Once Upon a Time 1. Chapter 1

AN: Hello, everyone. So, I shouldn't be starting another story, but I got this idea and it wouldn't leave. Therefore, I'm going to do it. It's another Neverland (I'm re-watching season 3 right now) related one, and I'm certain there's something like it out there, but I haven't read all of them, so... In this story, they still use Pan's shadow to escape, but they don't capture Pan, and Pan doesn't follow them. Therefore, other events will change, but will stay sort of parallel. Anyway, give it a shot, I am really liking writing this one, so I hope you guys like it. Have a great day!

Day 1:

Regina's POV

Gritting my teeth through the pain in my abdomen and the growing pain in my heart, I arrived at a conclusion that I knew would be the hardest and final of my life.

The darkness of Neverland closed around us as we were backed down the sandy shore toward the waterline. The lumbering shadow of the Jolly Roger bobbed just off the coast, ready for our escape. Well, their escape. I wasn't going.

Peter Pan and his Lost Boys thrashed with weapons and magic against my shield, which was holding strong for the moment. The group of unlikely allies, plus my son, that had accompanied me to the dreadful island were scattered on the beach behind me. Eyes trained warily on the shimmering wall separating us from our attackers. I felt a deep and threatening shudder run through my body. I wouldn't last much longer. The arrow pierced through my stomach promised an impending doom, and when it took over, I would no longer be able to enforce the shield protecting my...family.

Summoning any and all strength still lurking within my waning soul, I pushed against the attack and turned my head toward my companions. "Go, now. I can't hold them off much longer."

They were loading up the small boat to ferry them to the ship, but were lingering a few yards into the water. Henry sat with Rumple, Neal, Tinkerbell, and Charming in the row boat, while Emma, Snow, and Hook still stood in the sand. With one glance, I understood that Emma was waiting for me, and Snow and Hook were waiting on Emma. "Regina, we can't leave until you get over here. So, come on." Emma's voice held an urgency and exasperation familiar to me. She wanted Henry out of Neverland as soon as possible.

I shook me head, grunting as Pan launched another vicious assault on my barrier. Had I stop to seriously consider it, I might have been surprised that I was able to deter him at all. Perhaps it was the mother instinct overcoming the odds. "If I follow you now, the shield will fall and they will stop us before we can get away. Go."

From the corner of my eye, I watched Snow's eyes widen in realization, but Emma either missed my intention or refused to acknowledge it. Her eerily calm and controlled voice cued me that she understood exactly what I was saying. "Regina. Get in the boat."

Swallowing hard, pushing away the growing numbness spreading from my bleeding wound, and the pain clawing my heart, I trained my eyes on hers, "No. Get our son out of here. Now. I'm not going to tell you again." My voice was gruff and cold, desperately channeling the dormant Evil Queen to coerce Emma into compliance. We not have always seen eye to eye, but Neverland united us in a way I couldn't quite understand, and I knew that getting her to leave me behind would be near impossible.

"Mom! No! We can't leave you!" I heard Henry yell from the boat as he attempted to scramble out into the choppy waves. I shot Charming a grateful glance as I watched him loop his sturdy arms around my son, holding him in the boat. My heart began to unravel, cracking with the sound of my son shouting for his mom that he just got back.

"You heard him, Regina. We're not leaving you." Emma voice wavered, but her expression was set in unwavering determination.

"Emma, I'm going to die anyway. This wound is fatal. Let me do this for you-for you all. I want Henry safe. Please go." I bit my cheek, struggling to hold in tears. Emma seemed to have a very hard time ignoring my vulnerabilities. She never walked away when I was in pain. I contemplated adding a plea to take care of him, but knew, without a doubt, that she would. When I saw her open her mouth to argue and take a few steps toward me, I cut her off, finally tearing my gaze away from the green-eyed blonde, "Snow. I need one more favor from you." Snow gasped as she easily deciphered my pleading gaze.

The words stuck in my throat just long enough for Snow not to need them. Her suddenly resolute Snow White voice broke through the charged night air, "Hook. Help me."

Realization dawned on Emma a fraction of a second before Snow and Hook each grabbed Emma from opposite sides, dragging her away from me toward the water. Her eyes widened with betrayal and disbelief, "No! Don't! We can't-"

The only words spoken after that moment were the mixed protests of Emma and Henry. A quick survey of the other faces revealed forlorn acceptance and grateful admiration. I committed those gazes to memory, letting them fuel me in my last moments. I had to protect their escape. They had Pan's shadow, and as long as I held Pan and his crew off long enough for them to fly away, they'd be safe. Pan would likely kill me after that, if my bleeding gut didn't first. But, that didn't worry me. If Henry was safe with Emma, away from Neverland, then that's all I needed. My slowly tearing eyes locked with Henry's heartbroken gaze, and I silently expressed my love for the boy that changed me. With Emma still resisting their hold, but on the boat, Neal and Tink began quickly pulling them toward the Jolly Roger.

Finally, turning back to the scruffy teens, I drained every last ounce of power I possessed. That was it. The last few minutes of combat before I would dissolve into nothing but a complex memory. A strange wind-chime-like sound caught my attention, causing me to turn just in time to see the Captain's ship disappear into the sky, departing Neverland for good.

I let my power begin to fade as the anguish in my body increased. The moment of my death had finally arrived. I never imagined it would be in an instance like that, but knew all at once that it made complete sense. Nobody had the strength to bring me down, nobody by the pre-teen boy that captured my heart. When Pan pulsed through my magic barrier, I could easily read the rage in his eyes. I fell to my knees, grasping at my abdomen, the sticky, hot liquid coating my fingers. As the menacing boy approached, I taunted hoarsely, "You might kill me, boy. But, we won."

Pan let out a chuckle so cold and evil, that I shrunk into myself, and that's rather impressive. "Oh, your majesty. I'm not going to kill you." My glassy eyes narrowed, my brain foggy but still curious about his words. "In fact, I'm going to do the opposite." With that, he waved a hand over me and I instantly felt better.

Glancing down, I discovered that my wound was healed and my power was returning. Comprehension wiggled into my shocked consciousness, dread seeping in through every pore. "No." The word was out in a whisper before I could reign it in, not wanting to give him any satisfaction. But my widened eyes full of fear would have given me away, anyway.

"Oh, yes. You now get to live for all eternity wallowing in loneliness. You get to live every single day knowing your son is out there living, growing without you. Knowing you'll never see him again. You get to live every day knowing I'm looking for a way back to him, a way to get what I want. And, you'll have no one. In fact, I will not even allow my boys or myself contact with you. You will never speak to anyone again. Enjoy your new life, your majesty." With one last smug sneer, he turned and motioned to his group. "Let's go, boys."

When they were all gone, I shakily rose to my feet. Trembling, I turned to the inky sky, searching for any last trace of the dirty ship containing my entire life. I was both pleased and devastated at finding none. With a broken whisper bidding farewell to any chance at happiness, I turned my back on the ocean and trudged slowly into the dark jungle.

Day 4:

Emma's POV

I walked idly by the pond. The chilled air stealing sensation from my fingers and nose was no competition for the numbness in my chest. We had been back in Storybrooke for three days, and I simply couldn't find it in me to celebrate or enjoy it. We had gotten back without further complication. The town threw us a welcome back party, but I bailed. My parents reached out to me, but I stayed silent. Hook flirted and tried really hard to be supportive, but I ignored his attempts. The only person I really spoke to at all was Henry. He was the only other person that could understand what I was feeling.

I had taken to engaging in small escapes at every chance I got. The apartment was too crowded. Mom and Dad attempted to apologize, to soothe me, but I couldn't hear it from them. I didn't specifically blame them, but I couldn't help but remember the feeling of Snow dragging me away and David restraining Henry, as we reached for Regina. I found that I frequently needed time to myself to dwell on everything and nothing at all. I always knew who Regina really was, but watching her do what she did filled me with an emotion so strong and mysterious that I could only deal with it in small doses while alone.

"Emma?"

I inwardly groaned at the sound of my mother's voice. My walk by the pond was for the purpose of being away from her. "What?"

"What are you doing out here?" She caught up with me and matched my unhurried stride.

"Being alone." I grumbled, but not with anger or frustration.

"Listen, Emma. I was thinking..." I sighed and turned fully to her, ready to deal with and dismiss whatever she had to say. She shot me a look and continued, "Maybe you should move out of the apartment."

Anger flared within me, "What? You're kicking me out? Now?" I couldn't believe the nerve of the woman standing before me.

"Emma, it's not like that. We love having you with us." She placed a tender hand on my arm, "But you're suffocating there. You blame us for Neverland, and it's too hard for you to live with us."

I felt my anger start to soften, "Mom, I don't...blame isn't the right word. It wasn't your fault...exactly...I just..." I drug my hand over my face, frustrated at the entire situation. "I mean, when I wanted to get us all out of Storybrooke and let Regina sacrifice herself for the trigger, you told me we couldn't because we had to the right, but hard thing. Then, the exact same situation came up in Neverland, and you wouldn't let me do the right, but hard thing. We just left her. I guess...I resent your part in me allowing us to leave her...if that makes sense." I frowned, confused and sad.

"I know, sweetie. And, I'm terribly sorry for what happened. But, I do honestly believe that we had no choice. We all would have died, and you would have lost Henry..." She trailed off as I shrugged and nodded, not really believing what she was saying. "I think you just need time to process and allow yourself to miss Regina. That's what I came to talk to you about. I think you and Henry should move into the mansion. She would want that."

I momentarily failed to reply. Her words shook me. She had managed to label the feeling I had been struggling with since we left Neverland.

I missed Regina.

Longing, sadness, affection...I missed her. I suppose that should have been obvious, but I hadn't bothered to attribute that word to what I felt when I thought about her. I knew about the guilt, and I knew about the regret and sadness...but, I never considered what else was mixed in with it.

"Emma? Did you hear me?" Snow's voice broke through my revelation.

"Hm? No...wait, what? You think I should move into the mansion?" Her other words finally caught up with me.

"Yeah. Henry could have his own room back, you could have your own space, and Regina would like the thought of her home continuing to take care of you and Henry." Her words were soft and full of conviction.

I mulled the idea over and over in my head. She made valid points. Henry would probably like that. I nodded slowly, my brows still furrowed in thought, "I'll think about it and talk to Henry."

Snow offered a small smile and pat me on the shoulder before turning and leaving the way she came.

Day 13:

Regina's POV

I groaned lightly as I stretched on my small bed. After leaving the beach, I had headed to Tink's old tree house, that being the only place I could think of. At least, I still had magic, so I was able to make the place slightly more comfortable. I added a bed where the scrappy cot once stood, a wood burning stove, a small desk, and toilet in a small structure outside.

It had been almost two weeks since the others had escaped. The first week had been full of despair and rage, but the second held rage and acceptance. I figured my emotions would oscillate on a continuous cycle of discomfort and unpleasantness. I thought about Henry all the time. I thought about his future, his warm eyes, his shaggy hair that I really hoped Emma made him trim, and what life looked like for him and Emma.

Emma snuck into my thoughts more and more often over my time there. I couldn't seem to shake the vision of her fighting so adamantly for me to come with them. I had only ever witnessed that desperation from her when it came to Henry. Three days ago, I had accidently summoned a red jacket for myself, instantly reminding me of Emma. In that moment, I recognized that I missed her. I never thought I would miss Emma Swan. But, I missed her inane manners, and idiotic statements of hope and sarcasm. No one could challenge me like she could.

There was no one in Neverland to do anything for me.

As I listlessly stared out the makeshift sky light, a sudden and strange tingle filtered through me. It was quick, but warm. It felt vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place it. Absentmindedly rubbing my chest over my heart, I frowned when the sensation flickered away almost as quickly as it had come. After several moments of searching for the feeling again, I determined that I must have imagined it, or all of the weird food I had been eating was finally taking its toll.

Day 13:

Emma's POV

I waved to my parents as they drove back down the driveway, leaving me and my son alone in the giant mansion on Mifflin street. Henry bounded up the steps, smiling. His smile was different since returning from Neverland. It was still warm and made me smile in return, but it didn't stretch across his face as it used to, and his eyes never fully reflected it.

He missed his mom.

I missed his mom.

But, we were trying to move on from that. After discussing the possibility of moving into the mansion, we had concluded that it would be good for us. So, over the past week, we had been slowly gathering and packing all of our belongings and moving us in. It shouldn't have taken us as long as it had, but I surmised that neither of us was in any hurry to reside in the home filled with memories of his other mother, my friend.

The last of our things had been brought over, and we were officially living in the opulent house. I felt relieved and anxious, but knew that it was the right call. "Come on, kid. Let's make some dinner." Henry hugged me around the middle as we stood in the open doorway of our new home.

He glanced over his shoulder, down the walkway. It took only a second for me to discern the searching in his gaze. He was looking for her. Waiting for her to follow us up the sidewalk and into our home. It was a habit that we had developed over the past weeks without Regina. We both saw the other suddenly look up as if expecting to see her, and then quickly look away in disappointment as we once again realized that it was impossible for her to be there. "Ok, let's eat." He finally said quietly.

"Hey," I cupped his chin as we slowly entered the house. "I know things are tough, but it's going to get better. We're home now." As the last words left my lips, and the door clicked shut behind us, a strange feeling fluttered through my chest. It felt tingly, but encouraged just a little bit of warmth from my chilled heart. Cocking my head, I glanced back at the door, and then around the foyer, trying to find the source of the feeling that reminded me of something, but I couldn't remember what.

The sensation immediately began to fade, then disappeared all together as Henry's voice called from the kitchen, "Ma? I want sloppy Joe's for dinner."

Day 31:

Emma's POV

"Goodnight, kid." I kissed his forehead and switched off his bedside lamp.

"'night, Ma." Henry mumbled sleepily, turning to snuggle into his blankets.

Most things had begun to return to normal. I sheriffed during the day, albeit not with the enthusiasm I used to, then came home in the evening to have dinner with Henry and sometimes my parents. I still didn't spend much time with them, not really able to control the lingering feelings of that night. But, we got along okay. Neither Henry nor myself smiled like we once did, but that didn't stop us from growing closer. He didn't call me mom anymore. He used to call me and Regina 'Mom', but stopped almost immediately after we left her. I think it was too painful to even say the word. However, I didn't mind in the slightest. I liked having my own mother title. Plus, the few times he slipped and called me mom, I instantly looked around for her.

I softly closed the door, and started down the hall. Like every night, I paused by the master bedroom door. When I moved in, I had taken one of the many guest rooms as my own. And, we never opened the door to her room. That night, however, I found myself wanting to open it. My hands flexed as one neared the handle. As my fingers grazed the metal, the familiar tingles blossomed in my chest.

Since that first time, more random moments of that odd sensation had happened. There didn't seem to be a pattern or any indicators as to what made me feel it or what it was. Once, I had lit a candle in the study, once I pulled out a well used baking dish, and once I had opened up one of Henry's favorite story books from when he was really young. I mentally cataloged touching the door handle to her room as an instance of that feeling, and then pushed the door open.

I didn't realize that I had been holding my breath until it wooshed out dramatically when I stepped in and looked around. I had never been in her bedroom, so I don't know what I had been expecting, but seeing Regina wasn't it. I mean, she wasn't actually there, but the room looked like her, felt like her. My feet brought me to the large bed, my trembling fingers caressed the soft blanket. I was vaguely aware that the tingles hadn't subsided as they usually did.

I breathed deeply and sunk down to sit precariously on the side of the bed. However, I sprung back to my feet as the heated, tingling increased tenfold and my senses were overcome by new additions to it. I could detect an enticing scent in the air, like peaches and vanilla, and my stomach fluttered wildly as my skin erupted in goose bumps.

All of it nearly vanished when I lost physical connection with the bed. As my body began to relax to a dull buzz, I frantically looked around. I had no idea what the hell had just happened. Gradually, a thought began to form in my head. My mind scrambled to make sense of the clues and feelings. All at once a jolt of understanding consumed me.

Regina.

Day 31:

Regina's POV

The last wisps of awareness were fading away as I drifted to sleep. Probably not a good sleep, but sleep at least. It had taken me almost a month to learn to sleep in Neverland, to learn to push away all the thoughts and worries long enough to slumber. I finally figured it out, but sleep never became pleasant.

Suddenly, I gasped and bolted upright, clutching my sheet in one hand and my rapidly thumping chest in the other. I had grown accustomed to the random occurrences of the strangely comforting sensation, but that time was not usual. I could feel the thrum of electricity through out my entire body and caught a whiff of something. Inhaling quickly to attempt to place the scent, I managed to identify honeysuckle and coconut.

All too soon, the feeling waned and I was left trying to gain my breath and replaying the moment, searching for information. Several minutes passed with me combing through memories of each time something like that happened, what I was doing, what I was thinking about, what it had felt like. Then, I added in the new pieces from minutes earlier. A picture began to form, each second that ticked by making it clearer. It couldn't be...

Emma.

AN: Is it making sense so far? Most of the chapters may not be this long, but I wanted to give you guys a good view of how the story is going to look. So, what do you think?


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Sorry, on the wait. Work is insane and I lost steam on this story, I'm not sure if it's doing what I had hoped it would...but, anyway. Let me know what you think. Thanks!

Day 37:

Emma's POV:

Taking a deep breath, I rubbed my hands together and surveyed the room. I had spent several days thinking about what had happened that night in Regina's bedroom. The only conclusion that made sense was that I was somehow connecting with Regina. I didn't know if it was a current connection, as in she was still alive, or if it was a connection with her essence. Perhaps somehow my magic could detect hers in things that held meaning to her. I decided to test the theory while Henry was at school.

Looking around the living room, I walked to the mantle and stared at a picture of her and Henry. The happiness in her face caused me to smile, then I sucked in a breath and held it. I reached out to grasp the frame. Nothing happened. My eyes slipped closed and I focused on how happy she seemed when she was with Henry. Tingles. My eyes shot open and I grinned. I moved across the room and picked up a blanket from the couch. Nothing at first, then I pictured her and Henry snuggled up under it. Tingles.

One by one, I moved from object to object that I either imagined might be important, or remember seeing her use in a positive moment. I was starting to get really good at it, and could connect with very little effort. I grabbed an apple from the basket in the kitchen. Cold tingles. I cocked my head. Those felt different. Maybe it had to do with the memories associated with an apple. Curiosity sprung through me. I ran through the house until I came upon an old spell book. I knew that one had been Cora's. As soon as I touched it and thought about Regina, frigid and nearly painful shivers ran through me.

I set the book down and looked around her study. My eyes settled on a plaster hand print of Henry's. Grinning in anticipation, I gently held the object and felt much stronger and much warmer energy flow through me. It was almost as if I could have a conversation with her. I still just didn't know if it was residual or a current connection. Most likely I was simply losing my mind.

Day 40:

Regina's POV

I sat in the sand staring out at the waves. I had been there all day letting the phantom sensations wash over me. More and more I became convinced that it was somehow Emma communicating with me. Maybe it was our magic seeking the other. Every time I tutored her or we combined our magic, it was like mine became addicted to hers. Wanting more. Craving more. Perhaps, my magic just wanted hers so badly it was creating a connection where there wasn't one.

I closed my eyes as the feeling invaded again, changing from pleasant warmth to chilling cold. I furrowed my brows in confusion. It had always been a good feeling, and now it seemed it was shifting. But, then another warm tingle met me and I relaxed. It almost felt...exploratory.

Unconsciously, I sifted the sand through my fingers as I contemplated the pattern. It had started that morning with brief spurts of sensation. Some were stronger than others, some felt pleasant, and some unpleasant. They seemed to come more frequently and last for longer as the day went on. If Emma was causing it, maybe she was attempting understand it, trying different ways to reach me.

Standing up, I began to pace. If Emma was trying, I decided I should, too. I just didn't know what she was doing to cause the feeling. So far, the feeling had been reactive. I had always felt something without doing anything first. I had to figure out how to make it happen.

I ran a hand through my growing hair, thinking over all the related facts. Finally, I decided that if this was about Emma, I should probably start with Emma. I closed my eyes and pulled up an image of the first time I met her. I focused on the memory, dissecting all the emotions that had crashed over me in that moment. Tingles. Grinning, I kept playing that moment, recalling every detail. The tingles flared as if connecting with something, like a wave of water splashing up on a wall and tumbling back to the sea.

