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It's ridiculous, absolute ludicrous as to why she is here, but she was backed into a corner from life itself and this was literally her only option unless homeless and starved is something she really wants to try again. She's done it before, she can't recall how many times she has run away from a foster home, slept on a park bench, and stolen all kinds of junk food to keep her going to the next day. Except, she's twenty-two now and the risk and consequences she would have to face if caught are much greater than being sent to a new foster family.

So here she is, with nothing more than a backpack of every article of clothing she owns and the blanket she was abandoned in with her name stitched across the bottom. She is so out of her damn element that her stomach won't stop churning and she thinks she might vomit all over the bus but she swallows the bile down because she refuses to be seen as the weak one. She doesn't have a home or a job or food for that matter, to keep her motivated to the next day, so she needs to do everything in her power to keep from being eliminated just to keep a roof over her head and food in her stomach.

And that's the whole reason why she signed up to be on the most competitive reality show known to mankind. The Challenge.

She just so happened to be stumbling the streets of Boston, attempting to formulate a game plan for food and a place to sleep for the night when she came across a sign for auditions to be on the next season of The Challenge. It wasn't as easy as she thought it might be. Honestly, the person in charge of checking in people who had already signed up for auditions, wouldn't let her through but she's a stubborn ass and wouldn't take no for an answer. One casting director told her she needed to send in an audition tape weeks ago and they were already in the final rounds of auditions. That didn't scare her though, she simply plastered on her most cocky smirk and used her information of the show to her advantage.

She knew politics and image were most important, so she explained that she couldn't afford anything at all to send in her audition tape. She laid on the poor orphan image nice and thick until they all felt guilty and oh so sad for her. Then she went for the kill. She told them they needed someone to shake up the house, someone who wasn't afraid to go after Regina, their top dog, The Evil Queen. She ensured them that she was scrappy, strong, and could out run anyone that was on their list now. So, the casting director brought her inside and made her jump through hoops. She had to wrestle every contender waiting for their fifteen minutes of fame, answer math problems, and solve puzzles, then they made her run until she was vomiting uncontrollably in a nearby garbage can. Not once did she quit though.

So, here she is, tucked in the back of the bus, on her way to some unknown location in Thailand, where she will live in a mansion with complete strangers and compete in the most grueling obstacles for three months. But that's three months of shelter, food, and water if she can last and if by some miracle, she makes it to the final and wins, that's one million dollars in her pocket. Except, she won't allow her mind to dream up something so spectacular and stable. Not yet, not when there are fifteen other people on this bus that are just as desperate for that prize.

She has seen the show enough times to know how the game is played. Ten years ago, she was in a foster home with a few kids who were older than she was and they were obsessed with the show. She always pretended to be disinterested but she watched every episode and when she moved on to the next home, she continued to follow every season. She knows all of the Vets, players who have been on the show for many seasons; their strengths, weaknesses, how they approach the game...she just hasn't seen any of the familiar faces yet, which is odd. However, she doesn't have time to dwell on that because she is trying to pretend that she's perfectly okay with all the cameras in her face.

The entire bus is loud and rowdy, all new contestants for the upcoming season but she is just fine hiding away in the back. Even though she ran her mouth to the casting director about wanting to shake things up, her game plan is to really lay low and skate by week after week to stay in the house because for every week she lasts, she receives a check for one thousand dollars and she could use every penny.

The bus slowly crawls to a stop and she has never been more thankful because she could really use a shower and a mattress to sleep upon. That's when her stomach growls loudly and reminds her that food wouldn't be so bad right now either. She moves to stand like everyone else on the bus but a producer stands tall and halts their planned escape. She knows this is usually the part where people run and tackle each other for rooms and everyone seems to be waiting on pins and needles in anticipation.

"Listen up," the older woman shouts in her most authoritative tone, "you are going to stay in a single file line, do not run to the house like you may have seen on the show. This is our final inspection before you enter the house to make sure no contraband is being snuck inside of the house. You all received a list of items but we will be checking once again. Reminders, no phones, no radios, no books, no magazines, no iPads, no connection to the outside world. Also, the refrigerator and cabinets are stocked with food, as we mentioned, it is provided by the network but all alcohol must be purchased by you, we will not be responsible for that. Any questions?"

Every single person screams no in unison except, Emma, she simply shakes her head and follows the wild pack of heathens off the bus. She waits patiently in line as crew members rifle through luggage and purses and all kinds of items that could possibly be a vessel to hide objects in. One guy that looks like he just stumbled out of a frat house is caught with a burner phone. Some obnoxiously loud woman with fiery red curls makes a show of her vibrator being found. Another guy is questioned heavily on his "supplements" and is ordered to toss it immediately.

"Emma Swan, is this all you have?" A younger looking man asks as she slides the backpack off her shoulder and hands over the only possession she has to her name.

"Yeah, that's it," she mumbles under her breath, her heart pounding as if he's going to mysteriously pull out a baggie full of white powder even though she's never touched a drug a day in her life.

