Rating goes to a super-duper hard T for sexiness this chapter.

Part IX

They had always been excited about winning, but this year her team was quite over the top. She was off of the ground, supported by shoulders and hands. Like some sort of hero. Her, The Evil Queen, hailed like a hero. It was simultaneously one of the most ridiculous and amazing things she had ever experienced. They eventually put her down and after several pats to the back, they went to the middle of the field to shake hands with their opponents. Though must of the handshakes were met with friendly smiles and exchanges of "Good Game." Regina had a slightly different experience than the rest of the team.

The Blue Fairy was cold, Charming was stiff, Snow glared at her with fire in her dark eyes, and then there was Emma. As they were at opposite ends of their teams' lines, they were the last to shake. Regina wanted to deny the small spark of energy that rushed up her arm when their hands met, but couldn't.

"Good game, Regina."

"You too, Emma."

They didn't break their shake, though the shaking had never really started. They were, for lack of better words, holding hands on the field.

There was so much to say, and Regina found herself uncharacteristically tongue-tied.

Emma rubbed a thumb across the back of her hand.

"How's your shoulder?"

Emma's eyes were warm and full of something that closely resembled concern.

"It-"hurt so much that she wouldn't turn away morphine or any other offered opiate. "will be okay."

Emma's mouth twisted and she let out a grunt, "I can tell that you're lying. Super power."

Regina's retort was cut off by a young and sugar-fueled scream of "Moms!"

Henry hit them both like a freight train. The impact of her not-so-little-anymore boy made her shoulder jolt and she hissed in pain despite herself.

"Damn it, Henry, be careful!" Emma pulled him into a hug even as she scolded him. "Your Mom's hurt."

Regina felt a smile steal across her face, hearing Emma call her Henry's Mom chased the pain away. She bent down so she and Henry were eye to eye, "I'm never too hurt to get a victory hug from my son." Henry's arms around her was better than any icepack or drug. Her eyes closed and she wrapped both arms around him despite the pain it caused her.

"Hey Archie!"

Henry let her go and waved her teammate over.

"Can you take a picture for me?"

Regina smiled, their traditional "victory" picture was something she loved almost as much as the actual victory itself.

Henry handed Archie the professional digital camera she had bought him for his last birthday and wrapped his arm around her.

"Wait."

She blinked, confused.

"I know she didn't win, but can Emma be in the picture too?"

Regina, kneeling on the grass now, looked up at Emma. The blonde had stepped back a few paces.

"She's my Mom too."

She turned to look at Henry and found that his face had fallen into a pout that she hadn't seen since he was seven. She looked up at Emma and was somehow not surprised to see an identical pout on her face.

"Of course."

Archie took the picture, Henry squeezed between herself and Emma, faces pressed cheek to cheek to cheek. She felt Emma's arm over Henry's shoulder and felt her smile grow just a little bit wider when the other woman's fingers brushed against the arm that she had stretched across Henry's back.

The flash made her see spots and she heard Emma ask Henry for a copy of the picture.

"Sure, hey Mom, can I go to the Lock-In tonight?"

Her response was automatic, "Of course, Dear." Then the spots cleared and she realized that Henry was looking at Emma. Of course he was, she was the mother he lived with now.

"Oh, I-"She sighed, embarrassed and determined not to feel jealous of her son's relationship with Emma. After everything that had happened she was very lucky he even called her Mom again.

Emma turned her head and their gazes met over Henry's tousled brown hair. Though she had spent months, endless hours, meeting Emma's glares, she had never seen that look in her eyes before. More than that, she had never had such an intense look directed at her. Heat settled in an entirely different part of her body and she found herself licking her lips, hungry for another heart-stopping kiss like the ones they had shared on the pitcher's mound. She wanted her son's birth mother.

All the light and dark Gods damn her, she wanted Emma Swan.

"You heard your Mom, Kid." Emma didn't break their far-too-intimate eye contact, "now get outta here, ya bum!"

Henry hugged them both again and disappeared with a shout.

"What the hell" Emma stood back up with a grunt, "is this lock-in?"