My eyes shot open. I could feel the first sprinkles of hope clambering out of the depths of my heart. It felt like I had connected with her. Eager to do it again, I closed my eyes and thought about watching her climb out of the well when she returned from the Enchanted Forest. I let the relief, joy, and admiration soak into every part of me. Tingles. As the memory continued, the tingles flared harshly, ricocheting back to me with doubled force. I was doing it. I was affecting whatever was happening, and I thought Emma could feel it.

I started to cycle through every memory of her and I. Positive ones, negative ones, small ones, and large ones. I also discovered that if I waited for tingles, then put my effort in, that the result was the strongest ever. I gathered that meant that if Emma and I combined whatever we were doing, that we would link even further. As the morning turned to afternoon, then to evening it seemed as if we were getting better and better. We were almost talking. Almost. As dusk set in, I got an idea. I waited until tingles sent from her were their most intense, then pulled up an equally intense memory (her cutting off a limb of my apple tree). When I felt us latch to each other, I let my rough and underused voice call her name, "Emma."

An precedented sensation of hope, electricity, and excitement flooded me. They weren't my emotions.

Emma heard me.

Day 40:

Emma's POV

The morning had consisted of me touching items and enjoying the sensations they caused. But, somewhere in the late morning, and early afternoon, I had began to get them without touching anything. And, they felt just a little different, as if they were coming from somewhere else. The buzz that these carried were slightly stronger than most of the ones that I had caused. I stopped to consider why that was. Flipping back through my experiences of the day, I studied my mental file of everything I had touched and what it had felt like. I started to realize that the tingles were more intense when the item was connected to me. I rolled my eyes at the obviousness. If I really was communicating with Regina somehow, then of course I needed to focus on her and I. A surge coursed through me as I had that thought.

That gave me an idea. Instead of touching something, I focused on a moment between the two of us. The moment outside the diner after she left the welcome back party. Tingles. I smirked. I could connect without an object. I practiced with the new knowledge, picturing all the times her and I butted heads, had good talks, smiled at each other, spent time with Henry. I learned to sense when she reached out and volley back to her. When I consciously thought of it as talking to her, I grit me teeth. She was dead, it wasn't actually possible, so I was definitely losing my mind. With that thought, I shook myself and decided that I needed a walk. Locking the door, I skipped down the steps and started a brisk pace toward town.

As the rows of quaint buildings came into view and started to surround me, I considered everything that had been happening and the effect it had on me. I was burying myself into something that held the potential for dire consequences. I momentarily considered giving up, knowing that even if what I thought was happening was really happening that it wouldn't likely lead anywhere good. My pensive gaze drifted until it rested on the apple tree in the town hall yard. Without thought, I wandered across the plush grass to its side, approaching the tree that seemed to glow in the last streaks of the setting sun.

I sighed, placing my hand on the sawed stump, letting myself play that moment over, enjoying how staggering the sensation was at that moment. I could almost feel her next to me, feel her presence.

"Emma."

My eyes flew open so fast I thought I might lose an eyelid. As I searched the area, I couldn't stop the swell of hope from overtaking me. I had heard her voice. I knew I had. There was no mistaking the gravelly tone that nearly always sent shivers down my spine. My surrounding area was empty, but I was certain of my hesitant theory.

Regina was alive.

Day 68:

Emma's POV

"Ma! I can't find my back pack!" Henry's voice bellowed through the spacious manor.

"Where did you have it last?" I yelled back, certain Regina would hate the ill-mannered conversation. I smirked.

"If I knew that I wouldn't need your help finding it!" His snarky return reminded me so much of his mother, I rolled my eyes and I felt a pang in my chest.

"Check the bathroom!"

"Why would it be- Oh! Thanks!" Stomping steps down the stairs preceeded his entrance into the kitchen.

"You're welcome. I have no idea how you manage to lose everything, and in the most random places. I thought your mom raised you better-" We both wore soft smiles that dropped into contemplative frowns.

"She did. That skill is all you." Henry responded fondly. We were getting better with Regina being gone, but it still stung. He had expressed to me once that he didn't want to tip-toe around the subject of his mom. He said that it made him sad, but that he had a lot of good memories with her and wanted to honor that by not letting her slip away. So, we included her in our banter and conversations. It helped quite a bit. Our son was kind of brilliant.

"Alright, smart ass-"

"Language, Miss Swan." Henry cut in, mimicking Regina's voice surprisingly well.

I glared, "My smart ass comment stands. Eat your breakfast." While he smirked and started shoveling French toast into his mouth, I smiled warmly. Pulling in a breath, I focused on the feeling of sitting there with Henry, the feeling of family and belonging. Gathering the details and emotions of the moment, I imagined Regina there with us. Instantly, my body flooded with warmth and contentment.

Over the past month our ability to communicate via tingle, as I refered to it, had grown. I no longer had to use an object or memory to reach her, I could simply focus on something I wanted her to feel. We seemed to converse through emotion. Sometimes I would imagine what it felt like to smile at her, and send that to her. She had captured the sensation of rolling her eyes at me, and of her smirk. It's not that I saw those things, but experienced the feelings those things inspired.

It was incredibly intimate. We weren't even in the same realm and we were communicating a thousand times more effectively than we had when were in Storybrooke together. We couldn't hide behind words or glares. We could only share what we really felt. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at once. A grin involuntarily spread across my face as I was suddenly overwhelmed by heat, strength, and affection. The feeling was similar to when she would place a hand on my arm.

"Ma?"

Still slightly grinning, I looked up from my plate, "Hm?"

"Can I ask you something?" Henry asked timidly.

"Sure, kid. You can always ask me anything you want." I put down my fork, ready to listen fully. He seemed nervous.

"Are you dating Hook?"

My jaw dropped a little, "What? No, why do you ask?"

He shrugged, a move he definitely got from me, "I don't know...you seem...happier or something lately. In the past few weeks, I've seen you smile more, and your eyes are...lighter. It's like the look Grandma has around Grandpa. I thought that maybe you were dating someone, and I just assumed Hook. Is it Dad?"

I shook my head, overwhelmed with all the information he had just given me. Before I could explain anything, a piece caught my attention. He said I looked like how Snow looked at Charming. I knew that Regina had been the reason I had been feeling so much better recently, but it couldn't be for the reason Henry was suggesting...

"Ma?" His voice sliced through my slowly panicking mind.

"What? Oh, no, I'm not dating your Dad. I would have told you. I'm not dating anyone, kid. I guess, I've just been happier...I'm really glad to be living with you here." I offered a sufficient answer, but my thoughts instantly snapped back to their previous train.

"You could tell me, if you were. I just want you to be happy. Mom would have wanted that, too."

I nodded distractedly, aware that he was cleaning up his plate and gathering his things. However, my brain filtered through the last month and a half. I re-lived each connection, each wave of tingles, each moment I used to conjure them. I arrived at a conclusion that stole my breath. I hadn't talked to her in months, I hadn't seen her in months, and we were barely friends the last time I had seen her. But, despite the fact that I wasn't even completely convinced I wasn't making all of it up, an annoying and insistent voice in the deep recesses of my mind began whispering. A whisper of emotional truths I wasn't ready to acknowledge.

Day 71:

Regina's POV

I grunted softly as the bark rubbed harshly at my back. Shifting my position, I tucked my knees to my chest and gazed out over the darkened landscape of the jungle. The cliff overlooking the west side of Neverland had become one of my least hated spots on the island. On certain nights, the sky completely cleared and the light from the stars and moon illuminated the lush jungle with a eery, but soothing glow. On that particular night, I found myself leaning against a large tree, staring blankly. Sleep had evaded me in the tree house, so I had given up the pursuit and gone for a walk. Finding myself at the cliff, I had wasted no time in settling into my usual spot.

Letting out a long sigh, I flicked a stray hair away from my face. Some days I could wade through the loneliness, dodge the creeping points of desperation, and avoid the luring pull of despair. Other days, it was all I could do to continue breathing through the pain. That day had proved one of the less fortunate. Deep, rolling swells of longing had swallowed me whole, leaving no chance of air or reprieve. I deduced it somehow related to the shift in my exchanges with Emma. A few days prior, the interactions took on an element that hadn't existed previously. It felt almost like... Even internally, I never labeled that feeling. Unable to decide if my reluctance to acknowledge it stemmed from defense against accepting an emotion I could never explore, or a need to disregard such an absurd notion, I simply ignored the subject and tried to move forward. Well, move forward was a bit of a stretch, since there was no available path forward. Standing still, in the same spot, for eternity, with no company other than my own, that remained my only option.

It was that standing still that allowed the longing to consume me so completely. I longed for Henry, I longed for my makeshift family, I longed to be back in Storybrooke, I longed to destroy Pan. But, more often than not, and to my great confusion, I found myself longing for Emma. And, it was that specific longing that led me out that night. My eyes slipped shut as I allowed the oddly warm and chilly breeze to caress my skin and flutter my hair. I replayed the past few months of my time on the island. Somehow, without being anywhere near her, Emma and I managed to forge a strong bond, connecting in a way we were always capable, but never brave enough to commit to attempting.

Perhaps the fact that we couldn't snark, smirk, hide behind masks, or get derailed by outside influences and their history created an un-tainted avenue for us. Perhaps- My head snapped up and my eyes shot open. All my nerves vibrated and goose-bumps crawled down my arms. I caught a whiff of honeysuckle and coconut. But, not like I did when we were emotionally conversing, but as if she was standing right next to me.

"Regina?"

My entire body went statue still at the unmistakable, but unbelievable sound of Emma's gruff and hesitant voice. Every part of me wanted to turn, yet wanted to run. I needed to see her, but if I turned and only empty forest stood behind me, I feared I wouldn't recover.

"Regina..."

Her voice sounded shakier, but closer. Unable to fight the urge any longer, I took the risk of slowly rotating my head. My breath caught as my eyes latched on to the form of Emma Swan. By form, I mean, I could see her, but it was almost as if she was out of focus or something, sort of blurry around the edges and with fuzzy details. I squeezed my eyes shut, attempting to either sharpen the vision or bring myself to my senses. However, upon hearing her utter my name in reverence, I opened them again to see her in perfect clarity. A classic white tank and skinny jeans decorated her lean body. Long, blonde waves were disheveled and only grey socks adorned her feet. Swallowing hard, endeavoring to alleviate the tightness in my suddenly dry mouth and throat, I rose unsteadily to my feet. We stood twenty feet apart, staring, evaluating, jaws slightly open and eyes wide. Several moments passed before I found my voice, expressing the only coherent thought I possessed in that moment, "What are you wearing?"

Emma furrowed her brows, seemingly emerging from her stupor, and glanced down, "Um, my clothes...?"

Raising an eyebrow, I roved my gaze over her, "It's hardly appropriate for roaming around a jungle."

Emma rolled her eyes, taking a deep breath, "Well, I wasn't planning on being in a jungle...in fact, I have no idea where I am or how I got here..." She suddenly tore her eyes from mine and glanced around. "Are we in Neverland?"

Taking my turn to roll my eyes, I huffed, "Of course, we're in Neverland. That's where you left me, yes?" I hadn't meant to accuse anything, but judging by the severity of her expression, I had triggered something.

"You're dead."

"Actually, I'm not."

"I really hope you're joking, or that this isn't real..."

I glared and reared back slightly, "Well, thank you, Miss Swan for coming all the way here to tell me you hope I'm dead."

Emma shook her head and stepped several feet closer, "No, what I mean is, if you're not really dead, then I really just left you by yourself in Neverland, and I...I can't...I'm so not okay with that..." She trailed off as she scrunched her brow and nervously averted her eyes, gazing out over the cliff.

I felt my expression soften, "I told you to leave me."

"But, I shouldn't have. I didn't want to..."

My feet shuffled another several feet closer to the blonde, "I know, I was there. It took several other people restraining you to accomplish the task." Cocking my head, another, more appropriate thought finally emerged, "How are you here?"

Emma shrugged, "I have no idea. I got home late from work, got Henry into bed, then crashed..." She trailed off, furrowing her brows, she bit her lip, apparently searching for an answer.

For the moment, I skimmed over the reference to Henry in favor of recalling my evening. Before she arrived, I had been leaning against the tree with my eyes closed. Noticing her attire, pieces began to fall into place. "Did you go to sleep in your clothes?" My tone held curiosity, but also the slightest hint of judgment.

She shrugged again, "I do sometimes, when I'm really tired...today was rough. Work was hell, then I came home to Henry looking through old pictures of you and him, and he made me read your story in his book before bed, again..." She cleared her throat and scuffed her sock-covered toe in the dirt, "We really needed you today..." It was almost a whisper, but it reverberated loudly around me.

In an equally quiet voice, I responded the only thing I could, "We're dreaming."

Emma's eyes shot up to mine, confusion evident, "What?"

Running a hand through my messy hair, I answered thickly, "That's how you're here. Your attire is what you wore to bed, and I was just leaning against this tree with my eyes closed, and..." It was my turn to awkwardly clear my throat, "And, it sounds like we both fell asleep thinking about the other..."

"So, you are dead." Emma stated dejectedly.

I shook my head, "What? No. I'm not dead. We're just both dreaming..."

Emma put up her hands, "And, how do I know that I just don't miss you so much that I'm dreaming about us dreaming about each other?"

"You miss me?" I uttered quietly, imploringly.

"Of course I miss my son's other mother that died."

"That's not the full answer. And, for heaven's sake, I'm not dead!" I snapped in exasperation.

Emma studied me for a moment, "Prove it."

Confused, I glared again, "Prove what?"

"Prove you're not dead." She supplied obviously.

"How on Earth am I supposed to do that?" I asked, frustration growing with each passing moment.

"I don't know. Do something magic-y or something and prove to me that you're alive." Emma crossed her arms over her chest and stared expectantly at me, almost daring me.

I mirrored her stance, "That may be the most infuriating and moronic thing you've ever said to me."

"I doubt that."

We stared at each other, both unsure of our next move. I finally huffed in resignation, "Fine." I began to pace, "You've felt me over the past few months, right?" I looked over to her for confirmation, when she blushed and nodded, I continued, "You've felt as if you can communicate with me in some way, right?" Again, a shade of red further darkened her cheeks as she nodded again. "Well, that couldn't happen if I weren't alive. And, this dream seems to be the next step in that connection."

Emma squinted, "That's kind of a weak argument...you've lost your edge."

"Excuse me, I haven't spoken with anyone in months, my verbal skills are a little rusty. Plus, your request is ridiculous." Though I wouldn't admit it to her, I found a deep, satisfying comfort in our familiar bickering.

"How could you be alive? I watched you die." Emma muttered.

Lowering my voice as well, I stopped pacing and faced her fully, "Technically, you didn't. I was almost dead...Pan healed me, so that..." I stopped, not willing to put those words in Emma's head.

"So, you'd have to live forever alone, knowing we left you..." Emma finished the thought anyway, her fists clenching and her tone seething.

Moving toward her until only a foot separated us, I soothed, "Emma, you didn't leave me." Seeing her start to protest, I added quickly, "Yes, you technically left me, but I told you to. I wanted nothing more than to ensure that you and Henry were safe. I never once blamed you or regretted that choice. I survived here by knowing that you and Henry were safe together."

"You're really alive?" Emma asked with cautious hope.

"Yes."

"I don't know how to say how that makes me feel..." Emma whispered, staring deeply in my eyes.

"Then, show me." The words were out before I fully considered them. I sucked in a sharp breath as they fluttered in the heavy air between us. Even I wasn't sure what I was asking of her.

She seemed to understand, though.

"Close your eyes."

Searching her gaze, the intensity in her green eyes growing, I followed my instincts and let my eyes slip shut. Not sure what to expect, my breath stuttered and my heart sped up. Several moments came and went without anything happening. Just as I started feeling foolish and moved to open my eyes, I was suddenly slammed with a hurricane of emotion. Warmth, relief, affection, desire, fear, longing, and happiness swirled around me, permeated my skin, and settled in every organ in my body. Unable to contain a grin, I focused on her feelings and my own, funneling them back to her.

Our eyes opened at the same time, both breathless, and smiling shyly. My voice was raspy and low when I gathered myself enough to respond, "Well, that's going to take some getting used to..."

Emma chuckled, "Yeah, how are we supposed to continue to pretend we can't stand each other and fight all the time if we can feel what the other person feels?"

I smiled in return, "I suppose we'll just have to reevaluate how we communicate."

"That sounds like a lot of work..." Emma responded drily.

I smirked, "Indeed. However, I fear that the real work is figuring out what all of...this...means for us..." I gestured vaguely to our surroundings.

Emma frowned, "Yeah, we have to find a way to get you home. I've been looking for a way to get back here, but, I'm not good enough with my magic to do much..." She looked sad and disappointed in herself.

"Hey," I stood right in front of her, nearly touching, "It's fine. I'm fine. And, I suppose that if anyone had the ability to figure a way out of this predicament, it would be the two most stubborn people I know..."

Emma smirked, "Yeah."

Getting lost in her eyes, I felt my stomach flip and my nerves tremble, "Emma, I-" I cut myself off as I watched her suddenly cock her head and furrow her brows, her eyes focused on somewhere distant. "What?"

"I can hear Henry...I think I have to go now." Her voice was apologetic and hesitant.

I nodded, "Go. I'll be fine."

"What if I can't come back?" Emma asked, almost desperate.

"You will."

"When did you become the optimist?" Emma questioned as she began to back away.

"When you showed up." I answered softly, my face heating.

"Regina, I..." She started, but paused, still walking backward.

"I know." I could see the reluctance to leave, the longing, the regret, and the care in her eyes.

"I'll be back."

As she faded into the jungle, I suddenly jerked upright, finding myself still propped against the rough bark of a tree. I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my vision. Jumping up, I frantically searched the big leaves and dense brush, hoping to catch a glimpse of blonde hair. When my search yielded no results, as expected, I exhaled a long breath and glanced at the sky. The moon had moved enough to indicate that at least a few hours had passed since I fell asleep. Dragging a hand down my face, I started my journey back to the tree house, but for the first time, it wasn't with a feeling of dread, but a feeling of hope.

AN: So, I don't plan on there being more than a few more chapters to this. It was just a random short idea I had and wanted to play with. Anyway, have a great day and if you have the time or desire to review, shoot one my way. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Hey all! Here's the next chapter. It's a little shorter, but oh, well. I hope you enjoy it, and thank you for reading! Have a wonderful day!

Day 75:

Emma's POV

"Good night, kid." I offered the young teen a wary smile. Every fiber of my body felt fried and drained. "Sleep well." Despite my exhaustion, I dropped a kiss on my son's forehead and focused on the feeling of doing so. I imagined that Regina stood next to me, then imagined wrapping up those emotions, that feeling of contentment and joy, and giving them to Regina. Instantly, a beautiful mixture of my feelings and Regina's swelled within my chest, causing a lazy smile to stretch my face.

"'night, Ma." Henry yawned through a sleepy grin, and pulled the covers up to his chin. "Get some sleep, you look terrible."

Chuckling, I rolled my eyes, "Well, you're charmer, just like your mom." My voice trailed off into a fond smirk, matching my son's.

"I just want you to take care of yourself." Henry mumbled, already drifting off to sleep.

"I will, kid." Not bothering to add anything, as his eyes were closed, I gently shut the door and headed down the hall. As I passed the master bedroom, I let my fingertips trail along the wood of the door, absorbing the tingling essence of the previous occupant. I hadn't been able to see Regina since that night I visited her in Neverland, four nights earlier. We communicated as we did before that dream meeting, but the next day I got stuck on night shifts and hadn't been able to get there again. I assumed it was because we needed to be sleeping at the same time.

Too tired to ruminate much more on the technicalities, I trudged through the door of my room. The door swung shut behind me and I toed off my shoes. With the exception of my button up shirt, I didn't bother to remove or change clothes, only fell into bed with a muted thud. Chocolate, caramel eyes flashed through my mind.

"You're sleeping in your clothes again." My gaze snapped to my dresser. Regina stood with her back to me as she curiously shifted through the items that scattered my vanity.

"Regina? You're here..." My voice was groggy and thick.

She turned her head, a small smirk on her lips, "Well, I got tired of waiting for you to come back, like you promised."

I groaned, pushing myself up until I sat on the edge of the bed, "I've been trying. But, I've had to work nights...I think we have to be sleeping at the same time." Noticing her still rifling through my things, I cleared my throat, "Can I help you find something?"

