I'm so very sorry it's been so long between updates. There was a scene in which I was really struggling with a few of the power dynamics between them.

I mean, what I had plotted when I started writing this fic didn't sit well with me so I had to cut and re-write A LOT.

Special thanks to JazzyBabe10, BearHugsBeerHugs, vxenasq, Half-In-Love-With and everyone over at SwenChat for beta-ing your feedback is so important and helpful to me, you have no idea!

Eluding someone is quite simple when the person you're avoiding is in a dungeon. The thought had occurred to Regina in the days that followed the kiss. Their kiss. Regina was still processing the alarming fact that she had shared a kiss with Emma. And what a process it was.

The first stage had been to ignore it. Outright deny that it had even happened, but the persistent thought of the blondes lips refused to leave Regina in peace. Not when she was eating, reading, or walking past a certain cell. No peace from soft pink... Not for Regina Mills.

Secondly Regina had to stop calling it 'it' and come to terms with referring to it with the proper adult word. It was a kiss. Emma had kissed her.

At the third and most recent development of her 'processing' Regina had finally admitted that though Emma had made the first move, she had kissed back. Enthusiastically.

If someone had told her five years ago that one day she and Emma Swan-White would kiss and then she would be the one who freaked out about the kiss and not Emma, Regina would have... She didn't know what she would do, it was too preposterous to even fathom because of course she was aware of the crush the Gryffindor harbored for her. So logic would assume that if anyone was going to have a mild panic attack after something as trivial as a kiss between them it would be Emma.

This attraction was not a part of the plan.

The informant breathed in a lungful of the brisk night air afforded to her by the forest. She felt off-kilter. Had increasingly felt that way ever since a certain strikingly beautiful young woman barged back into her life. Loud, dangerous, and enticing beyond all reason.

The walk in the woods had helped Regina center herself. She'd left near lunch and was now returning shortly after sundown.

She needed to stay focused, she reminded herself as she climbed the stairwells toward her office. Regardless of the way she felt, the paramount issue of this whole matter was, Emma Swan being in this prison had brought Madame Regal's entire operation to a grinding halt. A fact that only served to reinforce Regina's vow to keep far, far away from Emma for as long as possible.

Then maybe after all of this was over, if they both survived and if she did her job right, Voldemort would be dead. She could free Emma, tell her the truth, and they could figure out whatever was going on between them. Until then just stay away, it's for the best. Something easily achievable given their circumstances.

Regina entered her office, shut the door and turned around.

She should have known not to underestimate a lioness.

A golden haired figure emerged from beneath her desk, "I can't help but feel like you're avoiding me."

Instinctively Regina's hand grasped her wand but once she knew who her uninvited guest was, she let it go. "Emma? What? How did you-"

The Gryffindor proudly puffed out her chest but her smile was all Mona Lisa; mature and secretive yet cheerful. "Oh please, give me some credit." Emma seated herself on Regina's chair and casually propped her feet on the polished mahogany surface. Childish but definitely not a child anymore. "Lions were never meant to be caged." Emma sagely noted as she laced her fingers together behind her head to get comfortable. As if breaking out of prison and then into the warden's office was a common occurrence for her.

Regina had the sense to lock the door behind her. On one hand she could call for a guard, she should do that actually, but bringing to attention a second escape would not put her in a good light among her 'peers'. There was another reason that Regina didn't want to alert the rest of the Death Eaters of course but she didn't want to think about that at the moment. "Why are you in my office right now?" She made her way further into the room.

The escape artist had the audacity to chuckle. "Actually I didn't know this was your office at first. I got a little lost trying to find the exit." Oh, what a happy accident. Regina thought sarcastically. Her heart skipped a beat as she watched Emma toss an artifact up in the air and catch it like a toddler-sized toy Quaffle. That Egyptian Pharaoh's Stone was almost as expensive as it was ancient!

Agitated at the flippant disregard for her possessions, Regina caught the stone on the third toss before Emma accidentally activated it and put them both to sleep. She glared down at the young woman but her quiet disapproval was met with a charmingly mischievous smirk.

"This is a really comfortable chair. Is this real Jabberwock leather?" Emma ran her hands along the arm rests. "I feel so powerful! Like I finally understand hunting."