A slender, dirty, hand was held out to help her off of the grass. Regina took it gladly. "The school gymnasium is turned into a large rumpus room for the town's children and the cafeteria is turned into a dance for the high school students. It is a good distraction since most of the adults will be heading to the Rabbit Hole this evening. The Nuns keep everything mostly under control until they all pass out from sugar and adrenaline crashes in their sleeping bags."

Emma smirked, "And the teenagers?"

Their hands lingered again, fingers touching but not quite interlaced. Regina found herself smiling but wasn't sure why. "They eventually sneak out to find contraband alcohol and do whatever it is they do in the backseats of their parents' cars."

Emma chuckled, "And all the adults are partying like they just won the World Series."

Regina smirked, "Something like that."

"So" Emma grinned a very crooked and surprisingly sexy grin, "Will I see you down at the bar?" Emma sounded skeptical, "Cause, here's the thing, I don't think I've ever seen Madame Mayor rubbing elbows with the commoners in a bar."

Regina chuckled because that was her usual rule, but Miner's Day was her annual exception. "I'll have you know that Madame Mayor always buys the first round for both teams on Miner's Day, Sheriff. She wrinkled her nose at the state of her uniform and the scent of sweat and blood that wafted off of her skin. "After a change of clothes, of course."

Emma threw her head back and laughed. The sound made warm sparks shoot up and down her aching spine as she turned to walk back towards the school's locker rooms.

The Rabbit Hole was packed to capacity. The beer flowed like a river, the music was loud and the crowd was rowdy. Ruby Lucas loved it. She was still clad in her uniform, every dirt and grass stain was a victorious badge of honor, and had a stein of beer in each hand.

"Good game, Rubes!"

She nodded her head and smiled at Doc, clad in blue to support his brothers, as she passed him.

She navigated the crowded room to the shoved together tables that had been unofficially deemed the Red Team Table. She handed Granny her beer and took a deep drink her own. The cold hoppy taste washed over her tongue like ambrosia. Alcohol was always better when she wasn't footing the bill. She would thank Regina as soon as she arrived. It was funny, though, that the brunette hadn't shown yet. Maybe her shoulder was worse than she had let on. Perhaps she or Kathryn should have hung back and checked on her.

Speaking of Kathryn, she had staked out a seat at their table and was happily chatting with Frederick and Archie. Jack and Jill were playing darts and telling over-the-top stories about their days in the Evil Queen's army. Victor Whale, martini in hand, was trying to smooth-talk his way into a red-clad woman's pants. Some things, curse or not, never changed. Ruby took another drink and grinned. The After Party was always wild, but tonight promised to be an entirely different beast. Fairy Tale Creatures, princesses, knights and everyone else, were about to let loose on the sleepy little town of Storybrooke.

Grumpy, looking like he was about back to his usual level of surliness, drained his tumbler of whiskey. Nova had, like all the fairies, gone to the school to take care of the kids. He sighed and looked at the bar, hoping that his next requested drink would appear in his hand magically.

"Nova" He said gruffly, "texted me from the school. Apparently that Blue Bitch locked herself up in her office over at the convent to reorganize their collection of sacrificial wine."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Blue Team better replace her before next year." She had never trusted the fairy. There was something off about her smell. "Or Regina might not be able to resist fire-balling her."

Grumpy only grunted, "Wouldn't mind seeing that myself."

Up front on the half-assed karaoke stage, a reed thin man was tapping on the microphone trying to get the huge crowd's attention. The radio DJ Ethan "The Pipes" Hamelin, otherwise known as the Pied Piper, finally caught everyone's attention with a shrill whistle that made Ruby's hackles raise. God, she hated that sound.

"All right, thanks for coming out to the Annual Miner's Day After Party at the Rabbit Hole." The gathered red and blue crowd cheered. His mellow voice echoed through the bar at a pleasing and perfect pitch and brought the room back under control. It was going to be a wild and rowdy night. Ruby licked her lips and grinned. The wolf in her was still buzzing from victory and was ready to drink and dance. Hamelin flipped through a couple of cards he had in his hands. "We just got the numbers in from the ticket sales and I am happy to announce that this was the biggest year yet. The Red and Blue Softball Game raised over six thousand dollars in ticket sales alone."