Smirking again, she spun around and leaned back against the dresser, her hands lightly grasping the edge. "Sorry, I'm just curious about your life here, in my house."

Raking a hand through my messed curls, I looked thoughtfully at her, "Are you bothered by my moving in here?" A sudden bout of nerves fluttered in my stomach. I had never really considered what she thought too much, because I had thought she was dead. But, with her standing in front of me, in her house, that I had moved into without permission, I felt very unsure.

Regina cocked her head, appearing to study me closely. The next moment, I felt a small rush of reassurance flow over me. I realized that she must have been able to feel my nervousness. I briefly wondered if, while in the dream world together, perhaps we didn't have to specifically focus on communicating feelings, maybe they just happened. "No. I'm actually very pleased that you and Henry decided to live here. It would have been a waste of the house, and this way Henry gets his own room. Plus, I like...I like the idea that a part of me can still take care of you- both of you." Gentle tides of vulnerability, affection, pride, and hesitation lapped against me, and they weren't mine. I doubted that she intended for me to feel those things, proving my theory on our connection.

A little anxious about knowing she could feel everything I felt, I tried to control my thoughts and emotions. "Good, because I like the idea of you looking out for me- for us." I shot her a pointed look that told her we may be verbally skirting around issues, but emotionally we were facing them head on.

Regina smiled shyly, then glanced around the room. "I decorated impeccably, how did you manage to ruin it?"

Frowning, I mimicked her gaze, "What do you mean? I fixed it."

She scoffed, "Fixed it? I think not. I guess, I should be thankful you didn't paint it to match the Bug."

At that remark, I genuinely laughed and mocked intrigue, "Huh...I hadn't considered that. I might enjoy a yellow room..."

"Emma Swan, don't you dare." Regina warned in a low tone.

"Or what? What are you going to do about it?" I smirked, glaring with a playful challenge.

Her face darkened as I felt ripples of fear, regret, stress, and despair come from the brunette, "I suppose I can't do much from my position..."

I immediately stood and walked over to her, "Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't think before talking. You know, like you always accuse me of?" That earned a small smile, and lightening of her eyes. "I'm just so happy to be talking to you, that I just fell right back into our usual banter... I hate admitting it, but I actually kind of like when you're threatening me..."

Standing up straighter, she shuffled a little closer, putting only about a foot between us. "You like it?" Her voice had lowered to a dangerous purr, laced with implicit challenge.

Without consent, my tongue darted out to wet my lips. "Yeah, it's kind of adorable."

Her jaw dropped in shocked indignation, "Adorable!?" I tried to withhold a giggle at her expression, "I assure you, Miss Swan, I am not, and have never been, adorable."

Rolling my eyes, I shrugged nonchalantly, "Sure you are. You do that thing where you get all close to my face, and your nostrils flare, and that vein in your forehead gets all big. Then, you say something like, 'you have no idea what I'm capable of.'" I made sure to drop my voice to a menacing growl at the last part. Grinning, I flourished a hand, as if proving a point, "Adorable."

A finger came up, pointing directly in my face, "I know you're just trying to bait me, but you are deadly mistaken, Savior."

Breaking my rouse, I grinned widely, "I don't think so, but I'll stop. You're a non-adorable, bad-ass sorceress." Watching and feeling her relax with amusement, I let myself follow my instincts. I brought my hand up to gently brush a strand of hair out of her face. When my fingertips grazed her cheek we both froze. My brows furrowed in confusion as I repeated the action, more confused when met with identical results. "What...?"

While emotions surrounding our touch flooded through us both, tactile sensations were absent. I could feel excitement, nervousness, thrill, desire, anticipation, and longing from myself and a similar combination from her, but I could not feel her cheek against my fingers. It wasn't like my hand went through her or anything, like a ghost. But, I definitely could not feel her skin. "Emma, I can't feel your fingers."

"Yeah, I can't feel your cheek. Why?" Confusion began to give way to panic, frustration, and disappointment. I hadn't realized it before that moment, but I really wanted to touch her.

"I'm not sure." Regina furrowed her brows, trailing her hand over mine and up my forearm before letting her hand drop. Emotions mirroring mine pulsed from her, letting me know we were on the same page. "Perhaps it has to do with us not really being here...this is just a dream, or a physic connection or something. I'm not actually standing in your room..." That time, her face showed the disappointment I felt coming from her. "Plus, it's not like we have much muscle memory of the experience, well except when you attacked me in the supply closet, and this is not even close to the same thing..."

I smiled at the explanation. She was right. We had never really touched before, except the few times I had helped her up or something, and the fight...but, she was also right that how I wanted to touch her in that moment was not the same at all. "So, we can't feel each other's touch because we're not really here and our brains have no real experience to draw from to fill in the blanks..." Regina nodded slowly. "Well, I have to admit, I find myself very disappointed by that..."

Holding my gaze, she breathed, "Me, too."

"Do you think if I attack you, and pin you to the wall, we could feel that?" I quipped when the tension in the six inch space between us thickened to unbearable.

Regina let out a breathy laugh, "Perhaps...I would like to forgo the experiment, though, if you don't mind."

I shrugged, "Alright, your loss."

Her face softened, and in an unexpected move, she cupped my jaw with a tentative hand. Our eyes simultaneously fluttered closed as we were overwhelmed with combined torrents of emotion. Warmth filled every aspect of my consciousness, tingles skittering down my limbs and settling in my stomach and toes. Only a few seconds had passed when she removed her hand, and our eyes opened again. It amazed me how much I could feel from simply knowing she was touching me, without feeling any sensorial input. "At least, we have that." She whispered in a shaky breath.

"Yeah...when the hell did that happen?" I mumbled, still in a bit of a daze.

Regina smiled, "I have no idea. But, I've learned that everything involving you is unpredictable and messy."

Scoffing, I lightly pinched her arm, which she couldn't feel, "So, now it's my fault?"

"Obviously."

I rolled my eyes, "Fine, your majesty. I'll take the blame for this one, mostly because I think that eventually you'll thank me for it."

Regina grinned, "Perhaps, you're right." As I took a few steps back, needing to increase the distance between us if I couldn't properly touch her. Her eyes followed me, then narrowed, "You look terrible."

"Seriously, like mother, like son." I grumbled as I sunk back onto the bed.

"What?"

"Henry just told me the same thing. You two have no tact." I smirked when she predictably raised her brow to display her perceived irony in that comment. "I'm fine, I just haven't been sleeping well."

Regina nodded and moved to my side, "Because you've been working nights."

"Yeah, and I can't really sleep during the day. Plus, during the day I have to take care of Henry... So, yeah, not a lot of sleeping happening." I yawned, but offered her a drowsy smile.

She watched me closely, emotions I couldn't quite distinguish rolling off of her. Finally, she motioned to the bed, "Lay down."

I hummed as I followed her direction, "Wow, that's a little forward, but okay."

Regina rolled her eyes, "I'm not being forward. I'm concerned for your well being. I really shouldn't be here diluting your sleep, so the least you could do is lay down."

Snuggling into the bed, I eyed her, "I don't think you being here does anything to my sleep if this is a dream. I mean, I am sleeping right now, right?"

"Yes. But, it's likely like when you have a nightmare and you wake up feeling less rested than when you went to bed. It's draining." Regina explained, sitting on the bed.

"This is the complete opposite of a nightmare." I said without hesitation. I didn't add that it was a common start to a handful of very not nightmarish dreams I had had involving the brunette.

Regina smiled warmly, "I agree, I was simply using it as a reference." A few moments passed in comfortable silence. Then, Regina reached down to pull off her shoes before swinging her legs up and lowering herself down to lay next to me.

I quirked an eyebrow at her movements, "I knew you weren't looking out for my well being, you just wanted to get in bed with me."

Regina grinned, "Maybe. Or maybe the bed just looked extra comfortable after sleeping on a cot in a tree house."

"You mean, extra comfortable because I'm in it? And, by comfortable do you mean alluring?" I giggled at myself and her unamused expression.

"I'm glad you amuse yourself, Miss Swan, I'd hate for all that wit to be a complete waste." Regina quipped, settling herself, moving even closer to me in the process.

I turned to my side to face her, tucking a hand under my head. "Smooth with the deflection, but I'm onto you Madam Mayor."

"I assure you, I have no nefarious plan in place for getting close to you, Sheriff." Regina rolled onto her side, mirroring my position, bringing her face only inches from mine. "Besides, it seems any plan would be pointless, as I cannot touch you." Her words were whispered with regret and promise. A silent promise of what would come if we ever solved the problem.

Frustrated, I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. Looking to distract us with a breath of hope, I lifted my my hand and placed it on her bare shoulder, "Well, that's not entirely true. We can touch..." I slowly trailed my hand down her tanned and toned arm, admiring the emotional sensations and visual of caressing Regina, "It just isn't...everything it could be." Her eyes slipped shut, I assumed to absorb the feelings coming from my touch. Smiling, I whispered, "Hey, don't fall asleep, you're still in your clothes."

Regina's clear, dark caramel eyes opened, "Now who's being forward?"

I laughed lightly, "Not saying I would mind, but that's not what I meant." As we stared at each other, I linked our hands, "How does this feel so natural?"

"You mean the touching, and the..." She cleared her throat, mildly uncomfortable, "...the flirting?"

Smiling, I nodded, "Yes. Last time I actually saw you, we were barely becoming friends. Now...now, I feel..." I didn't bother attributing words to the feelings I was bouncing at her, "...and, it seems like we've always been like this. Like the most natural and inevitable thing in the world. And, I don't seem to mind at all."

She grinned widely, "I suppose all it took was a traumatic, near death experience, and a magical, complicated, psychic experience that reveals all emotions to get us to this point...it was so simple, why didn't we do it sooner?"

I laughed again. It was definitely the most I've ever laughed with the other woman. "I don't know, maybe you're not as smart and all powerful as you believe you are."

"How's Henry?" Her suddenly soft voice instantly shifted the atmosphere.

"He misses you. But, he's okay. He's made some new friends, got on the lacrosse team, and is doing excellent in math." I couldn't stop the proud smile stretching across my face, and it seemed his other mother couldn't either. "We talk about you a lot...it's like we include you in our daily lives, pretending you're there. I don't know if it's pathetic or sweet." I admitted, feeling my cheeks heat at the sentiment.

"I think sweet, and flattering. There was a time, not that long ago, that I would have assumed you two would be better off without me, excited about living a life together without my presence...it's nice to know that I'm missed." She took her turn to blush, embarrassed at the exposed vulnerability.

"You are definitely missed. Especially, when he manages to do something or have a problem that I have absolutely no idea how to handle. Somehow, I always know that you'd know exactly what to do..." I trailed off, squeezing her fingers between mine, even if it was only noticeable by sight.

"I'm sorry you have to do it alone, Emma." Regina whispered her apology so low, I almost missed it.

"Hey, it's okay. It's not your fault...if it's anyone's, it's my fault. And, we're okay, and now that I know it's only temporary, I know we can make it until you're back home." It was the first time I had thought about her actually coming home, thought about it as a real possibility, and not just a fantasy. I had felt hope and relief when I first connected with her, but hadn't thought it all the way through. Regina was alive. She was alive and we would find a way to get her back.

"It may not be temporary..."

"It's temporary. We'll figure it out. We have to. No way in hell am I letting some teenage demon boy keep us apart." Another blush raced across my cheeks at the bold declaration. I hadn't said 'keep you hostage' or 'keep you from Henry' or 'keep you away from your family' or 'win'. I said 'keep us apart'. As in, I proclaimed that we were an 'us' and we belonged together. I singled us out of all the reasons she shouldn't be held in Neverland, specifically, her and I needed to be together. That was a very large, and important step for me.

"Well, alright then, Miss Swan. It sounds as if we have no choice, we must free me from Neverland."

AN: Let me know what you thought. Thanks again!


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Hey, everyone. Here's the next chapter. I think there's only going to be two more, maybe three. I hope you enjoy it. Have an awesome day!

Day 89:

Regina's POV

"You're late." I stated casually, adding a slight tint of disapproval for flare.

"I can't be late to a dream date." Emma called from behind me, making her way through the thick jungle toward me.

I lazily swung my legs back and forth over the edge of the cliff I was perched on, "One would think...yet, you managed it. And, when did these meetings become dates?" I asked in a light tone, but my insides were squirming with excitement at the implication.

"Since the second time it happened. And, you can't hide how much you lik- Ooff!" Her sentence cut off with a thud and a rush of air.

Quickly looking over my shoulder, I saw Emma lying face down on the ground grumbling to herself. I couldn't hear all her words, but caught enough to know she was cursing Neverland, the dirt, me, and the bug on the ground. Not sensing any real pain coming from her, I pressed my lips together and kept my expression and tone as calm as possible. "Are you alright?"

Emma pushed up with straight arms, bringing her feet under herself, and brushing off her clothes. "Stop laughing." Emma requested, continuing to grumble as she straightened her shirt and made her way over to me.

"I'm not laughing." I denied half heartedly, my internal amusement still rippling within me, fighting to burst free.

"Out loud. You're not laughing out loud. Did you forget I can _feel_ you laughing?" Emma half snapped, half muttered, dropping down beside me, still mumbling, "You'd think I wouldn't be as clumsy in my dreams as I am in real life."

At that disgruntled remark, I finally let out an uncharacteristic giggle, "You'd think...Perhaps we should let go of any preconceptions of perfection in our dream world." As she settled next to me, the moon bounced off her hair, framing her face in glowing light. She turned with twinkling eyes, and flashed a soft grin. The special grin she saves for those moments when she's appreciating me. When she's really seeing me. My heart fluttered and my stomach clenched, causing me to add in a whisper, "Though, it's not completely devoid of perfection." Ensuring she saw me take in her face, I loosened any hold on my emotions. A soft gasp and coloring cheeks let me know she understood a second before a flood of similar feelings of affection, desire, gratitude, passion, and hope overwhelmed my senses.

"Ok, smooth talker, simmer down." Emma chuckled quietly.

Smirking, I raised an eyebrow, "Why? Am I making you nervous?"

Emma mimicked my swinging legs, letting her gaze drift over the jungle below us. "No, you'd feel if you were. However, if you keep saying things like that, you're going to piss me off, and that's not how I want to spend tonight."

I frowned, a lump forming in my throat. And, of course, that was the one time I couldn't read her feelings. "Why would that make you angry? I was just trying to-I thought- I mean, it seemed like we were...on the same page..." I floundered, not entirely sure how to put words on what I was thinking and feeling. It had been two weeks since the night in her bedroom, and we had 'seen' each other almost every night since then. We certainly appeared to both be entertaining thoughts and desires to be something...significant. But, as I sat there, listening to her reject my blatant admiration, I began to doubt her intentions.

Emma's gaze suddenly snapped to my face, an alarmed expression marring her features, "Whoa, wait." I realized she must have felt my instant inner turmoil. She shifted closer to me. "We are on the same page. But, there's a problem." Emma reached over and grabbed my hand, "I can't feel this." She gestured to our linked hands. "And, when you say things like you just said, all I can think about is how much I want to kiss you, to touch you." Understanding began to filter into my whirring mind. "And, every time I want to kiss you or touch you, it reminds me that I can't. Not being able to do that pisses me off, not you saying sweet things to me." Our eyes locked in a heated stand off, emotions being pushed and pulled between us. "Does that make sense?"

I nodded, taking a deep breath, "Completely." Emma relaxed, keeping our hands intertwined. "For the record, I'm very much looking forward to the day I can say something sweet to you and fully feel you kiss me after."

Emma grinned, "Look who's talking about the future, and having hope...My mother would be so proud."

Rolling my eyes, I shoved her shoulder, "Shut up, Miss Swan."

Laughing, Emma looked out into the dark sky, "Why are we sitting on the edge of a cliff?"

"Because I like to live on the wild side." I answered drily.

"Oh."

Day 93:

Emma's POV

"Yeah, so I walk up and ask them what the hell is going on. Everyone starts talking at once, yelling, cursing, and gesturing all crazy like. And, I have to start yelling over them to get them to shut up, but naturally, they don't. So..." I pause to tuck my leg under myself as I drop down next to Regina on her plush leather couch. Taking a sip of my dream wine, which was divine, I completed the thought, "So, I slapped Leroy."

Regina nearly snorted her own glass of cider, "You slapped him?!"

I laughed, "Not hard! In my defense, he was the drunkest and biggest, so he was the best choice."

"One might argue that not slapping anyone would be the best choice for the sheriff in charge of keeping the peace." Regina pointed out, but wore a pleased smirk that undermined her snark.

"One might. However, that one is not here right now, is she?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.

When she shook her head, silence acquiescing to my point and indicating for me to continue, I smirked, "Anyway, so after I slapped him- gently and appropriately-" Regina chuckled. "-everyone quieted down. So, I ask them again what happened. Turns out Leroy was dancing to 'Bend Ova' by Lil Jon. Well, his drunk moves disgusted Tink, who then demanded he stop. That pissed Leroy off, so he started cursing and waving his arms around, _while_ continuing to perform twice as obscene dance moves. So, Tink kicked him in the shin."

"Oh, geez." Regina muttered, eyes locked on me in fascinated horror.

I nodded, "Yeah, so of course, he just got louder and more...'drunk Leroy'. So, then two of the dwarves jumped in to help calm him down, but Ariel got involved to help Tink, and Eric got in the middle to protect Ariel. Basically, they all just yelled and poked each other- yes, _poked_ each other- so rowdily that the owner had to call me."

"And, you helped by slapping Leroy." Regina supplied with an amused grin.

"Yes, that is what I contribute to our small town police force." I smiled warmly at her. My arm was draped across the back of the couch, hand resting near her head. My fingers curled out to fidget with her dark, smooth hair. It had gotten longer in the months she'd spent in Neverland, and I found I loved watching my fingers run through it, even if I couldn't feel it. "So, that is why I didn't make it to see you last night. I ended up locking up Leroy, Doc, and Ariel for the night."

Regina frowned in confusion, "What did Ariel do?"

"She was _really_ drunk."

She laughed, "Why didn't you just send her home with Eric?"

I shrugged, twirling a strand of her raven hair around my finger, "She wouldn't go with him. She kept saying he had the eyes of devil fish. No one knew what that meant, but she was fine with going to jail for the night. Apparently, I had the glowing skin of Ursula's gracious tentacles, so she was honored to stay in my quarters for the evening."

"Oh, wow." Regina chuckled, then laid a hand on my knee. I watched as she slowly stroked her thumb over the jean clad joint. "Well, I can't exactly fault her on that."

I grinned, scooting closer, "You think I have octopus skin or you want to spend the night in my quarters?"

"I think I feel honored for any time I get to spend with you." Her rich, dark caramel eyes overflowed with sincerity, and tumbling pulses of affection crashed into my chest.

My eyelids shuttered with temptation to close under the pressure, but I resisted, needing to maintain visual of the other woman. "Oh my gods, Regina." I groaned, setting my glass down and turning so I could lean back against her front. Cliche as it might be, her words dissolved my insides into an amorphous, fuzzy mass that made me tingle and vibrate with desire. As she grinned and settled back against the arm of the couch, her legs spread slightly, allowing me to fit snugly into her body. She didn't put down her glass, but her other hand ran smooth paths up and down my arm. "You're going to kill me if you keep going like that. Are you going soft on me?"

I could feel her stiffen behind me, and her emotions shift, "Yeah, I suppose being isolated in Neverland will do that."

Feeling like an ass, I swiveled enough to look up into her darkened face, "Hey, I'm sorry. I actually meant it as a complement. I love hearing you talk like that. Don't get me wrong, I love when you insult me, too." Regina scoffed, but I felt her mood lighten, "But, the way you talk to me now? I know you can feel what it does to me, but I'll tell you anyway. It makes me want to hold on to you and never let go." The last part was whispered into her neck, under her jaw, as I wasn't quite ready to look her in her face with that confession. "And, I'm really, really sorry that you are stuck out there by yourself."

Regina leaned over and set her glass on the coffee table, then sunk back down. "Can I confess something?"

I nodded, "Of course."

"I'm a little glad this happened to me."

My gaze snapped up to her face, sensing some tangled and confusing emotions coming from her, "What?"

I watched as her throat jerked with a harsh gulp, and recognizable nervousness splashed over me, "I mean, I don't enjoy being there, and I miss my son immensely, but...I can't help but wonder if we would have ever gotten _here_ if I hadn't gotten trapped in Neverland." She motioned to our intimate position on the couch, and punctuated it by laying her hand on my stomach, lightly caressing me through my thin tank top.

