Archive of Our Own

Regina’s heart began to race the second her eyes fluttered open to find the wooden walls of Gold’s cabin surrounding her. She bit down on the gag in her mouth as she twisted her hands against tight ropes around her wrists, the magic burning through her skin as she tried to break free, the chair digging into her legs which were securely tied as well.

She could hear the crackle of a fire and distant voices bickering from somewhere behind her, could feel the warmth from the fire seeping into her skin, mixing with the burning from the magical binds that held her in place. And finally, the horrifying and familiar block to her magic when she tried to call it forward, tried to escape; she had to close her eyes against the memories surging forth.

Regina forced herself to take deep calming breaths, she had to think a way out of this, make herself useful, something to just keep herself alive until the heroes realize she’s missed another check-in.

Emma would find her, she knew. She always did. And where she found that annoying before, now it was the only thing she could hold onto so she didn’t give up hope.

Soon she heard three sets of footsteps approaching, the first’s stride eerily calm and she knew it belonged to Gold; the other two were Maleficent’s and Cruella’s, the first a little faster, her steps sure and she could almost hear her frustration in the movements, but where the anger in Maleficent was subtle, Cruella’s was obvious, all clunking of boots and angry mutterings as she reached the door first, and Regina watched breathlessly as she threw it open hard enough for it to connect with the wall.

Regina smirked against the gag in her mouth, meeting Mal’s eyes when she glanced back, unsure, she knew Mal was struggling with leaving her there, with their history and her obsession with happy endings. Regina couldn’t quite blame her for it, because she too would do whatever it took to get her child back. And she had.

“I see you’re back with us.”

Regina’s eyes snapped toward Gold, his smirk always unsettling. She realized she had been caught, there was no point denying it and the fear in her stomach lurched up into her throat but she refused to let it show. Her glare to hide that fear in her eyes was deadly, it would make any sane person fear for their life, but Gold was neither sane nor a person, and so it went unacknowledged.

She didn’t look toward the door when she finally heard it close, her eyes were glued to Gold, to his smirk. He was always so sure he knew everything. One day she was hoping his cockiness would become his own downfall.

With a wave of his hand her gag was removed and she slowly worked her jaw until the muscles relaxed.

“What is your plan? They’ll know I’m missing. They will destroy the page before they ever let you get to it.”

Gold laughed, again so damn sure of himself that it made fire burn in Regina’s veins and with no way to actually escape it just built up inside of her.

“And destroy your chance at a happy ending? End an innocent man’s life? I don’t believe that is what Heroes do, dearie.”

Regina clenched her jaw, twisting her wrists helplessly against the bonds. “What do you want with me?”

“I need your help.”

Regina scoffed. “Well, you have an interesting way of asking for it.”

Gold smirked and stepped closer, forcing Regina to tip her head back to make eye contact.

“We have a common goal, we both want our happy ending.”

Regina tensed her jaw again, glaring up at the man holding her captive. “Last I checked your team of misfits is no closer to one than I am.”

“I must turn the saviour dark, I would like your help to do so, but if you will not cooperate I will just use you another way.”

“You won’t kill me, we both know that. If you were going to you would have by now.”

“I thought I’d give you a choice, with our history and what not.”

Regina rolled her eyes. “How sweet of you.”

“I thought so. So, your majesty, what will it be? Your happiness or the saviour’s?”

Anger burned in her gut, mixing tauntingly with fear as she stared into his soulless eyes. Knowing she didn’t have a choice at all. “You made me a monster. I won’t let you do the same to Emma.”

Gold grinned, nodding to himself as he stepped back and towards the door. “Then you will die, and she will become dark.”

Regina made to lunge for him but magic held her back as he slipped over to the door. “I’m sorry it has to be this way, Regina, I do care for you.”

“Go to hell!”

He laughed, that sick little laugh of his before he slipped out the door and magic seemed to pulse through the room, locking her inside.

When Emma came to in the loft to find the page from the book missing and a handful of texts on her phone from both her parents and Henry, she instantly panicked and went out to check on everything.

She probably sent Regina one too many texts and waited at their meeting spot for longer than she should have before dragging Killian around town in search of the missing woman.

Every instinct in her body was telling her something wasn’t right, that Regina would have checked in by now, a simple text, a question about Henry’s safety, a threat to Emma’s happiness if she wasn’t keeping him safe... anything. And Emma was starting to panic, even going as far as to climb in Henry’s bedroom window to search for the damn woman.

When that resulted in no hits, she decided to head back to the loft hoping to find the infuriating woman playing secret agent sipping tea with her mom and fussing over their son.

She threw open the apartment door as soon as she got to it, scanning the room anxiously and hoping, praying, she’d see the slick black trench coat or smooth dark hair, hear that voice filled with tamed judgement cooing over her baby brother, but all she saw was her parents staring at her like something horrible had happened.

“Is Regina here?”

“No, she’s not. I’m sure she’s just busy playing villain.” Emma’s jaw tensed and David looked over at Snow like he was begging her for help. “Henry is safe and upstairs though.”

Emma nodded, she looked around the room one more time, like she was expecting Regina to pop up out of nowhere (which was entirely possible!), before she pulled out her phone and stared at the friend tracker app, disappointment clear on her face when Regina’s location came up as unknown.

“Emma, your father and I, we need to tell you something.”

Emma frowned, looking upstairs and then at the still blank screen of her phone. “Can this wait? I really–”

“No, it can’t.” Emma sighed, staring at the door wondering when it had closed, then back to her parents, and finally to Hook who seemed to perk up upon her attention. “Please, Regina is just fine.”

Emma nodded slowly, not really believing it, but the way her parents were looking at her, almost like Henry after being caught sneaking an extra piece of cake in the middle of the night; she had a feeling it was important.

She followed her parents toward the dinner table, her leg shaking anxiously under the table as she silently listened to Snow and David confess to her all they had done to Maleficent’s daughter, just to ensure she would not be dark, because god forbid their child not be perfect?

Her hands gripped into fists, she needed to find Regina, but here her parents were trying to justify sacrificing a baby for her? They stole Maleficent’s child then preached about good and evil, like they had any ground to stand on. They lied to her, they made her doubt herself and she had trusted them.

“This whole time, I was right. You were lying. I wanted to believe you.” She looked down at the table, feeling tears burning in her eyes. “I wanted to believe you.”

“We were just… trying to protect you.”

“By stealing someone’s child? You’re supposed to be the good guys!”

“Emma, please, you have to understand.”

Emma stood up, shaking her head at her parents. “No, I don’t think I can.”

“Emma!” Snow called after her as she moved toward the door, she had more important things to deal with right now and she just couldn’t be in the same room with her parents, not after what they had done. “Please, don’t go.”

Emma stared into the hallway, her heart cracking in chest. “I need to go find Regina, just…watch Henry.”

“Emma–”

She didn’t let her finish as she walked into the hallway and out of the building. She needed to make sure Regina was safe and then maybe she could think.

Emma uselessly headed back to the manor just in case Regina had gone home, but found it once again empty. With a steadying breath and determination burning through her veins she headed to Regina’s vault, screaming her name and looking through every corridor until she very well almost got lost. She spent a long ass time talking to every mirror she found and knocking on every wall, because she knew there were hidden rooms in the damn place since Regina had let it slip during one of their many magic lessons.

After exhausting herself, Emma sat on one of the many chests staring dejectedly at the stone walls, Regina’s dead cellphone heavy in her hands and the unnerving thud of hundreds of hearts seeping into her mind.

“Think, Emma,” she whispered to herself and hung her head as she tried to think of where Regina could be when her phone rang and she looked down at it to find Hook’s name lighting up her screen and a part of her thought maybe he was calling to tell her Regina was back so she barely thought twice before she picked up.

“Is she there, did you find her?” Emma said as soon as she answered and frowned when she got an annoyed grumble in return.

“Seriously, Swan? Must everything always be about her?”

“What?”

“You left your parents for her . You left our date last week for her. What is next, you’re going to run me over with your carriage to get to her instead?”

“What?” Emma asked, unable to believe what she had just heard. “Regina is missing and you’re… you’re complaining about yourself? I can’t believe you right now, not everything is about you or us.”

“It’s never about us. It’s always about her, since day one.”

“Listen, Hook I really don’t have time for whatever this is,” Emma finished with a vague wave of her hand. 

“So once again you’re choosing her.”

“Of course I am!” Emma stood up, pacing the small space of the vault as her heart pumped violently in her chest, the urge to scream burning in her lungs. “She is my best friend, the mother of my child. It would destroy Henry if anything happened to her.”

“And you.”

“Of course it would, Jesus, Hook, I don’t understand why you’re constantly like this. Regina is my friend, of course I care about her.”

Emma tensed her jaw when she got an angry huff in response, anger burning through her veins at the audacity of Hook to make this about them. Regina’s safety was more important, especially when she put it on the line for Emma.

“So you choose her.”

“Of course I choose her. What does that even mean?”

Hook laughed, the sound so unfamiliar it made Emma’s gut twist and she stood frozen, a frown pulling down her face as she tried to figure out what was happening. “I hope you two are happy, Swan.”

“What? Are you, are you really breaking up with me right now?” Emma rubbed her hand over her face, staring straight ahead into Regina’s mirror. “No, you know what, I’m breaking up with you! You don’t get to dump me, you’re the one being an ass! After everything that has happened tonight you’re really mad at me for caring about someone I love. I can’t believe I thought you’d changed. You have been and always will be a selfish prick.”

Emma didn’t let him respond instead she hung up her phone and just stared at her reflection, trying to figure out how her day could get any worse. 

She couldn’t believe she thought she could’ve been happy with him. She couldn’t believe she let him distract her while Regina was probably out there somewhere hurt or in danger. 

She let out a bitter laugh as she moved back across the vault and lowered herself onto the chest once again, trying once more to figure out where Regina could be and then it hit her; Gold’s cabin, it had been the villains’ base this whole time and they had just held August captive there, so it was obviously a great place to look.

She pulled herself up to her feet with a renewed sense of urgency and she ran back up the steps, pressing her hand respectfully to Regina’s father’s coffin like she’d so often seen Regina do and somehow started to mirror, uttering a quiet promise to bring Regina home safely as she ran to the bug and drove as far as she could before she had to hike the rest of the way on foot so as to not alert the bad guys of her presence.

Emma crept her way up to the cabin, using all her very useful knowledge to sneak up to the building without sounding any alarms and listened for any voices, and when she didn’t hear or see anyone around the structure, she crept around the front and peeked into the window. Her heart stopped and clenched in her chest the second she spotted Regina, tied to a chair and trying desperately to free herself.

Emma couldn’t see anyone else but Regina and maybe that was the fear of Regina in danger but her brain could only process one thing and one thing only, Regina needed her.

“Regina,” she said in a low panicked tone as she threw open the door and blundered inside towards her.

The woman looked up as soon as she heard Emma and instead of the relieved expression Emma was expecting to see, all she got was one of surprise and a rushed demand.

“Don’t let the door–” her sentence died the second the cabin door slammed behind her and the next thing to come out of Regina’s mouth was simply a frustrated grumbled, “idiot.”

Emma looked behind her and then back at Regina who seemed to just be getting more annoyed as the seconds ticked by.

“Would you untie me?”

“Right, sorry,” Emma mumbled and rushed the rest of the way toward her, dropping to her knees to pull at the knots tying her wrists together. “Are you okay?” she asked in a gentle voice, placing a hand on Regina’s knee to comfort her as she stared up at beautiful and very frustrated brown eyes.

“I was kidnapped and held against my will for– what time is it?”

Emma pulled away her hand to check her watch, a small pout on her lips as she said, “uh, a little after 11pm.”

“Six hours?! What took you so damn long?”

Emma let out a disbelieving huff as she went back to pulling on Regina’s bounds. “Sorry if I didn’t track you down to a hidden cabin deep in the Storybrooke woods fast enough, Your Majesty. Next time I’ll be much faster.”

“Emma…”

“No, no, you’re right, you could have been dead by now, I’m lucky I simply found you tied to a chair.”

