DAY EIGHT - REPRUCUSSIONS

Unlike the previous morning, Regina did not wake up alone. She nuzzled closer into Emma, her warmth comforting. Regina was practically on top of the blonde, though after last night Regina doubted very much that her weight could ever bother the blonde. She'd thrown a man with the same ease a child throws a balloon.

Regina puffed at the annoying lock of her that was tickling her nose with little success. Fortunately, a hand rose and smoothed it away.

"You're awake," Regina tilted her head and smiled.

Emma returned the smile with one of her own, "So are you."

"Did I wake you?" Regina asked a finger tracing Emma's jaw lightly.

"No, the sun did," Emma blinked, "How are you feeling?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Regina kissed the nape of Emma's neck, "I feel fine, a little achy maybe."

Emma squeezed Regina closer to her remorse clouding her features, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I knew the consequences," Regina drew patterns with her finger on Emma's belly.

"No, you didn't," Emma clenched her jaw.

Silence descended upon them.

"I know that I've got a lot to explain," Emma said staring at the ceiling, "To all of you."

"And you'd only like to explain it once," Regina guessed.

"If I can," Emma agreed, "But if there's anything you want to know now…"

Regina sat up looking at Emma pensively. Emma shuffled up to lean against the headboard waiting for Regina to organise her thoughts.

"The first time we had sex, it wasn't just about the argument we were having, was it?" Regina asked watching Emma carefully.

Emma scratched her temple, "Not exactly. I was still trying to come to grips with the fact that I couldn't not know where you were at any time; I meant what I said last night, I can hear your heartbeat from miles away and smell you too. I had never experienced anything like it, I wanted to bite you so badly. Amongst other things."

Regina crawled over her, "I was driving you crazy with desire?"

"You always have," Emma said truthfully, not moving to touch the captivating woman. She carried on with her recollection of events that fateful day, "And that day, you had to bleed."

Regina scoffed, "I didn't actively give myself a papercut Emma."

Emma ignored her protestation, "The moment I smelled your blood Regina I had to leave the meeting; I did. But you followed me. You know the rest."

"So, what?" Regina asked confused, "You either had to bite me or fuck me?"

Emma swooped forward and kissed Regina forcing the brunette back a little; pulling back just as quickly and flopping against the headboard again, Emma moaned, "Why do I find it so sexy when you say that?"

Regina rolled her eyes, "Answer the question or you won't ever hear it again."

"I was cornered and getting increasingly frustrated by you," Emma admitted, "I just needed you. Whatever way I could get you. I nearly did bite you."

"Really?" asked straddling Emma's thighs.

"Yeah," Emma drew Regina closer, "You're hard to resist, but you already knew that."

Regina smirked, and leaned in to kiss Emma. She teased the blonde with short barely there kisses before finally relenting and running her tongue along the seam of Emma's lips; which eagerly parted. Regina fisted her hands in Emma's hair, while their tongues duelled passionately.

Regina moaned, her fingers tightening in blonde locks, when Emma pulled her pelvis tightly against her own, rocking them gently together; providing more frustration than relief.

Regina separated their lips with a wet pop, and lifted Emma's top off, her own quickly following. Emma licked her way up Regina's neck over the point where she had bitten the brunette, to her ear lobe. She sucked and flicked at the flesh in her mouth, much to Regina's delight.

Regina reached down between them, desperate to feel more skin. Not wanting to part from Emma, (who had moved her attention to that spot behind her ear) Regina huffed and decided that magic would be quicker. They both groaned in appreciation of heated skin on skin.

Emma ran her hands along toned thighs, while Regina rocked gently against her stomach leaving an increasingly wet, sticky trail on toned muscle. But it wasn't enough. Regina grabbed one of Emma's hand and led it down their bodies. Emma kissed Regina, letting the brunette position her hand the way she wanted it.

Regina rubbed her sex along Emma's fingers coating them in her desire. Regina locked eyes with Emma as she kept a hold of the blonde's hand and sank onto the waiting digits. Regina tilted her head back and sighed at the feeling of Emma inside her. Emma coaxed Regina back to her and they kissed languidly, their tongues grazing together as they built a rhythm between them. Regina bouncing and rotating her hips; and Emma thrusting and stroking in tandem with her partner's movements. Letting Regina's clit rub and bump against her palm with varying pressure.

The obscene noises that their union was making, made Emma squirm her own sex throbbing, Regina was so unbelievably wet.

