Hey guys! Long time no see, and it's all because of me… Sorry about that.

So here's the thing, the rewriting thing is definitely rewarding and important for this story, but it takes much longer than I anticipated (thanks to me, not you Larissa -my beta-, you are amazing!). I know how I would have felt had the situation been flipped and I was the reader waiting for months for my story to be updated and so I'm going back to writing it! cue applause.

Can't promise a chapter every week, but I'll do my darn best to keep it somehow regularly updated while continuing to edit the previous chapters and posting my other story, Below The Belt (go check it out, it's awesome).

It was so weird writing this one again, I hope I did good… If you think I nailed it, please show my some love and write me a nice comment :) If you think something was off, leave a comment as well, since as long as they are constructive, I can learn from them and get better.

I've babbled enough, enjoy!

Chapter 52

"You're doing it again" Emma points at her accusingly.

"Doing what?" Regina tries to feign ignorance but can't seem to keep her amusement at bay as it soon blossoms on her features.

"That" Emma claims, eyes narrowing in suspicion "You're being sly again" she states knowingly. Regina says nothing in return, delicately munching on her croissant.

"You're so observant, you should be a detective" the brunette mocks and the blonde sticks her tongue out in return. That earns her an eye-roll.

"You're such a baby."

"So you're not going to tell me?"

"No"

Emma deflates in her seat.

"I'm going to show you"

"Is that the surprise? We're going home early?" Emma puzzles over the scenery that presents itself outside the cab window. When they enter the passenger unloading section in Heathrow airport, Regina leans forward and pays the driver, still not having said a word.

"Regina" Emma exclaims, eyes go round with realization "What about my suitcase?"

"Don't worry, I had it packed" the brunette soothes and moves to open the door "it's in the trunk."

And true to her word, Emma's suitcase is soon placed on the pavement by the driver, followed by Regina's.

"Where now?" she asks, still very much confused and disoriented. She fails to see how cutting their business trip short serves as a surprise. Sure, they might have to work while they're here, but it's London, and Emma still sees it as an amazing opportunity to be abroad, even if for work purposes.

"Inside, of course" Regina tilts her head and starts walking towards the huge hall. Reluctantly, and in a lack of a better thing to do, Emma follows.

"Alright, I guess holding you off at that point is just mean." Regina says and leans forward to take Emma's hand in hers.

"Well, you are mean" Emma teases, but the soft smile on her face is enough to tell Regina's that she's merely joking. Still, it earns her a light slap on the shoulder.

"Do you want to know what it is or not?" Regina threatens, and she's looking serious enough for Emma to nod enthusiastically and lift their joined hands to kiss Regina's in an attempt to appease.

"I do"

"Where do you think we're going?"

"Home?" Emma says uncertainly, making it sound more like a question than a statement.

"Mmm mmm" Regina shakes her head, smiling at the blonde "A couple of months ago, someone" the brunette sends a knowing look her way "asked me about Paris." she says calmly, in stark comparison to the now wildly beating heart of the younger woman sitting opposite her. "And I felt like I failed to explain properly what this city is like" she continues and Emma shakes her head in disbelief, a weak Regina slips away from her lips before she can help it. "This woman also reminded me that I've been working too much. So much, that I can't recall the last time I got up on a plane for my pleasure rather than work." Regina stops and smirks at her flabbergasted looking girlfriend "So I thought to myself," she muses out loud, enjoying her little show way to much "Why no celebrate two very important occasions while we're at it."

"What…?" Emma breathes out, raising an inquisitive and slightly confused gaze and locks it with Regina's.

"The first, is my beautiful girlfriend's birthday, and the second, is my six amazing months with said girlfriend." Regina states, her words too formal and almost impersonal, but her warm tone and kind, loving gaze make it a knockout that hits Emma right in the heart. "We're going to Paris, my darling Emma" she smiles broadly, the smile dazzling enough to shake Emma out of her daze. She leans forward and captures her girlfriends lips in a heated kiss, barely minding their surrounding and caring very little about it, as tears fill her eyes. she's still overwhelmed by emotions when they part and she draws Regina in for a tight hug, still craving a touch.

"Regina" she whispers, still finding full sentences difficult to produce at the moment, hoping that her tone and the strength of her embrace are enough to convey what her mouth fails to.

"I love you" the brunette whispers in her ear "Happy birthday, my love"

"We're almost there" Regina informs gently, watching Emma's obvious enamorment with immense satisfaction.

Emma held her hand throughout their entire flight to France, sending incredulous looks her way every couple of minutes, that were followed by moister as waves of raw happiness flashed in her green eyes. The fact that their little romantic getaway was bound to be over in just two days seemed to mean little to nothing to Emma, who was still having difficulties wrapping her head around Regina's amazing gesture.

"Here" she says, pointing towards a small alley. On their drive there Regina told Emma about Paris, and the concept of arrondissements that this unique city is known for. As the cab moved forward to the heart of the city, Emma felt as if they were going back in time: the street became narrower as a different, charming aura oozed from the old-looking buildings surrounding them.

"Merci, monsieur. Votre argent" Regina says kindly, the words rolling smoothly off her mouth, earning a raise of an eyebrow from her impressed companion.