“Emma…” Regina tried again, her voice apologetic and Emma let out a tired sigh, her head falling to the back of the chair as she tried helplessly to calm herself back down. “Emma, I’m sorry.”

She felt Regina’s hair tickle the top of her head as she tried to get a look at her. “No, I’m sorry. I tried to get here as fast as I could, I just…it’s been a long night, okay?”

She felt Regina’s fingers brush against her wrists and she smiled slightly at the gesture then straightened back up, tugging the knot free and grinning proudly at herself as the ropes fell to the floor.

“Good thing Gold wasn’t a boy scout, huh?” She didn’t need to see Regina to know she was rolling her eyes, the slightest shake of her head was evidence enough.

Emma watched silently for a few seconds as Regina twisted her wrists, rubbing at the tender skin from the rope burns that Emma could see had marked the area not covered with that very familiar black leather cuff now resting on her left wrist. She looked closely and saw her right hand was injured as well.

“Are you okay?” Emma asked again as she moved to work on the knot tying Regina’s left leg to the chair.

“He didn’t hurt me if that’s what you’re asking.”

Emma nodded, her eyes stuck on the black pant leg to let Regina compose herself before she moved to the next leg.

“Why are you alone?”

Emma looked up, her heart clenching in her chest when she met Regina’s barely concealed vulnerability. “I got into a fight with my parents.”

“I see…”

Emma let out a deep breath and sat back on her calves as she stared up at Regina, studying her, just like Regina was studying her. Her hands nervously fiddled in her lap, occasionally tugging at the leather cuff as subtly as she could but her eyes mostly remained on Emma, worry obvious in them and Emma hated how easy she was to read.

“We should get out of here.”

Regina let out a laugh, Emma couldn’t place the meaning of it but something told her it did not mean anything good.

“That’s going to be a little hard since we’re locked in.”

“I got in.”

Regina hummed, and Emma started to follow her gaze to the door, but instead her attention was pulled to that stupid cuff on Regina’s wrist. “Here, let me.”

“It was a trap.”

“What was?” Emma asked as she took Regina’s hand into her own.

“Me, you, this cabin. I’m a part of Gold’s plan to turn you dark.”

Emma chuckled, pushing up Regina’s sleeve to get a better look at the rope burn on Regina’s wrist. “Trust me, you’re the last person who’ll ever turn me dark.”

“What does that mean?”

Emma shrugged, running a finger just below the marks on her skin. “My parents told me they sacrificed Maleficent’s baby to ensure my .. purity.”

“Oh…”

Emma looked up at her, that small word telling her everything she was already sure of. “You knew.”

Regina nodded and as Emma’s hand slipped away Regina caught it. “It wasn’t my secret to tell.”

Emma smiled softly, and slowly she saw laughter in Regina’s eyes and she shook her head at her, already knowing the joke was coming before she even said it.

“I’m not your mother.”

“I’ll let you have that one.” Regina’s fingers brushed against the inside of her wrist and she flashed her a supportive smile before she stood up and headed back toward the door.

“I told you, we’re trapped.”

“How can you be so sure? We haven’t even tried the door yet.”

She heard Regina stand up and follow behind her, not needing to look back to know Regina was standing there with her hand on her hip and that damn all-knowing expression on her face as Emma reached for the door and her hand connected with a barrier.

“Because I was here when he enacted it.”

“Why would he lock you in but allow–”

“I told you it’s a–”

“Trap, yeah, you said.”

Regina was smirking when Emma turned around to face her, looking way too smug for a woman who had just gotten kidnapped.

“If they planned on you making me go dark why would they trap me in here with you?”

“Gold did not share his whole plan with me, dear. All he said was that if I wasn’t going to help him well…” She shrugged and turned away to head to the fireplace, finally remembering she had been freezing.

“What, he thinks we’ll kill each other?” Regina’s jaw twitched and Emma lowered herself into the chair Regina was just tied to, as she watched the woman warm herself in front of the fire. “I would never hurt you, Regina.”

Regina didn’t even acknowledge her, just stared into the flames and Emma wondered what the man had actually said to her.

“Trust me, the only person I’m going to kill is Gold when I get my hands on him.”

Regina spun to look at her, finding her green eyes dangerously serious as Regina stared into hers. “No killing anyone, period.”

Emma nodded slowly, watching something pass through Regina’s eyes and she held out her hand toward her. “Let me try and get that thing off of you.”

Regina stepped closer and once again placed her hand in Emma’s, watching her silently as Emma felt for the magic in the cuff and gave it a pull.

“Ow!”

Emma looked up at her in panic and Regina clutched her arm to her chest. “Are you okay?”

Her lips pursed, and she moved across the room to the couch while Emma stood up and walked over to the door to try it again, and give Regina some privacy.

“Do you have your phone on you? Perhaps we can call your parents?” Regina asked after a few useless attempts to lower the barrier spell or whatever the hell it was.

“Uh yeah…” Emma muttered and shoved her hand in her pocket only to come up with nothing.

“What?” Regina asked upon seeing the horrified realization appear on Emma’s face.

“I think I left it in my car?”

Regina let out a frustrated sound before Emma heard a loud thud and turned around to find the coffee table crooked, the side Regina was in front of about a foot away and everything that was on it was either tipped over or on the floor.

“It’ll be okay, they will realize I didn’t come home in the morning and come find us.”

“Unless they assume you needed some time alone because you hate them.”

Emma winced and Regina groaned, falling back against the couch while her hands moved to press against her eyes.

“How bad was it?” Regina asked.

“Bad.”

“I’m sure if we’re both unreachable Henry will realize something is wrong.”

“Yeah, we can always count on the kid.”

A small smile played on Regina’s lips and slowly she lowered her hands and met Emma’s gaze. “Come on, try again. If we can get this off we can blow past this barrier.”

“I don’t want to hurt you…”

“You won’t,” Regina tried to reassure, but Emma didn’t need to be a genius to spot the doubt in Regina’s eyes.

Emma looked around them, the cabin was small and poorly insulated, and she could already feel the chill seeping in.

“Okay,” she said as she moved across the room toward Regina. “One more try but you gotta promise me you’ll tell me if it hurts.”

“I promise,” Regina said but Emma saw the lie right away, could feel it settle in her bones, but she pushed past it and lowered herself on the couch next to Regina.

“Please, Regina,” Emma practically begged and Regina’s eyes softened as Emma took her hand in hers, cradling it in her grip like it was something precious.

“I promise.”

Relief washed through Emma as she sensed her earnestness and with a reassuring smile and the slight brush of her finger against the back of Regina’s hand, she rolled up her left sleeve once more and pulled at the cuff, watching Regina’s face for any sign of discomfort.

Regina’s jaw tensed, her brow furrowed and slowly Emma noticed the way her breathing became laboured, it was only one more tug after that when Regina let out an agonizing yelp of pain and Emma leaped away, staring at her as Regina clutched at her chest.

“What…”

“I think… I think Gold bound me to it, if you remove the cuff–”

“You’ll what? Die?”

Emma watched as tears welled in Regina’s eyes and she let out a panicked and disbelieving sound, unable to sit there she shot to her feet, tearing her hands through her hair as she tried to process.

“I told you, he’s using me–”

“To turn me to the dark side, yeah I got that.”

“I’m sorry, Emma, I fear we are trapped in here until we get this cuff off or fulfill Gold’s plan.”

“I won’t kill you, Regina!” Emma’s voice boomed and Regina just stared up at her. “This isn’t life or death, my parents will realize I didn’t come back and they’ll find my car and then track us here.”

“There’s no guarantee I will be able to leave while this thing is on me.”

Emma shook her head, unable to understand why Regina was being so calm, so resigned. “You’re not dying.”

Regina stood up and moved toward her and Emma watched her approach with wide eyes. “Emma…”

“No, I won’t kill you. That’s his plan, isn’t it? He wants me to kill you so I turn dark, and if I won’t kill you then what? Something else will?” Regina looked away and Emma took a sudden step forward and gripped Regina’s shoulders, Regina’s eyes locking on hers instantly. “Well, newsflash, Regina, I’m the saviour and I promised you a goddamn happy ending and you dying as a pawn in some douchebag’s evil scheme is not it.”

Regina let out a small chuckle and slowly Emma could see the fight in her come back to life in her eyes. “So I guess we’re camping.”

“I could use the vacation anyways.”

Regina’s smile was slow but beautiful as it curled up her lips and Emma couldn’t help but return it. “We all need time away from your mother now and again.”

Emma chuckled and let Regina step away. “Now what?”

“We eat something and then get some sleep.”

Emma nodded and looked around the cabin. “Could be worse.”

“Indeed, Elsa could come back.”

Emma chuckled, watching Regina burrow into her coat as she moved into the small kitchen, a smile playing on her lips as she went to tend to the fire. A night in a cabin with Regina would be fine, and come morning they will figure out a way to get them out of there and that damn cuff off her.

Regina busied herself in the kitchen going through all the cupboards and the fridge to find something to make, while Emma seemed to be busying herself in the main part of the cabin, the occasional sound of metal on metal or an annoyed grunt telling her that Emma was still very much okay and still frustrated as ever.

She smiled brightly to herself when she found enough ingredients to make a great pasta dish, happy they wouldn’t have to starve or resort to eating canned beans. Regina turned to tell Emma the good news, only to find her standing on the wooden chair she’d been tied to not more than an hour before, cans on strings hanging around her neck while she braced herself to hammer a nail above the cabin door.

“What, might I ask, are you doing?”

Her hand moved to her hip as an eyebrow quirked questioningly at Emma, who turned to flash her that wild and proud smile of hers, which, to her credit, only faltered the slightest bit when she noticed Regina’s stance.

“Setting up a security system.”

Regina shook her head at Emma and approached her slowly. “I think you watched Home Alone one too many times with Henry.”

Emma flashed her a wide smile at Regina’s reference and then turned to look back at her current project. “I know it’s not as good as Kevin’s but when the door opens the cans will jangle and wake us up, and perhaps even stop the door from closing again.”

“You’re so weird.”

“We can even block the bedroom door with a chair so nobody can come in and murder us while we are sleeping.”

Regina’s head tilted to the side as she watched Emma raise the hammer again. “Where did you even get those things?”

“Tool box in the closet. I also found lots of blankets!”

“Happen to find any toothbrushes or a cannon in there?”

“No, but I did find…” Regina arched her brow as Emma trailed off a few seconds before the hammer made contact with the head of the nail and barely contained her laughter as the cans bumped into each other with the movement. “Wine.”

“Well, at least we won’t have to suffer through this in sobriety.”

“There.” Emma grinned at her job well done, and Regina looked up at it as she happily hung the cans from the nails. “Did you find something for dinner?”

“I did, I have enough to make a simple tomato sauce and some pasta.”

“Awesome!”

“Would you like a hand down?” Emma’s lips pulled down into a frown at the offer and just as Regina was beginning to doubt her offer and step away, Emma grinned and nodded her head. 

“Alright.”

Emma’s hand slipped into hers as soon as she offered it and their eyes locked as Regina took a step back to give Emma enough room to step down. Emma’s grip on her hand tightened and Regina held her breath as Emma placed her other hand on Regina’s shoulder before she stepped off the chair.

“Oh!” Regina gasped as Emma stumbled, her hand not in Emma’s falling to her waist as their noses bumped when Regina tipped her head back.

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she husked and her attention was dragged down to Emma’s lips as she flashed her that lopsided little smile of hers.

“Would you like some help?”

“What?” Regina gasped, her eyes snapping up to Emma’s and her mouth pulling into a frown as her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“With dinner.”

“Oh! Yes, that’d be great.”

Emma nodded stiffly, and she felt Emma’s thumb brush against the back of her hand almost unconsciously, her eyes a confusing depth of emotions Regina had never been very good at deciphering.

“We should uh…”

“Right.” Regina nodded stiffly and stepped away, her hand falling from Emma’s hip and hand, and something in her screamed in agony at the loss of warmth Emma’s body offered, but she shoved that down and moved back to the kitchen.

The kitchen was small. They were constantly brushing against each other, their bodies pressed together as they reached into cupboards or pulled open drawers. It was like a dance, new and confusing and they often stumbled, and Emma found herself holding her breath as Regina’s hand glided across her lower back when she passed so she didn’t run into her again.