"Says here you never turned in a cell phone before boarding the plane," he skeptically accuses as his hands slink through every piece of garment she owns.

"Never had one," she plainly responds, cringing at the idea of his fingers accidentally sliding through more personal items.

He stops, dead in his tracks and for a split second she thinks he found something incriminating even though she literally only has clothes and her baby blanket. "You've never owned a phone?"

Her eyes slowly crawl to meet his bemused expression. "Nope, never," she shortly replies, praying for this moment to just be over with because the last thing she wants to do is explain her sad little life story to some schmuck whose one task is sniff out a cell phone.

"Alright...well uh, looks like you're good to go."

"Thanks," and with that she slings the bag over her shoulder and proceeds to follow the line to where one of the producers is standing and waiting.

"Alright, once I step behind the camera, our cameraman, Kenny, will yell action and then those cameras will not turn off until you leave this show."

"Then can we run to find our room?" Some guy hopefully inquires while everyone else nods along enthusiastically.

"Then you run to your room," the woman sighs heavily as she slips her headphones into place and Emma has her suspicions that this woman is really tired of the childish behavior.

However, when the woman counts down on her fingers and Kenny screams, action, Emma takes off running just like the rest of the hoodlums for her bedroom. Everyone is so antsy to find a bed, as if the show might not provide enough bunk beds for the entire cast, so people start claiming the first rooms they stumble upon. Not Emma though, she knows how rowdy the cast can get, so she skips the bedroom closest to the kitchen, knowing how many late night parties will occur. She sweeps right by the bedroom overlooking the ginormous pool because she knows how intoxicated people like to skinny dip and do all kinds of dirty things in that pool. Finally, she arrives at the back of the house where there are two bedrooms hidden away, each stocked with two bunk beds.

Her eyes light up and she immediately dives for the bottom bunk furthest from the door. She barely slips her backpack off her shoulder before she hears a thick Australian accent singing behind her.

"Knock, knock," a tiny little blonde happily cheers as she lingers near the doorway with a camera crew behind her. The first thing Emma notices besides the people about to film her every move, is this woman only has a backpack and a small duffel bag, unlike some of the girls who are wheeling behind three suitcases. "Looking for a roommate?" She hopefully asks, her big eyes so bright and endearing.

Emma nervously stuffs her hands into her front pockets and rocks from her heels to her toes, completely overwhelmed by the camera and mic shoved into her face. "Umm, sure."

"Great! Seems like we will be getting two other roomies anyway!"

"I guess so..." she trails off, watching every move this girl makes intently because she has always been a people-watcher. She prides herself on studying each individual and being able to tell exactly what kind of person they are within moments of meeting them. The tiny little thing places her duffel bag beside Emma's bunk and then climbs the bed in a childlike manner and she immediately finds this girl sincere. "Um...I'm Emma, Emma Swan."

"Nice to meet you, Emma. I'm Tina but my family calls me Tink, kind of a silly nickname for always tinkering around with things but it stuck," she sheepishly says, swinging her legs over the edge and smiling so sweetly.

"So, do you want me to call you Tina or Tink?"

"Tink, I don't even think I would answer to Tina anymore," she giggles at herself and then hops right down. "So, where do you think all the Vets are? Like our bus was all new people, nobody I have ever seen on the show before."

"I noticed that too," she concludes, her suspicious eyes crawling back to the door like a vet might pop out at any minute and harass them for being in their territory.

"Do you think we should hold off on allowing anyone else in here? What if the vets end up coming? We don't want to be in a room full of rookies and never hear the vet gossip," Tink very wisely acknowledges and Emma knows in this moment that she genuinely likes this woman.

"So, you've watched the show before," she doesn't question, just a mere observation.

"Yes! I'm obsessed," Tink practically squeals. "I'm surprised they opened auditions to the public, usually you have to come from another show but just random auditions for regular people? This is amazing. How about you, have you seen the show?"

Emma's eyes subconsciously dart to the camera guy who shakes his head in the negative to redirect her attention back toward Tink and ignore him.

"Um, here and there," she vaguely answers because she still wants to fly under the radar and she doesn't want to give away anything too soon. She needs to keep her guard up, she knows better than to trust someone on night one.

"Okay, so who are you most excited to meet and who are you most nervous to compete against?" The blonde excitedly interrogates as if she's actually interviewing Emma.

"Umm, I don't know," she shyly shrugs, rocking on her feet once again. "Sabine is the Killer Queen, if she comes, I think I would be nervous to end up in an elimination against her."

"Ah! She's insane! Her elimination record one on one is ridiculous. She is so feisty in the pit. I'm nervous for Regina's politics, that woman can puppet this entire house without ever lifting a finger."

"True," she noncommittally agrees because she refuses to draw too much attention to herself and reveal just how much she knows.

"She's a legend though. I hope she's on this season just so I can say I played with her," Tink cackles. "I'm really excited to meet Neal. Bad boy turned saint. He's one of the best, even if he's been on for like twelve seasons now."