Emma latched onto one of Regina's bouncing breasts, nipping and sucking at the puckered nipple. Regina curled forward hugging Emma's head to her chest with a breathy moan. Emma could feel the tell-tale fluttering of Regina's walls around her fingers, and Regina's increasingly erratic movements. With her free hand, Emma squeezed Regina's ass before raising it and giving the jiggling flesh a swift slap in tandem with a particularly hard thrust, while stroking and circling Regina's clit rapidly with her thumb.

Regina inhaled sharply, for one brief moment her enter body bowed and went rigid, before she let out a long shuddering breathe interspersed with moans and her body shook uncontrollably in pleasure. Regina's head fell forward and rested heavily in the crook of Emma's neck her eyes tightly closed, enjoying the sensations running rampant through her.

Emma kept the stimulation going gently, until Regina reached between and pulled Emma's fingers from her. Emma moaned gently at the wet squelch that accompanied the action, along with the wetness that dripped onto her thighs from Regina's quivering sex.

Emma brought led their hands up and was about to suck her fingers into her mouth when Regina beat her to it; using her hand to pull Emma's fingers within reach of her Regina sucked each digit clean lovingly. Emma was too turned on by the act to protest. Emma's generosity was rewarded by Regina kissing her deeply trying to share the remnants of her own essence.

Regina licked and kissed her way down Emma's neck, her skin salty. She swirled around one nipple then the other. Before continuing her downward journey, she smirked against Emma's belly, tasting herself again. Dark chocolate eyes flicked up to see Emma watching her every move avidly, her chest rising and falling quicker than before.

Once she was between Emma's legs, she yanked her blonde lover further down the bed onto her back and spread her legs wide. Regina looked at the beautiful sight before her, with abandon. This beautiful, powerful woman was hers. And she was ready for Regina's attention. Her centre wet and swollen with need.

Emma lay beneath her waiting. Regina didn't notice Emma's smirk until a hand came into view, teasing the bundle of nerves that was straining for some attention. Regina batted the hand away with a growl and scowled at Emma, "Mine," she declared finally leaning down to taste her.

Regina swept her tongue flatly along the length of Emma's sex. Looking up again Regina was pleased and disappointed to see that Emma's focus was still all on her. Regina raised her left hand and reached for Emma's. The moment their fingers interlocked Regina placed them over Emma's pelvis and swiped Emma's clit with the stiffened point of her tongue. Regina smirked when Emma's head fell back with a thump against the pillows. Regina moved her tongue down to Emma's clenching entrance, letting her nose bump against Emma's clit, as the blonde writhed against her face.

Regina's free hand wandered over Emma's thigh and up to her breasts tugging and pinching at the straining nipples. Emma ground down against Regina's face, the pressure in her lower belly building rapidly. Regina's head bobbed up and down between her thighs, slurping and licking in the lewdest manner. And Emma couldn't think of anything sexier in that moment.

Regina formed a seal around Emma's clit sucking and flicking her tongue over the sensitive bundle of nerves and Emma's thighs clamped shut around her head. A fresh gush of sticky fluid covered Regina's chin and she moaned her delight, causing a shudder throughout every nerve ending in Emma's body.

Using their joined hands Emma urged Regina to shuffle up her body. Regina licked her lip and cheekily wiped her face along Emma's body on her journey up. Adding to the slick sweat soaked coating on the blonde's skin and her own when she settled on top of her.

Regina smiled when she was level with Emma again, and kissed her recovering lover soundly. Lazy their tongues grazed against each other.

Emma rested their sweaty foreheads together, "I wish we could stay here all day."

Regina hummed in agreement, licking her lips some more, "There will be other days."

"Promise?" Emma asked dropping kisses wherever she could reach.

"Yes, my love," Regina slid her hands down Emma's chest and pushed up to straddle her. Their sweaty skin separating audibly, "But for now we must get up."

Swinging her leg over her blonde lover Regina gracefully rolled out of bed. Emma turned on her side and watched in rapt fascination as Regina sashayed towards the ensuite. Regina was walking, talking sin.

"Are you coming dear?" Regina glanced over her shoulder coquettishly, "I'm a little achy I may need help."

Emma was up and over to Regina in the blink of an eye, "It would be selfish not to help," lifting her lover effortlessly into her arms she carried her into the shower.