Growing warm, I mumbled, "It's weird that that doesn't tickle, normally I'm crazy ticklish."

Regina chuckled thickly, "I'll keep that in mind."

"I'd like to think we'd have found our way here, even if you had escaped Neverland with us. Though, I admit, it might have taken a really long time. You're very stubborn." I smirked, waiting for her predictable reaction.

"I'm the stubborn one?"

"I think a solid argument could be made that you're the one with the iron will to hold onto things." I pointed out cheekily.

"Well, that may be. However, you might appreciate that trait depending on what I choose to hold onto." She almost purred the words as her fingers slipped onto the span of skin between my shirt and pants.

I squirmed against her, I may not have been able to physically feel her, but the visual was inflicting its own damage. "Fair enough...I really wish I could feel you right now."

"Me, too."

"I've been looking through the vault where you told me to, but I can't find anything...well, that's not entirely true...I find things, I just honestly have no idea what I'm looking at. I need you-" I laughed hollowly. "In a lot of ways. But, I need your help. I can't fix this, I'm not...enough." That pit in my stomach started to grow. That pit that formed from being an abandoned, neglected foster kid. It flared and itched every time I felt not equal to a task, less than adequate, not important, or overlooked. A moment like not being able to discover a magical solution to our predicament.

"Emma, you are enough. I promise you that. This is just a particularly rare and difficult problem. Did you talk to Rumple? Or Blue?"

"Not Blue. I don't know why exactly, but I don't trust her. If necessary, I'll consider it, but I want to try everything else first." I knew it sounded a little pathetic and childish, but my gut told me no, and I trusted that.

"Good. I feel the same way. Does that mean you talked to Rumple?"

"Wow, it feels a little tragic that we trust Rumple over...well, anyone. But, yeah, I did. He said he'd look into it, but nothing yet." Pressing further into the brunette behind me, I deeply longed to feel the heat of her body. "Honestly, I don't know how hard he's looking. With you gone, he's the most powerful person in town, and he has his son back and Belle...I think he's enjoying himself too much right now to bother helping me or risk upsetting that somehow by bringing you back."

"We'll figure this out, Emma." Regina breathed into my ear, the low timber sending chills down my spine.

Deciding to skip answering her, I let my eyes close as I soaked up the moment. I reveled in the knowledge that, at least in our dreams, Regina held me close, protecting me, cherishing me. Before long, I felt myself start to drift off, which in that situation meant it was nearing morning, and I was waking up in real life. Before fully succumbing to the pull, I mumbled, "Please be there when I wake up."

The last thing I heard from her that night was a whispered, "Someday."

Day 102:

Regina's POV

"Oh, we're meeting on the beach today. I like it." Emma commented happily as she sat down next to me in the sand.

I smiled at the sight of my favorite blonde, and the mirth in her expression only intensified my appreciation of her, "I thought a change of scenery might be nice."

Emma cocked head, "So, did you fall asleep here, or did you somehow direct where we came when we fell asleep?"

I furrowed my brows, trying to straighten it out in my head to put it in words, "I guess, I just thought about coming here as I was falling asleep. Perhaps we can dictate where our meetings happen if we try."

Emma nodded, "Cool." She grinned and grabbed my hand, as had become habit, "So, Henry got an A on his Chemistry test, guess those potion brewing genes kicked in." She smirked when I rolled my eyes at her, but continued without pause, "He scored three times at his Lacrosse match this week. Our scrawny little boy is becoming strangely athletic, which definitely didn't come from me. Do you play any sports?" She stopped her Henry update to look inquisitively at me.

Scoffing, I shook my head good-naturedly, "No, certainly not. Well, horseback riding may count, but no conventional sports for me."

"Neal says its all him. But, I never knew him to be good at organized anything. He was an exceptional delinquent, and a decent boyfriend-"

"Until he abandoned you in jail." I felt the odd compulsion to interject.

"Yeah, until then." Emma granted with a vague wave of her free hand, "But, he's been good with Henry, and has been really trying to help when he can. He actually cooked us dinner this weekend. I had no idea he could cook, he even cleaned our kitchen after. Then, he helped Henry with his English project." I felt infuriatingly strong flickers of pride and contentment come from her as she spoke.

Trying very hard to contain the boiling jealousy suddenly present in my gut, I attempted a neutral tone, "Do you guys have dinner a lot?"

Emma shrugged slowly, seeming to be picking up on some of my emotions, but either not getting them all or not understanding them, she answered cautiously, "Yeah, sometimes when he drops him off, or we meet up at Granny's..."

A crushing wave of nausea thrashed over me at the thought. The image of Neal in _my _house in _my _kitchen having dinner with _my_ son and _my..._Emma sent my emotions into a tailspin. I sprung to my feet and began to pace. Scorching hot stabs of pain, confusion, panic, and desperation ran through my heart and gut. I couldn't control them if my life depended on it.

Emma was on her feet in an instant, attempting to keep up with my frantic movements, "Whoa. Hang on. Talk to me. I can feel what's going on, but it's all jumbled and fast and I can't figure out what exactly is happening." When I didn't answer right away, she anxiously rambled on, "The best I can come up with is jealousy, but that seems so inadequate to describe everything I'm feeling from you right now...please talk to me."

I could feel her hurt and worry at my clear state of upset, but I also couldn't seem to form words to express myself to her. Honestly, I couldn't even decide if I was angry with her or not. Everything felt uncomfortable, like my skin was too tight and my lungs too small. "Emma, I...I don't..." I tried, but my mouth and mind failed to cooperate. Flashes of Neal and Emma assaulted my mind's eye, causing sizzling flares of jealousy to surge through me. Then, they morphed to images of Neal and Henry laughing and working on a school project spurred different bouts of jealousy and longing.

Emma sighed and plopped down on a boulder, "Ok. I really want to talk to you about what's upsetting you, but obviously you're not ready. So, I'll just sit here until you are."

Emma seemed to have learned early on that pushing me never worked, so she patiently waited until I found the words I wanted to say to her. I felt her concern, her care, her urging, but she never uttered a word.

Able to push her presence aside for the time being, I aimed my focus inward and started to strategically pull apart the situation. The feelings had definitely started when Neal was mentioned. The idea of him and Emma spending time together made me feel...jealous...nervous...sad. The idea of him and Henry spending time together made me feel resentful...jealous, protective. The labels came faster as I attacked them pragmatically. The idea of him, Henry, and Emma spending time together made me feel jealous, desperate, sad, and blind angry. My pacing began to slow. My conclusion seemed to be that I was jealous of the family Emma and Henry were creating without me. However, I also feared losing my son to him, and losing my chance with Emma. And, then a deeper, scarier truth emerged gradual and threatening from the depths.

"I am jealous. I'm jealous of the time he spends with you, I'm jealous of the time he spends with our son, I'm jealous of the time he spends with, what I consider, my family. I want to be the one there with you and Henry. I feel as if I earned it. Yet, he comes in from nowhere and gets it all. It's not fair." I started with the simple feelings, the ones that I understood and had a clear explanation.

Emma nodded, but remained quiet, knowing I had more to share. So, I simply kept laying it out for her and myself, never looking directly at her. "I'm afraid that you're going to remember how much you loved him, and fall for him again. He's there. He's there for you, helping, being around. I'm not." I held up my hand as Emma started to intertupt with that admission, "Wait, let me finish...I'm afraid that Henry will get his dad and forget that he needs his other mom. Forget everything I was to him. He doesn't know I'm still alive, it would be so easy to replace me with his father."

Emma studied me closely, green eyes seeming to absorb every inch of my face, every body movement, process every muddled emotion I sent her way. "I have responses to all that, but there's something else, isn't there?" Her voice was heavy, as if she not only knew I had something else to say, but knew she wouldn't like it.

Finally bringing my eyes to her, I stared into them, steeling myself. "Emma...I think...I think you need to stop coming here."

To my surprise, Emma simply shook her head and rolled her eyes, remaining calm, "No."

Frowning, I took a few more steps toward her, "Emma, I'm serious. I'm stuck here, in Neverland, with no way to leave, no way to give you what you need." As the conviction in my voice and radiating emotions strengthened, Emma's eyes grew and tremors of panic started sparking from her.

"Wait, you're being serious? No, Regina. No. I'm not going to stop coming to see you because you're scared and lashing out." Emma insisted, almost harshly. She jumped to her feet, and closed the rest of the distance between us.

"That's not why I'm saying this. Emma, you're..." I searched her face, brows furrowing as I grasped for the right word. "You're the most fascinating, bull headed, complex, big hearted, infuriating, selfless, selfish, breathtaking person I've ever met. You deserve so much more than brief meetings in a dreamworld. After everything you've been through, you deserve to have everything. The whole family experience. Marriage, kids if you want more, vacations, lazy Sundays, big Thanksgivings." Tears pricked at my eyes as I heard and felt Emma pull in shuddering breaths, and her wavering feelings of longing and pain. I took her hands, imploring her to hear me, "I can't...I can't give you those things, Emma. I'm here, and I may never escape. We can't pretend we can go on like this."

Emma frowned, anger and denial consuming her features, eyes shimmering, "I'm not interested in you being the martyr in this, Regina. I can't tell you how happy hearing you say those things makes me, and I do want all of that. But, I'm going to be stupidly honest right now. I only want those things with you." My breath completely lodged in my chest, unable to move under the weight of her words. "If we end up not being able to have that, if all we ever get is this, I'm in."

Unable to fully grasp what she was saying, I said the first thing that came to mind, "We can't even touch, that means we can never-" My cheeks reddened as I considered the end of that sentence.

Emma chuckled wetly, "Yeah, well, I guess we'll have to get creative on that front."

I pinched the bridge of my nose and shook my head, "No...Emma, that's not...Please listen to what I'm saying. You could have it all with Neal, or Hook, or whoever. You could have everything..." My stomach dropped, the pain of giving her up to someone else nearly suffocating me.

Suddenly, anger swelled from Emma, overtaking my body with its intensity. "No, Regina, listen to what I'm saying. I don't want anyone else, not now, not when I know what being with you feels like. And, yes, maybe we can't have everything, maybe we'll only ever have short meetings during our dreams, but if it means we get to be together in any capacity, that's all I want. Besides, we are going to figure out a way to get you out of there, and when we do, then everything will be a possibility for us." Emma had been gesturing wildly, her eyes giant, and breathing heavy.

I lunged forward and cupped her cheeks with trembling hands. I couldn't handle feeling her heart break in front of me and do nothing. I also felt flattered that the idea of leaving me affected her so furiously. "Ok, ok, ok. Take a breath. I hear you, ok? I hear you." Making sure to lower my voice to a soothing hum, I stroked her cheeks and stared into her eyes.

"You'll let me come back?" Emma asked, her voice so vulnerable and small, like a child.

"Yes."

Emma pulled back a fraction, squinting as she searched my face, "Because you want me to, right? Not just because I essentially threw a tantrum?"

I rolled my eyes, "Do you have to make everything so difficult? Yes, Emma, I want to see you more than anything. I only wanted you to stay away because I-" I cut off, unwilling to say the words that would forever tether us to each other, still hoping in a deep part of me that Emma would find true happiness elsewhere should we not be able to save me from Neverland. "I want more for you."

Emma shrugged, "And, I want more for you. So, we're just going to have to keep looking for a way to get you home, so we can have more together."

Sighing with exhaustion and crushing emotions, I practically fell into Emma's welcoming embrace. I laid my head on her shoulder, face nestled in her neck. Her arms wrapped around my shoulders and rested on my back as mine clutched around her waist. "Ok. We keep looking."

AN: What did you think?


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Hey. That's all. Enjoy.

Day 195:

Emma's POV

"Thanks again for taking Henry this weekend, Mom. He loves spending time with you guys." Snow offered me a warm hug. We may not always get along, and I may have been distant since Neverland, but hugging my mom always felt like a cup of hot chocolate and a good book on a rainy evening. Content.

"Of course. Anytime. We love having him, even if he only likes staying because David lets him play with swords." Snow replied, grinning as she opened the door to the mansion. "Thanks for having us over, you're getting very good in the kitchen." She added as she tightened her coat around her waist.

I shrugged, "Well, without Regina to feed us, I didn't really have a choice. However, I did use her cook books to learn." An affectionate grin spread across my face at the mention of the brunette and her ability to take care of us without even being present. Out of habit, I envisioned that adoring feeling as its own entity, tied it up in a neat package, and sent it to Regina.

I felt her inquisitive eyes on me, "You seem like you're doing much better. You seem...lighter."

"I am doing better. I keep telling you, you don't have to worry about me all the time." I rolled my eyes, but kept my tone soft, letting her know that I appreciated the concern.

"I'm your mom, I'm always going to worry." Snow arched an eyebrow. "And, ever since Neverland, you've been...off. I can't help but wonder if we'll ever get the old you completely back."

Before I could answer, Henry jogged up behind us, "Bye, Ma. Don't miss me too much."

I smirked, "I'm not going to miss you at all. In fact, I'm going to throw a party and celebrate my freedom as soon as you walk out the door."

Henry grinned as he shrugged on his back pack, "You're a liar. You're going to eat a pint of ice cream, drink wine, and cry as soon as we drive away, because I am the center of your universe and without me, you're nothing."

I shook my head in mock disappointment, "More and more like your mother every day..."

"Awesome, powerful, and brilliant?" Henry inquired smartly.

"No, I was talking about your other mother." I smirked at his scoff, and volleyed back, "Sassy, annoying, and smug."

Henry hugged me with a wide smile, "Whatever, I'd be lucky to be any part of her."

Briefly squashing down the guilt of withholding Regina's position, I squeezed him back, and whispered, "Agreed." I never let the feeling of hugging Henry pass without projecting it to Neverland. An instant wave of gratitude and love flowed back, dissolving my insides with overwhelming warmth. He let go and followed Snow out the door, who was still shaking her head at our exchange.

David put his arm around my shoulders and kissed my temple, "Goodnight, Emma. Thanks for dinner."

"'Night, Dad. You guys have a good weekend." After he nodded, I watched them walk down the path and get in the truck.

Quickly closing the door, I immediately dashed up the stairs. Bursting into my bedroom, I started shedding clothes. Snatching up the dress I had laid out earlier, I shimmied into it, then jogged to the bathroom. It took me only a few minutes to touch up my make-up and fix my hair. Glancing around, I realized I left the earrings I wanted to wear downstairs, as were the heels that paired with the dress. A look at the clock told me it was almost time, so I sped down the stairs. Skipping the last few steps, I landed on the cool floor with a soft thud, and scampered to the hall closet. I slipped on my heels as I swiped the diamond studs from the vanity near the guest bathroom. Checking my appearance one last time, I smoothed my dress and smiled at my reflection. I spun on a heel and headed for the staircase again, but the front door opening halted my journey.

Snow froze in the doorway, not expecting me to be standing so close, and likely not expecting me to be wearing a whole new outfit that certainly wasn't lounging-around-the-house wear. "Um, hey. I think I left my phone here..." I stayed silent as I watched her scan my clothing. "Are you going somewhere? You said you were tired and going to bed...?"

"I uh..." My eyes darted around, searching for an excuse for my attire and lie about my plans, "I ...am going to go check the kitchen for your phone."

Snow shook herself from her confused stupor, following close on my heels, "Oh no, you aren't getting off that easy, young lady."

"Oh, look. Here's your phone. Ok, goodnight, sleep tight." I handed her the phone, my haste inciting a quick juggling act between us, then attempted to shove her back toward the foyer.

"Emma, stop. Just tell me what's going on. Do you have a date?" Snow asked hopefully. She had been hounding me for months to get out in the world, worried that I was closing myself off since leaving Neverland.

Clenching my jaw and sighing, I decided on a partial truth, "Um, yeah, kind of."

I winced as she squealed, "I'm so glad! But, what do you mean, 'kind of'? Because that dress says 'impress to undress'".

Scrunching up my nose, I deadpanned, "Gross. Where did you learn that phrase?"

"Henry." Snow replied matter-of-factly.

"Well, don't say it again."

She ignored my comment, "So, who is it? And, why did you hide it from us?" Her enthusiasm swelled and then tapered off into confusion.

A familiar fluttering sense of anticipation electrified my heart, a sensation I knew didn't originate from me. Catching sight of the clock again, I started to get agitated, "I'm not hiding anything, okay? It's just new, and I want to see where it goes before involving everyone. When I can, I'll tell you everything."

Snow studied me for a moment, "It's kind of late to go out..." When I groaned and rolled my eyes, she held out her hands, "Okay, okay, I'll mind my business. But, we support you through anything and just want you happy. So, when you're ready, we'll be here."

"Thanks, Mom." I wondered what her reaction would be to finding out that I was dating Regina in my dreams. It might be worth telling her just to see her expression. Once she was gone again, I bolted back to my bedroom.

After one more glance in the mirror, I carefully laid down on the bed, willing myself to relax. Before Neverland, I was never one that could just curl up and go to sleep. I had to be legitimately tired, and even then, it took me a long time to drift off. However, ever since a gorgeous, witty, breath-taking woman waited for me in slumber, sleep became effortlessly attainable. So, even in a dress, heels, and jewelry, it only took minutes for my eyes to slip shut and my unconscious to awaken.

Day 195:

Regina's POV

My eyes blinked open, and I became instantly confused by my surroundings. I expected to see my tree house or the mansion, not an open night sky in, what appeared to be, New York. Scanning the area, I quickly deduced that I stood a top the Empire State Building. I had never been there in real life, but had seen enough movies to recognize it. Curious, I started walking around, searching for any clue as to why I ended up there. A light, almost citrus scented, breeze fluttered my hair. As I rounded the corner, the lone form leaning against the guard rail came into view. My steps stuttered to a halt as she slowly turned around to face me. The lights of the fake city glittered around her, creating a muted glow. Her long, blonde waves cascaded over her bare shoulders and draped down her chest. A sleeveless, form fitting dark, blue dress clung to her smooth curves, stopping mid-thigh, showcasing her muscular legs. Beautiful, toned arms rested at her side, but I could see her fingers twitching with nerves. The final touches on the ensemble were sparkling emerald eyes and a dazzling smile.

I could detect anxiousness coming from her, but I couldn't seem to find my voice to ease it. She looked stunning. My heart hammered in my chest as I continued simply staring at the gorgeous woman in front of me. I saw her fidget as I failed to respond, "Regina? I can feel that you're pleased, but I really need you to start using words now." Her voice came out quiet and slightly shaky.

Finally regaining some control over motor function, I starting walking toward her again. "Emma, you look..." My words died on my tongue as my eyes roamed over her, taking in every detail. "You look...I mean, you always look...but, now..." My cheeks heated with the loss of my typical eloquence.

Emma chuckled and tugged my body to hers, linking her arms around my waist. "Someday I'd love to hear the end of those sentences, assuming they're good."

I nodded jerkily, "Yes, all very, very good." Breaking eye contact, I watched my hands graze over her sides, imagining what it would be like if I could feel the silky material and firm muscles. Sneaking a glance at her tasteful cleavage, heat bloomed in my abdomen, seeping outward, over taking my senses. My body longed to connect with hers in infinitely more intimate ways than the diluted version available to us.

"Please stop thinking about whatever you're thinking about." Her words came through gritted teeth, and I could feel answering arousal pulsing from her.

Coughing gently, I altered course, "So, to what do I owe the special set up tonight?" A thought suddenly occurred to me, "You're not asleep on top of this building in real life, are you?"

Emma laughed, "No. I was following a hunch. I was hoping that I could guide us somewhere that wasn't specifically connected to where we actually were... I was right. And, as far as the occasion..." I saw her swallow and a light blush accompanied a swirl of uncertainty and excitement. "It was six months ago today that we experienced the first...tingle. I thought we could commemorate that."

Grinning widely, I arched a brow, "Emma Swan. Are we celebrating an anniversary?"

Emma shrugged and let her arms fall from around me, "Well, yeah. I mean, if you think it's stupid, or are going to make it some weird thing, we don't have to..."

Placing a hand on her arm as a visual plea to pause her ramble, I reassured her, "No, I think it's a great idea. I'm just surprised is all." Taking another look at her dress, I added in a low tone, "Honestly, with you dressed like that, I'm celebrating everything."