Regina had long since stripped out of her coat and scarf and was now only in a silk burgundy blouse that left very little to the imagination. It was distracting to say the least.

Emma chuckled as she watched Regina blow a lock of hair from her face for the fifth time, and when, with another annoyed huff, Regina used the back of her hand to push her hair from her face as she tried to focus on cooking Emma couldn’t help herself.

“Let me,” Emma said and reached out –without thinking– to gently tuck the hair behind Regina’s ear. She froze as dark eyes met hers, wide with surprise and suddenly Emma forgot how to breathe.

“Thank you.”

Emma nodded dumbly and pulled her hand away, staring into the pot of sauce like it held all the secrets in the universe.

Minutes passed in painful silence and then Regina’s hand skimmed over her back again, and then it stayed there, burning through her thin shirt and right into her skin as Regina tasted the sauce.

“I think it’s good.” Emma nodded along, her eyes widening when Regina turned to look at her. “What do you think?” she asked as she held the spoon toward Emma.

“Uh…” Emma leaned in and tasted the sauce, a pleased hum sounding from deep in her throat and she watched a perfect eyebrow slowly arch up expectantly. “It’s good.”

“Great.” Regina pulled away and flicked the stove off with a proud smile curling on her lips, the pink shade from earlier that day now faded, and Emma was suddenly curious to see what she looked like without makeup. “Why don’t you set the table, dear?”

“Right, yeah.” Emma nodded again and didn’t think as she pressed her own hand against the small of Regina’s back, feeling the silk of her top and camisole slide against each other as she pushed up on her tiptoes to pull a couple bowls from the cupboard above them.

Their bodies brushed together as she lowered herself back down, Regina swaying closer to her the slightest bit, which Emma assumed was just from the loss of balance and not because she was actually seeking out Emma’s presence.

They ate mostly silently, occasionally they asked to pass something or if they were enjoying the meal, at one point Regina asked if Henry was okay and Emma reassured her that her parents were watching him.

The fire crackled in the other room and the wind whistled outside, it was both relaxing and eerie. If it wasn’t for Emma’s little trap they might have spent the whole time worrying about someone slipping in to kill them. Instead they were almost at peace in each other’s company.

“If I knew I was going to be held captive today, I’d have dressed differently.”

Emma chuckled as she looked up at Regina, knowing her thin tops and black slacks weren’t the best for being locked in a log cabin in late December.

“I’m sure Gold has some clothes we can steal.” Regina’s nose crinkled in distaste at that suggestion, but she knew that as the night continued on, the cold would set further into the cabin.

“If I make it out of here alive…”

“You will. And then you can make Gold cry for his mommy, I promise.”

Regina’s eyes softened but her smile grew to something dangerous and slowly the softness in her eyes turned into a glowing that was just as creepy as that smile and Emma was once again reminded that Regina had once been the Evil Queen and as such, she had her fair share of bodies piled up.

“Can you cool it with the serial killer smile?”

Regina rolled her eyes and she stood up, the bowl in her hand as she headed into the kitchen, Emma watching her carefully. “I thought you liked villains.”

Emma shook her head at Regina’s taunting and followed her into the kitchen. “I’ll admit you’re hot as fuck when you’re angry, and even when you seem to be getting joy out of someone else’s pain but…it’s a little unnerving when the prospect of torturing someone makes you all…” Regina arched a brow and Emma felt herself blush bright red. “I’m going to go add a few more logs to the fire.”

Regina hummed, the sound teasing, taunting, and when Emma glanced back at her she was leaning against the counter and looking at Emma with a pleased and excited smile.

It really shouldn’t be so hot, but Emma was pretty sure Regina got her jollies off torturing people and… she really should stop thinking about it.

“We should go to bed, it’s late.”

Emma jumped at the sound of Regina’s voice close by, looking away from the crackling logs to see Regina leaning against the side of the stone fireplace, watching Emma intently.

“Yeah, uh, I’ll see if I can find us something to sleep in.”

Regina nodded, her head tilted to the side as she watched Emma carefully, sipping from her glass of wine and Emma suddenly regretted having finished hers during dinner.

“That should last the night,” Emma announced and hung up the fire poker before she slipped past Regina and headed out of the main room of the cabin to find the bedroom and bathroom, hearing the click of Regina’s heels following behind her.

Regina lowered herself onto the double bed in the middle of the living room while Emma dug through the dresser. She silently sipped from her wine, watching Emma to try and forget about the cuff on her left wrist or the burning pain from the rope burn.

She was also pretty sure she’d bruised her side when she fell and it was really starting to scream at her.

“Besides suits he seems to just have a large assortment of old man sweaters and some flannel pyjamas.”

“I suppose that is better than nothing.” Emma nodded, turning around to face her as she held out a large flannel shirt toward her. “Thank you.”

“You get changed, I’ll go check the bathroom and closets for toothbrushes.”

Regina nodded as she took the shirt carefully from Emma’s grasp, her eyes searching the area for what Emma was going to wear.

“What about you?” she asked, turning on the bed as Emma slipped past her toward the open door.

“There’s one more shirt, don’t worry.”

Regina nodded, her finger tapping against the side of the wine glass and she didn’t snap out of it until she registered the sound of the bedroom door closing.

She stared at the wooden door for a few long moments before standing up and placing her wine glass on the dresser to carefully remove her short boots and pants. She walked over to the full length mirror hanging on the back of the door to carefully undo the button at the collar of her blouse and pull it over her head, her short camisole hanging just past the waist of her underwear.

Regina took a deep breath and turned, frowning at the signs of a bruise rising on her hip. She gently brushed her fingers over the darkened skin, a hiss bursting past her lips as the pain shot through her.

“I’m getting too old for this…”

“I mean you are what, 70?”

Regina jumped and frowned at the door separating them. “Are you eavesdropping?”

“I was about to knock.”

Regina stepped away from the door and grabbed the large shirt from the bed to pull it on just as she heard the door open.

“Are you okay?”

Regina bowed her head and hugged the shirt around her body but it did the opposite of bringing her comfort when she remembered who it belonged to.

“No…” she husked, the sound barely above a whisper but mere seconds passed before she felt Emma’s hand press against her back, strong and soothing, and Regina leaned back into the touch.

“Is it your wrist?” Regina shook her head and Emma’s hand moved higher up her back, a soothing gesture that had the tension slip from Regina’s shoulders.

“It’s everything.”

She heard Emma hum, felt her uncertainty of what to do and Regina slowly turned, raising her head to meet Emma’s eyes when they were face to face. Emma’s hand squeezed her hip and Regina couldn’t contain the wince at the gesture. She tried to step away, feeling guilty at having made Regina uncomfortable. But Regina stopped her by taking her hand and shook her head. 

“Did you hurt your hip?”

Regina chuckled. “When I fell. It’s just a little bruised,” she said as she crossed her arms.

“I can see if Gold has any ice…?”

Regina shook her head again and her eyes fell down to Emma’s concerned frown, staring at her mouth because it wasn’t her eyes, which were filled with pity.

“I can see if I can use magic.”

“I don’t know if that’s safe.”

Emma gently placed her hand on Regina’s crossed arms and Regina’s eyes moved away from the concerned frown to study Emma’s face as she seemed to study her arm hidden behind a large blue flannel sleeve.

“I’m sorry this happened to you… again.”

Regina looked away, she could feel a lump rising in her throat and didn’t fight it as Emma pulled her arm from around her body to examine the rope burn on her right wrist.

“If I can make it just the slightest bit easier on you…” Emma trailed off as she brushed her thumb just under the red line wrapping around her wrist.

“I’ll be fine, Emma.”

Emma met her eyes and Regina barely contained her gasp at all the emotions directed at her, Emma’s thumb brushing over her skin again as she just watched her for a few long seconds.

“You only ended up in this position because of me.”

“Emma, you know that’s not–”

“You stayed undercover to protect me, to protect my parents.”

Regina shook her head and tried to pull her hand away, but Emma held it in hers. “Emma, I went undercover to find the author and get my happy ending.”

Emma’s eyes moved back down, Regina feeling them burning into her skin as her thumb ran over her wrist again.

“Let me help you.”

Regina let out a deep sigh and slowly nodded, because Emma wanted to feel helpful and maybe she couldn’t get her out of the cuff, but maybe she could heal her.

“Okay…”

Emma flashed her a brilliant smile and Regina sat back down on the bed, feeling Emma watching her intently again. “I think I remember how to do this.”

“Boy, how reassuring,” Regina muttered and watched as Emma rolled her eyes in response before she dropped onto the mattress next to Regina.

Emma pulled her hand into her lap to study her injury a little closer and Regina watched her carefully.

“Focus on healing it, that’s all.”

“Okay…” Emma nodded to herself and stared down at Regina’s wrist and Regina watched as her hand slowly glowed a faint golden colour and then she felt her magic seeping into her skin and wrapping around her like a warm hug.

“You’re doing great, Emma, just keep focusing.”

Emma’s finger twitched slightly and Regina barely stopped herself from chuckling. She let go of the pyjama top and reached up with her other hand to steady Emma’s elbow, and she watched a smile quirk up on Emma’s lips.

“You’re distracting me.”

“You have never been good at focusing.”

Emma chuckled and Regina felt it in the magic that pulsed through her veins, stronger than before and Regina wondered what had caused it.

She yawned, feeling Emma’s magic warming her from the inside, she barely registered her head lolling to the side until she felt Emma’s shoulder against her cheek.

“Sorry.”

Emma’s hand fell to her wrist, holding it delicately in her grasp and Regina couldn’t stop her fingers from curling up and holding onto Emma’s hand over hers.

“Does it feel better?”

“Yes, you did very well, darling.”

“And your hip?”

“I don’t know.”

She felt Emma’s hair tickle her nose and she opened her eyes to catch Emma watching her carefully. “Lemme see.”

“You just wanna see me in my underwear.”

Emma chuckled, deep and teasing as she said, “You caught me.”

Regina straightened up and yawned again, staring down at the watch on Emma’s wrist. “Is it really 2am?”

“Would appear so.”

Regina shook her head and stood from the bed, watching Emma as her eyes slowly tracked up Regina’s body until they met her own. “If I hear you bragging to your buddies about seeing me half naked…”

Emma rolled her eyes and looked down as Regina turned so her right side was facing Emma and she pulled the shirt away to expose the faint discolouration from where the bruise was still steadily forming.

“I can heal that next.”

Regina snorted at the offer, watching as Emma reached out her hand to trace her thumb over Regina’s bare hip. “Emma, don’t. You need to preserve some of your energy if we’re attacked during the night.”

Emma tipped her head back to grin teasingly up at Regina. “I’ll have you know I have amazing stamina.”

“Mmm,” Regina hummed and let the shirt fall back over her hip but Emma didn’t remove her hand. “We can test that if we get out of here alive.”

“I’ll hold you to that, Mills.”

Regina smirked and reached out, carefully tucking a lock of hair behind Emma’s ear and loving the way Emma’s eyes seemed to soften at the touch. “Go get changed.”

Emma rolled her eyes and let her hand fall from Regina’s hip. “Yes, your majesty.”

Regina pursed her lips and shook her head at Emma as she leaped to her feet and practically skipped over to the dresser and back into the bathroom.

Regina let out an unsteady breath as soon as Emma was gone. Looking at her reflection in the far mirror she tore her hand through her hair, trying to decide if she’d rather risk sleeping in just her camisole and underwear or wear one of Gold’s pyjama shirts.

It was hard enough already that the whole place smelt like him, she found she couldn’t relax and she felt like she was being suffocated by his presence. And the shirt felt like it weighed a hundred pounds, it was impossible to breathe in it.

She stared at her reflection for a few seconds longer before she tore off the shirt and threw it back into the open drawer of the dresser. Regina stared down at the bed and muttered angrily to herself before she pulled back the covers and crawled into the bed, trying not to focus on who this place belonged to.

“I found toothbrushes, by the way. So if you wann– are you okay?”

“Fine,” Regina ground out and Emma arched a brow.

