Storybrooke
Emma's family are all sitting around Snow's kitchen table, patiently waiting for Blue to finish examining the new pages that had mysteriously appeared in Henry's storybook. Henry studies the fairy's face closely, skeptically watching as her eyes roam over every detail and her lips slightly quiver as she reads over the intricate script and he can't help but notice the lack of surprise upon her face; no emotion, she is as calm as nature before a tornado swoops down and wreaks havoc upon an innocent town, like she expected all of this to happen.
This strikes Henry the wrong way and he immediately rips the book out from under Blue's nose, pulling it toward himself to protect his mothers from whatever this woman may know or need to know from the book.
"Henry!" Snow scolds, her dark brows pinching together, flabbergasted by his sudden rudeness.
"She knows something," Henry accusingly growls. "What is it Blue? Tell us the truth," he coldly demands and not one person in the room can deny how much this young man is his mother's son when his blood is boiling, all Regina Mills.
Blue stands tall, straightening her posture and anxiously smoothing out her clothes while she clears her throat and works up the courage to reveal the truth. Except...
"I'm afraid that would be inappropriate, Henry. I don't believe Regina would appreciate me telling people about this...situation," she vaguely replies.
"Blue, can you at least explain how that mirror is back? We thought you destroyed it," Snow curiously investigates while kindly handing the fairy a cup of tea.
Blue sighs before taking a sip to calm her inner battle, wondering if she should expose her secret, a secret nobody has ever had the privilege of knowing. She glances over at Hook, knowing all too well that he will eventually be crushed by this mayhem. And she sighs again, turning her attention back to the former princess and relents.
"Honestly, when I began to destroy the mirror, I had no idea the effect it would have on young Regina. The sheer agony of that child crying out in pain, forced me to turn around from my task and witness as her world came crashing down around her. I've never seen someone so tortured before in my life and I couldn't continue. I made it seem as though I was destroying it, but I actually put a protection spell on it, so Regina couldn't find it again. I placed the spell for forty years, so neither Regina nor the mirror could find each other. After the forty years completed, I figured it was only a matter of time before this would happen. Truthfully, this took a lot longer than I anticipated. I believe fate was waiting for Regina and Emma and they were always so close, but never followed through," Blue explains through her deep regret and the shame gracing her face is on full display for everyone to see.
"So close to what?" Killian suspiciously inquires.
"Follow through with what?" Henry fiercely demands as well.
"That I cannot say, Regina and Emma will have to explain that when they return," Blue states with conviction, wiping away her remorse and plastering on her stern expression that usually contorts her face.
"So, my moms are okay then? They will come back safe?"
"Yes, Henry, there's nothing to worry about. I promise you that," Blue confirms with a genuine smile that allows Henry to relax for the first time since Regina's disappearance.
"Well, I need answers now!" Killian bellows before he pushes away from the kitchen table and storms out of the house.
~~~~~~~
The Enchanted Forest
Regina reluctantly pries herself away from Emma's dainty lips that are now stained in ruby red lipstick, their evidence of betrayal.
"Emma..." she mumbles incoherently, trying to pull herself together and think clearly once again.
She slides her hands out from those knotty blonde locks, allowing her palms to graze every inch of Emma until they land upon her jacket once again. And never has this version of Emma ever been this close before, which grants Regina the opportunity to stare deeply into those enticing green eyes and notice these little specks of honey that make her heart skip a beat. She's so beautiful and Regina knows in her heart she will never have her the way her soul needs her.
"Regina?" Emma gasps, her voice so full of concern, and this is what snaps Regina back to reality.
She starts shoving the blonde off her, but Emma clamps her thighs tightly around hers while the strong sheriff comes out and roughly snatches Regina's wrists to calm her down.
"Get off, Swan, we can't do this," she angrily retorts. "That kiss should have never happened. You are married," she stresses, her heart sinking from the guilt of what they have just done.
"Stop it, Regina!" Emma forcefully commands, her grip tightening around her dainty wrists as her eyes narrow. "Stop trying to push me away. I know I'm married, but I'm supposed to be with you. I'm a big girl, I know what I'm doing," she vows with all her heart, those big doe eyes connecting deeply with Regina's and urging her to trust in her words.
"Enough! Get up! I'm not going down this road with you. I know how this will end."
"Tell me, Your Majesty, how does this end?"
"I know you, Emma, better than anyone. Once we get back to Storybrooke, you will be gone. Back to Boston with Killian. And where does that leave me? Alone in Storybrooke, in that lonely, oversized mansion with nothing but memories that haunt me every day until I go to sleep, only to be tortured by the dreams of you and our past at night," she confesses out of fear and because her emotions are running high, but she never wanted to admit something so deep to Emma. She honestly doesn't think her heart can handle any more of this pain after all the heartache she has been through.
