Chapter Six

The sessions continued on a regular basis. Two per week. Small slices in time that catered so much for her emotional adjustment into a relaxed demeanor.

The days came and went and after three weeks of the same routine day by day without either of them drawing nearer to each other in regards to intimacy, Regina began to realize that her mental state was returning to a new place. A place where all the paranoia slipped away and the haunted feelings of darkness looming over her drifted away. Not only that, but the little trips of anger that would seep into their connections when Emma spoke to her, all of it disappeared.

She was beginning to let go of her prior state of seeing things negatively. In dwelling on that terrible engagement as Archie eased the pain out of her heart from that touchy area. Even when she would have liked to remember how deeply that moment had terrorized her, the brunette detached herself from it all.

Yet, the need to drift nearer to Emma was eating away at her heart. Regina oftentimes wondered when the time would come. The distance between them on the couch as they binged on marathons would slowly poison her. Even though there was the understanding between them of taking things slow, the brunette still feared that perhaps Emma's loving words had been a phase.

Especially after Snow had explained a little more on how her daughter had viewed the near death experience. She had blamed herself easily without the slightest doubt. All through it, Emma never wanted to be the reason why Regina took that path. Never. Therefore, the same thought kept lingering within her mind, over and over again, that the blonde was holding on because she feared anything otherwise might trigger something.

For many nights, Regina remained awake in her bed rolling over that feeling. Wondering how she could have been so selfish in taking that path. Of course, at the time, she had wanted to be successful. Not to come up back for air and to live through the consequences of her actions. Not like this. Every single day she had to witness the worry inside those emerald eyes as Emma took it upon herself to make the best accommodations. As she went out of her way to make Regina comfortable.

It shouldn't have been this way.

Even though the brunette made her own attempts to think outside the box and to wow the younger woman, there were these little moments that still cut her deep inside.

She began to prepare dinner for them on every single night after that first session with Archie. The table for two was placed on the back porch where they could admire the stars as the scene was bathed in moonlight. When she had hoped that more conversation would come between them, instead the sound of cutlery filled the silence.

Regina began to leave the house a lot more than before after a week. Doing the shopping for groceries definitely eased a lot of stress away from the blonde, although Emma complained about it. But she somehow believed that in order to ever prove herself worthy again, something had to be done. Little things then big things.

"Talk to me," Snow urged with a straw clipped between her lips on a warm Sunday afternoon.

They each had a sundae to themselves.

Regina had finally decided to settle down and allow the two of them to elaborate on what had happened. It was long overdue.

"Thank…you."

Snow considered her with a frown. "You're welcome. But I didn't buy the sundae."

"I'm talking about you not passing judgment," Regina shook her head in disbelief. "Your choice to be my buddy mentor or whatever the title is."

"You're not doing that title any justice," the younger woman said. She sucked on her straw. "This is the first talk we've had since you tried to write yourself off the script. And I think that what you really need is a good scolding after what you've tried to do."

The older brunette sighed. "Scold me all you want," she accepted her fate.

"You had me," Snow said slowly. "You could have talked to me. You know that."

"Yes, but at the time," Regina was overwhelmed, "I felt as if there was no one there. No one to talk to who would understand. Don't look at me like that," she croaked. "After all we've been through, Snow, I thought that you would have been deeply judgmental on this."

"Considering that she's my daughter and all," Snow contributed without a smile. She sucked on her sundae straw and still Regina found this strange. That the other woman had chosen a straw instead of a spoon. She was entirely weird.

"Yes. I couldn't run to anyone. I felt pressed into a corner."

Snow studied her friend's face with narrowed eyes. "Regina, if you had killed yourself, then David and I would have searched the entire underworld for you, just so that we could kick your ass."

The older woman muffled a chuckle behind the back of her hand. Her dark hair lightly lifted from the wind.

"And believe me, Emma would have been there with us too. She doesn't take things with a light heart as much as you think. Especially with you. I'm proud to say that our daughter doesn't always make the right choices, in regards to Hook. But she always make the right choices when it comes to you."

Her eyes glistened with tears.

"But I never expected this though," Snow shook her head. "No way. Not in a million years."

"About me being in love with your daughter?" brown eyes widened. The older woman seemed impressed. "You can't imagine the ways I expected you to react to that conversation."

"I'm known to be quite understanding," Snow offered with the tilt of her head. "Look at how calmly I responded to Ruby and Dorothy."