The bar burst into applause and Hamelin continued, "Which of course will be matched dollar for dollar by the captain of the Red Team herself, Regina Mills."

Ruby raised her glass to that, "Hell yeah!"

"Speaking of her Mayor-ness, Regina was also unanimously voted this year's Most Valuable Player." He held up a small gold trophy, "C'mon up here, Madame Mayor. Speech!"

Well nobody could begrudge Regina that. She had played like a pro all night long. Well, except for the tiny little slip with Emma. That hadn't been professional at all. Speaking of Emma, where was she? Ruby looked around and realized that she didn't see or smell either the Sheriff or Mayor anywhere. She only hoped that the crowd, rowdier by the minute, hadn't caught on to that little fact.

"Speech! Speech! Speech!"

Shit, like they hadn't had to listen to enough of Regina Mills' speeches in the last twenty-eight years?

The moment was saved by Kathryn's quick trip to the stage. She smoothed her blonde hair and tugged down her clingy red tank top and grinned at the DJ. She didn't grab the microphone, he handed it with a flair of his wrist.

"Regina sends her apologies, genuine thanks and her checkbook but will not be joining us tonight because she is at home recovering."

There was a roar of laugher at that and Whale answered with a somewhat slurred, "Is that what they call it now?"

Okay, so at least some people had noticed that both teams' pitchers had yet to make an appearance.

The sound of Granny's smack to the back of the good doctor's head was actually loud enough to be heard over the laughter. She loved her sassy grandmother, especially when she was smacking people that weren't her.

"I would also like to take this moment" Kathryn continued, "to remind everyone on the Blue Team that the first round is on Regina and that everyone on the Red Team will be drinking on her tab all night long. Also remember, everyone, that the taxis will be running until four am for free so drink deep because the bar will be donating ten percent of tonight's profits, which will be matched by Alexander Embry." She grinned for a moment, "Thank you, Daddy."

Alexander Embry, otherwise known as King Midas, was clad in solid red and he raised his glass to his daughter, "That's how Regal Red rolls!"

The blue clad citizens let out a groan and the red citizens started chanting along to his statement.

Kathryn handed the microphone back and disappeared into the crowd. The DJ grinned, "Well let's give one big round of applause for all of our players tonight. They showed us the best game Storybrooke has ever seen and helped bring us closer to seeing the schools' new softball stadium, the Graham Humbert Memorial Field, become a reality.

The screams of approval and applause were deafening.

"And before we crank the music up I've been asked to say" He held up a cocktail napkin and squinted at it. "Victor, Michael, Stephen, Marion and Ella, you all owe Ruby money and you can see her at the Red Table to pay up." He laughed, "Folks, I don't even think we want to know what that was about."

Ruby, already getting a little buzz from her third shot of tequila, counted out the money that had been begrudgingly handed over to her. Her victory was cut short as Jill Hill snagged two of the hundred dollar bills out of her fist.

"Hey!"

The blonde threw back a shot of scotch, "I earned that money fair and square, Lucas."

Ruby wrinkled her nose and stuck out her tongue, "Don't act like you didn't enjoy it, Hill."

Kathryn, seated on Fredrick's lap, opened her mouth to ask exactly what was going on, but was interrupted.

"Oh she enjoyed it all right." The speaker had a strong Scottish lilt and Jill immediately blanched as she turned.

"Hey Baby."

The Lieutenant and second in command of the Storybrooke Fired Department crossed her arms over her chest and tossed her riot of red curls over her shoulder, "Don't you Baby me, Jillian."

Ruby grinned from ear to ear, "Oh someone's in trouble with the Missus."

Kathryn, well into her second glass of wine, snickered and made a very convincing whip-crack noise and wrist snap.

"Meri, honey," Gone was the bad ass short stop. Jill was immediately and honestly contrite, and completely wrapped around her fiery girlfriend's little finger. "It was all a part of the plan. Ruby just wanted to give Swan a little nudge in the right direction." The blonde smiled rakishly and held two fingers very close together to indicate exactly how small a nudge had been needed.

The redhead plucked the two hundred dollars out of Jill's hand, "And this little nudge included you feeling up Regina Mills every chance you got?"

