as the Queen struggled for breath, her lips plump from being ravished and her chest and face flushed with arousal.

Regina panted for breath and licked her lips, tasting Emma there. As much as she wanted to take her lover there and then, she knew she couldn't. Not until they had talked.

"Your right."

Emma blinked. She hadn't been expecting agreement. She fixed her shirt back into place, and watched as Regina fixed her own clothes, her eyes catching the sight of dark nipples before they were hidden away.

Regina reached out a hand, not knowing if Emma would take it or not.

She did.

The Queen led them both to the waters edge and sat down, pulling Emma with her but keeping them both on land.

"I need to tell you what happened after you… left." Once everything was discussed regarding Henry, there was going to be a strong talk on how Emma would never be leaving her, ever again.

Emma frowned. Another thing she had not been expecting.

"What is it? What happened?"

tbc

_**a/n - truth, who saw that coming? ;)**_


	15. Chapter 15

A/N - Bloody hell I am so sorry its been so long since I updated this, but to be honest this is the first draft of this chapter I am happy with. I have written and re-written it seven times so far, no joke, because I didn't want to put up something I wasn't happy with, hence the long frickin wait for you guys. Also, real life has been busy with college starting back up and everything

The next few chaps are mostly finished then we get to the middle, which is 99% completed, seeing as how that was started first lol, then the end with is 100% finished.

Really sorry again for the wait, but I wanna say thanks to everyone who has reviewed, fav'd or followed this wee story of mine so far, this is dedicated to you lot, hope it doesn't suck.

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Fifteen

Regina didn't respond, and Emma was starting to get annoyed.

"If this is just some sort of weird delaying tactic Regina, I want my son back. Right. Now." She had lost enough time with him, she wasn't about to stand for games when her son was involved.

The Queen blinked and shook her head before holding out a hand to the blonde, hurt when it was not accepted. Her face fell before it hardened slightly, and Emma marvelled at the difference between an open Regina and the cold one. The Queen's eyes darkened and narrowed before she shook her head and took a step closer.

"I'm trying to find the right words." She slowly dropped her hand back to her side and clenched her fists. It wasn't like she could just come out with it.

"Find them quickly." Emma scowled and turned her back on the woman she was trying to run from.

Regina scowled and flicked her right hand out, fashioning seats for them.

"Fine. Have you ever heard of Rumpelstiltskin?"

Emma shook her head no, which didn't surprise the Queen. The blonde had been kept in the dark over a lot of matters of the kingdom.

"How about the Dark One?"

That name she had heard and Regina smiled, happy she wouldn't have to explain everything then.

"I ripped out Jefferson's heart." She decided to start with what she thought would be a good thing for Emma.

Emma gulped as she let that sink in, conflicting emotions raging inside as the image of the man came to the forefront of her mind.

"Before I did though, he told me that he had been forced to do what he did, by the Dark One, or Rumpelstiltskin as he is otherwise known."

Regina held up a hand when Emma went to talk, and the emotion the blonde could see pouring from the brunettes dark eyes had her breath catching for a second.

"Please, let me get through this just once, then you can ask whatever you want of me. I'm positive you are going to have a lot of questions by the time I get done speaking."

Emma glared at the Queen but finally nodded her head, agreeing to keep quiet until it was her turn to speak.

As she listened to the words spewing from Regina's mouth, Emma regretted agreeing to the Queen's demands.

_True Love_

_Powerful magic_

_Couldn't wait for us to get there on our own_

_Prophecy_

_My son_

_My son_

_Our son_

_OUR SON_

The last thing Emma saw before blackness overtook her vision, was the worried face of Regina hovering over her.

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Henry sighed yet again, causing Michael to stop the horse and twist Henry around so they faced each other.

"Okay little man, what's wrong?"

Henry shrugged and picked at a piece of the horses saddle.

"They're gonna fight."

Michael sighed this time and nodded his head. This child was wise beyond his years.

"Sure they are kid, but they will make up as well, its just a thing with adults."

Henry shook his little head no.

"Not my mothers. The rest of them."

"You think of the Queen as a mother?" Michaels eyes widened before he smiled to himself. He knew these two would be good for his Queen.

"She is my mother, just like Emma is. I'm as much Regina as I am Emma. A dream told me so."

Michael didn't know what to say to that. He had heard crazier things that were proved to be true.

"Then who is it that's going to fight?"

A tear slipped from the child's eye.

"The kingdoms. Ours and the White one."

Michael didn't know why, but he knew he had to get the little Prince back to the castle as fast as possible.

"We can't let them. We have to unite everyone together, or else something really bad is going to happen, and nothing will ever be the same again." Henry hardened his little face and stood taller, or seemed to anyway.

And Michael had never wanted to help someone as much as he wanted to help the little Prince.

Without thought, he bowed his head, vowing to make sure whatever it was Henry had forewarning of would not come to pass.

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Regina let out a breath when Emma started to come around. The blonde had been unconscious for only a few moments, but during that time the Queen had taken them both to their stream. She knew now why it calmed Emma, why it drew her there in the first place. Her magic was drawn to her mate, her true love.

Emma blinked as she came to, her head fuzzy as she tried to remember what happened.

When she did, her eyes shot to the worried ones above her.

She could feel it inside, Regina believed everything she was telling her to be true.

That meant….

"Its true?"

Regina didn't hesitate in nodding her head, a small smile on her face.

"Yes Emma, its true."

Emma shook her head and forced herself to her feet.

"I am going to destroy Rumpelstiltskin, and you My Queen are going to help me do it."

Regina nodded her head and pulled Emma close enough to drop a kiss on her lips, not wanting to question what Emma was really feeling.

"That I will Princess."