Regina and Emma arrived, hand in hand, in one of the many meeting rooms in town hall, the signature swirl of Regina's magic announcing their arrival. There wasn't much time for them to prepare to be tackled into a bear hug by their teenage son.

"Are you both ok?" He asked, his chin digging almost painfully into Regina's shoulder.

"Sure we are," Emma patted the teen on the back, "Never better."

Emma waved at her parents and the small group of their friends. Granny sat at the large table, talking quietly with Belle, Archie and the Dwarves. Killian sat with his feet propped on the table, happily catching the sunlight on his hook and bouncing the reflected light around the room. Zelena sat next to the pirate, her eyes inspecting every inch of her little sister, before eyes narrowed at Emma in distrust. Blue was hovering close to Snow looking at Emma with warily. Gold gave Emma pause. The dark one was leaning against the wall by the door, looking at her knowingly and for the first time in a while, Emma wondered just how much he knew.

Lily met Emma's gaze and smirked, "Vampire, huh?" Emma gave lopsided smile, Lily tilted her head thoughtfully, "Guess you weren't as lucky as I thought."

Henry stepped back from his mothers scrutinising them. It didn't escape either of their notice that Henry's eyes traced Regina's neck diligently.

"I'm fine, dear," Regina promised, "There is nothing to worry about."

"You didn't bite mom?" Henry asked tentatively looking at Emma.

Snow stepped in, "Maybe we should all get comfortable first, I think we all have questions we'd like to ask Emma."

Those still standing grabbed their chosen seats and made themselves as comfortable as they could, in the hard, lumpy chairs. Emma stood behind Regina's chosen chair too agitated to sit.

"Yes, Henry. I bit your mom," Emma stared him in the eye, ignoring the uncomfortable squirming that some of the other occupants of the room had taken to, "But I really didn't want to."

Zelena sucked air through her teeth but held her tongue, Regina smiled appreciatively at her older sister.

Henry grabbed Regina's hand, needing the physical contact reassuring himself that Regina was safe, "Then why did you?"

"Emma didn't have much of a choice dear," Regina squeezed her sons hand touched by his concern.

"Forgive me but that is a little hard to believe," Blue's distrust was laced in every word.

Emma bowed her head and closed her eyes.

Regina glowered at the fairy, defensive of her blonde lover, "Emma bit me under duress. She was in no condition to procure what she needed; I couldn't stand by and do nothing. Emma was adamantly against biting me on her own, so I forced her."

"How do you force a vampire to bite you?" Blue stood glaring straight back at the Queen.

Regina looked at Emma and then back at to the rest of the table, "By stabbing a finger into an open wound."

Henry paled and looked at Emma's pinched face, "But there's no bite mark."

"I healed your mom after," Emma forced a small smile, "Can we move on to the other questions now?" A chorus of consent echoed in the small meeting room. "What would you like to know first?"

"Why didn't you tell us?" Snow asked forlornly, "We love you Emma, this doesn't change that."

Emma laughed and dragged a hand through her hair, "Because how the hell could I? I sure as hell wouldn't have believed anyone if they'd told me they were a vampire before I got turned into one. And even if I did think that anyone would believe me it's not something you can just come out with. Hey, I'm Emma Swan, I'm a vampire, fancy hanging out? Getting a drink?"

"Sister's got a good point Snow," Leroy pointed out, "She probably would've been chased out of town before the first curse broke."

"Lynched afterwards too," Granny added, "The town was prepared to go after my Red, they wouldn't have given a damn about going after Emma either."

They all reacted at the thought, grimacing or shuddering at Emma's hypothetical fate.

"How did you become a vampire?" David asked, "You said that you didn't die."

Emma leaned on the back of Regina's chair, the closeness of her love giving her a focus point, "It wasn't long after I became a bounty hunter. I was after a mark and it just so happened that he was a vampire. I didn't know that at the time obviously."

"What happened?" Henry prompted his mom to continue.

"I had been chasing after him for weeks, when I finally got my shot. He'd let his guard down. I found him just after a feeding," Emma looked at the ceiling, "I remember him hunched over a body, I drew my gun and told him I was taking him in. He laughed at me. After that things are fuzzy. I remember being in pain, the taste of copper in my mouth and then nothing."

Killian swung his feet off the table, "He forced you to drink blood?"

Emma nodded, "His blood. I was found by another vampire and woke up a few days later."

"You said yesterday that it's a disease," David said.