“You look as stiff as a board.”

“I’m not exactly enjoying being in the bed of the man who kidnapped me and manipulated me into being a murderer.”

“Oh…” Emma looked nervous but turned away to shut the door and just like she said she would, she moved the chair in the corner in front of the door to block it in case someone came for them.

Regina let out an unsteady breath and flipped onto her side, squeezing her eyes shut against all the unwelcome memories as she listened to Emma move around the room.

“We’ll get out of here soon, I promise.”

Regina nodded, she was having a hard time believing she’d actually get out of there alive, but she also refused to help turn Emma dark, so she had no choice but to have hope and remain positive no matter how nauseating that thought was.

She felt the bed dip and then Emma’s hand fell to her bare shoulder and she opened her eyes to meet Emma’s in the darkness.

“What can I do?”

“Nothing, I’ll be fine. I’ve been through worse.” She frowned when she realized Emma didn’t seem to be reassured by that comment, but before she could say anything else Emma laid down next to her, the warmth of her arm radiating across her back.

Regina pressed her toes against Emma’s calf and she heard her chuckle fill the room. Nothing else was said as they both tried to fall asleep.

Emma was nearly asleep when she felt Regina roll over and burrow herself against her side. Her hair and breath tickling Emma’s chest and neck as Regina seemed to be trying to hide away from the smell of Gold surrounding them.

She didn’t know whether to hold her or pretend she was still sleeping and hadn’t noticed, but as Emma’s mind tried to work that out her hand seemed to come to its own decision. Carefully it covered Regina’s, which was splayed across her belly, and she felt Regina’s breath flutter against her skin as they both froze for a few long seconds.

It felt like forever, but eventually Regina relaxed and burrowed closer into Emma. Emma’s arm was trapped between their bodies and she didn’t know what to do about it.

Her fingers twitched against her own thigh and apparently Regina’s as well, because seconds later Regina pushed herself up and Emma was able to slip her arm around her.

Regina’s hand moved up to the open collar of Emma’s shirt and tugged at it until it was as far away from her as possible and then burrowed in as close as she could again, a sigh rumbling out of her as Emma hugged her against her.

They both knew they’d never speak of this, Regina was seeking comfort during a situation she wasn’t ever prepared to live through and Emma just was happy to know she was safe.

Emma fell asleep to the feeling of Regina’s breath against her skin, Regina fell asleep to the sound of Emma’s heartbeat in her ear and her scent wrapping around her and drowning out everything else. Both found comfort in the feel of the other’s fingers pressed into their sides, seeking warmth, closeness, unconsciously scared that they could lose the other at any moment during the night.

Regina woke to a shiver running through her body and she helplessly tried to escape the cold by burrowing closer to Emma’s warmth, but it felt like the roof had been torn off and the icy wind was blowing directly against them.

Emma muttered sleepily and rolled over so their fronts were pressed together, trying to escape a cold that only seemed to get worse as the seconds ticked by.

“Did a tornado pick us up and deposit us in the North Pole while we were sleeping?”

Regina couldn’t help but chuckle, her hand rubbing Emma’s back to try and warm her hands –and also Emma– up. “Not that I am aware of.”

“Wouldn’t put it past Storybrooke.”

Regina smiled against Emma’s neck, burrowing closer against her as she heard the relentless wind whistle past the cabin. “I think the fire just went out.”

“That or with the door closed we don’t get any of the heat.”

Regina groaned and sighed as Emma rubbed her back in return. “I am not dressed for camping in the winter.”

“Maybe we can make a deal with all future villains to hold us hostage where there is central heating only.”

“I’ll make it a law if I get out of here.”

“Think we might freeze to death before Gold’s plan works.”

Regina laughed again at Emma’s comment and pulled away, to meet tired green eyes. “I’ll start the fire if you make cocoa.”

“Deal.” They shared a smile but neither made a move to leave the bed and Emma’s laughter brushed against her lips. “We have to move to do that.”

“You have more clothes.” Emma huffed and with a slight whine she slipped from under the covers and ran toward the chair blocking the door to wrap a blanket around her body. “I can’t believe I’m saying this but, give me one of Gold’s old man sweaters.”

Emma laughed and grabbed the cardigan from the dresser and tossed it at Regina while she moved to the dresser to pull out a couple pairs of wool socks for them both.

“If we make it out of here alive I’m going to help you torture Gold.”

Regina chuckled and sat up, tugging the large cardigan on, it was musty and smelt oddly like mothballs but at least it didn’t seem to carry the scent of the man. 

“That look is getting sexier and sexier as the hours pass,” Emma said before she tossed a pair of socks at her from where she sat at the end of the bed to pull on her own. 

Regina rolled her eyes and snatched one of the socks from the bed and slipped it on under the covers, feeling Emma’s eyes on her the whole time.

“I can’t feel my tits.”

“I promise you they have not left you, dear.”

Emma rolled her eyes and got up from the bed and Regina watched her with a playful smirk as Emma pulled the chair away from the door and finally tugged it open, the cold rushing toward them instantly.

“Fuck, are you sure we’re not in the North Pole?”

Regina wrapped the blanket from the bed around her as she approached Emma, both of them wandering out of the bedroom and into the main room. The fire had long since died out and Regina was second guessing the amount of time they had slept for, since there was barely a sliver of light streaming into the cabin.

“Maybe we froze to death and this is hell…”

Emma hummed, Regina looked around the room as Emma padded her way to one of the windows. “Not hell… although it is close.”

Regina frowned in confusion and moved toward her, her head tilting as Emma looked at her with worried eyes. “Merry Christmas, we’re snowed in.”

“No…” Regina breathed and rushed forward, nearly knocking Emma over to peek out the window to see the telltale signs of snow packed high and falling in heavy blankets outside making it almost impossible to see even a foot ahead of them. “I’ll kill him.”

“Last I checked Gold couldn’t control the weather.”

“Believe it or not, Emma, but your girlfriend isn’t the only one who can control the weather.”

“I know, her aunt can too.”

Regina turned around to send Emma a withering glare but was met with Emma’s debilitating crooked grin and excited puppy eyes.

“Dammit!”

“It’s going to be okay, just start the fire and I’ll make the cocoa as promised.”

Regina grumbled something under her breath but turned toward the fireplace and squatted down in front of it to add logs to it.

She looked away from the fireplace when she felt Emma’s hand on her shoulder, she turned around meeting her eyes and she couldn’t help but mirror the reassuring smile Emma was sending her way. She covered Emma’s hand with her own and gave it a gentle squeeze before it slipped from her grasp and Emma headed into the kitchen.

Emma wandered back into the main room with two mugs of cocoa, when she rounded the fireplace she saw Regina where she had left her, but now she was sitting on the floor, her legs hugged to her chest and the large blanket wrapped around her so only her head was showing.

It was hard for Emma not to stare, for her heart not to gallop in her chest, it was impossible not to swoon over a Regina so small and tiny, her hair mused from sleep and slight waves in it. Her nose was an adorable pink from the cold and if Emma looked close enough she could see her wiggling her toes under the blanket.

“You’re staring.”

“Sorry, you’re just so cute .”

Regina looked up at her with that murderous glare of hers and Emma could feel her smile growing even though she knew she should be scared.

“I might not have my magic but I can still kill you just fine without it.”

Emma chuckled and finally handed over the cocoa and Regina glared at her for a few seconds longer before she loosened her grip on the blanket and took the mug from her.

“Thank you.”

Emma sent her a smile in acknowledgement before she teased, “What are you gonna do? Smother me in my sleep?”

“Yes, that is one of many ways I can kill you.” Regina said around the mug and it should be scary, but a sleepy, rosy cheeked Regina cocooned in a knitted throw blanket was just too cute to be intimidated by.

Emma shook her head at the woman and slowly lowered herself onto the carpet next to her, close enough so her warmth seeped into Emma along with the steady fire.

“Most of the time it seems impossible to imagine you in anything but those suits of yours…” Regina looked up at her with large curious eyes, her head tilted to the side, and the blanket was now down past her shoulders to show off that hideous cardigan. “Now I can imagine you on Christmas morning with an excited toddler in your arms and maybe making breakfast in the morning…”

Regina blinked at her slowly, her eyes studying Emma like she was trying to put all the pieces together and then she shifted, opening the blanket for Emma to huddle against her.

With a nervous chuckle Emma scooted impossibly closer and took the corner of the blanket from Regina, her breath caught in her throat as Regina’s hand skimmed across her back before she squeezed her arm from behind them. Regina burrowed the slightest bit closer, taking another sip of cocoa and Emma did the same, watching Regina watch the fire.

“What if we don’t make it out of here in time for Christmas?” Regina finally said and Emma sighed, she knew it was a possibility but she hoped they could have a few more minutes before they had to face it.

“I don’t know… it’s not like we’ve ever had a normal Christmas.”

Regina’s bottom lip jutted out, wobbling slightly and Emma was suddenly pulled back to the mines, back to Regina looking so scared and vulnerable. “It’s our first Christmas together since Henry…”

“Oh…”

Emma’s heart cracked, realizing that Regina hadn’t had a Christmas with Henry since before the curse was broken, that after him hating her, being taken away, and then a year in New York, this was their first year where Henry loved her and they could maybe have something… normal.

“His presents are in my closet, wrapped and ready for Christmas morning, I just planned on something small, nothing massive ever happens in Storybrooke but I just.” Regina looked over at Emma, tears pooling in her eyes. “I wanted him to have some semblance of normal, I was going to bake gingerbread men and we were going to decorate them like we used to every year since he was one.”

“You’ll get to do it, even if we’re not home by Christmas you will get that Christmas with Henry.”

“You don’t know what it’s like to not have your kid on the holidays, to miss on birthdays. That year away…” Regina looked into the fire again and Emma’s heart shattered.

“I never thanked you for that… I know it isn’t much but we were happy, you gave us something beautiful, you gave me something beautiful.”

Regina looked at her again, tears still in her eyes but she was also curious, studying her closely again. “I did what anyone would have done.”

“No, you did more. You gave me a piece of you, you gave me a Christmas Eve tradition of gingerbread men for Santa and Henry in little festive PJs. You gave me his first steps and taught me how to comfort him after he’s had a nightmare. You gave me late nights and frustrated tears as you begged Henry to just sleep.”

A tear finally escaped Regina’s eye and Emma let go of the blanket to gently brush the tear from her cheek and watched Regina’s eyes rise up to meet hers, confused and vulnerable.

“It wasn’t easy being a single mom, but you raised an amazing kid and… thank you for including me in that. For giving me the memories of watching him grow up.”

Regina’s hand covered hers on her cheek, keeping it there as more tears fell. “I was too controlling.”

“You tried your best with a horrible example of what a parent was.”

Regina let out a tearful laugh and leaned further against Emma’s touch, her eyes fluttering closed as Emma brushed another tear away. “I can’t let him down again.”

“He’ll understand. You are being held against your will.”

Regina let out a deep sigh, her breath ghosted across Emma’s lips and Emma held her breath as she watched those eyes slowly open again. She looked so young all of a sudden.

“I just wanted a happy ending.”

“And we will get that for you, I promise.”

Regina nodded and pulled Emma’s hand from her face as she stared back into the fireplace again. “They’re not going to find us with all that snow out there…”

“They will realize we’re missing, we might just have to wait a little longer.”

“We might not have that long.”

“We will.”

“When did you get your mother’s hopefulness?”

Emma grinned at the sass, nudging Regina gently with her elbow. “I don’t know, I should fix that once we get outta here.”

“You should, it’s very annoying.”

Emma let out a relieved sigh, and let herself relax into Regina’s warmth, just happy to know she was going to be okay.

They sat in front of the fire until they finished their cocoa and Regina insisted they needed breakfast. They cooked together again, Emma showing off all her knowledge from the curse and Regina corrected everything she did with that smug smile of hers.

It was perfect.

Regina found a book to read in one of the cabinets in the main room and curled up on the couch, covered in an assortment of blankets while Emma busied herself with going through the whole property once again.

It was hard, being locked in there without knowing if their family even knew they were missing, with Christmas just a few days away. It was like the world was taunting her. She tried to be good but even when she’s the hero she still never wins.