Emma smirked, "Come here." She offered her hand, which I gladly accepted. She led me to the railing, the edge that overlooked the whole city.

"This is lovely, Emma." I let several long moments pass, before distractedly adding, "Though, I do have to admit that I always envisioned your romantic side as less...conventional." I tipped my head back to gaze at the star-riddled sky.

Small flickers of hurt and embarrassment came for the blonde, "You don't like it?"

I snapped my head to her, "No, that's not what I meant."

"You basically just called me boring." Emma pointed out with a huff.

"No, that's not what I said..." I spluttered, suddenly concerned I had ruined the evening. She shot me a look that clearly said that she was waiting for me to explain myself. I shook my head, "I didn't mean that your plan was boring or I didn't like it. It's wonderful. Truly. I just never thought you were the fancy dress, star gazing, on top of the Empire State Building type...I'm not helping my case at all, am I?" I squeezed my eyes shut and pinched the bridge of my nose. Chafing frustration crackled through me at my lack of ability to explain myself. I knew the blonde, probably better than anyone, and the scene just didn't quite fit her, is all. It wasn't bad in any way, just unexpected.

Emma stared at me, "How often do you think about me and my romantic side?"

I could feel faint sparks of amusement within the confusion and disappointment coming from her, "About eight times a day." I answered sincerely.

"What would you expect?" Emma asked curiously.

Smiling shyly, I shrugged, "I don't know...take-out on the hood of your car, with beer and white wine in a cooler? Maybe on the beach? Something comfortable, quiet, and intimate without being overly flashy..." Hazarding a glance at her face, and sensing impressed interest swirling in her, I added, "Which you would know I would appreciate, as my life has always been bloated with extravagance, drama, and spectacle over sincerity."

"So, you imagine it's you there with me?" Emma asked cheekily.

"Well, I don't want it to be anyone else." I answered honestly.

A slow smirk spread across her mouth, "Fine, you're forgiven. Mostly because you are right. Usually, this wouldn't be my thing, though I would love to dress up for you occasionally and do something fancy and cheesy. However, there is a specific reason I wanted to bring you here." With one hand on the cold bar, I turned to study her face, waiting for her to continue. Which she soon did. "When I got out of prison, I immediately came to New York. I don't know why, exactly, I just figured that a giant city with endless potential might have something for me. So, I hopped a train from Phoenix to New York. It was probably stupid to spend all that money, but I did it anyway. When I got there, I headed for this building. I got to the top and just stared down at everyone around me. I was so lost then. The man I was in love with had betrayed me, I had just gotten out of jail, and had given up a kid. I literally had no one, and nothing to my name, except a yellow Bug. But, as I stood here, looking out at this huge city with thousands of people, I suddenly decided that I was done being a victim. I was done with being a slave to crappy fate, done with being neglected by my life. I vowed to create a legitimate existence for myself and start being happy. Admittedly, deep down, part of me wanted to form a life that I could bring a kid into. Somehow, that decision started mending everything. Simply deciding I was done losing made me start to succeed. For the first time in a long time, I felt hopeful that something better waited for me." Emma brought her eyes to mine. "That's how you make me feel. Hopeful. Excited. That's why I brought you here. I wanted to share something important to me, and tell you that, as strange as this all is, being with you has changed everything."

My eyes stung with tears, and my heart lurched dangerously. No one had ever spoken to me like that. No one had ever told me I made their life better, not even Daniel. I stepped closer to her, leaving only a few inches between us. Even after clearing my throat, my words came out heavy and rough, "I really...really wish I could kiss you right now."

Emma smiled warmly and threaded her fingers through my hair, whispering, "Someday."

Reaching my right hand behind my back, I grasped her right hand and pulled it around me. Scooting between her, presumably, warm body and the cool metal, I pressed my back to her front. When I rested my arms on the guard rail, she grazed her palms along them and laced our fingers together. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her prop her chin on my shoulder. "Thank you for tonight, Emma. It's perfect."

I watched her fingers flex between mine, "You're welcome." A few seconds passed, and then she added, "Also, you smell incredible." She slowly nuzzled my cheek, then drifted lower to inhale deeply at the nape of my neck. My skin began to tingle, hair standing on end as her growing desire washed over me. My knees grew weak and my thighs twitched. It felt as if equal forces of warmth came from within and crashed against me from the outside. The breath in my ear quickened.

"Now, you have to stop," I murmured, unwilling to actually try and avoid the inevitable disaster forming between us.

"Can't...I can see down your shirt from this angle."

Emma chuckled thickly as I slapped an arm still draped over mine, "Very classy, Miss Swan."

"It's part of my charm."

"So it would seem." I reluctantly agreed.

Simmering tension stubbornly remained between us, gaining momentum as it passed back and forth, like waves in a bathtub. Eventually, when the liquid heat raised to an inferno, Emma sighed and pushed harder into me, desperately attempting to break through the invisible barrier, "Well, at the very least, there's one advantage to this whole arrangement."

Shifting uncomfortably against my irritated libido, I mumbled, "And, what is that?"

"Ridiculously intense foreplay."

Despite my frustration, I barked a laugh, "Yes, I suppose that's something." I whirled around in her embrace and clasped my hands behind her neck, letting my fingers tangle in the soft hair at the base. Tracing my eyes over her face, I sighed. When she cocked her head in question, a gentle smile on her face, I verbally explained what my emotions were likely telling her, "I almost forgot how breath-taking you looked tonight."

Smiling giddily at her emotional reaction to my words, I responded in kind as she moved to lean her forehead against mine. However, just as she I assumed her skin connected with mine, she suddenly pulled back, "No."

"What?" I could discern disappointment and frustration from her.

"I have to go. I think my phone is ringing." Her frown didn't make her less beautiful, but pulled at my heart.

"Go." I dropped my hands from her neck, attempting to tamp down my resentment. Judging by her expression and bitter guilt flowing from her, she felt it anyway.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered as she started to back away.

I shook my head, and gripped the rail behind me, "It's not your fault. I'll see you next time."

"If it helps at all, you get to watch me walk away." Emma cheekily tossed over her shoulder as she finally turned to leave.

As my gaze fell to appreciate her firm behind, accented by the dress, I knew it didn't make up for everything, but it certainly didn't hurt.

AN: Let me know what you thought.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Alright, here's the next chapter. I hope you guys like it. Have a great day!

Day 215:

Emma's POV

"I wanna tell Henry," I blurted softly.

Regina paused her unhurried endeavor braiding my hair. "Tell him about me, or about us?"

I started to pull away from her, so I could turn around, "I don't know, exactly. I-"

"Wait a moment." Regina stopped me from moving any more, finishing the last few weaves of the braid. "Ok, I'm done." 

Turning to face her, I sat cross legged on my bed as she stood next to it. "I just feel so guilty every time he talks about you, about how much he misses you. I mean, I miss you, too-" I shot her a shy smile, "But, I get to talk to you almost every night. I get to feel you throughout the day. He doesn't. He doesn't even know you're alive. I feel incredibly selfish and awful keeping it from him."

Regina sighed, folding her arms in front of herself, "I know, I've felt it. I just don't want to get his hopes up, or distract him. I already feel terrible about you spending so much time here, and monopolizing you..." Regina trailed off and cleared her throat, lowering her eyes.

Uncertainty, insecurity, and regret pulsed out from the beautiful brunette standing in front of me. "Hey. Stop. I'm here because there isn't anywhere else I'd rather be. I don't care that it's inconvenient or unconventional. I want to be with you, so I'm here. No regrets." Her eyes found their way back to mine, warm and sparkling despite the lingering guilt swirling within her.

"And, as far as telling Henry, I understand your concerns, I share them. I truly believe that we will find a way to bring you home...but...if we-" My breath caught at the thought about to be expressed. Swallowing hard, I continued, "-if we don't, neither one of us want him obsessed or stressed out because he knows you're there, but can't get to you..."

Regina nodded grimly, "Precisely."

"...but, I still think he deserves to know you're alive. As for telling him about us...maybe that can wait until you're home." I pressed again. I hated watching him everyday, saddened by the absence of his mom.

Regina shifted and I felt anxiety radiate from her, "And, what do we tell him? About us?"

I started to answer, then managed to decipher the mass of emotions rolling in her. I slapped her arm, "Regina Mills! Are you trying to trick me into having 'the talk'?"

Regina rolled her eyes, "First off, I can't feel it when you slap me."

"It's the thought that counts," I smirked.

"Secondly, stop being so dramatic. I wasn't trying to trick you."

I grinned, "Whatever you say, Your Majesty."

When several seconds passed with a heated stare sizzling between us, she huffed, "You're not going to answer my question, are you?" 

I bit my lip, "Nope. We'll tell him whatever feels right when the time comes."

"I despise your lackadaisical approach to serious matters." Regina pouted.

I laughed, "No, you don't. And, this isn't that serious. You know how I feel about you, and I know how you feel about me. There's no need for some sort of label or explanation right now. When there is, I'll happily provide my input."

She rolled her eyes again, but un-crossed her arms. "Fine. And, I'm alright with telling Henry about me, if you think we should."

"Good. I'll tell him soon. He may figure out the 'us' part on his own, anyway. He keeps asking if I'm seeing someone and that's why I seem so happy. And, mom saw me all dressed up for you a few weeks ago and knows I'm seeing someone." I picked at the quilt on my fake bed, already planning what I might say to Henry.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw her hands land on my shoulders. "So, you're happy then?" Even if I couldn't feel the amusement swirl from her, her teasing tone gave her away.

"Eh. I'm not unhappy." I replied casually, but ensured she caught my shallow smirk letting her know it was merely banter. Though my skin couldn't detect the presence of her hands, my back and core muscles tensed as if battling a resisting force. When I realized that the brunette meant to push me back on the bed, I allowed the action. Folding my arms behind my head, I watched as she slowly lowered her knees to each side of my hips, straddling my thighs. Long fingers came to rest on my waist; my gaze traced their doodles on my thinly covered hips. Warmth began to boil and surge, starting in my stomach, and settling between my legs. I groaned as she settled herself more securely on my lap. There was no friction, but the vision carried its own weight.

"I am, too, you know. Happy." The woman above me whispered. Arousal mirroring my own, flashed from her, intensifying my desire.

"I'd be more happy if you didn't insist on working me up like this." I grumbled in a thick tone, squirming between her and the bed.

Regina grinned devilishly, "I'm not doing anything."

I whimpered when her gravelly tone inspired sharp spikes of want, "Yeah, and every time you 'don't do anything', I wake up and have to take care of myself."

A very brief spurt of guilt tainted the air, but was quickly replaced by doubled desire. She leaned down, bracing her arms on the sides of my head, "You could take care of yourself here."

Blazing shivers wracked down my spine at her suggestive drawl. Squelching down the temptation, I nodded shakily, "I could...but, I won't." I chuckled at her immediate, confused frown.

"But, you're the one that said we'd have to get creative in that area..." Regina practically whined. I would have laughed again, but I could feel her vulnerabilities start to leak through her libido.

"I did. But, I also kind of feel like as soon as we take those steps, we're accepting that being together in that way is not a possibility for us. We're accepting this as a permanent situation. I'm not ready for that." I attempted to explain my thought process. Her face was so close to mine, we were breathing the same air. Dark, silky locks fell around our faces, creating our own little world.

Shining brown eyes searched mine, "I understand that...but, Emma, you have to understand...with the exception of Henry, I'm not sure I've even wanted something as much as I want to kiss you."

I think I literally melted a bit at those words; words enhanced with the tidal wave of affection that accompanied them. I forgot to breathe for several seconds, then let out a whoosh of air. "Yeah, I've got some of that going on over here." Once again, her deep, brown eyes rolled, but she pushed herself up to a sitting position again. Desperate to ease the tension between us, I licked my lips, "I'm going to need proof."

Her head cocked, the haze of arousal reluctantly dissipating. "Proof? Of what?"

"Proof that you're alive. Henry's a smart kid with great instincts, but I suspect he'll just think I'm insane if I come at him with all of this. I need you to tell me something only you know about." She shifted a little on my lap, her face crinkling as she considered my request. Taking in her casual clothes, and her adorable expression, I felt myself heat up again. "Also, you need to get off me, before I reconsider my stance on relieving the pressure."

Regina smirked, a dark flash illuminating her eyes, but she slid off and propped herself against the headboard. When I mimicked her, settling next to her, she hummed thoughtfully, "When Henry was six, he randomly became enamored with Armadillos. Everything was about Armadillos. He wore one Armadillo shirt everyday for seven months." Regina half snarled in disapproval and half grinned with fondness.

I nodded, picturing little Henry in an Armadillo shirt, "That's adorable, and I'll definitely tease him for that. But, it's not quite good enough. That's something you might have told me at any time."

"So, it has to be something that I would have otherwise never told you?" Regina mused to herself.

Smirking, I nodded, "Yep." I waiting patiently as she mentally shifted through memories. After about a minute, her cheeks suddenly tinted, and small swell of embarrassment and annoyance rose from her. "Yeah, tell me that one."

Regina cleared her throat then sucked in a breath, "When he was seven, I decided to treat Henry to a trip to the circus that was visiting just outside of town."

"Circuses are terrifying." I offered with a furrowed brow.

"Yes, so I discovered after dealing with two weeks of nightmares."

"Ah, poor kid. Scared the hell out of him, huh?"

"Oh, no. He loved it. The nightmares were mine." Regina stated resentfully. When I laughed, she elbowed me, then continued, "Anyway, when it was over, we were walking out in the parking lot and this clown approached us. I stood between him and Henry, recognizing that he was intoxicated-"

"Oh, no..." I groaned, holding my breath in anticipation.

She raised her eyebrows in agreement, "So, he starts attempting some sort of comedy routine, very sloppily. I continually tried to convince him that he was very good, but we needed to go. However, Henry kept laughing at his antics, so he wouldn't leave. Suddenly, he grabs my shoulders and says something about me needing to smile because I'm such a pretty lady-"

I snorted a laugh. When she shot me a glare, I held my hands up, "I whole-heartedly agree."

Rolling her eyes, she sighed, "Well, he didn't value the sentiment too seriously, because literally two seconds after telling me that he vomited all over me."

I clamped a hand over my mouth, my eyes wide. I tried not to giggle as I mumbled, "Oh, my god."

"Yes, well. It gets even better." She ignored my eager gasp, "As I was unwilling to wade back through all the people and re-enter that insipid place, I decided to get cleaned up and changed in my car. We were parked on the edge of the lot, it was dark, and I had Henry hold up a blanket we kept in the trunk-"

Covering my face with my hands, I groaned, "Who saw you?"

"Two animal trainers, three acrobats, an elderly couple...and the drunken clown."

My head snapped up, jaw dropping, "What?! How did that happen?"

Regina shook her head in resigned amusement, "They were heading to the staging area behind our car. Henry...well, Henry was seven and easily distracted from concealing me. So, the charming group witnessed me hunched in the back seat in only my undergarments. And, two of them had flashlights."

I couldn't hold back any longer, deep belly laughs began bubbling up from within me, and I was powerless to stop it. For her part, Regina waited patiently for me to stop laughing, only growling when I gasped, "That's somehow both awful and amazing!"

"Alright, that's enough Miss Swan. The point is, Henry is the only other person that knows that story, and that was how I planned to keep it and he knows that. So, he'll- oh, for heaven's sake, stop laughing already." The mayor huffed, crossing her arms.

Composing myself, I laid a hand on her thigh, "Ok, ok. I do have one question, though." Regina arched a brow for me to proceed, "What color were your _undergarments_?" I purred the last word just for the hell of it.

"Black lace." She answered with a smug smile, eyes darkening.

My jaw snapped shut, my mind's eye filled with delicious images. Swallowing the growing moisture in my mouth, I grunted, "Well, that sounds nice."

Regina laughed, then readjusted herself to lay her head on my lap. "As much as I dislike it being at my expense, I do love hearing you laugh."

Grinning, my hand fell on to her shoulder, "I'll do it more, then. I have one more question."

"You're worse than Henry."

Flashing her my signature puppy face, I grinned when she caved and motioned for me to ask. "You said you wanted to kiss me more than anything. If you could kiss me or get revenge on Snow White, which would you choose?"

"To be fair, kissing you would likely give Snow a heart attack, so it's really a win-win." She glanced up at my pout, then added, "But, I'd choose you. Always you."

Day 227:

Regina's POV

"You have some explaining to do." Emma's voice drifted from behind me, an obvious frustration pouring from her.

As she stomped up to me and opened her mouth to continue her rant, I held up my hand, "Wait." I stalked up to her with matching determination. Grabbing the front of her tank top, I pulled her into my body, wrapping my arms around her. "It's been over a week since I've seen you. I've felt the turmoil you've been in. So, before you go on about whatever you're about to go on about, just let me hold you for a moment." As a burst of, what might cautiously be called love, came from the blonde, her body relaxed and gently swayed mine. I may not have been able to actually feel her in my arms, but I could smell her, hear her breath in my ear, feel what she feels about the idea of embracing me. It was almost enough, or at least, better than nothing.

"You're right, I'm sorry. Hi." The pulses of emotion coming from both of us sputtered and spiked until they matched a contented rhythm.

"Hi." Soaking in a few more moments, I finally blew out a breath and pushed away, "Okay, what do I need to explain?"

Emma studied my face for a few seconds, savoring my presence. Then, she spoke, "Explain to me why you never told me you have a sister."

Furrowing my brows in confusion and surprise, I answered slowly, "Because I don't."

"Well, there's a wicked witch flying around town looking for her sister, Regina. She says you have a score to settle."

"Wicked witch? Like from OZ?" I asked, my mind whirring.

"Yeah, flying monkeys and all." Emma sighed, rubbing a hand over her face.

"You look exhausted." I said quietly, leading her to lean against our tree.

"It's been a long week."

"What does she want?" I asked, clasping Emma's hand.

"As far as I can tell, you. But, she's up to something else. She managed to get a hold of Rumple's dagger and is controlling him. There's flying monkeys taking people at the town line, and I think she's after Mom's baby. And, she's powerful, Regina. Really powerful."

I noticed her wince and shift against the tree, pain radiated from her. "Are you hurt?" I demanded, panic fluttering in my chest.

"No."

"Emma Swan, not only do I know you very well, but I can feel everything you're feeling. So, I'll ask again. Are you hurt?" My tone left no room for her to lie again.

"Yes."

"You fought her, didn't you?" I asked, my voice cracking at the thought of her fighting someone that sounds so much stronger than her.

"Yes."

"Why?" I asked grimly as I motioned for her to allow me to inspect her. Lifting up her top, a large, dark bruise came into sight around her ribs. I swept her hair to the side, a healing gash spanned from her shoulder blade to the base of her neck. Examining whatever skin I could reach, I discovered several smaller cuts and bruises littering her body.

"Because she's threatening the town." Emma shrugged, brushing away my questing hands.

"And, that's it? It's that simple? You'd put your life in danger that easy?" My voice was rising as my panic grew. Wisely choosing to stay quiet for the moment, she watched me closely as I yelled at her. A sudden memory occurred to me, "Three days ago. I hadn't felt much from you in the days before, then I started feeling fear and pain. It was a short, intense burst, then faded away. And, then soon after I felt you hug Henry. Was that when you fought her?"

Emma nodded, "Yeah. She tried to take Henry. She was convinced that if she had him, you'd have no choice but to come back and save him. She won't believe that you're dead. So, I fought her to protect him. Plus, we found out that only light magic can defeat her. So, that falls to me." I bit my tongue, trying to calm myself. She didn't need me laying anything else on her.

Pulling her legs up, she folded her arms on her knees, and laid her head on them. "Gods, Regina...I'm just so tired. I'm on guard all the time. Everyone is looking to me to fix this, and I don't know if I can. It's these times that I almost can't handle how much I need you. Not only could we seriously use your magic right now, but I want so much to be able to come home to you. To just let you hold me until it all goes away. I want to eat dinner with you and Henry and bunk down on the couch with a movie. I just...I just want-" A sob cut off her words, shoulders starting to shake as stress, pain, and longing overwhelmed her.

Instead of trying to hold her, which would have been futile, I choked back my own tears. I filled my heart and mind with visions of holding her, of feelings of keeping her close to me, feelings of family. When I felt her start to calm, I murmured a thought that unearthed itself from murky depths, "That's why you haven't been to see me. You're mad at me."