Kathryn and Ruby thoroughly enjoyed watching Jill's face turn as red as her uniform, "Maybe?"

Granny, grinning just as much as anyone else, interrupted the impending argument with a raised beer stein, "To Regina and Emma" The rest of the team and assorted friends and family that had gathered around the table raised their own glasses. Archie, a little too deep into his margarita, chuckled, "And I for one have to say, it's about time!"

They clinked glasses and laughed.

Ruby looked over her shoulder and noticed two things. One: Snow was at the bar slamming down tequila shots at an alarming rate and more importantly, Two: Belle had just arrived.

"Excuse me, I'm gonna go check on M.M."

Eugenia "Granny" Lucas watched her over-zealous, but much beloved, granddaughter make a bee-line for the newly arrived librarian. Belle was dressed in a knee length red sundress and sported a huge smile. Granny could not hear their conversation, but could see a matching smile spread across Ruby's features "She's playing with fire. That Belle's going to be nothing but trouble."

Merida, who had taken possession of Jill's lap and her beer, only laughed, "Oh I think Ruby can handle herself and the bookworm."

Granny drained her beer, and watched Ruby plop her red cap on top of Belle's auburn head. She wasn't the only one watching the pair. Mr. Gold, clad in his usual (no red or blue at all) stared at them, his face as hard as stone and his eyes as cold as ice. His hands clenched around the handle of his cane and his jaw tightened.

Nothing, Granny sighed, but trouble. She turned her attention back to the table just in time to see Merida pat Jill's cheek affectionately, earlier transgressions apparently forgotten. "These Miner Day Celebrations have a way of bringing people together. Speaking of, where are the Sheriff and Mayor?"

Paul, with his five-foot-nothing wife at his side, only boomed out a laugh, "The last I saw Regina she was headed towards the showers."

"And Emma?"

Whale chuckled, "Oh I bet I know."

"We are about to crank the music back up." Hamelin crowed, "And this first song goes out to our Mayor and Sheriff who gave us a whole new definition of Law and Order tonight on the field. Wherever you ladies are, we here at the Rabbit Hole salute you!"

Kathryn laughed so hard she almost fell off of Frederick's lap when the first few bars of Katie Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" blasted out of the bar's speakers. The music was almost loud enough to drown out Snow's strangled scream. There wasn't, Granny grinned, enough alcohol in all of Storybrooke to erase the image of her step-mother and daughter kissing passionately from her memory, but damed if Snow White wasn't going to try. Charming was attempting to calm her down. She wished him luck, he was going to need it.

Granny watched, and couldn't help but smile a little bit when Ruby pulled Belle onto the dance floor. She should have really at least checked on Snow, but there was something in the air tonight. Despite the heap of shit that would eventually hit the fan, Eugenia Lucas couldn't stop her heart from giving a little flutter. Ah young love, be it between Savior and Queen, Werewolf and Librarian or Fairy and Dwarf, there was something bright and hopeful about it that nobody could deny. She only hoped they knew what they were doing.

Emma wandered through the locker rooms, determined to find Regina. Just to check on her, of course. The way Henry had plowed into her and the look on her face when he had made her think that they should maybe go to the hospital instead of the bar. Not that she would say no to a drink or eight right about now. Regina, though, had her just a little bit worried. Not to mention she wanted a minute alone with the woman before the chaos of the party at the bar. Ruby had warned her that it would get a little wild.

She wandered through the locker room halls and marveled at how everything looked like it came straight out of a cheesy 80s high school movie. She had no idea where she was going, only that the home team's locker room had to be somewhere.

Storybrooke High, home of the Knights. Emma snickered, and once again wondered exactly how much of the curse had been made of out sarcasm and irony and how much was eye of newt or whatever. She heard the sound of running water echo through the hall and figured she had to be close.

She pushed through a set of double doors and grinned because she had finally found the other locker room. Of course it was empty, though. The Red Team was, much like the Blue Team, already gone. Except one. The smart black slack and blazer combo hanging on a hook in one of the lockers told Emma that Madame Mayor was still present and accounted for.

"Regina?"