“Okay so I still can’t find pants with drawstrings but if you roll them up they don’t fall off!”

Regina looked up at Emma’s excited announcement, and slowly let her eyes scan over Emma, tank top bunched up to show off the plaid pyjama pants rolled up and hanging low on her hips. She unconsciously licked her lips as she stared at the small patch of skin on show, Emma’s abs faint but there, and she was having a hard time looking away.

“This way we won’t freeze.”

“I’m fine how I am, thank you.”

Regina forced her eyes back to her book, it took all of her not to look back up the second she felt Emma’s eyes burning into her.

“You’re not wearing pants. How are you not freezing?”

Regina shrugged, her thumb fiddling with the corners of the pages while she responded. “I lived in a land without central heating.”

“Right… or maybe you actually have fire in your veins.”

“I don’t,” Regina deadpanned and glanced up just in time to see Emma’s pout. “Would you sit down? No matter how many times you tear apart the cabin you’re not going to suddenly come across a hidden exit.”

Emma huffed and practically stomped toward her. She fell on the love seat next to Regina and landed right on her feet but she didn’t seem to care as she pulled the blankets over herself and tapped her thighs anxiously.

Regina let out a deep sigh and lowered her book, she wiggled her toes under Emma’s ass and got a chuckle in response.

“What is it?”

“I have magic.”

Regina shook her head and shifted slightly on the couch. “You do but you’re not strong enough to take down the barrier on your own and you can’t teleport.”

“I teleported Killian’s hook!”

Regina arched a brow at that, a small smirk playing on her lips as she teased, “I would too, I imagine that wouldn’t be very safe in the bedroom.”

Emma rolled her eyes and gave Regina’s knee a little shove. “Not like that. I poofed away a mug too. Maybe we can just practice? What else are we going to do? Sit and wait for someone to kill us?”

“I was thinking we’d set up more of your little traps, I found a rather heavy book–”

“Regina, I’m serious.”

“You’ll need to focus.”

“I can do that.”

“And you’ll listen to me and do what I say with no arguments?”

“I don’t kno–”

“Teleportation isn’t something you can half-ass, Emma.”

Emma pouted and Regina tapped her fingers on the hardcover of the book as she waited. “Fine, I will do as you say.”

“And?”

“I won’t argue.”

“Perfect!” Regina grinned widely. “Now, go make me some tea.”

“Hey! That’s not–”

Regina cleared her throat and Emma’s jaw snapped shut. “No arguing.”

“I thought that was just about magic!”

Regina opened her book back up, her grin large and maybe she was enjoying this a little bit too much but it was rather fun. “This is a good start. How can I trust you to do as I say and master teleportation if you cannot even make me a simple cup of tea?”

Emma grumbled something under her breath and stood up from the couch, her footsteps once again stomping as she headed into the kitchen.

They practiced for a few hours with one of Gold’s random knick knacks, Emma wasn’t horrible but it was frustrating and draining and Emma just wanted to cry at one point which was when Regina called it a day.

She walked over, in her slacks and boots again, but still that old cardigan was wrapped snuggled around her upper half. Slowly she leant down until her hand was on Emma’s shoulder and when Emma looked up at her she offered her the most reassuring smile and said, “That was great work for today, Emma.”

And then she walked off to do whatever she could do in that tiny cabin while Emma contemplated their fates.

Emma stared up at the roof, trying to figure out a way out or maybe a way to keep the warmth in. She turned her head when she heard the water running in the shower and her eyes caught what looked like a mistletoe hanging in the entrance of the hallways and Emma wondered how they hadn’t noticed that before.

“Huh,” Emma said to herself and pushed herself up to her feet and walked over to it.

She stared up at that little twig wondering what would happen if Regina ended up under it with her for way too long before she forced herself away and went back to searching the cabin for anything interesting.

She found an old radio in one of the cabinets and some candles which, when she brought them to her nose, caused her to let out a happy sigh at their rich lavender scent.

She put one in the bedroom and a couple in the main room and lit them in hopes maybe it’d make the place smell different and calm Regina’s nerves.

She turned the radio to the only station they got in Storybrooke which seemed to be playing Christmas music between short updates on the weather –which was less than reassuring– but the music was nice.

Emma got lost in her own little world, singing to the music while she dug around in the kitchen for something to make for dinner. She didn’t hear the shower shut off or Regina’s footsteps approaching because if she had she would have probably stopped singing along to Baby it’s Cold Outside.

“What are you doing?” Regina’s voice sounded over the music and Emma jumped, a small yelp escaping her mouth as she turned to stare at Regina, eyes wide as she took in that satisfied grin of hers.

“I was looking for something to have with our leftovers…?”

“Were you now?” Regina grinned, casually drying her hair and wearing Emma’s jacket over that silk camisole and her slacks.

“That’s my jacket.”

“I’m aware,” Regina hummed and walked closer to her.

“What are you doing?”

“Making sure you don’t poison us,” Regina said as she shoved the towel at Emma and went to investigate all Emma had pulled out. “Feel free to keep singing, darling.”

“You’re such an ass,” Emma grumbled and stormed out of the kitchen to hang up the towel, muttering angrily to herself the whole time. She didn’t stop until she walked back out into the kitchen area and spotted Regina casually swaying in the middle of the kitchen with the collar of Emma’s coat pulled up to her nose.

“Do you like the candles?” Regina’s head snapped toward her voice and Emma watched the surprise slowly shift to something that was almost affectionate.

“I do, where did you find them?”

“Wardrobe in the living room.”

Regina nodded and put the sauce on the stove to begin heating it back up. “How are you doing?”

Emma frowned at the question and then realized what she meant and shrugged. She moved across the space and dropped into one of the chairs on the little kitchen nook, Regina watching her carefully the whole time.

“I don’t know, I haven’t exactly had time to process it all.”

Regina nodded and focused back on their dinner, and Emma tried really hard not to laugh as Jingle Bell Rock started playing.

“Those dwarves have always had the worst taste.”

Emma snorted and got up to turn down the volume, this time choosing to lean against the counter next to Regina as she continued, “They’re supposed to be the good guys.”

“I learnt long ago that being the “good guy” doesn’t always mean they’re “good”.”

Emma frowned, watching Regina closely. “They stole her baby, because they couldn’t teach me what was right and wrong? Everyone has darkness inside of them.”

“They do,” Regina agreed and Emma sighed, fiddling anxiously with the dish cloth while Regina watched her closely.

“I’m not some perfect angel, they did all of that but I still turned into a thief, I still hurt people.”

Regina’s eyes softened and she turned fully to face Emma and slowly reached out to still Emma’s hands. “Emma…”

Emma felt tears burn in her eyes as she met Regina’s, she wasn’t sure when it became so easy to be vulnerable in front of each other but after last night and this morning Emma didn’t have any fear over finally admitting to someone what had happened years ago.

“Someone died because of me.”

Regina wordlessly flicked off the stove with one hand while she squeezed Emma’s hands with the other. “What happened?”

Emma shrugged, feeling pathetic and scared as tears rolled down her cheeks. “I was trying to find my parents and I made one stupid mistake after another and there was a woman, she was trying to help me see that I was only hurting myself…”

Regina took a step closer forcing Emma’s eyes to meet hers, the emotions caught in her throat as Regina slowly and carefully brushed the tears from her face.

“She died right in front of me and then…I just left her.”

“Emma…” she breathed again, her touch so soothing and gentle that Emma couldn’t stop her eyes from drifting shut, couldn’t stop herself from leaning against the touch and taking all the comfort that was being given.

“They didn’t want me to be like this, they wanted a perfect princess, and… what if they’ll never love me?”

“Emma,” Regina started, disbelief evident in her voice and she tipped Emma’s chin up so she would meet her eyes. “Your parents love you, they were scared and made a mistake and then they made even more to try and fix it. They’re human, not perfect heroes, they’re just a man and a woman who are trying their best to be the best parents they can be to a child who…”

Emma frowned as Regina drifted off, she studied her features closely while Regina just seemed to stroke her cheek almost absently.

“Who they were forced to give up to protect her from an evil queen that was too caught up in her own pain and anger to realize what she was doing was wrong.”

“Regina–”

“Don’t, we all know I made mistakes and this isn’t about me, it’s about you. They don’t need you to be perfect, they just want you to be happy.”

“How do you know that?”

Regina chuckled, her thumb brushing against Emma’s cheekbone thoughtfully. “Snow and I talked a lot during the missing year, she and your father were the only ones who understood what I was feeling. Some nights we’d sit and just talk about what we hoped you both would get.”

Emma held onto Regina’s hand covering her own and watched that look in her eyes, that desperate need for something unreachable shining through, mixed with the pain that was always so prominent in her eyes.

“What did they want for me?”

“To find your happy ending and… you have.”

Emma frowned. “I haven’t.”

Regina’s mouth dropped open the slightest bit and Emma would have laughed if she hadn’t been distracted by the thing Regina asked a second later.

“What about Hook?”

“He’s not… we broke up... Before I came here.” Emma bit the inside of her cheek nervously as she took in Regina’s surprised expression but when no response came she just plowed on, “I know my parents think we’re gonna get married and live happily ever after but…”

Regina looked almost hopeful as she moved impossibly closer and prompted in nearly a whisper, “But?”

“He didn’t make me happy? Not deep down. He was easy in the sense that I didn’t have to do anything, but he didn’t make me happy, I didn’t wake up thinking about him, I didn’t crave his company or his touch, I didn’t even miss him when he was gone. And isn’t that what love is supposed to be like?”

“Yes,” Regina breathed and Emma saw something beautiful and magnificent flash in her eyes and it threatened to take her breath away. Regina’s hand fell from her face but she didn’t move away, instead she played with the ends of Emma’s hair while she watched her so carefully.

“Love is an ever growing ache in your chest, a need to be near them, to touch them. It’s missing them even though you just saw them. Love has the power to break you as much as it does to build you back up. Love is wanting the person to be happy no matter what it means for you.”

Emma squeezed Regina’s hand when she saw the tears burning in her eyes and she felt guilt grab onto her heart and squeeze. “Is that what it’s like with Robin? How it felt when you lost him?”

Regina’s eyes moved away from Emma’s and a fraction of a second later she took a large step back and spun to face the stove, putting up an invisible wall between them.

“Yeah…”

Emma frowned at the distant tone and wanted to reach out and comfort her but also she could feel it in her veins that Regina needed space so she silently left the kitchen, chancing a glance back at her as she slipped into the bedroom. Her heart clenched in her chest as she saw the distant expression on Regina’s face. She just wanted her to be… happy.

Regina wanted to kick herself, for being so vulnerable in front of Emma, she had been trying so hard to bury her feelings since they’d started resurfacing a couple months ago.

Sure they hadn’t really fully gone away, not even while she’d been dating Robin, but Emma started dating Hook and she owed it to Robin to give him a chance. It was nice enough and yeah, there weren’t any fireworks with him, not like there were with Emma that first year, but those were totally different scenarios and she was a different woman than she was when she’d met Emma.

Regina had learnt to love Robin in a way, he cared for her and it was easy… as easy as it could be. Soulmates, it was a big thing, he was supposed to be her perfect match. And that’s what had kept her in that relationship, what had made Regina believe that even though it wasn’t perfect and explosive, and he hadn’t made her heart race when he was near… well, it was because she was comfortable with him.

Love was confusing, she hadn’t felt it since she was 17, but she hadn’t let herself feel anything besides anger since then either. Letting her walls down enough to try and be happy was hard. It’d been easy with Robin but not in the ways it was easy with Emma.

Because they both hurt her; sometimes it felt more like Robin used her, like she’d been second to Marian, to duty; and with Emma, although they fought, literally fought, she rarely hurt her like he had.

Emma was there for her when she needed a friend, she helped her get through Neverland without falling apart, and after that year in New York something had changed. Regina knew she loved her when she’d been standing on that town line, (she’d known since the day Emma tumbled through that portal into the Enchanted Forest) but as she was looking at her and preparing to say goodbye forever, something in her heart had cracked.