Blonde curls bounced with the sudden movement of looking up at me, "What? Why would I be mad at you? It's not your fault she's there."

Licking my lips, I uttered, "You're mad at me because I can't be there for you." She opened her mouth, likely to rebut my claim, but I cut her off with a raised palm, "Not mad like you blame me, but mad because you resent needing me and resent me not being there. Everyone in your life that you've needed has left you alone, and you're adding me to that list." Again she opened her mouth, and again I stopped her, "I get it. And, I'm not blaming you or accusing you of anything. You're more than allowed to feel that way, and I can't tell you how much I wish I wasn't one of many letting you down." My stomach rolled with disappointment and an intense yearning.

Emma remained silent for several long moments, staring thoughtfully at me. When she did speak in was a low croak, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to abandon you when I got mad. For the record, though, I'm mad at myself, too. Mad that we didn't figure this out sooner. Mad that I left you here. Mad that I haven't been able to save you. Mad that I'm not strong enough to defeat the Wicked Witch."

I leaned close to her, whispering, "You can do this, Emma. You're so much more powerful than you know, especially when you're protecting someone you love. And, I may not be able to physically be there with you, but I can help you with the magic part." Slowly, the icy despair began to thaw, eager sparks of hope breaking through.

"Yeah?" The single syllable cracked, but glittered with anticipated relief.

"Yes. I could teach you how to harness your natural talents. Actually...I may be able to help more than that..." My brows knitted as a thought occurred to me.

"Really? Ho-" Realization flicked over her face, and flooded through her. "Magic is emotion," she breathed.

"Exactly. If you can focus your magic, and also tap into my emotions, you should be able to conjure more than enough power to defeat her." Gulping shyly, I added, "And, the...type of emotion you'd be sharing with me would ensure that it would be light magic."

Finally, her lips twitched, threatening to smile. A warm, tittering surge tickled my insides, "And, what type of emotion would that be?"

Arching an eyebrow, I grinned, remaining silent. I allowed her to access my feelings, but refused to assign labels to them. When I got off of the island of insanity, I'd happily use all the words she longed to hear, but would hold off until then. Foolish logic led me to believe it would create some sort of fail safe, a barrier to keep us from being completely consumed by our torturous situation.

Emma nodded, returning my grin. "Alright, Your Majesty." She pushed herself to her feet and held out a hand. "Help me focus my magic, and we'll beat this wicked bitch."

AN: Well, what did you think? Also, just a heads up, I think there's only going to be two more chapters.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Hey, here's your next update. I think I decided to just finish this story before continuing my other ones. And, this chapter turned out very different than I first planned, so there may be two more chapters instead of just one. Or maybe one and an epilogue... Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading my crazy. Have an awesome day!

Day 234:

Emma's POV

Taking a deep breath, I knocked softly on my son's bedroom door. When I heard muffled permission to enter, I pushed open the door with a trembling hand, "Hey, kid. Can I talk to you?"

Henry looked up from his graphic novel, "Uh oh. It's never a good sign when your mom comes into your room and wants to talk." Tossing the book aside, he swung his legs to the floor and stared at me expectantly.

Swallowing my nerves, I sunk down on the bed next to him. "No, it's not bad...I don't think." I raked my fingers through my hair, trying to figure out where to start. I had practiced the speech a thousand times, but facing the actual moment, all the words vanished. "It's just something that it's time you know."

"Ma, what is it?" Henry asked softly, putting a hand on my shoulder.

Nodding, I pulled in a long breath, "So, you know how when we escaped Neverland, we had to leave your mom behind?"

Henry quirked an eyebrow, "Um, yeah, of course."

Laughing dryly, I shook my head, "Yeah, that was a stupid question." Rubbing my palms on my jeans, I tried again, "We thought she died when we left...but...she didn't." I shot my eyes up to study his face, trying to determine what he was thinking.

He cocked his head, then spoke gently, "Ma, I know you miss her. I miss her, too. But-"

Holding my hand up, I cut him off, "No, it's not like that. I know I sound crazy, but I'm completely serious."

"Ma, how could you possibly know that? Neverland is a whole other realm. We can't get there, otherwise we already would have gone back to try and save her." Henry asked quickly, likely trying keep from getting his hopes up.

I raised my eyebrows, turning to tuck my leg under myself to fully face him. "So, here's where it gets even crazier. A short while after we left Neverland I started to get these feelings. We call them tingles. At first it would happen only when I touched something that meant something to her. Then, it would happen just by thinking about her. Then, it happened without me doing anything. That's when I realized that they weren't always starting with me. They were coming from her, too. The connection got stronger and stronger. We could almost have a conversation through feelings. It's like we can feel an emotion and send it to the other."

Henry shook his head and jumped to his feet, "Ma, this is crazy. Mom is dead. She's been dead for eight months."

Choosing to ignore his disbelief for the moment, "Wait, kid. There's more. So, after a while of this communication, we started to...visit each other. In our dreams. I've seen her, talked to her. Almost every night we meet up, either here or in Neverland. I don't know exactly how it works, but it might have something to do with Neverland being a place in people's dreams. And, we both have to be asleep to see each other. But, this has been happening for almost seven months."

Henry paced the length of his room, wringing his hands. He looked so much like his mother in that moment. "I want to believe you, but I..." He trailed off and looked at me with so much hope and dread, I almost cried.

"I know, Henry. It took me a while to accept that I wasn't making it all up in my head. But, I would never come to you with this unless I was certain. There's no way I would give you that kind of hope or burden without being sure. Actually, I have proof. When she finally agreed to let me tell you about her-"

"Why wouldn't she want me to know?" Henry asked harshly.

Biting my lip, I pushed forward, "Because we still don't know how to save her. There is a chance we won't be able to get her back. And, we didn't want you to have to carry that burden. We're worried that it will be harder knowing she's alive and not be able to see her or talk to her, than it would be thinking she's dead."

"But, you get to talk to her, to see her?" Henry asked slowly, cautiously.

I couldn't stop the smile from crossing my face, "Yeah, kid. I do. And, she told me a story to prove that I am really talking to her. Do you remember going to the circus when you were seven?"

Henry nodded vaguely, then his eyes lit up, "Yeah, it was-" He stopped and gave me a suspicious look, "-interesting."

I chuckled, recognizing his bait, "Geez, you are so my kid. So, as I understand it, you loved it, she didn't. When you guys left the circus, a clown was out in the parking lot. He was up in your face making jokes or whatever, then he threw up on your mom." A creeping smile started spreading across Henry's face. "She decided to change in the car because she didn't want to go back in the tent, through all the people. She figured it'd be fine since it was dark and you guys were on the side of the lot, and she had you hold up a blanket. Well, you got distracted and dropped the blanket as an elderly couple, two animal trainers, the drunk clown, and..." I paused, forgetting the last component of the group.

"Acrobats."

I nodded, eagerly, "Right, acrobats. They all passed by on their way to the staging area. I guess a few of them had flashlights and looked in to see your mom in her underwear." I blushed a little as another image of Regina in black lace underwear in the back seat of her car flashed through my mind.

Henry narrowed his eyes, staring hard into mine. "She told me to never tell anyone about that. She said that was our secret. No way would she tell you. Unless..." Again, he let his sentence hang.

"Unless I asked her to tell me something that only she would know, so I could prove to you that I was really talking to her."

"You really can see her? She's really alive?" When I nodded with shining eyes, he swallowed hard. "How? She was hurt and alone." His voice cracked with images from that night.

Gritting my teeth, I contemplated how to word it. "Um, Pan. He healed her." I left it there.

"So, is she his prisoner?" He asked fearfully.

"No, he healed her and let her go." I silently urged him not to ask another question.

"Why?" He asked. When I said nothing, he nodded grimly, "So, she would have to live forever all alone."

"I hate how smart you are sometimes." I grumbled.

"Yeah, well, you two raised me. So, I blame you for that." Henry snarked half-heartedly. "How is she?"

Shrugging, I responded, "She's okay, actually. Pan leaves her alone, so she doesn't have to deal with him. She gets sad and lonely, but when I see her, she seems to be dealing with it. We talk and hang out most nights, and that helps. When we're together in our sleep, we can feel everything the other person is feeling, without trying. So, I know what's going on with her, and she's honestly okay. She misses you like crazy, though. I tell her all about how you're doing in school and sports. She's really proud of you, kid." I stopped talking, allowing him to process everything.

Several minutes of silence passed, then he looked at me, "What's going on with you and Mom?"

Gulping, I shrugged, "I just told you."

"Come on. You're telling me you see her every night-"

"Almost every night." I nervously interjected.

He rolled his eyes exactly like his mother, "Fine, almost every night. You're talking about this strong bond you two have-"

"Not everything is some grand love story, Henry. Maybe we're just connected through magic and friendship." I really wanted to tell him about Regina and I when we rescued her and could tell him together.

"You and Mom have never been friends, Ma." When I crinkled my brow and opened my mouth to refute that claim, he shook his head and continued, "You were enemies, then reluctant partners, and you always had this intense way of communicating and understanding each other. Now, I think you're something more. Plus, I've been asking you if you're dating someone, because I could tell that you were happy. A happy I hadn't really seen with you. It makes so much sense if it was because you've been seeing my mom. So, tell me. No lies."

Clenching my jaw, I fixed him with a resentful glare. When it did nothing to make him give up, I sighed and softened, "Fine. We're...I don't know how to put it, exactly. But, I would comfortably say it's somewhere in the vicinity of...falling in love."

Henry rolled his eyes as he watched me carefully, "I would say you're already in love."

Shaking my head, I lowered my eyes and muttered, "So freaking smart."

"Wait. Wouldn't true love's kiss work? If you guys love each other and have been kissing, shouldn't that somehow bring her back?" I cringed at the hopeful, confused expression on his face.

"For one, I never said we had true love. Two, this isn't a curse. Three, we haven't kissed." I felt my cheeks flush at having that conversation with my son.

"What? Why not? You said..."

"I know. The thing is, in this world that we go to to see each other, we can't touch. I mean, we can, but we can't feel it. I can feel what she's feeling, see her, hear her, but I don't feel anything if she holds my hand. So, we haven't even tried...to kiss."

"That sucks." Henry stated succinctly.

I barked a laugh, "Yeah, no kidding." When he smiled back at me, I questioned hesitantly, "So, are you okay with this?"

"My mom being alive? Duh!" Henry nearly yelled.

I grinned, "Your mom will kill you if she hears you say 'duh'. And, I meant, are you okay with me and your mom being together? Whatever that means for us." I held my breath, waiting for his response.

"Of course. I love you both and want you both to be happy. If that's with each other, then all the better for me." Henry explained with the innocence of a child, a child with the heart of the truest believer.

With a shy smile, I nodded, "Good. Another reason I wanted to tell you now, was because of the Wicked Witch. Regina's gonna help me defeat her."

Day 234:

Regina's POV

I paced around my tree house, not so patiently waiting for Emma. Strange mixtures of emotions had been coming from her all day. I could tell some were accidental cross overs, as had been happening more frequently. I worried that she had fought the witch. B6ut it didn't feel like a battle; not a physical battle. I had been working with her to more efficiently use her emotions to channel her magic, and she had gotten alarmingly good in a very small amount of time, but there were still some things to work on before she actually fought her. Rustling in the leaves near my haven caused me to whirl around. "Finally. Where the hell have you been Swan?"

Emma arched an eyebrow, "Ouch, we're at 'Swan'? Why am I in trouble? And, I thought we did hugs before rants?"

"No hugs until you tell me what the hell has been going on today. I've felt all kinds of different things from you, and now you're late." I propped my hands on my hips, my stance telling her I needed answers immediately.

Emma smirked, "I love your 'no nonsense' pose."

"Emma-"

"I told Henry about you tonight. I was nervous all day about it, and there was some minor drama with the witch and Rumple this afternoon. So, you were likely getting run off emotions from all of that. And, I was late because Henry and I were up later than usual talking about you and our plan to fight Zelena." Emma explained gently, no longer teasing me.

"Oh." That was all I could form at the moment.

"Yeah, oh. Now can I have a hug?" Emma asked impishly.

I rolled my eyes, but allowed her to pull me close to her. For a few seconds I permitted myself to forget everything that wasn't Emma, and just soak in everything I could from her. When we un-tangled ourselves, I asked, "What did he say? How was he?"

Emma shrugged, "Pretty much exactly what I was expecting. He didn't believe me at first, then I told him the circus story- which he finds way more funny now that he's old enough to really appreciate the situation- then, he asked a ton of questions. But, in the end he was over joyed at the fact that you're still alive."

"You told him I love him?" I asked softly, coming to terms with Henry knowing I hadn't died.

"Of course. And, he figured out fairly quickly that there was something going on with us. I tried to shake him off the trail so we could tell him together, but he's your son, so he kept pushing. I finally gave in and told him."

"Way to stand strong, Miss Swan." I laughed at her glare. "Well, what did you tell him about us?" I smirked as the exact same conversation from a few weeks earlier re-presented itself.

Emma rolled her eyes, "I told him that we were together, and that we were..." Her pale cheeks flushed dark pink, a crooked, shy smile tilting her lips. I felt her heart complete the sentence her mouth couldn't.

Granting reprieve, I nodded, "And, how does he feel about that?"

Emma grinned, "Good. He likes the idea of his parents together to make us a family, and he has already seen how happy you make me. So, he figured if I made you just as happy that would be all he could want."

Smiling widely, I nodded, "Excellent. Now that that's settled we should continue preparing you for your fight."

"Lead the way, babe." My back was turned to her, so I couldn't see her smirk, but I felt the amusement and challenge coming from her.

Spinning around, I demanded, "Do not call me babe."

"And, why not?" Emma asked in an innocent, sing-song tone.

Sniffing, I turned back around, "Because it's undignified."

"Okay, you got it, Snookums."

"No."

"Alright, Honeybunch."

"No."

I could hear her following close behind me as I led us to a clearing, a playful aura bursting from her. But, I refused to turn and acknowledge her ridiculous tirade. "Fine. How about Pookie Bear?"

"No."

"Hot stuff?"

"No." I bit my tongue hard to contain the smile that wanted to blossom.

"Angel."

"Absolutely not."

"Muffin."

"Emma-" I warned, struggling with my growing affection, not wanting her to catch it.

"Yes, Sweetie Pie?"

"Shut up."

"Fine, I give up, My Queen." An involuntary flare of heat coursed through me at her cheeky surrender.

"Oh, you liked that one." Emma purred victoriously.

"That's enough, Emma." I growled with no genuine malice.

"Call me, 'My Savior'." She declared.

"No."

"Well, you're absolutely no fun."

Ignoring her insincere pout, I halted in a wide open area. "Alright, you've gotten considerably better at harnessing your emotion into controlling your magic. I'm confident you could give my sister a run for her money-"

Emma interrupted, "Well, I mean, I did save Henry from her before you started helping me, so I'd say I started out pretty well. Not that I didn't get beat up fairly good, but I lived. That's a good sign." Picking up a small stone from the dirt, she tossed it lightly against a tree, then smirked when it ricocheted back to land at my feet.

Her words flustered me. While her emotions and disposition told me she approached the topic with the patented Emma Swan arrogant nonchalance, my gut clenched harshly. Visions of a faceless villain attacking Emma assaulted my mind. Pictures of a bloodied savior laying haphazardly on the ground turned my veins to ice. Pulling in a long breath, I pushed forward, "That may be, but, we also need to practice syncing our emotions and magic, so you can use power from me to defeat her."

Emma sauntered up until she was standing directly in front of me, "Syncing. I like the sound of that."

Breathing through the torrents of lust coming from the savior, I grit my teeth, "That's not the right emotion, Emma."

Emma smirked, "Lust is a perfectly legitimate emotion, and often very powerful." Her voice lowered and took an irresistibly husky edge.

However, instead of falling prey to her charms, I found myself becoming increasingly irritated, "Yes, that is true. But, it's distracting. Lust shifts your focus, pulling from your intended goal. You need to focus on pure emotions that drive you toward your goal; anger, love, desire to protect, joy." While I attempted to teach her, I found that my words were sharp and laced with frustration.

Emma pulled back, eyes squinting. The light-hearted happiness that had been present since she arrived was replaced with annoyance, "Wait, why are you mad at me?"

Between my inexplicably growing anger with her, my confusion about the emotion, and Emma's agitation, I couldn't reign in my reactions. "Because once again you're acting like a child instead of taking this seriously!"

Muscles twitched in her jaw, warm emerald orbs hardened to a cold, hazel. "And, I'm getting sick of your superior attitude. You're the all powerful sorceress, and I'm your helpless little pupil. Did it ever occur to you that you're not better than me? That I do pretty good on my own?" Emma spat words at me, her own fury building and boiling, mixing with mine. If either of us stopped to explore the foundation of the anger, we might have discovered underlying triggers that had nothing to do with what we were yelling about; but we didn't stop.

Scoffing, I gestured condescendingly, "Oh, really? Then, in all these lessons I've been giving you, you've just been pretending to know nothing. Well, good job. You had me fooled. And, all those times that I've saved your ass, that was unnecessary? Okay, next time I won't."

"I think I've saved you on several occasions, and saved a lot of people _from_ you." Emma rolled her eyes.

"Oh, is this what you call saving me, Savior?" I swept my hand around, indicating my new home.

It's a strange sensation, feeling another person's heart break. But, as I stood there watching the betrayal and rage pass over her features, and pain and regret spill from her, it was clear her heart was cracking wide open. "Emma, I-"

"No! Don't. At least now I know what you really think. I didn't want to leave you. I thought you knew that. But, I guess I should have known the Evil Queen was too selfish to notice someone else." Her eyes blazed with determination and defiance, which only functioned as a mask for the hurt underneath.

My own heart stung with the out-dated moniker. Our chests heaved and nostrils flared as we stared the other down, less than a foot separating our faces. Suddenly, a frantic urge to throw the angry blonde against a tree and have my way with her overtook the forefront of my thought process.

Emma blinked, then scowled and barked, "Seriously?! You're thinking about sex, right now? And, I'm the one not taking this seriously?"

Growling in frustration, I grumbled, "I simply imagined that we'd likely have exceptional anger sex."

"Well, obviously. But, that's not the point right now." While her volume was still several notches too loud- and a seething resentment ruled her output of emotion- her words weren't razor sharp anymore. "The point is, you're pissed at me; yelling, blaming and accusing me, and I have no idea what the hell for! But, that's probably just because I'm an idiot, right?"

"You could have died!" I nearly screeched. "Someone with magic that surpassed your own attacked you. She could have killed you and I couldn't have stopped her. I can't protect you from here, Emma. And, that scares the hell out of me. All that I can do is this." I gestured to the clearing, indicating the minimal lessons I had been providing. "And, instead of participating with the level of commitment I need from you, you've been spinning ridiculous nick names and flirting. I love you, Emma, but getting you to focus is like pulling teeth. You'd think I'm asking some impossible feat, when all I'm asking for is your attention."

Emma wasn't paying attention.

At least, she didn't respond as if she was paying attention. However, all of her anger vanished. Cocking my head, I allowed my emotions to cautiously follow hers, striving to calm myself. As I tightly crossed my arms over my chest, I felt giant waves of desire, frustration, affection, and something else coming from the silent woman. Disconcerted with her lack of engagement in the conversation, I let out a huff, "Emma? Will you be speaking again any time soon?"

My snapped question shook her from her trance. Offering me a small, slightly trembling, smile, she started to back up. "Nope. I'm actually gonna go."

Totally bewildered, I shook my head, "What? Why?" I couldn't keep up with the woman.

She continued to take looping steps backwards, her expression and feelings alarmingly neutral, "Because in about thirty seconds you're going to realize what you just said to me. And, I will have no choice but to return the sentiment, because I do. Then, I'll get pissed all over again because we'll have no satisfying way to conclude that moment. So, I'm going to go, and I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, Emma spun on her heel and disappeared into the forest. I stood frozen with my brow furrowed, hands out in disbelief, jaw slack, and head spinning; it was wholly unbecoming of a queen. When I finally regained some control over myself, I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. I could figure it out. She may act completely insane sometimes, but I understood her better than anyone. Carefully piecing the last few minutes back together, I combed through what had transpired. She said I was going to realize what I said, and that something was why she left. She didn't seem insulted or offended by that something, so it wasn't one of the mean things I spat at her. I reasoned it had to be something in my rant about her getting killed. Starting to pace, I reconstructed my words. My eyes popped open.