"It's like an infection, a drop of vampire's blood in you and that's it, your infected," Emma sighed, "There's no getting rid of it, no cure. You just have to accept what you are or die."

Regina twisted around to face Emma, "Who was the vampire that found you?"

"Her name was Eloise, she mentored me," Emma smiled fondly, picturing the young woman that was older than she appeared.

"Mentored you?" Snow asked.

"New vampires are more dangerous, that much is true," Emma scratched her head, "Everything changes, you become stronger, faster, all your senses heightened to unimaginable levels." Emma paced round the table, "But all that comes with a price."

Henry supplied sombrely, "Blood."

"Blood," Emma confirmed, "If you want to act like a vampire then you have to pay the price. I don't need a lot of blood because I don't use my abilities very often. But when I was first turned the only thing that I wanted was blood."

"And this Eloise gave you blood?" Granny asked, "What did she gain from helping you?"

"Vampires aren't good or bad," Emma replied defensively, circuiting the table for the second time, "We're people the same as anyone else, there are good vampires and bad vampires. It all comes down to the choices we make. Eloise couldn't in good conscience leave a fledgling vampire on the streets preying on anyone that stumbled across her. So she took me in and yes, she gave me blood. That she purchased from a butcher."

Regina's eyes followed Emma's every move, "What happened to the vampire that turned you, your mark?"

Emma's bared her teeth, "I caught up with him a few months later. I killed him."

Everybody tensed and Henry flinched at Emma's blunt confession, "Why?"

"Because he was responsible for what happened to me; because he was a bad guy that did horrible evil things; because I had to know what it took to kill another of my kind and I wanted to kill him," Emma ranted, "Eloise had to teach me everything. I needed to know how to act with humans again so that they wouldn't panic; how to feed; how to measure my abilities. I had to learn how to live again. And I hated him for it. I wasn't me anymore."

"Wait if you've killed at least one other vampire why didn't you kill Virgil properly?" Lily asked.

Emma looked at her oldest friend, "I didn't realise you were there last night."

"You drew a lot of attention," Lily supplied, "So why didn't you kill him properly first time around."

"I was distracted," Emma admitted, her eyes drifting to Regina and Henry; no more was said.

Archie cleared his throat gently, "You said you weren't yourself."

"Eloise tried to keep me on the right path, tried to get me to keep my humanity. But I didn't," Emma clenched her jaw, "I used it as an excuse. All the sorrow; all the rage; all the disappointment, I had ever experienced in my life. I had power. Bloodlust. And I allowed myself to be reprehensible because I'm vampire, a monster, and that's what monsters do."

Snow sniffed and willed the welling tears to go, "I'm so sorry, Emma."

Shrugging the blonde looked her mother in the eyes, "Don't be. It was my choice."

"What did you do mom?" Henry asked.

"So much, I don't know how many people survived after I bit them. I never hung around to see, I fed then moved on," Emma continued pacing, "I never turned anyone though, I had no desire to become a sire. I built a reputation for taking down older vampires, that mostly emulated vampire myths. Blood, guts and gore all the way. When I did I created power vacuums in their territories for younger vamps to take over." Emma swallowed, "A lot of them had been alive for a century's. Eloise said I had a death wish."

"How could they have been alive for century's? You said last night that you age," Henry interrupted.

"Because I choose to," Emma looked out the window, "It's like everything else, it requires more blood. And I really don't want to live forever."

"None of this sounds particularly damning," Lily drawled, "Sounds like you were doing some good."

Emma smiled sadly, "Afraid not. Whenever I created a power vacuum, I didn't hang around to see who would take over. Vampires would flood into an area and innocent people would get killed because of it. And there was never any guarantee that the replacement would be an improvement."

"Why did you stop?" Snow asked.

Emma took a deep breath, "Eloise had enough of my acting out. She put me to the test."

Snow clasped her hands together, "What did she do?"

"We fought for hours," Emma gave a derisive laugh, "Mostly because El was taking it easy on me, trying to reason with me. She wore me down, I was sore and tired. I couldn't stand. I needed to feed. Eloise taunted me with a food source."

Emma's tone and word choice made Regina suspicious, and looking around the table she realised that it hadn't been the only one.

"It was a girl, about five years old," Shivers ran through them all as Emma continued, "El encouraged the girl, Una, to come to me. I was so hungry-"

"Emma tell me you didn't," Snow sounded squeamish and a little hysterical.