"It's not the same," Regina groaned, running her fingers through short dark hair that she always took special time to style.

"Regina, I've seen you at your worst. Don't you ever forget that," Snow said softly, reaching across the table to take the older woman's hand into hers. "But never had I ever expected you to reach that point where you wanted to quit. You've taken far worst blows and you got right up back and fought on."

"Love always has had a funny way of screwing with me," Regina tried to smile. But her lips quivered.

"You must never allow someone to have that kind of power of you," Snow said in a calm tone. "Not when it comes to falling in love. Not ever. You come first. Put you first."

"And you're going to suddenly proclaim that you wouldn't do anything for David, even in regards to you being the ultimate sacrifice," the older woman stated, eyes glistening from tears.

Snow sighed. "Regina, I've been married to David for a long time now. You've only just begun."

"So my magnitude of what I feel falls short because of my lack of years?" Her bitter tone wasn't something that sparked a negative emotion in Snow. Regina noted that and instantly tried to calm herself down. "I'm…sorry. I didn't mean to be so harsh with you."

"Gone in the wind," Snow waved it off. "I've seen how you two would sacrifice yourself for each other's safety. Especially with her. Emma is somehow prepared to die in any instance just to save you. And I've always wondered why. Friends seem to protect each other. But she's always had this funny way of having the highest belief in you."

Regina blinked slowly. She realized that her dark chocolate sundae was melting fast.

"How are the pills working out for you?" Snow changed the topic. "Are you sleeping well?"

The other woman fashioned up a scowl. "The only pill I need is Emma at this point."

Snow's wicked grin evidently grew wider. "So you two haven't rolled over in bed as yet?"

"Hey!" Regina was shocked. "Things…take…time."

Snow winked at her and then returned to her sundae; sucking on the straw. "How bad can it be? It's all about the hands, isn't it? I can just imagine the action. Beginning in the hall and then up the staircase. The trail of clothes –"

The other woman marveled at the wicked gleam in her companion's eyes. "And your daughter believes that you're innocent."

A month after that first session with Archie, as Emma walked through the door with her keys jingling, she stopped abruptly at the sight of Regina awaiting her. At first, those emerald eyes did a slow roam over the older woman's attire, drinking in the pair of black jeans with a comfortable free flowing pink blouse. The silver bangles around her wrist lightly jingled. The silver studs in either ear twinkled.

Regina slowly approached her, altogether weakening the blonde's knees further and she planted her hands upon the younger woman's hips. They remained like that, with inches between them and slowly but surely, Emma found herself drowning in the scent of apples and that fruity smell that reminded her of a candy she savoured in her childhood days.

"Would you like to…dance with me, Miss Emma Swan?" Regina purred, bravely resting their cheeks together as she wrapped the blonde into an embrace.

"There's no music," Emma lightly chuckled although she was losing her composure bit by bit. The feel of the other woman against her. The evident beating of another heart, along with hers. All of it was felt. Not forgetting the way Regina kept her close and stayed there.

"Oh but if you listen carefully," the brunette whispered upon a flushed cheek, "there certainly is some kind of music. Don't you hear it?"

"All I can hear is our hearts beating…really fast," Emma allowed her palms to travel slowly up the other woman's warm back. She could feel how Regina was on fire. Her soft skin was inviting to touch more.

"That's the music I'm hearing too," Regina's hands travelled up the other woman's neck and trailed pathways through soft blonde hair. She drew Emma's lips onto her heated neck, those brown eyes fluttering close. "Feel the music between us. Can you?" her voice trembled.

Emma was drowning fast. She nodded, her warm breath kissing honey coloured skin. The feeling was intoxicating. All of a sudden they were so close and she could only remember one time before when they had been. The one time they hugged. When Regina had been aware of her engagement after Zelena announced it to the room.

The muffled pain from recollecting that moment simply made her curl into the other woman so much more. Because she immediately felt the weight from her chest lifting off; of believing that everything had been her fault. Even after the countless times Regina had told her that she shouldn't think like that.

The kiss happened so slowly, her heart possibly fell silent when their lips met.

Gradually, easing their way towards that ultimate connection, both of them collapsed internally.

All Emma could feel was the warmth between them. The softness. The inevitable bliss that had been anticipated and had rolled in finally. Breaking her. Bringing her to fall to pieces and then having those tender arms that contained all her pieces together.