_I love you, Emma, but getting you to focus is like pulling teeth._

Swallowing hard, I replayed it again, making certain I was remembering correctly.

_I love you, Emma-_

I had told her I loved her. It was hurried and nearly snarled, but I had said it-accidently. I meant the words, but never imagined they'd be born from one of our tantrums with each other; though, it made sense in its own right. My heart fluttered erratically. My feet paced a beaten path in the loose dirt. She hadn't said it back, but she implied she felt the same. Grunting, I raked a hand through my hair. Leave it to the infuriating, chaotic, stupidly adorable, confusing, complex, and impulsive savior to simply leave me to deal with my declaration. It was incredibly immature and maddening...

Of its own accord, a wide smile stretched my lips. One single thought burrowed out and broke free from all of the vexation-

_I love you, Emma._

AN: Well? How we doin'?


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Hey, ya'll here's the next chapter. It was supposed be the last, but I got carried away, so to make it easier on myself, I broke it into two chapters. The next one will be up in a few days. Enjoy.

Day 236:

Emma's POV

"I told you, Mom. I'll take care of Zelena. You just focus on getting my new brother here, okay?" I gripped Snow's hand as she panted, grimacing with a new wave of contractions.

"Emma, please don't let her take him." A loud groan ripped from her lungs, a bead of sweat rolling down her hairline.

"Mom, I won't, I promise." I swallowed hard, leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Dad will be here in just a second. We'll protect you two."

She held my hand in a death grip as I turned to leave, stopping me for a moment, "Emma, be careful. As much as I can't lose this baby, I can't lose you either."

I nearly cried. Ever since my parents announced their pregnancy, a deep seeded insecurity had been bubbling to the surface. I part of me couldn't help but feel as if I was being replaced by the baby they really wanted. I knew they loved me, but also knew they wished that they had their tiny baby girl back, not the grown woman with a multitude of trust, commitment, and intimacy issues. However, hearing her put me on the same level as the coming newborn soothed many of those anxieties, and renewed my determination.

"I will be." David entered the room as I managed to pry my hand from Snow's grasp. We paused for only a moment, communicating our needs with only a linked gaze. With a kiss to the temple and concise nod, he pushed past me to take his place by his wife.

Stepping out into the dim hallway- eerily quiet after being emptied at our request- I took a few seconds to gather my wits. Slightly uncoordinated thumping alerted me to someone running my way. I glanced to the right in time to see Henry barrel around the corner. "Ma! Zelena's here!"

I dropped a hand to the crook of his neck, squeezing gently, urging him to listen. "Alright, kid. Stay here. Do not leave this hallway. I'm putting up a protection spell." My stubborn, bright, shaggy-haired son looked like he wanted to argue, brows furrowed, jaw set. I cut in before he could, "I'm serious. I can't fight Zelena if I'm worried about you. Do you understand?" Henry studied me closely for a few moments, then slowly nodded. Pulling in a relieved breath, I kissed his forehead. "Thank you. I love you and so does your mom."

When I spun to leave, a firm hand grabbed my elbow, "Are you saying goodbye? Because if you are, I take it back. I refuse to stay here and let you go alone." Fierce, brown eyes glared at me, his demeanor calm and resolute.

Smiling softly, I shook my head, "Sometimes you look so much like your mom, it hurts. I wasn't saying goodbye. I just want to make sure I don't let opportunities to say it pass by. _Sometimes_ we don't get another one. But, this isn't one of those times. I'm coming back, I promise."

He didn't stop me again, but watched with weary eyes as I paused just beyond the edge of the hall. With a deep breath, I moved my open palm in a wide semi circle. The air glittered for a few seconds, shimmering waves starting at the ceiling and walls and moving in like liquid until they met in the middle. I met my son's eyes quickly, then turned around. Closing my eyes, I focused on all the feelings surrounding my impending battle, then imagined sending them to Regina. Three beats later, a swift surge of support, concern, pleading, and determination cascaded over me.

I didn't want to fight her in the hospital, so I ran down the hall and through the lobby, bursting out into the dark, frigid air. About an hour away from dawn, the small town never seemed so daunting. The streets had been cleared, no doubt because a tall, dangerous woman and scrawny, but powerful dour man strode confidently down the middle of the road. My panting breaths pushed from my lungs, marking the air with swirling mist. I could feel Regina's magic and emotions prickle through me, tempting and encouraging my own. Unfortunately, since I had bolted after Regina admitted she loved me, we hadn't gotten another opportunity to practice blending our magic. It looked like I'd have to do it the old fashioned, Emma Swan way. I would have to wing it.

A light wash of amusement, disbelief, exasperation, and condescension filtered through my heart. Regina was rolling her eyes at me. Smirking, I figured she wasn't keen on my enthusiasm to 'wing it'. Sending back my flippant defiance, I schooled my features as I approached the deadly duo. "Hey guys, what's going on?"

Zelena flashed a smug grin while Rumple glowered grimly next to her. "How delightfully pedestrian. I do enjoy a little verbal sparring before the main event. What's going on is we've come to collect your new baby brother. With him, the last part of my plan will be in place."

I crossed my arms, seeking out and holding onto the flurry of emotions coming from Regina. "Yeah, that's not going to happen."

The Wicked Witch waved off my protest, "Yes, yes. You're going to try and stop me, wonderful." She began to pace slowly in front of me, pausing to stroke Gold's cheek. "I am rather impressed you've managed to keep my dear sister from me. Well, and I'm quite surprised she refrained from coming to confront me."

Rolling my eyes, I latched onto another flash of strength that wasn't mine, "I told you, she isn't here." I clamped my lips together tightly, cursing my word vomit. Regina was right, I was an idiot.

Zelena hadn't missed my slip of tongue, and whirled around, "Not here? You told me she died. Is that not the truth?" Her tone had adopted a taunting lilt. She never believed that the former Evil Queen truly died, and my careless words confirmed her suspicion. "So, tell me, Savior, where is my little sister?"

"Not here." I growled. "Let's get on with it. This is between you and me now."

Zelena smiled sweetly, "Well, you, me, and my beautiful Dark One." With a nod from her, Rumple grimaced and flourished a reluctant hand at me.

The wind whooshed from my lungs as I flew through the air and landed harshly on the ground several feet away. Panic sparked within me, and I felt it slip through to Regina. Shit. I needed her focused on supporting me, not on her worry. Pushing myself up, I ignored the overwhelming concern flowing freely from the far away brunette. Zeroing in on Zelena, I gathered my magic and sent a white flare in her direction. A small wave from the Dark One intercepted the blast and Zelena instantly sent her own blast my way. I managed to get my hand up to cushion the blow, but it still sent me reeling backward into a parked car. Mumbling a few choice curses under my breath, I propelled myself off the old Honda and flung my hand at the duo. That was a mistake, focusing on both. It weakened my output. The red head smirked, deflected my magic, and levitated my body several feet before dropping me on top of the same stupid Honda.

"I must say, I expected a bit more from the all mighty Savior. I can sense the power, but there's no discipline to wield it. You're a tad sloppy. That's disappointing. I was hoping for more of a challenge." The witch studied her nails, sighing dramatically.

Flickers of frustration, strength, and pure magic shot through me. I could feel Regina reaching out, but couldn't quite grasp on at the right time. We were out of sync. I scoffed humorlessly. Of course, Regina was right about learning how to match our emotional connection. My joints and back ached as I righted myself and slid off the car to the ground. "Well, I wouldn't count me out, just yet. I've been fighting for my life, my entire life. I don't go down easy."

"Oh, lovely. Then, please, surprise me." Zelena smiled widely, eyes flashing with excitement.

Gritting my teeth, I frantically tried to formulate some sort of plan of attack. Honestly, they out-matched me drastically, and I really had no idea what to do. Shaking my hands, and clenching my fists repeatedly, I swallowed hard. The hand on the clock tower marked another minute, silence bristling between us.

"I apologize for my rudeness, but would this fighting you're so confident about be showing itself before dawn?" She tossed Rumple's dagger from hand to hand in a show of boredom. I felt my nerves jingle, my thoughts tripped over themselves as I attempted to gain some mental footing. When I continued to hesitate, Zelena huffed, "This is incredibly dull." Gold's mouth quirked in a small smirk. Zelena's sharp eyes cut into me, "Perhaps some motivation?" With a flick of her wrist a blinding force slammed into my shoulder, spinning me violently and slamming me to the ground.

"Son of a beh-ah," I groaned as I tried to roll over. Another bright pulse of energy picked me up a few feet and tossed me back another several. Everything hurt. The back of my head felt a little sticky, and searing pain radiated up and down my left arm. Angry at taking so many blows so quickly, I pulled on the anger and sent several rapid fire flashes toward the tall woman. She flew back and hit a shop window, splintering the glass. In the receding tide of magic, I felt a push of warmth from Regina. I shook my head and raised myself to my feet. It wasn't working. I had tried to use fear, but that didn't work. I had used anger in my last attack, but Regina had been focusing on compassion and affection. Before I could contemplate a strategy a dark surge came from Rumple, sending me flying against an unforgiving brick wall.

"Well, that last one wasn't terrible. I'm mildly impressed. But, I fear it might have been luck, Sheriff." Zelena's furious taunt assaulted my ears as I lay unable to move on the sidewalk.

Forcing my face to relax from its contorted expression of pain, I focused on pulling in long slow breaths through seizing lungs. When my muscles began to release the protective tension, I retreated into my head, sorting through what I knew. I wasn't thinking through my attacks, I was simply reacting, and that wasn't going to work with those two. Forcing myself to stay calm and focus, I searched my mind and heart. I needed to connect with Regina, that's the only way I would make it through and keep my family safe. Our combined emotions had to produce stronger light magic than Zelena's and Rumple's dark magic. Love. It was going to have to be

love only.

Suddenly, Zelena appeared in front of me. "You may not have met my hopes, but saw how fiercely you wanted to protect Regina. You must be important to her. So, I think I'll just take your heart and break hers a little. Not an awful consolation prize." Without another second hesitation, she plunged her hand into my chest.

Conjuring pictures and memories of Regina and I-specifically our moments from the past months in our dreams- I blocked out the chilling sensation of someone else's hand around my heart. I hadn't told her that I loved her back, but I was certain she knew. Hope began to bloom from deep in my gut as I replayed hearing those words.

_I love you, Emma._

Unimaginable strength surged with those words. Zelena yanked her hand away with a small yelp. Gasping, I smirked darkly at her, "Oh, yeah. I'm the product of true love, that doesn't work on me." I summoned all the love I felt for Regina and the power I felt from her love, and pushed it back to her. My fingertips sparked as I began to overflow with magic, finally feeling our linked magic swell within me. She had managed to capture what I felt and what she felt and shove it all back. My limbs jerked with anticipation, my stomach clenched as power stirred aggressively within me. Nearly effortlessly, I pushed myself up.

"Oh, very good, Emma." Zelena praised with wicked glee, backing off a few paces.

My palms burned with pleasant heat. The magic was not only ready, but refused to wait another second. Channeling every pure emotion Regina and I shared, I sent unyielding, white hot streams of magic toward Zelena, then immediately switched to take out Rumple. Both thudded roughly against concrete walls. When the wicked ginger regained her footing, I saw just a hint of fear in her eyes. But, there was mostly anger. "How was that?" I rasped as the adrenaline and magic raced through my veins.

Zelena wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and snarled, "Wonderful." When she raised her hand, I mirrored her action, almost easily blocking her emerald green magic.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rumple make a move toward me. Thrusting my palm in his direction, I shook my head, "No, you're done." With a lightening flash, white lights bound him to a pole, completely immobilizing him. "Now, it's just you and me, Zelena."

Her wild green eyes bounced between my advancing form and the incapacitated Dark One. "How is that possible?" Her whiney screech grated my nerves.

"Light magic." I answered simply, knowing the vagueness would irritate her.

"Light magic is not more powerful than dark magic." She snarled as she began to retreat slightly.

"Actually, yeah, it can be. Love has no limit. Anger and hate do. And, I am certain that our love is stronger than your anger. This is over." The main reason I bothered speaking to her at all centered around allowing the dangerous swell of passion to grow inside me until I knew nothing could match it. With a deep breath, I allowed all of that energy to explode from my fingers directly into the green bitch.

A sick thud and a low grunt came from her as she slammed into the ground. The deep green pendant around her neck clicked loudly and detached from her neck, skidding to a stop several feet away. While Zelena gathered herself, attempting to sit up, I calmly strode over to the necklace and picked it up. "No! I'll-" I didn't care to listen to what she was going to do, so I flourished my hand, focusing on the jail cell at the station. She could cool off in prison for the night. Without her necklace, she posed no threat. I grinned to myself, flipping the newly clear stone over in my hand. I had won. Well, Regina and I won. My brother and family were safe.

Hearing a throat clear, I looked over to the power pole holding Gold. I raised an eyebrow at him, then glanced around. After locating and picking up the horrible dagger, I turned to him, "Are you going to be good, now?" I couldn't resist mocking him just a tad.

"As you hold my dagger, I'd say that's entirely up to you." He snarked back lightly.

With a flick of my hand, he fell to the ground and shot me small glare. As he dusted himself off, he sauntered up to me. "Well, Miss Swan, I must say that I'm pleasantly surprised at your display here this morning. May I venture to assume you were aided by an outside source?" Rumple probed in an amused drawl.

"I suppose you may venture whatever you'd like." I lazily tossed back. The dagger felt heavy and cold in one hand. Zelena's pendant weighed in the other. I gulped at the power sitting in those seemingly mundane objects.

"Would you be so kind, Sheriff?" When I looked up, Gold gestured to the dagger.

Considering my options, I slowly shook my head, wincing with the movement. "No, I'm not sure that's a good idea. However, I will give it to Belle. She can decide what to do with it. But, you can take this. I trust you'll keep it safe?" I handed him the pendant.

"Of course." Rumple ran his thumb over the large jewel, then tucked it in his jacket pocket. His dark eyes scanned my face, then he gestured to my head, "May I?" Understanding he meant the gash that ran across the base of my skull, I shrugged and allowed him access. After the fizzling sensation faded, and the throbbing eased, I nodded my thanks. As I turned to leave, he cleared his throat, "Oh, Miss Swan?" I swiveled around, exhaustion making my bones feel like lead. "Are you still searching for a solution to the problem you approached me about several months ago?"

My heart leapt into my throat. There was only one problem I went to him for help with. Studying him with narrow eyes, I uttered, "Yes, I am."

He nodded and took a step closer to me, "As you freed me from Zelena's control, I now owe you a debt." The older man looked around for a moment, then leaned in. "You go check the closet in the farmhouse. There's something in there that should be able to solve your predicament. Consider my debt paid in full." With that, the Dark One strode down the road to his shop.

Heart hammering in my chest, I tried to process his words. Did he mean there was a way to get Regina home? Spinning on my heel, I set off at a run toward the hospital. Entering the building, I jogged to Snow's room. Bursting in, I stopped short at the sight. David stood next to the bed, arm around Snow as she held a beautiful little boy. Henry grinned at me as I walked through the door, running over and throwing his arms around me. "I'm alright, kid. It's over now."

"I knew you'd beat her." Henry smirked.

"Hey, Mom, Dad. How is he?" I approached the bed, gazing at the tiny boy.

"He's perfect. He's ready to see his big sister." Snow held him up slightly, cueing me to take him.

As my fingers traced his warm cheek a sudden wave of anxiety and longing exploded through me. Regina. I reluctantly removed my hand, "Thanks, but I'm really sorry. There's something I have to do. Right now." I kissed my mom and brother, then turned toward the door.

"Emma, is everything okay?" Snow asked quietly.

"Yeah, Mom. Everything's fine, I just need to check something out."

My gleaming eyes caught Henry's gaze as I stepped out the door, causing him to question in a cautiously hopeful tone, "Ma?" He really was a brilliant kid.

Unable to stop the grin from spreading across my face, I nodded as my voice cracked, "Yeah."

His smile matched mine, "Do you need help?"

Shaking my head, I swallowed roughly, "No, I don't think so. But, I'll let you know if I do." With one last glance at my family, I bolted out the door.

AN: Well?


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Alright, ladies, this is the last chapter. I've had a blast writing this story, and I want to sincerely thank everyone for following, reviewing, and reading. I actually had this written like a week ago, but couldn't bring myself to post it. I just kept re-writing it. Too much pressure! Lol, I hope you like it, and have a wonderful day!

Day 236:

Regina's POV

Growling, I released another fireball at a wide Weeping Willow- searching for a way to dispel the extraneous energy raging inside me. Over an hour had passed since I last felt anything from Emma. I felt her through what I assumed was the fight with the Wicked Witch, and felt her finally connect with our combined magic, but that was it. Nothing. A clawing desperation ate away my insides as I waited for some sort of sign.

A twig cracked behind me. Whirling around I stared intently into the thick brush. During my sojourn in Neverland, I had encountered a few wild animals, but nothing particularly worrisome. And, Pan and his minions hadn't once bothered me. Flexing my fingers, I prepared to deal with whatever came out of the jungle. Several seconds passed, a bird flew out of the charred Willow. More rustling and snaps came from the dense bushes. I took a step forward, cocking my head and squinting my eyes. A mass of blonde broke through the endless green. My breath snagged in my throat. My pulse froze then sped up to double speed. My mind denied what my heart wailed with eager relief.

The blonde tripped ungracefully and stumbled over a log into the clearing in front of me. "Dammit! I swear to-" With a sharp turn, she delivered a swift kick to the fallen tree. "I don't have time for that!" Suddenly her eyes snapped up, locking on me, a breathless sigh leaving her lips, "Regina?"

"Emma?" My words held a mixture of reverence and rejection. It couldn't be her. When her blinding smile warmed me from the inside out, I shook my head and looked around in confusion, "I don't remember falling asleep." Taking in the bright light, I added, "It's morning."

'Emma' paused several feet away, "We're not asleep, Regina. I'm really here."

Conjuring a fireball, I advanced a few menacing steps, "You're not Emma, you can't be."

The woman held up her hands, "Whoa, Regina. Hang on. It is me. I swear."

"Prove it." I snapped, my chest heaving erratically with my labored breaths.

"How?" She asked, her voice pitching. When I chose to stare her down expectantly, still brandishing a ball of fire, she suddenly smirked softly, "Should I do something magic-y?"

My pulse spiked again. That was the phrase Emma used the first night she visited me. She wanted me to 'do something magic-y' to prove I was really alive. No way Pan, or anyone that might pretend to be her, would know that. My hand trembled, making the flames trace dancing lines in the air. "I'm hallucinating or something." I whispered determinedly. I couldn't allow myself to trust my vision.

"No, you're not. I found a way. Zelena, she had these magic shoes that can transport across realms." Emma explained gently, but with an underlying urgency.

My breath stuttered, "Like ruby slippers?"

Emma smiled and gestured to her feet, "Yeah, something like that." Even though I glanced at her odd shoes which seemed to confirm her explanation, my protective instincts continued to insulate my fragile heart. Either she could feel my conflict or could simply see it on my face, but she added, "Ok, I think I can prove it."

Shivers ran through my body, causing my limbs to twitch. I wanted so much for her to be really standing there. My voice wavered as I asked, "How?"

Before moving a muscle, she whispered, "Put out the fireball." Watching her closely, carefully choosing my next action, I finally extinguished my weapon. With three long strides Emma stood directly in front of me, almost brushing against me. Her own hand shook as she brought it up to my face, not quite making contact.

I suddenly jerked back a few inches, gulping harshly. "If this turns out to be not real, I don't know that I could handle it. So, know that I will destroy you if you make me regret this." My warning might have been more effective if my voice was more than a weak rasp.

"I'll let you." I saw her nostrils flare as she extended her fingertips toward my jaw. Seconds ticked by with her hand suspended between us. My eyes never left hers, each clinging on to the one part that made sense. Suddenly a whisper of a tickle made my jaw twitch. I could feel her fingertips on my skin. The sensation that started as a hint of a spark, morphed into a scorching blaze that trailed from my jaw, down my neck, and settled in my chest. A strangled sound escaped Emma's throat, "I can feel you." More tremors wracked my body as she slid her palm fully over my jaw, the warmth soothing me in ways I hadn't realized I craved. Not only could I feel the heat of her skin, but I could detect smoothness, and the slightly-rough tips of every finger. As my eyes slipped closed, unable to stay open against all the emotions pummeling me, Emma muttered, "So-Much-Better."