Emma flinched hurt and angry at her mother's thinly veiled accusation, "If you shut up you'll find out," she snapped, "Eloise kept encouraging Una closer to me. I was hungry and I could hear her little heart beating a mile a minute. She knew something wasn't right, but she trusted El so she kept coming. Once she was in front of me she stopped. And El told me to make my choice."

Zelena found her voice first, "What choice?"

"Either fully commit to being a monster and kill Una to sate my hunger or let her live and keep what was left of my humanity," Emma paused, a lone tear running down her cheek, "I couldn't do it. I wanted to, briefly, but I couldn't. After that Eloise helped me to get back to a fairly normal, good person and I went back to my bounty hunting."

Emma stopped next to Regina again and willed herself to calm down. Nobody felt the need to speak, while Emma composed herself. Emma listened to the relaxed rhythmic beating of Regina's heart allowing it to sooth her.

"How long did all that take?" Leroy asked tactlessly.

"Years," Emma replied curtly.

Everyone was quiet again, all they had learned swimming at the forefront of their minds.

"Vampires have been around in this world for a while?" Lily broke the silence.

Emma nodded, "Yeah, but beyond that I don't really know much about the origins of vampires."

"Yes you do," Gold stepped away from the wall where he had lingered.

Emma frowned, "What?"

"Don't forget dearie, we share a unique bond," Gold circled the table towards her, "We both know that."

Henry looked up at his mother, "Emma what is grandpa talking about?"

"Every Dark One leaves their mark on the next, memories, knowledge and such," Gold tapped his cane behind Hook, "When dear Emma became a Dark One she gained knowledge of her kind she didn't have before."

"What knowledge?" Blue asked.

"Vampires didn't originate in this realm," Emma glowered at Gold, "But because there is no magic a traditional vampire couldn't survive here. Dead is dead. Instead this happened," Emma waved a hand down her front, "But I don't see why this matters though."

"Think about it dearie," Gold stood before Emma challengingly, "If news of a vampire that can walk in the sun and lives reaches that realm what do you think they'll do?"

"What are you saying Gold?" Emma growled.

"You didn't feel right whenever you were in our homeland Emma because in our land you'd be dead," Gold smiled, "In this world vampires might have heartbeats and sun tans, but not in any other. One day they will come looking."

"Stop fear mongering Rumple," Regina stood shoulder to shoulder with Emma, clasping their hands together, "It's not working."

"Consider it the view of a concerned citizen Madam Mayor," Nodding his head Gold disappeared in a magic puff.

"Well that was ominous," Lily droned, "Dark One's a real barrel of laughs."

"He could be right," Emma looked at her family morosely, "I could be endangering you all by staying here."

David smiled at his daughter, holding Snow's hands, "That's a risk we happily accept. The same could be said of any one of us Emma. Everyone except Henry has enemies in this town."

"Whatever comes our way Emma, we will face it just like we always have," Regina squeezed Emma's hand, "Together."

Emma nodded slowly, "Ok."

Henry's stomach rumbled loudly, breaking the tension in the room, much to his embarrassment and everyone else's amusement.

"Come on kid let's get something to eat," Emma ruffled his hair, "We've got plenty of time for you all to grill me for more information later."

"To the diner then youngsters," Granny corralled them, "I might even treat you."

Zelena motioned for Regina and Emma to fall back, once they were alone she shared her reason, "Rumple may not have been fear mongering Regina."

"I know sis," Regina sighed, "But for now it is a non-issue."

"And what will you do when that changes?" Zelena hissed.

Regina gave half a shrug, "Honestly, I don't know."

"We'll do what we always do," Emma smiled reassuringly, "We'll fight until we win and then carry on with our lives."

"Great Oz, is that the attitude that helped you defeat my plans?" Zelena groaned, "How did I not win?"

"It's the same attitude that beat me too, dear," Regina kissed Emma on the cheek, "For whatever reason it works."

"Perseverance and optimism are strong weapons to have in an arsenal," Emma grinned at the sisters, "We'll be fine you'll see. Come on, they'll be waiting."

Emma hooked their arms together and marched them out of the room. Despite the vocal protestations of the red headed sister. Closing her eyes, Emma hoped that their concerns would remain unfounded. At least for a little while.

That's all for now.

I would like to thank you, dear reader, for taking the time to read my story, I really appreciate it. You're awesome.