"I don't know what's going to happen when we get home. But I don't know how you expect me to go back to Killian when I know about us and what we are and supposed to be. I don't know what will happen between my parents and I or Henry, but what I do know is that in this moment, I need you Regina and I know it sounds selfish, but I've never felt so safe in someone's arms. Call me Miss Swan, call me an idiot, I don't care what falls from your lips as long as I get to kiss them again," she frantically cries out and Regina knows she means every word.
And who is she to call Emma selfish, when she so selfishly went into that mirror so many years ago when she knew the consequences and how disastrous the ending would be?
Emma's thumb so timidly grazes Regina's full bottom lip again, but her brown eyes are busy examining Emma's face. She distinctly sees the spark of excitement running through those piercing green eyes as Emma stares so desperately at her lips. Regina's heart races, not knowing what is to come, but she feels the moment building and their connection deepening. Emma's thumb tentatively skims the scar above her lip and normally she would never allow another human to touch the sensitive area, but it's Emma and she's staring back at her with all the love in the world.
And before Regina can take her next breath, Emma's lips are pressing against hers again and she's admiring how silky those thin lips are, like a delicate rose pedal. Emma's slow at first, like she's seeking permission, but there's still this passion pouring from the blonde and Regina's entire body erupts with a sizzling heat that causes her to shiver.
Everything that Regina has kept securely buried in her heart for so many years is finally cracked open and the evidence of her forbidden love comes pouring out. "Emma," she mumbles against her lips, never wanting to break their kiss, "you idiot...how could you...be so stupid. I, I...have always loved you," she stammers between needy kisses, while Emma tugs her closer and closer, but they are as close as humanly possible.
Emma inhales sharply, resting her forehead against Regina's to prove that she doesn't want to break this moment, but she needs to confess. "The same way you didn't know how much I cared about you. Regina, I have always felt something for you, I just didn't know what it was...until now," and with that Emma is tugging Regina in again, trying to eliminate all the empty space between them, but damn their clothes.
Then, everything is happening too fast to comprehend; there's a sharp cold breeze against Regina's back, forcing her eyes to spring back to life from the unknown and fear thrumming around her, but all she is met with is pitch-black. She shudders as she realizes that she can't even see Emma's beautiful face anymore, but luckily, she can still feel the warm body entwined with her own.
"Emma?" She breathlessly gasps as the world tips beneath them.
"Regina?" Emma hysterically calls out, tightening her grip around her waist.
Regina feels as their bodies are being pulled back into more nothingness, the empty black space that feels hauntingly cold like she may never resurface again. Her knuckles curl tightly around the red leather between their conjoined bodies, her nails biting into the fabric to ensure that she doesn't lose the woman again. She closes her eyes to block out the whirlwind sucking them from existence and blindly puckers her lips, connecting them for one last kiss in case this ends miserably for her.
A gust of warm air envelops their bodies, inspiring her curious brown eyes to slowly blink open and inspect her surroundings. The word is quiet and she sighs in relief when she finds the comfort of her vault surrounding them once again. They are home, and never has Regina ever missed Storybrooke so much.
"We're back?" Emma incredulously inquires, peeking out the slit of just one eye, inspiring a carefree chuckle to fall passed Regina's lips from how adorable the expression is.
"I believe so," she says, swatting at the thighs on top of her own, signaling for Emma to stand back up.
"Wait," Emma hastily commands, stilling Regina from scrambling beneath her, "before we head out there...back to reality, I need to kiss you one last time. One last time of us in our own little bubble, where everything is perfect."
Regina frowns knowing it could very well be the last time ever and her stomach bottoms out, instantly causing nausea to attack her body. Even though they are back in Storybrooke and she was just thanking her lucky stars to be back only moments ago, she wishes for the Enchanted Forest again, so she can be free with the love of her life. This is the real world now and there are far too many obstacles standing in their way of happiness. She would give anything to spend the rest of her days with the woman who gifted her the most precious baby and mended her broken heart, but she has a feeling life will interrupt, yet again.
She inhales sharply, preparing herself for this one last fleeting moment as they both seem to drift in closer again. Emma gasps the second their lips connect and the weight of the world just seems to drift away. The moment is too delicate and precious and they both can feel the intensity, so they move slowly, savoring the taste, the feel, the unguarded nature between them.
She knows Emma doesn't want to end the kiss and neither does she, but they have to. It's time to face reality and come clean about everything. Ever so slowly, she pulls away from the kiss, her heart swooning over the sexy little snap of their lips breaking apart. Emma is grinning like a fool and Regina can't help her own shy smile, so her eyes drift down and she nervously curls a chunk of hair behind her ear. Out of her peripheral, she admires Emma's little cocky smirk before she stands up from the inviting lap. Emma extends her hands politely and Regina easily accepts the help to her feet.
"Alright, let's do this," Emma says with all the confidence of a true Savior, slipping her warm hand into Regina's and leading her out of the vault.