Love, it was never easy for her, especially after everything, but here she was, Emma Swan, with her dopey eyes, her unfounded trust and her caring nature; and although Regina had a soulmate somewhere in New York, with his wife and son (and she should probably be hurting over the loss of him) all she could think about was Emma and how she almost let her feelings slip, tumble out of her mouth like she was 16 again and Daniel was standing before her with his dashing smile as she stumbled over her own words.

That kindness in a touch, that’s what Daniel taught her what love was, how his hand would cup her jaw so tenderly as they kissed. He never pushed her or made her feel obligated to do anything, he understood her fears and trepidations for the most part. That was the first and last time she ever experienced that, until Emma, and they hadn’t kissed nor professed their love, but these last couple days reminded Regina of those moments of what love and relationships were like.

And Emma… stupid, sweet Emma who couldn’t see what she meant to her, and maybe that was for the best because she was the evil queen after all and Emma was the saviour… that could never work out. And yet…

Emma watched Regina from afar, afraid to disturb her, she wanted to give her space but as she sat in that room alone all she could think about was that look on Regina’s face when she’d brought up Robin and she wanted to kick herself, the last thing Emma ever wanted to do was hurt Regina.

Emma’s heart actually seemed to hurt, straining in her chest with each beat. It wasn’t something she was used to, honestly the last time she’d felt like this was seconds before she’d crossed over that town line, those milliseconds before the curse washed over Regina and her family, that last glimpse in the rear-view mirror of tear filled brown eyes before everything she had come to know and love was washed from her mind.

Emma had spent so long keeping everyone away to protect herself from feeling heartbreak the way she had when she was a kid that when she finally found people who loved her and were her family… she didn’t know what to do with it, she was never taught how to love, just how not to.

She knew she was clumsy with affection, unsure and robotic, Henry often initiated contact and laughed at the way she would awkwardly pat his head. Even with her parents it felt foreign, she didn’t understand any of it. Emma didn’t know how to be a daughter and they barely knew how to be her parents most of the time, but she was trying and so were they, and that’s what should count, right? That they were trying?

It was obvious and easy really, it only took giving each other freedom to make mistakes and learn, but she wasn’t teaching them how to be better parents to her, instead she was contorting herself to fit in with what she assumed their ideas of her would be. She was hurting them all.

Emma didn’t know how to love like others, and she noticed quickly Regina didn’t either. Regina pushed people away as much as she did, she kept them at arm’s length and bent to fit in with their ideals.

They were so alike sometimes it felt perfect and comforting to just be in her presence, because with one look Regina could understand everything she was thinking and feeling. And when their magic connected, it sang in Emma’s veins and it was like they were made for each other. Two sides of the same coin. They fit perfectly together. And when they touched, it was like everything in Emma’s body came to life and rejoiced.

Emma knew she would do everything to make sure Regina was happy even if it meant getting her back together with Robin, who was nowhere near good enough for her, who didn’t treat her right or love her the way she deserved to be loved. But if he made her happy…

Emma watched Regina turn away from the stove and meet her eyes, shy and curious and Emma knew hers reflected the same because slowly that reassuring smile of hers curled on her lips and she made a simple gesture with her head to invite Emma back into the kitchen to help.

They weren’t perfect, they never were, but they were perfect for each other in the way they understood each other’s flaws and demons and wanted to help them heal instead of changing them. And that’s what made it easy, not because they didn’t have to try but because they loved each other for who they truly were.

And as Regina’s hand splayed across her lower back, Emma wondered why she hadn’t realized sooner that she loved Regina… and she wondered if Regina felt the same, if she knew… if she understood. If her body sang with every touch and smile too.

As she met Regina’s eyes, she wondered if she dreamt about what her kiss would feel like, if she closed her eyes and wished for one.

What would happen if she kissed her under that mistletoe? If she told her how she felt? That maybe she was her happy ending this whole time.

They ate and cleaned up in relative silence, the radio volume low as they sat close together on the small couch to keep out the cold. Emma’s skin buzzed with the warmth of Regina pressed against her side as she read from one of the old tomes she’d found lying around.

It was positively domestic. Everything Emma had dreamed of when she was a kid. Christmas music and a crackling fire in the background, cuddled up under loads of blankets with the person she loved… the fact Regina was borrowing her clothes was only icing on the cake of it all.

And although that was all super cute, there was something about the way Regina silently mouthed the words to the songs or along with the book, completely oblivious of the fact she was doing it. Her fingers even tapped along to the beat.

Emma was sure that if she wasn’t in love before all of this, she probably would have fallen in love during it. Which is probably weird, all of this was weird and bad and scary… they still had so much to deal with but there was something about the closeness that made Emma feel calm.

“Are you tired?”

Emma blinked and turned to look at Regina when her voice registered in her ears. “No, why?”

Regina reached out her hand and very carefully and tenderly combed the hair from Emma’s face as she gave her that soft smile of hers, the one Emma always saw her direct at Henry, and it made her stomach do flips because it was so warm.

“You are starting to resemble the leaning tower of Pisa.”

Emma frowned and realized she had slowly migrated until she was leaning nearly all her weight against Regina’s side. She wasn’t sure when that’d happened but she could barely muster the willpower to even attempt to move back up.

A half-assed, “sorry” was all she could get out before Regina chuckled and went back to reading, her fingers soothingly running through her hair until Emma was pretty sure her whole body had turned to goo and she found herself curled up in Regina’s lap quietly listening to her read aloud.

“You have magic hands…” Emma practically slurred.

“Quite literally I do.”

Emma hated how she could hear the smirk in her voice, hated that she was so easy to be herself around. She couldn’t understand it at all, because they were once enemies destined to destroy each other and now they were best friends and somewhere along that way she had fallen hopelessly in love with her. 

She didn’t know what she was doing… what she was going to do if they didn’t get out of this together.

“Do you think they’re out there looking for us right now?”

“I’m sure they are, dear,” Regina responded, her voice smooth and reassuring and it almost succeeded in covering up all the doubt that Emma was sure sat heavily in Regina’s chest.

“What if they just assumed we got snowed in at the mansion or something together?”

“And not call them? I’d also have my magic…”

Emma sighed and rolled over onto her back to stare up at Regina from where her head was rested on her thighs. “I guess, but I was really mad at them when I left.”

“They’re looking for you, Emma. You’re their daughter.”

Emma frowned, hearing what Regina wasn’t saying, and she sat up next to her instantly and took her hands in hers. “They’re looking for you too.”

Regina scoffed and Emma squeezed them in hers, Regina’s fingertips were cold against her skin and Emma frowned down at them, pulling her hands in closer and slipped them under her wool sweater.

“What are you–”

“They love you too, Regina, you know that, right?”

Regina blinked away her confusion as she looked up into Emma’s eyes from where her hands were buried against Emma’s thin tank top. “Of course I do.”

“Then we are in agreement, they are worried about us both.”

Regina rolled her eyes, flexing her fingers to press against Emma’s tummy and make her giggle. “Glad we agree.”

Emma sighed and looked down at her lap, at her knees pressed against Regina’s thigh finding Regina’s left wrist still wrapped in that damn cuff. “How are you doing?”

“I’m fine.”

Emma looked up at Regina then, watching her carefully for any of her tells, taking in her eyes, trying helplessly to keep back tears and worries as she fought against things Emma couldn’t even begin to try and figure out.

“Regina, please, talk to me.”

Regina tapped her fingers against Emma’s belly, thoughtfully, soothingly until a large sigh escaped her lips and she pulled away. “I am really quite tired, dear, I think I’m going to turn in for the night.”

Emma’s mouth pulled into a frown as Regina pulled away again, slipped from the couch and toward the bedroom, and Emma’s brain took a second to catch up.

“Regina, wait!” she called out, tripping over the blankets as she dove for Regina’s hand before she could leave the room.

Regina’s surprised gasp surrounded them as Emma’s hand caught her wrist and tugged as she stumbled to catch her balance.

“Emma–”

“Please just…” Emma trailed off as she straightened herself up and met Regina’s curious and frustrated eyes. “Jesus, would you just stop closing me out today?”

Regina’s surprised expression morphed quickly into anger and Emma didn’t even have time to kick herself before Regina was wrenching her wrist clear from Emma’s hand and taking a large step forward until they were nearly chest to chest.

“I’m sorry, am I not being open enough for you, dear? Would you rather I cry on your shoulder about my crappy life? Would that make you feel better, Miss Swan?” Regina said in a low and threatening voice.

“Don’t call me that.”

“And don’t demand my feelings. I do not owe you my trauma.”

“Of course you don’t! I just…”

“Just what?” Regina demanded, her eyes threatening in a way Emma hadn’t seen in a while.

“I want to help you.”

Regina chuckled, taking a half a step back and Emma couldn’t stop herself from following her. “You are just like your mother, like your–” Regina’s eyes got dark and Emma’s heart dropped like a lump in her chest as she watched something swim in those dark eyes before the anger flashed back to life. “I don’t need a saviour, Emma.”

“I know that!”

“Then stop trying to fix me!”

Emma rolled her eyes and threw out her hands with a disbelieving laugh, watching confusion wash over Regina’s features and push the anger aside. “I’m not trying to fix you! Jesus, Regina I’m just trying to be your friend !”

Regina’s lips pulled into a frown and Emma moved closer again, but this time Regina took a step back, trying to create space, to keep Emma away.

“You were just kidnapped, you have that damned cuff on your wrist again, which I know you must hate, and this time removing it could kill you! I am just trying to make sure my friend is okay!”

Regina crossed her arms over her chest and took half a step back, her eyes glazing over as the seconds passed.

“Regina, just… let me be there for you.” Emma’s voice was low and desperate as she took another step closer, and her hands fell to Regina’s crossed arms like Regina’s had hours earlier.

Regina’s eyes slowly met hers and Emma gave her a smile as she watched so many emotions swirl around in them.

“I’m not… I’m not used to people caring about me.”

Emma chuckled and Regina frowned at her but Emma plowed on. “I know, neither am I… but I do, I care about you.”

Regina nodded and tipped her head up the slightest bit more, creating an air of confidence only Regina could muster.

“Remember what you said earlier? About Hook not being your happy ending?”

Emma nodded slowly and Regina looked away. “I was happy… because.” Her eyes locked onto Emma’s again and Emma couldn’t figure out what that look meant. “I hate seeing you with him, after everything he’s done he got something good and I am still forced to keep suffering.”

Emma never really knew what went down between those two, she knew they both hated each other but she never knew why, she figured it had something to do with a troubled past in the Enchanted Forest like everyone seems to have with Regina and whatever happened when Cora was in town.

“You’ll get your happy ending, Regina, I’ll make sure of it.”

Regina looked away again, an almost bitter sounding laugh escaped her lips as she shook her head at the mere idea of it all.

“I don’t think a happy ending is in the cards for me, dear.”

Emma jutted out her chin and puffed out her chest, ignoring the way Regina choked on a laugh as she witnessed her attempt at bravado. “Everyone deserves a happy ending, even you.”

Regina looked at her again and the air got caught in Emma’s lungs at the plethora of emotions shining through in Regina’s eyes in those few seconds. Love, sorrow, loss… even a splash of hope and finished off by a painful show of doubt and grief.

“Not the happy ending I want.”

Emma stepped impossibly closer and moved her hand up to Regina’s face, watching her own thumb brush against a rosy cheek and those beautiful brown eyes flutter shut. A tear slowly escaped Regina’s eye and Emma caught it with her thumb, wondering fleetingly what this happy ending she wanted was, and knowing she’d do anything to help her get it.

“Anything is possible with the saviour on your side. We will get outta here and have the author write you the best happy ending with Robin or whatever… I don’t care what I have to do, Regina, I just want you to be happy.”

Regina’s mouth opened in surprise as her eyes snapped open to thoroughly search Emma’s face for what, Emma wasn’t sure, but she was looking hard for it.

“What did I say?”

Regina shook her head in disbelief and Emma was ready to turn into a frustrated toddler and demand an explanation when she realized the meaning in her words. The barely disguised meaning.

“You’re very ki–”

“You’re my best friend, I love you, I just want you to be happy.”