There was only one place she could be and both the angel (who sounded like Pre-Curse-Break Mary Margaret) and the devil (definitely Ruby) that rode on Emma Swan shoulders told her to go check out the shower room. Because Regina needed help or something. Maybe she had fallen and couldn't get up. Yeah, that was it.

She ducked into the shower room and was rewarded with the image of Regina Mills in a towel. Only a red, what other color would it be, towel. It covered her from her cleavage to her thighs, but left little to the imagination. Screw Victoria and her secrets, Emma had never seen anything as sexy as Regina in a bath towel.

"Hey."

Regina, who had been adjusting the shower's water temperature, jerked her head to the side.

"Miss Swan!"

Though she knew better, Emma moved forward, drawn towards the brunette like a moth to a flame.

"I came to check you out. I mean check on you. Because you're fine. I mean to make sure you're fine."

Damn it! A barely clad Regina apparently made her brain short-circuit.

The other woman, drops of water already misting in her dark hair, only smiled.

"I was just going to take a hot shower to alleviate some of the tension."

She waited a beat, her dark eyes dragging up and down Emma's body, "in my shoulder."

The mention of the injury drew Emma's eyes to it.

"Dear God, Regina."

She reached out and carefully touched the vicious scar that marred otherwise flawless skin.

"How did you keep playing like this?"

Regina drew in a shaky breath and Emma pulled her hand away slowly, afraid she had hurt her even more.

"It isn't as bad as it looks."

Emma didn't need a super power to know that the towel clad woman was lying.

"No." Emma reached out and touched a careful fingertip to the now-uncovered scrape on Regina's cheek, "its worse."

Anger, just as powerful and fresh as it had been during the game, resurfaced in Emma's chest. "I should have done more than just shoved that bitch a couple of times. I should have kicked the unholy shit out of her for doing this to you. I gave her an earful but here's the thing, that fairy fuck is a- something that rhymes with bunt."

Regina blinked, dark eyes clouded with confusion, "You defended me?"

Emma stepped closer, oblivious to the water from the nearby showerhead splattering her clothes, and cupped Regina's cheek again. She was gentler than she had been on the field. She couldn't bare the idea of causing Regina anymore pain.

"Yes. They were being assholes and that fucking Blue Mosquito deserved to have her teeth kicked down her throat."

Her eyes fell to the scars on Regina's shoulder, "And so does whoever did this to you."

Regina chuckled a little, "Miss Swan, these are very old scars and it was a war."

Emma found herself snarling, "And you are a Queen. You were supposed to be safe behind some high-ass castle walls sipping tea and I don't know doing wearing tiaras and doing whatever it is fairy tale queens do. Not on the front lines taking pot-shots. I mean damn it woman, didn't you wear armor or something?"

Had she? What had it looked like, and why did the very idea make Emma's blood burn just a little hotter for the woman.

"My battle garb was more for intimidation than protection, but yes I was on the so-called front lines on several occasions. How else was the Evil Queen supposed to defeat Snow White?"

Emma had a hard time meshing together the idea of the Evil Queen with the barefoot, towel clad woman who was all but in her arms.

"Monopoly?" Emma grinned, "Or Jenga. Oh Poker. I bet you have a kick-ass poker face."

She saw the smile that Regina was fighting to hide. "Miss Swan."

Emma dropped her head and laid a soft kiss on the angry red and swollen scars on Regina's shoulder.

"Call me Emma."

Regina gasped and her hands curled into the sweaty mess of blonde hair that Emma had yet to comb out.

"Emma." Her voice was a soft sigh and Emma smiled against her shoulder. Her hands carefully slid around Regina's towel covered waist and settled on the small of her back.

"When I saw you on the ground, when I heard you scream, I froze. I couldn't move my feet. All I wanted to do was run to you and make sure you were okay. Then your touchy-feely teammates were at your side and you didn't need me."

She stepped closer and didn't give a damn that the nearby shower was splattering her with water.

"I mean I understand Kathryn. She's like, certifiably, the nicest person in the world. In any world. Seriously, I mean you kidnapped her and faked her death and she calls you Gina and invites you over for brunch."

"Emma."