She was so overwhelmed, even as Regina kissed her back deeply, savouring every second and continually caressing the blonde's cheeks.

It wasn't supposed to be possible that they didn't sink to the floor from becoming so weak. From feeling the little sparks between them and evidently feeding on such passion building up between a moment. One that lasted for a long time with the two of them searching and finding every possible fire within their souls.

She was home.

Finally, she had been shown and had felt what it was like to fall into someone and have them cushion her. Tears slipped down Emma's cheek when she scooped the older woman into her arms and carried her blindly towards the living room. Even as she did, the kiss lasted between them, whilst Regina pressed her palms upon either side of the blonde's face. Keeping them together.

Undone.

It had always been a word and a feeling that she could never understand the weight behind. Until that afternoon when her mind screamed from reaching the edge and drifting off of it several times. Of giving up all her control and willingly opening every part of herself to the other woman.

Regina demonstrated the depth of her love for the blonde as she kissed between those soft, warm thighs and explored so much deeper. As she pushed forward and linked their fingers, moving in a slow rhythm that rode out waves of pleasure.

Emma was thrown into a world where she had gone under and didn't want to resurface. Literally, she was drowning in every possible meaning of the word love. Of being given every sense of the meaning.

When her world had been shaken enough, and she was lying on the couch with a needy brunette in her arms, the younger woman indeed felt as if she was home. The rise and fall of Regina's chest. The way she curled their fingers together and held them there. Studying them. The way she nuzzled her face into the blonde's neck and chuckled. All of it felt so right.

"You're amazing," Emma's voice still trembled from the aftermath of the older woman's expertise with her mouth.

"So are you," Regina croaked.

Strange. "I haven't done anything yet," the blonde noted. The red window blinds fluttered. The entire world was silent.

"Emma, you've done too much for me." Regina kept playing with their fingers entwined together.

"I wasn't talking about generally," the other woman confessed. She sighed. "I was kind of talking about what just happened."

The brunette chuckled. "Oh. Well in that case. You were amazing still."

"How?" she was curious, frowning a little as their eyes met.

Regina merely smirked. "Responding just the way I had dreamed of. Only difference is, in my dreams, I couldn't quite fashion up a realistic feel of you. Now I can."

"Glad to know that I could help," Emma smiled.

They both smiled at each other and remained silent for a while. The blonde reached for the remote but was tempted to refrain from turning on the flat screen. Perhaps they would become engrossed in a marathon. Maybe they could watch a movie. However, the dire need to merely remain there and savour each other's company was so pleasing.

She opted to avoid distractions.

Regina had been studying the other woman's internal battle with a smirk. Her fingers, upon discovering that the remote was pushed into the side of the chair, began to wander on the blonde's left arm. Slowly and teasing. She travelled them all the way up to Emma's neck and caressed the shell of the woman's ear.

"I like this place where we're at now," the younger woman said softly, turning those emerald eyes to meet brown ones. "You know, no fighting. No tension. Just…us two. In love. Making things work."

"And from here on, we will do whatever it takes to remain together," Regina promised on her behalf with a nod. She captured blonde tendrils between her fingers and continued the light caresses.

"Whatever it takes," Emma nodded.

"Until that day when you get down on your knee and propose to me," the brunette suggested with a smirk.

That was enough to allow the blonde to shift in her seat. By then, she was facing the other woman. "Why can't you propose? Why does it have to be me? You're the hopeless romantic. I'm so vanilla."

"Which is why…" Regina inclined her head with a little smile, "…you're most fitting to propose first."

"Oh so we're going to do this one after the other, right?"

"You mean…" The older woman wasn't sure.

"You get down on your knee and propose, then I get down on mine and do the same thing afterwards…" Emma noted how Regina chuckled and she rested a hand upon the brunette's lap. "No, listen. It makes sense. You get down there. And then I get down to meet your level. Shows equality in a relationship too. No one takes upper rank although at times you tend to play the boss role around here."

"I'm the mayor," Regina hoarsely whispered and she gestured at herself. "Not you. You're public service."

"The lower ranks, huh?" Emma was amused.

"Yes."

"Call me that," the blonde smirked now. Her gaze rested between the older woman's legs. "I don't mind going lower down on you."

They both laughed after that.

The end! Did you enjoy it? The journey was short but it leaves room for speculation!