Regina chuckled, her head tipping forward as she laughed, her cheeks tinting a darker shade of red at the honesty in Emma’s words and Emma made herself look away, staring up at the roof she realized where they had ended up in their arguing, and actually laughed.

“What?” Regina asked, looking up at her with that confused pout and tilt of her head.

“Mistletoe,” Emma said as she removed her hand from Regina’s arm to point above them.

Regina tilted her head back and let out a deep laugh that made Emma’s insides flip, her fingers absently tracing over the tendons and muscles in her neck as she felt the vibrations rattle through her body.

“Cruella must have gotten bored.”

Emma let out an awkward laugh and met Regina’s eyes again as she looked back down at Emma, studying her closely. “What?”

“Well, it is tradition, and I really don’t think we should be gambling with luck right now.”

Emma’s mouth fell open, she assumed if anyone would be making the argument to kiss it’d have been her and Regina would just do it to shut her up but there Regina was with that devious little smile and vulnerability in her eyes and Emma couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

“Listen, Regina, about what I meant earlier–”

“I want you to be happy too,” Regina said in that voice that implied more than what she was saying and Emma’s breath caught in her lungs as Regina’s hand moved to carefully brush her knuckles over Emma’s face. “I wasn’t talking about Robin earlier.”

“Oh…who?”

“You,” Regina said in a single breath before she leaned forward and pressed her lips against Emma’s and it took everything in Emma not to actually pass out on the spot.

“Mmm,” Emma barely managed as her hand moved to cup the back of Regina’s neck and pull her in closer, to kiss her harder, deeper.

Regina sucked on her bottom lip and Emma’s stomach did flips, her head a cloudy haze of Regina. Emma was drowning in her, in this, sure that she could feel Regina smiling against her lips seconds before she pulled back and just let her thumbs trace over Emma’s features thoughtfully.

“There, I think that should cover it.”

“Uh…” Emma blinked her eyes open as Regina patted her cheek and stepped back, intending to go to the bedroom when Emma was pretty sure she was floating.

Regina stopped and surveyed her for such a long time Emma actually began to squirm. “Are you alright, dear? You look even more lost than usual.”

“You kissed me.”

Regina nodded, her hands moving to her hips as she just kept studying Emma. “I did. As per tradition.”

Emma nodded dumbly and Regina reached out to take her hand and Emma stared at it, following obediently when Regina gave her hand a tug. “C’mon, Miss Swan, let’s go to sleep, it’s getting late and we have a long day of magic training ahead of us if you want to get out of here before the new year.”

It wasn’t until Regina shoved Emma onto the bed, walked to the other side of the room, and began to change that Emma’s mind fully caught up to what Regina said before she kissed her.

“You love me?”

Regina froze, her discarded pants held in her hands as she looked up to meet Emma’s wide and confused eyes and slowly Emma watched Regina’s lips curl into a bashful smile, and her cheeks heat up.

Regina tossed her pants over the back of the chair and her hand splayed across her belly, her thumb absently brushing against herself in a soothing gesture and Emma held out her hand for Regina to take but after moments of just staring at it Emma let her hand fall back into her lap, drumming out an anxious beat on her knees.

“What if I said I do?” Regina’s voice was nervous, shy like Emma had never heard it before, and she could barely contain the smile from just the possibility of it all.

“What if I said I did too?”

Regina bit the inside of her cheek and took a hesitant step forward and Emma tipped her head back so they never broke eye contact.

“I’m a murderer.”

“I’m a thief.”

Regina chuckled, low and disbelieving and Emma watched her as she reached up and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I cursed your mother.”

“Eh, I probably would too, she’s very annoying sometimes.”

Regina rolled her eyes and Emma reached out, her fingertips grazing over her hip and Regina’s breath caught in her throat. “Henry…”

“Just wants us to be happy.”

Regina’s hand reached out, her fingers brushing over Emma’s cheekbones and then across her jaw to slowly tip her head back and Emma didn’t fight it. “If we don’t work out…?”

“We will.”

Regina snorted and Emma’s chest expanded. “You don’t know that.”

“I do,” Emma said, and she did, she felt it deep in her chest, for some reason she just knew that they were meant to be. “We were made for each other.”

Regina’s nose scrunched up in distaste but her fingers moved to comb back Emma’s hair as she finally stepped forward so she was standing between Emma’s legs. “You’re insufferable.”

“And you can be a massive bitch sometimes.”

Regina let out a deep sigh and Emma’s other hand moved to cover Regina’s on her cheek, pulling it down to brush a kiss against her palm.

“If we turn into your parents…”

“I’ll help you end us both.”

Regina’s eyes fell away from her own to look at their hands on Emma’s cheek and she slowly removed Emma’s hand from her and brought it up toward her as she leaned down just enough to press a gentle kiss against Emma’s wrist where her tattoo sat.

“I killed Graham,” she whispered.

“I know,” Emma said, her fingers brushing against Regina’s face while Regina’s ran along the old shoelace wrapped around her wrist. “I forgive you. You were still all grrr back then.”

“Grrr?” Regina said with a laugh and Emma tugged on her hip to bring her closer, feeling her bare skin against her fingertips.

“I love you, all of you, even your homicidal maniac parts.”

“Oh, how sweet of you,” Regina drawled and Emma brushed her thumb over her cheekbone again, pulling her closer. “I don’t think I was ever meant for Robin, or at least I’m not anymore.”

“Oh?” Emma breathed against their lips and Regina pressed their foreheads together.

“I think he was meant to teach me a lesson, maybe when I was supposed to meet him he was who I needed but now… now I think he was just here to teach me I deserve to be happy even after everything I’ve done and been through.”

“And you know that now?”

“Yes, I think I do,” Regina whispered against her lips and Emma’s eyes fell shut as Regina leaned closer, their lips brushing together with each breath. “I do love you, Emma.”

“I love you too,” Emma said before she pressed their lips together and smiled as Regina sighed into the kiss.

Her hand tangled in smooth dark curls as she pulled Regina closer to her, gripping a full hip as she tugged and arched, trying to get as close as she could to Regina, her body screaming for more, aching for her touch, her weight and body pressed against her.

Regina chuckled into the kiss and crawled into Emma’s lap, sitting on her pyjama clad thighs and tangling her hands in Emma’s hair to keep her close. Emma felt like she was on fire, burning up from the inside, and she needed to feel more of Regina, to pull her closer, to kiss her as deeply as she could.

“Emma,” she said into the kiss, a warning, a request, a plea, Emma wasn’t sure which, maybe all of them but Emma couldn’t really focus on figuring that out as she slid her jacket from Regina’s arms and ran her hands over smooth skin and silk.

Emma hummed as Regina’s hands found the back of her neck again, pulling her flush against her as something built up deep within her chest. Emma’s hand moved down Regina’s arm, holding the wrist covered by the leather cuff as she poured all her feelings into the kiss and she felt Regina do the same, felt their magic swirl together deep in her chest, surrounding her heart and just when Emma started to recognize the feeling, one much stronger than she’s ever experienced, magic burst from their connected lips and through their bodies.

Regina let out a gasp mixed with a faint exclamation of pain and surprise and it wasn’t until the buzzing in Emma’s body passed that she recognized the feeling of leather in her hand.

“Regina?” Emma gasped, searching Regina’s face because fear had slammed into Emma’s chest like a freight train.

“I-I’m fine…” Regina breathed, her hands combing through her tousled hair as she leaned back on Emma’s thighs, her eyes dark with arousal.

“You sure?”

A laugh rumbled out of Regina’s throat and she moved her hand to lightly brush over Emma’s cheek. “I’m sure. I think…”

“Yeah…” Emma chuckled and looked down at the cuff in her hand then back up at Regina, her eyes wide with shock. “So was that as good for you as it was for me or…”

Regina gave her a playful shove and Emma laughed again, tossing the cuff out of the open bedroom door before she wrapped her arms around Regina’s waist.

“So like…what now?”

Regina twisted a lock of Emma’s hair around her finger from where her hands were dangling around Emma’s neck, her lips pulled into a thoughtful frown and slowly she leaned back in.

“Now…” she started, her lips brushing against Emma’s as she spoke, “we break that barrier spell and teleport ourselves out of this place and go hug our son.”

“That sounds nice…” Emma breathed before she pressed their lips together in a slow kiss Regina happily returned. “And just in time for Christmas.”

“Mmm, that comes after I break Gold’s nose.”

Emma smiled against her lips and pulled back to look into her eyes which were sparkling in that intoxicating and very unsettling way again. “Consider it my Christmas present to you.”

Regina smiled and pressed their lips together again, this time in a slow and teasing kiss that had Emma’s insides twisting up again. “However will I repay you?”

“I have some ideas…”

Regina nipped her bottom lip before she slipped off Emma’s lap and Emma watched her stretch her fingers, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she called on her magic and it shouldn’t be so cute to see that excited little smile on her face as the magic cleared to reveal her standing fully dressed before her.

“That shouldn’t be so hot.”

“Your turn,” Regina said with a smirk and Emma gasped as magic moved through and around her, Emma felt the tightness of her jeans and the familiarity of her wool lined leather jacket just before the smoke cleared, and she barely had a second to process that before Regina was kissing her again, hungry and deep and Emma didn’t understand what she’d done to deserve it. “Now that’s the woman I love.”

“Well well well, Regina, do you have a thing for me in tight jeans and leather?”

“Yes,” Regina stated and Emma’s smirk fell from her face, too dumbstruck to even process as she was tugged off the bed and toward the front door.

“So what should we–”

Regina grabbed her face and pulled her into another searing kiss and Emma gripped onto her hips and pulled her flush against her body, their pelvises pressed together and Emma took a few long moments to appreciate Regina’s ass in those pants before she was shoved away and left to sway in the middle of the room while Regina investigated the barrier.

“Uh, not that I’m complaining…”

“Shh, I’m thinking.”

“I’m pretty sure if we just joined our magic…”

“You are such a Charming, all brawn no thought.”

Emma frowned. “Did you just call me stupid?”

“No, I called you impulsive and reckless.”

“Oh… yeah, that checks out.”

Regina flashed her a charming smile before she turned back to the door and Emma watched as the magic rippled. “It’s nothing we can’t handle. Let me take the lead and aim for the middle of the door and we should be out of here in no time.”

“Great!” Emma felt her veins buzzing, something about Regina acting all in charge made Emma…

“I’m going to need you to focus, darling.”

“Right, sorry… you’re just very…” Regina arched a brow as Emma stepped closer, her hands moving to Regina’s waist to pull her into her body again and Regina let her, a laugh rumbling out of her mouth until Emma’s lips brushed against the warm skin of her neck. “Sexy when you boss me around.”

Regina hummed, her head lolling to the side to allow Emma more access. “This can wait until we’re back at my place.”

“One more second…” Emma sighed against her skin and Regina moaned, making something flip in her stomach and it was really hard to pull away when Regina made sounds like that.

“Emma…”

Okay, that one was unmistakably a warning and she’d never really been very good at listening, especially when Regina’s hands were in her hair holding her against her neck making it impossible to pull away.

Regina moaned again when Emma nipped just under her ear and she’d been almost certain they weren’t going to actually make it out of the cabin after all when the loud clanging of cans together sent them reeling apart, white magic glowing on Emma’s hands while Regina sported a fireball ready to burn off the intruder’s face.

“Whoa!” “We come in peace!” “Home Alone, nice!”

Emma blinked slowly as her parents and Henry came into focus in the open doorway and slowly she reached out next to her to calm Regina. “Hey, guys, what took you so long?”

Charming offered her a smile and Emma smiled back at him as she felt Regina relax next to her.

“Sorry to break up this welcome party but we were about to break out of here.”

Their family frowned and Emma knew what they were going to say before they even said it, her smile already on her face in preparation for the eye roll they were about to get.

“The door was unlocked.”

And as if on cue Regina rolled her eyes and stepped toward them, her voice low and annoyed as she explained, “There is a magical barrier around the cabin that keeps everything in.”

“Yeah, it’s not like we were chilling in here for two days for fun.”

“Sure looked like you two were having fun when we came in.”