Oh how she hated that. She hated that Kathryn had some sort of friendship monopoly on Regina. She hated that the other blonde was comfortable enough to talk to and touch Regina. She hated the friendly familiarity and the laughter the two of them shared. She especially hated that Kathryn called her Gina. That wasn't her name. It was a common and unrefined name that was better suited to Jersey bimbos. Gina was everything that Regina wasn't. Yet Regina allowed it and that burnt Emma up on the inside.

"But Ruby? I mean I know the woman thinks she's God's gift to men and women, and I guess wolves, but she was all over you. She was practically patting your ass every chance she got!"

"Emma!"

The woman, with her barely-there uniform and cheeky smile had taken every opportunity to touch Regina. Not that Emma could blame her, but still. They were just teammates, not even friends. There was no way Ruby should have been so close so often. It was like she was rubbing up against Regina to do that wolfy-scent-mark-thing, like the other brunette was her territory. Emma wanted to hit the waitress on the nose like a bad puppy. Regina wasn't anyone's, especially not Ruby's, territory.

"And don't even get me started on Jill Hill." Oh she was the worst one, Emma unconsciously pulled Regina closer, all the way into her arms, and they were almost flush. Emma momentarily lost her train of thought because she realized that the only thing separating her from olive-toned perfection was a thin terrycloth towel.

"I-uh." Emma blew out an exasperated breathe. "She was all over you, the whole time. Her eyes, her hands, she practically dry-humped you on the field after your big game-winning homer. Like she had some kind of right. I should have arrested her for lewd and lascivious behavior. How dare she touch you like that?" Both hands had been securely latched to Regina's ass, grabbing and grasping at it like a horny frat boy. "That butch bitch had no right to touch you like that. Nobody does."

The fact that she was holding a mostly naked woman against her while simultaneously declaring that nobody should touch her didn't escape Emma, she just ignored the consequences.

"Miss Swan!"

Emma blinked and found herself, once again, staring into Regina's magnificent midnight dark eyes.

"Yeah?"

Regina's still-red lips quirked into a small smile. Emma would never get tired of those smiles, "Are you quite finished?"

She felt acute embarrassment race to her cheeks, "Yeah."

Regina's fingers untangled themselves from her hair and found purchase on her shoulders.

"Are you jealous? Regina's dark eyes sparked and Emma found herself unable, or unwilling to answer with the completely true 'yes'.

"Should I be?"

It was a deep question. One that maybe, they weren't ready for. Sure, she and Regina hadn't tried to kill each other lately, but that hardly qualified them for- Emma flexed her hands and felt the trembling muscles of Regina's back jump under her touch. It didn't qualify them for whatever it was they were doing. A couple of kisses shouldn't have led to this. Yet, Emma couldn't and wouldn't deny it, here they were.

She felt Regina take a deep breath and pause, as if to compose herself before answering. A lock of dark hair, damp from sweat and the sputtering shower, fell across Regina's face and Emma's hand automatically moved from her hold to push it back. Regina caught her hand and held it in place against her cheek.

"No."

Emma's heart hammered in her chest. They had been toying with each other all night. Hot glances, hotter kisses, but no promises and no thoughts to what would happen next. Emma slid her thumb across Regina's cheek. The steam and mist from the still running shower slid around them, floating in the air, fogging them in, cutting off everything but the two of them. They were alone in a white cloud of heat and Emma wasn't quite sure if was real or fantasy anymore. She also couldn't seem to care.

She didn't know what to say. She wasn't supposed to be jealous. Was Regina saying what Emma thought she was saying? Could the woman who had loved her son so completely actually have room in her heart for another? Could she actually care for Emma? Could the Evil Queen want the Savior in that way? In all the ways she desperately wanted Regina? She had thought it was unrequited, that her messy emotions were hers and hers alone.

"I mean not that I was jealous. Because I'm not. You're Henry's other Mom and the Mayor and I just need to watch out for you. Keep you safe. I mean not that you can't keep yourself safe. You're the most capable woman I've ever met. It's just that they were taking advantage of you when you were hurting and I couldn't stand it. Not when I should have been the one taking care of you- I mean."

"Miss Swan." Regina interrupted her with an insistent tug on her shoulders.

Damn it. She had run her mouth off and now Regina thought she was some kind of obsessive creep show.