Emma sighed and closed her eyes, resting her forehead against the Queen's.

"It explains so much I suppose."

Regina hmm'd and tightened her grip on Emma and took them to the pull she could feel to her son, to their son.

Michael jumped when the Queen and Emma appeared before him and nudged Henry a little.

"Heads up kid, your parents are here."

Henry grinned when he saw them embracing and called out to them both, making Emma jerk to attention, her eyes wide when they found him before turning her gaze to Regina.

"I hate it when you do that without letting me know first."

Regina grinned and kissed the blonde quickly on the forehead before holding a hand out to Henry.

The boy needed no further encouragement and was in her arms in seconds, gripping tight to the collar of her cloak, his little face buried in her neck.

A tear slipped from Emma's eye at the scene and before she knew it she had them both in her arms, her own face buried on the opposite side of Regina's neck from their son.

"Can we go home now please?" his voice was muffled from where he had it buried, and it tickled the Queen as he spoke against her neck.

They both laughed a little and nodded. Regina didn't want to wait, so she threw out an arm, making sure to touch both Michael and his horse, and the next thing the others knew, they were back home in the courtyard of the castle, purple smoke settling around them. She would send men for the horses left behind.

"Regina! What did I just say?"

The Queen smirked at Emma and handed Henry off to Michael.

"Why don't you go and take a bath Henry, then come and find us where you are done." She gave Michael a look, telling him with one glance that she wanted time with Emma.

He gave her a nod and tried to hide the smirk, but she saw and growled a little, but the happiness inside wasn't allowing any negativity right now.

Henry smiled and waved as he followed Michael into the castle, heading to his chambers. When he was out of sight Regina grabbed Emma and began marching her towards the main castle entrance.

"Where are we off to in such a hurry?"

Regina stopped cold and turned to the blonde by her side.

"I want you in my bed, naked, in the next five minutes, and if you won't let me simply magic us there, you had better walk faster than you currently are Princess."

Emma gulped at the lust she could see clearly in the Queen's eyes.

"Well, maybe just this once magic wouldn't be so bad."

No sooner were the words out of her mouth and Regina had them both in their bed chamber.

Emma pulled Regina close and tried to hide her nervousness with aggression. When her back collided with a wall, the Queen grunted but pulled Emma closer, their lips joining and meshing together, each trying to taste the other as much as possible before the need for oxygen forced them apart.

Emma's tongue took possession of the Queen's mouth even as her mind raced with everything she head learnt.

Regina's hands found purchase on the leather clad bottom of the blonde and she used that grip to pull Emma harder into her own body, a groan falling from her lips at the contact as she broke their kiss.

"What is it?"

Emma shouldn't have been surprised, the Queen always read her well. The huskiness of Regina's voice sent a shiver through her, which the Queen noticed.

"I just… this is a bit much, you know?"

Regina froze, rejection washing over her as her eyes dropped from the blonde's. She thought… the kisses certainly seemed to indicate they were on the same page. She didn't want to push for this, she should have known better. Her hands dropped and she pressed herself as close to the wall to give Emma more space.

Emma reached out and cupped her jaw, forcing the Queen to look at her and swallowed hard at the doubt and hurt she could see in her soon to be lover's.

"I want you, I'm _in love _with you-"

Emma never got any further as Regina reversed their positions so the blonde was pinned to the wall.

"Say it again!" The begging tone did not go unnoticed.

Emma smiled and lowered her head to nip along the Queen's jaw line until she reached her ear where she whispered the words against skin.

"I love you."

Regina groaned and pulled Emma with her to the bed, falling back and pulling the blonde down with her.

"I love you Emma." It felt so good to say the words, to not be afraid of them, of the feeling behind them.

The blonde froze as she stared at the woman below her, aware Regina had put her in the dominant position.

Emma could feel her body reacting to the one below her. Her pulse was racing, her temperature was rising, her nipples were straining to the body below and there was the telltale wetness between her legs.

She wanted Regina, that wasn't even in question, but she had no idea how to be with a woman, and she had a feeling the Queen may have already had some experience in this.

In an act that showed Regina more than any words could, the blonde rolled them, pulling the Queen above her.

"Make love to me."

A tear slipped free as the Regina closed the distance between them, her lips catching Emma's with more tenderness than she had ever shown the blonde.

"That I can do."

Their clothes seemed to disappear in the blink of an eye to Emma, but in reality Regina had opted to remove them the old fashioned way, kissing skin here and there as it was revealed. The blonde was a bundle of need by the time they were naked.

"You are so beautiful." Her eyes glazed over as she stared at the blondes body, taking in the rise and fall of her chest as Emma breathed deeply.

Emma blushed but let her gaze wander over the areas of Regina's body that she could see, and she was in no way disappointed.

"And you are perfect My Queen."

Regina shivered as always when Emma addressed her as such.

The blonde sucked in a breath as the Queen's hands rested on her stomach before gliding upwards, skimming her breasts before they rested on the blonde's cheeks as she brought their mouths together again.

While Emma was involved in the kiss, one of Regina's hands dropped to cup a sharp hipbone, stroking the skin there before sliding her hand down and around, bringing the blondes leg back up with her, wrapping it around her own waist before copying the move on the other side.

Emma pulled away with a gasp as she felt Regina, felt _all _of Regina pressed against her.

The Queen waited to make sure Emma was okay with that before smiling and nipping the blonde's lower lip.

"This first time, all I want is to be here with you, just like this, is that okay?"

Emma tightened her grip with her thighs and pulled Regina down harder against her, their wetness spreading onto the others body.

"That is more than ok."

The smile she got in return was one she wanted to see again and again.

"Love you Princess."

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End file.

Once Upon a Time, Hurt-Comfort, Romance