“Henry!” “Henry Daniel Mills!”

And because he was his mother’s son he rolled his eyes at them and stepped back out into the snow covered walkway, all of them choosing to ignore the bright shades of red that were her parents.

“There is a possibility that when the door is open the barrier drops so, Charming, if you could just keep that open for a second we can test this…”

“Sure thing, Regina.” He smiled and glanced over at Emma and she was pretty sure she finally was experiencing what being a teenager getting caught making out with her boyfriend or girlfriend would have felt like.

“Emma?” Emma blinked slowly at Regina’s concerned tone and her eyes moved from Regina’s down to the hand extended toward hers and Emma slowly took it, letting Regina pull her toward the door. “Here goes nothing…”

“Is it gonna hurt?”

Regina frowned, turning to look at Emma. “Did it hurt when you came in?”

“Uh… I don’t know, I was pretty focused on saving you.”

Regina rolled her eyes but Emma didn’t miss that small and loving smile on her lips as she turned to face the open doorway and reached out her hand, and a sigh broke free from both their lungs when the barrier didn’t shimmer.

“I think it’s clear.”

“Great.” Emma said, but neither of them moved, Regina’s hand tightening in hers as they both thought about Gold’s plan. “What if it’s a trick?”

Regina turned to look at her, chewing on the inside of her lip. “I wouldn’t put it past him…”

“He is evil enough to make us think it’s safe to leave and then you know…” Emma trailed off as she used her finger to draw a line across her throat and Regina actually winced, her grip on Emma’s hand tightening.

“Is everything alright?”

They turned to look at Snow and although Emma still didn’t agree with her actions she understood her mother a bit more after her talk with Regina. “Gold wants Regina to turn me dark.”

“And when I refused to help him, he put the cuff on me which was supposed to kill me if removed, but…”

“We kissed and it came off and she’s like still alive, but what if…”

“You know how tricky he is.”

Snow nodded slowly and stepped into the cabin, both of their mouths falling open as they tried to figure out why she’d risk that. “You’re not going to die, Regina; and Emma, you’re not going to turn evil.”

“You can’t be sure,” Emma cut in and Snow took both their hands in hers, meeting her eyes and Emma felt her mother’s love instantly and she was sure Regina did too, by the way she seemed to relax at the contact.

“I do, because Regina wouldn’t want you to be evil and Emma wouldn’t let you die.”

They both frowned, Emma trying to figure out what that had to do with anything meanwhile Regina was more focused on something else. “Did you just call us stubborn?”

“Yes,” Snow said with a roll of her eyes and used her hand in Emma’s to pull them through the doorway while they were still gaping at her. “There, see? Still alive.”

Emma’s mouth moved open and closed in shock while Regina looked seconds away from wringing Snow’s neck at risking them both like that but before either of them could blow up Henry was throwing his arms around their necks and hugging them as tightly as he could.

“I was so worried, moms.”

“Henry…” Regina breathed and wrapped her arm around Henry’s back while she pressed a kiss against the side of his head, and Emma slowly wrapped her arm around Henry too, rubbing his back while her other arm moved around Regina to hug her too, her fingertips pressed into her side as Regina’s hand soothingly rubbed Emma’s back as well.

“We love you, kid.”

“Very much.”

Henry nuzzled against them and they shared a slight smile over his head before they locked eyes with Snow and David, watching them as if they knew everything that had gone down the last few days.

“C’mon, kid, let’s go home.”

Their hands brushed against each other’s on Henry’s back and without a word, magic wrapped around them and brought them to the mansion, Snow and David standing awkwardly in the foyer.

Regina pulled away from them, her smile loving as she brushed Henry’s hair from his face and Emma was certain she was remembering Henry when he was a toddler by that adoring and tender look in her eyes.

“Henry, say goodnight to your grandparents and head up for bed.”

“Yes, Mom,” Henry sighed and pressed a kiss to Regina and then Emma’s cheek before heading toward the couple still trying to get their bearings.

“Emma…” Regina said in a low voice just for her and Emma instantly gave Regina her undivided attention. “How would you like to stay the night?”

“I’d love to,” Emma whispered and leaned in close to capture Regina’s lips in a tender kiss.

“Great, say goodbye to your parents and meet me upstairs, I’m going to shower before bed.”

“Kay.” Emma smiled and watched her wave goodbye to her parents before she headed up the stairs, Emma knowing without asking that she was trying to wash away the smell of Gold’s cabin from her skin, and honestly Emma didn’t hate that idea.

Henry stepped away from his grandparents and gave Emma a look as if to tell her to talk to them before he made his way up the stairs as well, and Emma was left alone with them.

“Emma, listen,” Snow started and Emma raised her hand, taking a step toward her parents.

“No, you don’t need to keep explaining, I understand why you hid it from me and why you thought you had to do it, it’s going to take some time for me to forgive you for everything, but I’ll get there, eventually.”

They both nodded and Emma eyed the stairs as she slipped her hands into her back pockets.

“And you and Regina?”

Emma laughed as she looked back at her mother, looking between the hopeful expressions of her parents she realized Regina had been right about that, they really did just want her to be happy.

“We kissed like 20 minutes ago at most, so I don’t know what we are but… I love her and she makes me happy.”

Both her parents nodded solemnly and Emma felt the urge to make a run for it suddenly.

“And Killian? Are you going to end that?”

“Already did, we broke up before I found Regina.”

David nodded again, his eyes worried and understanding and Emma anxiously rubbed the back of her neck. “Okay… but know your mother and I are here if you need anything.”

“I know… I’m just really tired and would like to shower and get some sleep…and just…” Emma’s lower lip wobbled and her parents were wrapping her in a hug before she knew it. “I wanna be sure she’s okay, that’s all.”

“Oh sweetie…” Snow sighed and Emma squirmed slightly at the way Snow was looking at her like she was about to cry and hug her… like she was already planning a wedding in her head.

“We will see you in the morning, Emma, we will take care of everything as a family.”

“Thank you, Dad.”

Her parents pulled away and Snow cupped her face, tears welled in her big green eyes and Emma sometimes couldn’t believe this was the same woman that could kill an ogre from across a field after 28 years cursed as a school teacher.

“We love you, Emma.”

“I know.”

Snow flashed her a watery smile and pressed a kiss to her forehead before she stepped away and David did the same, Emma watching silently as they walked out of the house.

After a few seconds she moved to lock the door and lean against it while she rubbed her hands over her face in frustration.

“How does a warm bath sound?” Emma moved her hands away from her eyes to see Regina standing at the top of the steps in the foyer in just a silk bathrobe.

“Perfect.”

“Good, c’mon,” Regina said as she held out her hand toward her, fingertips wiggling to emphasize her meaning.

Emma’s lips pulled into a soft smile and she pushed off the door, slowly slipping her hand in Regina’s as she pulled her toward the stairs. “I wanna do this right, take you out on a few dates before we go any further.”

“Okay,” Regina said as she glanced behind Emma with a gentle smile and love in her eyes.

Emma brushed her thumb over the back of Regina’s hand and slowly returned her smile.

“I don’t wanna rush into this, I wanna give you all the cheesy first date things, the awkward goodnight kiss on the front stoop, the fumbling attempts at seduction.”

Regina’s smile grew, and it was the most beautiful thing Emma had ever seen as she fully turned on the steps and draped her hands over Emma’s shoulders as she leant down to slowly capture Emma’s lips in a slow and loving kiss.

“Thank you. I look forward to all of it.”

Emma hummed, her hands gripping Regina’s biceps as she tried to tell Regina just how much she loved her with a simple kiss.

“C’mon now, we don’t want the bath to get cold.”

Emma smiled against her lips and pecked them one more time before she let Regina lead her the rest of the way to her en suite bathroom.

Regina slipped into the tub while Emma changed out of her clothes, and she tried really hard not to stare at Regina as she laid in the tub. But the tops of her breasts were peeking out above the water, her head was tipped back, her eyes were closed in relaxation and her hair was pulled back in a short French braid to keep it from getting wet. It was impossible to ignore. 

“You’re staring.”

“You’re gorgeous.”

Regina opened up her eyes, her head lolling to the side to slowly track her eyes over Emma’s nude form. “So are you, my dear. Now, get in the tub before the water gets cold.”

Emma blushed but stepped toward her, throwing her hair up into a messy bun as she tapped Regina’s shoulders, silently telling her to make room.

“Front or back?”

“I wanna hold you.”

Regina’s eyes softened, looking up into Emma’s like she understood all her worries and slid forward in the tub, her front now exposed to the cool air and Emma’s eyes.

“In the bath, Emma.”

Emma blushed when she realized she was caught following the water drops journey down Regina’s chest… or the way her nipples were hardened against the cold.

“Emma, focus.”

“Sorry,” she breathed and stepped into the tub behind Regina, pretending she didn’t see Regina watching her every movement or studying the curves of her body.

“You wanted to wait,” Regina teased as Emma slipped her legs on either side of Regina’s body and rested against the back of the tub, and Emma’s eyes couldn’t help but study the muscles in her back.

“Ready.”

Regina hummed and scooted back a bit before she leaned back against Emma’s body and they both gasped, Emma repeating a mantra of disgusting things in her head with her eyes squeezed shut while Regina seemed to just stiffen against her.

“Breathe.”

“You or me?” Regina shot back and Emma laughed, and slowly she opened her eyes, letting the scents from the bath oils calm her.

“Both of us, it’s just a bath,” Emma said as she leant her head down and peppered kissed across Regina’s neck and shoulder, feeling her slowly relax against her body.

“Mmm, if you want it to stay just a bath I suggest you stop that.”

Emma chuckled but did as told, her hands moving to comb stray hairs from Regina’s face and run down her arms until they covered Regina’s hands gripping the sides of the tub.

“Relax.”

Regina leaned her head away from where it was resting against Emma’s shoulder to meet her eyes, and her hand slowly reached up to trace her fingers over Emma’s jaw and tip her face down for a slow kiss.

“I like how you feel.”

Emma smiled against her lips and her arms moved into the water to wrap around Regina’s middle as she nuzzled against her neck. “Me too.”

Regina let out a deep sigh and within seconds it was like she finally let herself go completely and Emma could feel all of her pressed against her body, her weight comforting; slowly her hands covered Emma’s over her belly and the two of them let the warmth of the bath and their bodies slowly release the stress from the last couple days.

After their bath they rinsed and dried off before getting dressed and crawling into Regina’s large and comfortable bed, Regina couldn’t help but let out a relieved sigh as the scent of her own sheets wafted up to greet her, she was finally home.

Emma didn’t hesitate to wrap Regina up in her arms, her face buried in Regina’s neck and Regina’s in hers, her fingertips resting against Emma’s jaw as they slowly relaxed into the mattress, their legs tangled together to be sure they were really as close as possible, mentally preparing for a cold that would never come.

Emma’s hand was pressed against Regina’s chest so she could feel her steady heartbeat, still scared that she could lose her at any moment, and she knew she’d be scared until they found Gold and threatened him within an inch of his life.

Regina, although worried, was happy. For the first time in a very long time she felt simply happy and comfortable in the arms of someone she loved. She never really had, and perhaps that was because she always struggled with allowing herself to be vulnerable, but with Emma it was somehow easier, and she wasn’t about to question that now when all she wanted was for Emma to hold her, because there was still a part of her in the back of her mind that was worried she’d wake up and find herself once again trapped in that cabin, alone.

So they clung together, seeking and giving comfort without question and maybe that was the first sign that they would be okay, although if they ever decided to address what happened before the cuff came off, that’d be a pretty clear sign that they would be okay,. Nothing is easy, not even true love, but they realized during those two days where they were trapped in Gold’s cabin that they could get through anything together, from evil villains, curses and monsters, to being trapped alone together for days at a time.

There was a lot going through their heads as they laid there together, presently, Gold’s machinations and schemes to corrupt Emma, Maleficent’s resentment and Hook’s backlash to their break up; there were long time concerns as well, Regina’s fear to ruin everything that brings her joy, Emma’s fear of rejection... but somehow they managed to fall asleep, because deep down they knew they were going to make it. They were home.