Then Regina noticed what Emma was wearing, "Is that my shirt?" She hardly recognized the silky blue fabric because it fit Emma's frame so differently. The blonde also sported it untucked and sans steam press.

Emma nodded. "My clothes had pit stains."

"How?"

"Well when one wears the same outfit for whatever amount of days I've been locked up-"

"How did you get my shirt?" Regina elaborated.

The glint in Emma's eyes let Regina know that the blonde had known what she meant the entire time. Smart ass. "Well, your office is connected to your quarters." Emma pointed to the door that separated them from her bedroom. "I also got lost in your wardrobe... and your bathtub." The way she said bathtub was entirely too suggestive.

Regina so did not need to know that Emma had been naked in her chambers. "Oh Merlin... Remove yourself from my seat, Miss Swan." She commanded with as much authority as she could muster. The situation had become too surreal. They were acting as though they weren't on opposing sides of a war. They weren't, not truly, but Emma certainly did not know that. She shouldn't know because no one was supposed to know. 'It puts her at a greater risk.'

Emma seated herself on the desk and Regina observed that the blonde had also helped herself to a pair of her linen dress pants. 'I bet she made a joke about getting into my pants before she put them on.' Regina intuited. A part of her wanted to roll her eyes but another almost laughed at the ridiculousness.

Unaware of how spot on Regina's inner musings were, Emma interrupted them with an uncharacteristically serious question. "Do you remember what you said to me about your mother when we first met?" Regina tilted her head but said nothing. "You said you weren't like her." Emma answered for her. "I believed you then." Emma's hands gripped the edge of the desk on both sides of her thighs. Her sleeves were rolled down but the blouse was too short for her arms and Regina could see the red tinged indents and small cuts on her wrists in the places where the cuffs were too tight.

My fault. Her stomach lurched and bile rose up in her throat.

"I still believe it now." Emma said as she -tentatively this time- placed a hand on Regina's forearm.

Regina still had not taken her eyes from the marks on Emma's wrist. "You shouldn't."

"I have a habit doing things I shouldn't to do." Emma countered with her most uplifting smile. "For example, I shouldn't replace the Slytherin's Quidditch broomsticks with actual broomsticks."

Regina was jarred from her downward spiral into self-deprecation, she blinked up at the blonde, "I heard about that! Mother was livid. That was you?"

Emma nodded, so proud of herself, "I also shouldn't have broken out of Gryffindor Tower in the middle of the night more times I can remember to count."

"That's not saying much though considering your retention capacity." Regina teased, a small smile tugged at her lips.

The blonde cupped a hand to her ear and leaned forward in mock-confusion, "What was that?" Regina caught a whiff of her own Honey Apple shampoo in Emma's hair. She was also acutely aware of the heat emitting from Emma's hand on her forearm, "Sorry I couldn't hear you over how awesome I am."

That time Regina did roll her eyes. "Nothing. Go back to your bragging." She bit her tongue lightly to hold back the laughter bubbling up from within.

"Yes. Let's see, shouldn't... shouldn't." Emma shut her eyes in concentration for a second and then they popped open, emerald green flecked with gold and mirthful, "I shouldn't take myself on unsupervised field trips through the Forbidden Forest. But I mean, come on, calling something 'Forbidden' only makes me want to find out what about it is so Forbidden in the first place." Emma shrugged, leaning even more so into Regina's personal space, "I get curious!"

Regina shook her head, "You get in trouble."

"I like trouble." Emma whispered into Regina's ear, coaxing a shudder. The Gryffindor pulled back slightly as Regina turned to face her. Their eyes locked for a beat and Regina tried to look away but her gaze only landed on Emma's lips. This was wrong, she needed to stop this.

"I shouldn't bring contraband to lessons." Emma spoke softly. Her free hand rose to twirl an errant lock of Regina's hair. "And I definitely shouldn't use said contraband during lessons."

"You shouldn't kiss people that don't want to be kissed." Regina blurted out but the way her voice cracked betrayed her. Lying, she used to be good at it.

Emma didn't move any closer. She breathed and simply waited until Regina could meet her eyes again before she stated with an honest unwavering clarity, "I've never done that before."

Notes:

There is no such thing as an Egyptian Pharaoh's Stone in the Harry Potter universe as far as I know. I just made it up.

Also did you know that (according to Wikipedia) the Egyptians had 'Sleep Temples' aka 'Dream Temples'?