Emma watched as Regina's left hand left her shoulder and stopped to rest at the top of her damp towel. With a small flick of her wrists she undid the folded over knot that held the towel up. It fell to the floor and Emma would swear she heard angels sing as every inch of Regina Mills body was suddenly and completely exposed.

"Regina I-"

Clever fingers, attached to graceful hands and long, muscular arms that lead to the most amazing body she'd ever seen, twisted into her hair again.

"Shut up and kiss me."

Regina tugged her forward a step and they were in the spray. The hot water hit Regina first and slicked her hair to her scalp. Water streamed down her face and beaded on her eyelashes and coated her lips.

Emma leaned in, still clothed in her uniform, and kissed Regina under the hot pounding spray. Heaven. Kissing Regina was heaven itself. Salt, spearmint, and an underlying sweetness that Emma couldn't help but associate with apples. Regina's kisses were like lines of cocaine on black velvet, intoxicating, addictive, an incredible high that could so easily turn into decadent and delirious destruction. Emma couldn't get enough.

She could feel Regina's hands tugging at her belt, pulling her now soaked blue jersey out of her pants. Pieces of her uniform were pulled from her body and thrown to the floor to join the soggy pile of red and blue clothe on the bleached white tiles of the shower.

Bare, slick and unbearably hot, she pulled Regina flush against her and let her hands glide across hot, soft and supple skin, mapping it with her fingertips. Water flowed down the two of them, streams splashed off of Regina's body and onto hers. A steady flow of drops fell from her slightly taller head to splash on Regina's upturned face.

God she wanted her. Emma slowly dragged her hands down Regina's shoulders, careful of her inflamed scars, to her chest. Emma had caught herself staring, only once or twice or every chance she got, at the Mayor's bust, but to feel the generous swell of Regina's perfect coral-tipped breasts made Emma's entire body shudder. The fact that her usually restrained Regina arched into her touch and groaned her approval made Emma all the more eager to see this through. She teased her breasts until Regina's nipples were rock hard and wanting before continuing to work her way down.

When she reached Regina's hips she knew what she wanted, what she needed. She laid her hands on either of Regina's thighs and lifted her. She had the right and permission to touch Regina this way. No one else. The woman was, whether she liked it or not, hers now.

Perhaps she had always been. They shared a son, after all. She had been drawn to Regina since the moment they'd met. She felt Regina's legs wrap around her hips and tipped her head back to moan. Regina understood, she accepted, she wanted. Emma walked them to the wall so that Regina's back was against the cold tiles and her front was pressed tightly against Emma.

"Emma."

Her eyes fluttered shut at the sound of Regina's raspy voice calling her name.

There was no turning back now. No one to walk in on them, no one to stop them, no one to judge them or tell them no. There was only the two of them. Not the Evil Queen and the Savior. Not the Mayor and the Sheriff. Not the Blue Team and the Red Team. Regina and Emma.

"God Emma."

When Regina's hot and skillful mouth started to place small kisses on her jaw and neck she hummed in approval and started to snake a hand between their bodies. When Regina jerked against her, hips bucking against her slightest touch, Emma smiled.

The last coherent thought, before giving over to the intensity of the moment and the emotions, before surrendering herself to the sweet heat and seductive majesty that was Regina Mills, swirling in her was that Miners Day was the best fake holiday ever.

Then Emma Swan let herself succumb to the urge that had been pulsing through the both of them all night. The heat, the sport, the pleasure, the intensity and the competition between them swelled up and they both fell against the other, helpless in the swirling heat of their own needs and a love that neither of them were ready to acknowledge yet.

Fin

Author's Note: Many thanks to everyone who reviewed, sent PMs and read this story. It was an amazing and super fun experience and I hope everyone enjoyed the story's ending! This is, my Dearies, the end of this story. There will be more, I'm sure. Please don't hesitate to prompt me here or on tumblr (same user name) if you are so inclined.

Ah, before I forget I borrowed some lines that I would like to quickly credit:

Chapter 8's mound double entendre was originally suggested by chemkate and this chapter's commentary on the Blue Fairy being something that rhymed with bunt was suggested by one of the many mysterious anon reviews. Much thanks to both of these people for the great lines!

Viva La Swan Queen!