Without any more warning, Emma's fingers shot forward and hooked behind my neck yanking me toward her. I felt her silky lips close on mine. With the barrage of celebrating emotions from the action, my lips caught fire where hers touched. Our mouths moved in perfect harmony, somehow already versed in the language of the other. The pressure of her pliable, firm lips coaxed tremendous amounts of gratitude and relief from my wounded heart. After several seconds, she gently released her passionate claim. Panting softly, she grinned so bright, I almost closed my eyes against the glare. But, missing even a breath of the joy on her face wasn't a sacrifice I was interested in making. "Did I prove it's really me?" Her husky tone sent more thrills through me. I think she was aiming for a verbal answer, but I selfishly sealed my lips back over hers, unable to come up with any words that would better express my thoughts. It only took seconds for me to become thoroughly addicted to the feel of her mouth on mine, and I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to let go.

Kissing her exceeded every expectation I ever constructed. Kissing her felt like standing in the ocean. Liquid sand anchored me to one spot, while rushing water thrashed around me; tugging, pushing, swirling. Waves crashed over me as her lips slipped against mine gently, but with an unexpected possession. Tides pulled me out as my tongue snuck forward in search of her's.

Our hips slammed together. Crash.

Arms circled around my waist. Pull.

Teasing sucking on my tongue. Crash.

Fingers tangled in the hair at the base of her skull. Pull.

A heated caress on the small of my back. Crash.

I'll never understand how she managed to hold me in a way that was both tender and fierce. How she managed to burn up every inch of my skin, but soothe it just as quickly. How she made me feel reverently loved and violently desired. I dissolved into her embrace and fused myself to her. Multiple low moans escaped from between our lips, anonymous in origin. A demanding, vehement desire bubbled up from the pit of my stomach, consuming all of my organs and every ounce of blood. I felt insignificant; insufficient to absorb the passion created by only our kiss.

When my fingertips slipped under the nape of her leather jacket, intending to remove it, her long fingers wrapped around my wrists. "W-wait. Don't." Her request came in broken words, and her eyes remained closed.

"Why?" I questioned through a haze. My body needed her, like my lungs need oxygen.

Emma sucked in a breath, "Because Pan likely knows I'm here."

Gripping her collar in both hands, I nipped at her jaw, "So?" His awareness was not nearly enough to derail me from my path.

With a gasp, she continued, "So, I have no desire for him to come investigate-" When I licked at her pulse point, she groaned and whimpered, "Regina, stop, please."

"No. You haven't given me a good enough reason." I replied sharply as I ran my hands down her chest.

Neck muscles rippled under my lips as she turned to husk in my ear, "I don't want to risk him interrupting us with my head between you legs. I want to be able to take my time."

My knees buckled, strong arms not hesitating to brace me against her firm frame. My forehead lowered to rest on her shoulder as I breathed, "Oh my god...That's a good reason." When she chuckled and pushed me slightly away, our faces several inches apart, I swallowed shakily and nodded, "Lets get the hell out of here."

Emma linked her hands behind the small of my back, "You got it, babe."

I attempted to glare at her, "We are not doing this again."

She bit her lip, eyes sparkling in a way I had never seen, "Alright. I'm done. Now, hold on tight, My Queen."

"Try and stop me." I growled with a smirk.

"Oh, how quaint." The bored snarl of the teen boy made us spring apart. "I'll admit, I didn't suspect you two were lovers."

I stepped in front of Emma, "I'd recommend not getting in our way. We're going to leave, and you're going to let us."

Pan flashed a smug smirk, "Why would I do that? While I am a bit surprised that she found a way back here, it would be foolish to believe I'll allow you both to just leave. Tell me, how did you get here, Emma?"

Emma shrugged, "I'm just better than you."

Pan grimaced angrily, "Oh, I think you'll find that that's simply untrue. I truly doubt just the two of you can best me, especially when you only got away last time by sacrificing your beloved Queen. Tell me, how did it feel to leave her to her death while the rest of you went on to live your happy little lives?"

That's when I realized that I could still feel Emma's emotions. Pain, regret, and anger fizzled from the blonde. Before I could intervene, her voice rang out low and eerily calm. "And, I think you'll find that you won't get lucky with my weakness this time. And, you'll find that you don't stand a chance." A building sensation began to burn my insides. It felt as if our magic had been summoned, and it started to expand, searching for an outlet. When I glanced back at Emma, she offered a minute nod, letting me know she felt it, too.

Pan cackled smugly, "And, just how do you plan to beat me?"

Emma smirked, "Like this." She stepped closer, trailing a nearly vibrating palm down my arm to my hand, and laced her fingers with mine.

"Oh, hand holding. Terrifying." Pan mocked.

Emma angled her head over my shoulder, placing a gentle kiss on my cheek.

"Boring. Let's speed things up." Pan flourished a hand.

However, at that moment, Emma's lips brushed my ear, a warm, earnest whisper providing everything we needed. "I love you, too." Pure, un-filtered joy exploded from deep within me and poured out through every aspect of my being. We swayed lightly when Pan's magic crashed against a blinding white barrier surrounding us. Her words provided the catalyst for our growing magic. Simmering waves pulsed from the space between us, radiating outward in a steady rhythm before bursting. Pan and his Lost Boys were propelled backward, skidding harshly in the dirt. A round of 'humph's littered the air as the breath simultaneously left all the boys.

Emma didn't even glance in their direction. Fiery green eyes locked with mine, opening and baring her soul. I'd never before felt so warm and invincible and dangerous. Her low, smooth voice sent shivers down my spine, "Are you ready to go home?"

"Very much so." I answered hotly. As an afterthought, I regretfully abandoned our gaze, focusing on Pan still trying to gather himself, "If we hear so much as a peep from you or your boys, we will make sure you regret every single second of your eternal lives."

A faint triple click preceded the swirl of white smoke, and then the ground disappeared.

When the smoke cleared, I blinked rapidly, trying to decipher my surroundings. A great sigh of relief burst from my lungs as I recognized Storybrooke. Then, I frowned as I realized where we were, specifically, "Why are we at the hospital?"

Emma smiled widely, "My mom had the baby while I was fighting Zelena. I assume Henry is still here with them, since I've only been gone for a short time. And, I assume seeing Henry is number one on your priority list."

I nodded eagerly as she led me inside, "Absolutely." Thankfully, no one seemed to notice me as we rushed upstairs to the maternity ward. I wasn't ready to confront anyone, I just wanted to see my son.

When we reached the correct corridor, Emma pointed out the third door on the right, "That's her ro-" She cut off when I suddenly slammed into an invisible force that ripped my hand away from hers as she moved forward and I was knocked to my ass. "Regina?"

"What the hell?" I wheezed as I accepted her proffered hand and rose to my feet again. When I noticed Emma biting her lip, and sheepish amusement rolling off of her, I demanded, "What?"

Emma let out a little giggle, "I think I forgot to lower the protection spell, and it was designed to keep anyone with dark magic out. It must be extra sensitive." I slapped her arm, then motioned expectantly toward the air. "Okay, okay. I'll get it, hang on." Still smiling, she turned and waved a hand. The air seemed to crack, then dissolve into a million sparkles of light. "There, all better, your majesty." I rolled my eyes as she gestured grandly, then continued toward the private room. Knocking softly, she peered over her shoulder, "You ready?"

Suddenly a little nervous, I sucked in a long breath, then nodded, "Yes."

Emma stepped in when Snow called for her to enter. "Hey, guys."

I hesitated a few beats as I heard Henry greet her, "Ma! You're back. Did you-" His words froze as I walked up behind Emma, fully entering the room, "Mom?" I couldn't seem to form words to answer, but they weren't really needed. Henry stole a quick glance at Emma, who nodded jerkily, then he launched himself across the room and into my arms.

"Hi, my little prince." I managed to whisper through my watering eyes and heaving chest. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you, too. I'm so happy you're alive." He continued to cling on to me, allowing me a moment to relish how much he'd grown since I last saw him.

"Regina?" Snow's voice broke through our moment. "Is that really you?" Me, Emma, and Henry just smiled and nodded. "How?"

Wiping a stray tear, I let Henry slip out of my grasp and walked over to her. "It's a long story for another time, dear. Congratulations." I felt the pleasant surprise from Emma as I willingly walked straight into Snow's shyly offered embrace. It seemed to be a moment to bypass past grievances.

"Thank you. Would you like to meet him?" Snow asked with shining eyes when we pulled apart.

"I would." Charming stepped up next to me, having been standing quietly near the bed since I entered the room.

"Here you go. Welcome back." Charming muttered happily as he slid the newborn boy into my arms.

As I cradled the precious little bundle to my chest, body instinctually swaying in a steady rhythm, an overwhelming storm of love, longing, and adoration gushed over me. I glanced up, directly into the dark, green eyes staring intensely at me. Blushing and smiling back, I motioned for her to come over. Moving up behind me, she placed a hand on the small of my back and gazed over my shoulder, "You must be extra special, because I haven't even held him yet."

Furrowing my brows, I looked back at her, "You haven't?"

Emma smiled at the boy, stroking his soft hair, "Nope. I had just found out that there might be a way to save you, so I checked in on them and then ran right back out."

I attempted to turn toward her, "Well, then, here. You should hold him."

She halted my movements, "Naw, I like watching you hold him." Her hand rubbed up my spine as she placed a tender kiss on my temple.

"Um, Emma? Is there something you two would like to tell us?" Snow questioned from the bed, tone hopeful and confused.

Neither of us looked up at her, but both of us answered, "Later."

Day 291:

Emma's POV

"I don't know, kid. You're looking pretty shaggy." I smirked as he petulantly swiped hair out of his face.

"I like my hair, would you guys stop ganging up on me?" Henry whined, shooting glares at the three women at the table.

"Oh, honey, we're not ganging up on you. We just want to help." Snow offered sweetly, making the rest of us roll our eyes affectionately.

"I apologize, Henry. I never meant for my offer to cut your hair to turn into invitation for the dogs."

"Hey, I take offense to that." I gasped, but didn't stop rubbing my hand up and down the length of her thigh.

"It's okay, Mom. Ma can't help but be a pain in the ass." Henry stated casually, slurping his milk shake.

"Language, Henry." Before Regina finished reprimanding him, I threw my rejected tomato slice his direction, laughing when it landed with a delightful slap on his arm. When I turned to grin happily at her, she leaned in and kissed the corner of my mouth, "You are a pain in the ass."

"Well, now...whose side are you on?" I feigned indignation, even as my smile remained.

"Are you asking me to choose between you and our son?" Regina quirked an eyebrow. When I responded with my own raised eyebrows, waiting for her to answer, she rolled her eyes, "Fine. I suppose I choose you." With a squeeze to my knee, she muttered in my ear, "Always."

"Wait. What?!" Henry barked.

Regina mocked a heavy sigh, "I'm sorry, but I fear I've grown tired of you since you no longer amuse me with your little boy charms. Teenage boys are simply less desirable company."

Keeping my face smooth, I let my pride, amusement, and love flow wildly over to Regina. Since we got her back from Neverland, we were able to maintain our connection. It wasn't as strong as when we were in the dream world, but we'd practiced enough that we could essentially have conversations without saying a word. And, we never stopped touching.

"Maybe I'm changing my mind about you two being together," Henry grumbled, eyes shifting between us as we continued to emotionally banter and exchange passionate tingles.

"Yes, you're being awfully mean to your son." Snow chimed in with a disapproving frown.

Regina and I chuckled, Regina reaching over to pat his hand, "I'm only kidding, Henry knows we love him." Shooting me a small glare as she leaned back, she wrapped her fingers around my wrist. The hand that had been caressing one thigh had strayed to dip between the two. Once there, my greedy fingers took the liberty of scratching lightly at the seam of her rarely utilized jeans. When she tugged gently, I winked but relented. Moving my hand back up to the top of her leg, I savored the small tide of arousal rising from her.

Henry rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I know. You're smothering me with love. Well, love and PDA."

Faint discomfort came from Regina as we both blushed lightly. Snow smirked, "He's right, I'd never thought I'd see the day where the two of you were so...overt."

Feeling annoyance and vulnerability come from the brunette next to me, I took a small risk, "That may be, but just imagine all the things that you don't see."

Snow flushed and gaped as a burst of admonishment and delight came from Regina. Henry groaned, "Well, on that note, I have to go. I'm working with some friends on a science project, then we're going to play lacrosse at the park."

Still chuckling, I nodded my head, "Ok, sounds good, kid."

He slipped on his back pack, a flashed a huge grin, "Actually, I was hoping I could spend the night at Nicholas's house."

Regina immediately responded, "It's a school night, you know the rules."

Henry shrugged, "I know, but I thought maybe this one time... Nick said his dad agreed to take us to school in the morning and everything. I promise we won't stay up too late, and all my homework for tomorrow is already done."

"I think it would be fine." I stated lightly. The kid was getting older, and could handle himself for one night. Plus, that left the house to me and my stunning girlfriend for the night. I liked the thought of that. When she came home from Neverland, we decided that I would keep living in the mansion, and stay in the guest room. We thought moving slow would be a good idea. Every night for two weeks we went to bed separately and woke up together. We gave up on the slow transition, and I moved straight into her room. We didn't often get the house to ourselves, and I was eager to spend some time alone with her.

A flash of annoyance and frustration prickled my skin. Half turning to Regina, I silently questioned her attitude. It had become habit to slip into conversations with our feelings, especially when we wanted to hide the content from Henry. We passed emotions back and forth, essentially arguing about what to tell our son. Our bickering hadn't necessarily lessened since we got together, but it definitely changed.

"I hate when you guys do this." Henry groaned, "Can't you use words like normal people?"

"I'm pretty sure we're not normal, kid." I mumbled, still in the middle of a disagreement with Regina. I bristled with a particularly degrading flash, but I finally seemed to placate her with a few well-timed assurances that he would be fine, and promises of a pleasurable night for us. I found that sex proved a surprisingly strong motivator for her.

"Alright, Henry, you may stay at the Tillman's tonight. But, you must have Michael call us this evening so we can speak with him." Regina said sternly, and in a voice that let me know I was still in trouble.

"Awesome! Thanks, Moms. I love you guys, and I'll see you later." He grinned brightly and leaned over the table to give us both a hug. Then, he spun and jogged out the door.

Silence surrounded the table for a few moments, until Regina reached over and grabbed a fry from my plate. My jaw dropped, "Oh, no. You can't insist on ordering rabbit food and then eat my human food." The underlying mischievous challenge coming from her let me know she was likely trying to get a rise out of me.

"There's chicken on my salad." Regina said resolutely.

Frowning, I ventured, "So?"

"So, rabbits do not eat chicken." When I shot her a dubious look, she continued curtly, "And, I assure you, Miss Swan, I can do whatever the hell I want."

Narrowing my eyes, I spat back, "Except win an argument."

Her eyes blazed as we dissolved into another heated emotional tango of aggression, excitement, anger, and lust. A deep heat began thrumming in my abdomen, spreading hotly to my core. I could feel her building excitement answering mine. Fighting always revved us up.

"I don't understand how you guys function. How in the world can you stay together when you're always bickering?" Snow mused with a contemplative frown.

Still humming with adrenaline and sass, Regina turned sharply to Snow, "Well, it's actually very simple. She does this thing with her ton-"

I slapped my hand over her mouth as mine and my mom's eyes widened. I imagined our faces were also probably similar shades of pink, "And, that's enough of that." I said loudly.

Of course, she wasn't lying. I did do this thing with my tongue that never failed to make her wail like a banshee on a roller coaster. However, my mom really didn't need to know that.

"You started it." Regina shrugged.

"I wasn't trying to traumatize her." I pointed out.

Swallowing hard and averting her eyes, Snow cleared her throat, "Changing the subject, with Henry gone tonight, would you guys like to come over for dinner?"

Regina rolled her eyes in exasperation, as I smiled fondly at her naivete. "Well, you are looking at the situation from entirely the wrong angle...so, no thanks, we'll have to pass."

Snow cocked her head, "What do you mean?"

The brunette next to me snorted as I huffed and tried to explain without specifics, "Put it this way...when I was living with you guys, what did you do when Henry and I were out for the evening and you had the house to yourself?"

It took a couple seconds, but then understanding colored her eyes and she nodded with a faint blush, "Oh... Well, I didn't change the subject at all.."

I chuckled and patted her shoulder as I stood up, "Yeah, so know that our decline has nothing to do with you. We'll take a rain check, ok?" When she nodded with a smile, I leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "Give Little Charming a kiss for me."

"Of course."

Lacing our fingers together, I led Regina out of the diner. Half way down the block, I twirled to walk backward in front of her, "Are you still mad?"

She smiled softly at me, "I'm not mad, Emma. We just need to adjust to this new structure of parenting Henry. When we weren't living together, it was easier to assign responsibility of simple decisions based on who he was with at the time. However, now we need to make these decisions together. I just want you to confer with me before you give him answers." Un-tangling our hands, she stepped forward and slipped her arms around my waist. Caramel eyes shimmered in the light of the setting sun.

Nodding, I stroked my fingers through the silky hair framing her face, "I can do that." As I scanned her face, open and adoring, my breath hitched. The beauty she possessed continuously thrilled me, never dulling, and never predictable. The rich hues of the sunset warmed her olive toned skin, and embraced us in a comforting glow. "Did I tell you I like your hair like this?" She hadn't cut her lengthened hair when she returned, and often pulled it back in a surprisingly charming pony tail, with a small chunk brushing her cheek.

She cocked her head, pretending to think about it, "Hm, no, you didn't."

"I like it like this. I can see your strangely alluring neck." I grazed my fingertips down the velvety skin.

"Strangely alluring?" Regina smirked, moving her palms up my back to press me closer.

I giggled, "Yeah, I've never been attracted to someone's neck before." We simultaneously let our eyes flutter shut as a sudden hurricane of love, desire, and belonging battered us from the inside out, gaining momentum as it gathered fuel from each of us. Every once in a while it caught us off guard with its presence and strength, leaving us gasping and shining. When I regained enough air to speak, I mumbled, "There's something else I want to tell you."

Regina rose up on her toes, kissing me firmly, then pulled back, "Alright."

Taking a deep breath, I said confidently, "I'm going to spend the rest of my life with you."

With a grin bright enough to rival the sun and its many complex colors, she arched a brow, "Isn't that something you should ask me, not tell me?"

Heart thumping crazily, I shook my head, "Nah. This isn't one of those decisions we discuss. I love you so much, I can't even fully understand it. And, I know you kind of like me, so I'm making the call for both of us." I smirked, letting her know my declaration of love was sincere, but the rest was fluff.

Regina squinted her eyes, scanning my face, "Is there any point in arguing the matter?" The corners of her mouth twitched upwards, ruining the effect of her mock glare.

"Nope. Even though it'd probably be fun."

"Alright, I suppose that's acceptable, then." Her spreading, beaming grin lit mine up to match.

I stepped into her body, both sets of arms tightening to secure our embrace. Her face twisted to nuzzle my neck, inhaling deeply when her nose met my skin. With her fingers tracing my spine, I murmured, "Good, because you're stuck with me."

Eventually breaking our hold, I shifted only enough so we could walk hip to hip, my arm slung around her shoulders, and her's around my waist. As we strolled down the darkening neighborhood, Regina interrupted the quiet, "Emma, for the record, 'kind of like you' doesn't even begin to explain how I feel."

"I know."

AN: So, what do you think?

Also, I'm toying with the idea of writing a, like, bonus chapter for this story. I didn't rate this story as M, so I didn't want to suddenly include an M-rated scene. However, I would kind of like to write one and load it as a separate story as a companion piece. It would basically take place after they leave the hospital and go home. Anyway, I'm only going to bother if people are interested, because if you're not, I have plenty of other stories to work on. So, if you care enough to let me know, please do. Thanks!


	10. Chapter 10

Hi. Sorry, this is not a new chapter, but it is a heads up that I loaded the new story. It doesn't look like many people saw it when I posted it, so I figured I'd let you know here. It's called _The Way I Feel You, _and it's a companion piece to this one, taking place in the middle of the last chapter. It is rated M, so if you have filters on because you're not interested in that, then don't go looking for it. I hope you like it. Have a marvelous night :)


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Once Upon a Time, Drama, Romance