"You speak French?" Emma inquires as they head towards their assigned hotel. They have to walk the remaining few feet to their hotel since the ancient looking is street is too narrow to fit a car. That trait provokes a wave of wonderment in Emma as she scans the beautiful bricked pavement and small, characterized buildings in that street.

"A little" Regina provides, shrugging nonchalantly "I had to run some business here and learning, even if just few words, in the country's language can do wonders to their sense of appreciation and willingness to conduct business with foreigners." she explains knowingly "Especially in France, where they are so proud, and almost sanctify their culture and homeland."

When Emma whistles in response, impressed yet again, by Regina's professionalism and perfectionism when it comes to knowing her craft, the brunette hums in response.

"Business is art." she determines "If you don't know how to interact with the companies around you and create bonds with them, your product worth's is equivalent to nothing."

They step into a fairly short, four stories high, building that looks more of a road-side motel to Emma than a valid hotel. She frowns at that as her mind is having trouble pairing Regina with such place. But she's proven wrong fairly quickly, when they are lead to their luxury suit at the top floor. The building molds with its neighborhood perfectly, the design consists of pastel colors and gold lines that somehow blend skillfully together and compose an 18th century scenery. The decoration imprinted all over the furniture and walls indicates the amount of time and effort put in order to create such a detailed yet delicate vintage looking room. It is not flashy in any way, but it is splendid and elegant in every sense of the way. Emma almost laughs when she realizes that this hotel is Regina in a building's form: in no way lacking money or prestige, but only presenting the right amount of that class in a way that makes it endearing and not frightening at its obvious richness.

"It's beautiful" she says a little breathily. The relatively spacious room still manages to feel cozy enough for Emma to feel comfortable. There aren't superfluous amounts of space, those which usually aren't even necessary nor occupying any furniture but are still there, almost as if the state 'the room doesn't need to be that big, but we can afford it, so why not?'. And so, Emma finds herself crossing the room to Regina's whereabouts in a few steps. "Thank you" she whispers right before leaning in for a gentle kiss.

It doesn't remain innocent for long and soon enough Regina's tongue swipes over her lower lip in a silent plea to be granted entrance. Emma complies and a moan escapes her throat when Regina's soft tongue dances in her mouth. Possessive hands glide over the other's form and just when it is about to get to the good stuff Regina pulls away.

"Mmm" Emma whines in protest and tries to snuggle back into the nook between Regina's neck and shoulder unsuccessfully.

"I know" Regina agrees "But it will ruin my surprise, so you will have to wait with those thoughts." she orders, a very specific glaze covering her eyes when she voices the word thoughts, one that Emma recognizes as raging blind desire.

"Another surprise? Regina, you're overdoing it." Emma chastises, but lets herself be pulled into a gentle hug.

"I'm not. Trust me, you'll love it." she promises and the blonde finds herself nodding, accepting it.

They walk along the streets of the city, just as Emma dared to picture all those months ago on their trip to Boston. Still unable to wrap her head around the whole experience, Emma settles for the simple joy of being able to hold Regina's hand and brush strands of brown hair away from her gorgeous face without thinking of the risks that accompany that gesture.

Another utterly thrilling aspect of it is the amazing ways of this city when it comes to food. Regina educates Emma about the culinary capital and the way that the truly amazing food can be found in the street just as much as it can be found in fancy restaurants, it's all about knowing where and how to look. And so they walk and scan the streets for those little carts, buying all different kinds of heavenly miracles in small shapes of different foods. It makes Emma beyond happy and her joy is whole knowing that the amazing food hasn't cost Regina an arm and a leg, and that knowledge, combined with the beauty around them and the woman she loves at her side makes Emma feels happy in the full sense of the word. She tries to think of the last time she felt like that, coming short. She decides, instead, to concentrate on the present, and enjoy it as it occurs.

"I meant it" Regina says out of the blue as they stroll towards the charming Île Saint Louis.

"What?" Emma asks, failing to pin point what Regina is referring to.

"I want you to move in with me" she says softly, lovingly, but Emma knows her girlfriend well enough to detect the small amount of vulnerability the creeps into her voice, probably despite her vigorous efforts to keep it away from it. "If you want to, that is." she adds, head bowing bashfully.

Emma smiles at her, taking a deep breath before replying "I'd love to. Maybe not the minute we come back, but I definitely want to in the future." she says, feeling an inexplicable need to assure Regina of her intentions, regardless of the lack of specific timeline at the moment.

The beam that washes over Regina's face leaves Emma panting, and she finds herself blurting out "Regina, I'm so in love with you, it's crazy..." she trails off, suddenly self-conscious, failing to notice the lips that charge for hers until they claim her.

"Ugh" Regina half sighs, half groans, in between kisses "Emma Swan, what am I going to do with you?"

"All sorts of nasty things, I hope" Emma replies cheekily, and Regina's rolling laugh bounces off the warm-brown stones of the bridge their standing own.

"Oh, you have no idea" the brunette shakes her head as sinister anticipation clouds her hazel orbs and a lip darts out to wet a luscious lower lip.

And if you guessed that next comes a sex scene, you've guessed right ;)