"Oh yeah," she lamely supplies because truth be told, if Emma has to be paired with anyone, she hopes the universe will sew them together.

"Is there anyone you are excited to meet?"

"Umm, I'm not really sure. I think this whole thing is a little intimidating, I'm just trying not to throw up in front of the cameras."

"Like...besides the eating contests?" Tink genuinely asks, cocking her head so innocently to the side, oblivious to Emma's anxiety and panic about being sent...well, she doesn't have a home, so just sent away.

"Yeah, eating all that gross stuff in the final sounds awful," she quietly responds.

"Maybe we should go mingle? I'm sure everyone is drinking already."

"Go ahead, I'll catch up in just a minute," she assures, smiling brightly and easily persuading her new roommate to skip right out of the room.

Emma sighs, plopping down on the bed in peace, yet the camera lingers a few inches away. She peeks through her lashes, glaring at the lens inspecting her every breath.

"Uh...I'm just sitting here...alone."

The cameraman doesn't mutter a sound but there is a cast member lingering nearby who chuckles. She lightly taps the man on the shoulder and he quietly turns off his camera. Emma watches it all with rapt attention.

"Emma, we film every moment. Twenty-four hours, seven days a week, for three months. While you eat, while you sleep-"

"While I pee?" She squawks in disbelief but the woman just laughs lightheartedly.

"Not while you pee but I promise you, that's the only place off limits. If we think you are conspiring, talking game or hooking up, we will bust in the bathroom."

"Perfect," she grumbles under her breath even though she already knew all of this.

"I'm Elsa by the way. I'm in charge of the Rookies, so you'll be seeing my face a lot. And this is Kristoff, the camera guy. This will be the only time that I'll turn off the camera, so please be mindful and try to ignore us, focus on your cast mates."

"Alright..." she slowly says as Elsa nods, her hand reaching to tap Kristoff once again. "Um, thanks for giving me a minute of peace," she rushes out quickly before the little red light blinks on again.

Elsa doesn't speak another word, so Emma scoops up her backpack to place on her bed as a sign of calling dibs and then she takes a moment to lie back and stare up at the bottom of the mattress above her. She ignores the uninvited guests, being a foster kid and constantly having strangers around is something she is accustomed to.

Her mind starts to formulate strategies and conjure up what might be happening since the Vets aren't around. She's never seen a game like this before, so she's already painfully aware that things are going to be completely different this season and so she needs to stay on her toes, observe everything and everyone.

She strums her fingers against her abdomen and thinks about the different partner options.

Male competitor, hands down she wants Neal. She has watched his growth over twelve years and she knows he will be the best partner. When he first started, he was the bad boy, the party animal who always ended up in fist fights and being disqualified. He has four championships under his belt and he would have had a heck of a lot more if he didn't drink so much in the beginning. However, the last five years, he has proved to be a completely different human. He doesn't drink anymore, he motivates his team or partner with positivity and he's usually pretty hard to beat in physical strength, not to mention puzzles.

Now, as for female competitors, she's torn. Regina owns the Challenge house, she is Queen B and every year airhead bimbos come in and try to knock her off the pedestal and it never works. It would be great to have her on her side but she also knows Regina is cold, hard, and a downright bitch and she doesn't think she can take that mental abuse.

Luckily, another contender is Mary Margaret, Regina's former nemesis until The Challenge: Rivals where the two were paired together. Halfway through the season, they realized they were strongest working together and they set aside their differences and actually worked quite well together. So well that they took home the check and bragging rights to another championship. That was two seasons ago and they may not necessarily be best friends now but they have a mutual understanding and respect for one another. Mary Margaret is strategic, one of the best at politicking and that girl can run through obstacles like she's a bandit trying to dodge a sheriff.

Unexpectedly, her stomach growls loud enough for the camera and the crew to pick up on. Heat immediately rises to her cheeks but instead of saying anything, she rolls out of bed and squeezes right past the camera.

"Wait," she hears someone call out from the kitchen, "aren't we missing one?"

Her heart immediately picks up its drowsy pace as she enters the kitchen to find everyone standing around the kitchen island with shot glasses thrust into the air.

"Emma!" Tink announces proudly. "Come take a shot to celebrate our first night!"

"Oh, umm..." she stammers, knowing she didn't purchase any alcohol on the way because all she has left is three dollars in her pocket. "I'm good but you guys go ahead. Cheers to us making the show!" She happily encourages as she sneaks by the crowd yelling and screaming their approval.

Except for one.

She spots a shirtless man standing at the stove, concentrating very hard on whatever is in his skillet. She finds him safe and so she slinks up beside him and leans against the counter.

"Hi, mind if I use one of these burners?" She kindly asks, inspiring steel grey eyes to slide in her direction.

"Not at all," he says through a crooked little smirk that for some reason makes her grin wildly back at.

He's handsome, like really really cute with his boyish dimple and scruffy cheeks and those sandy-brown curly locks that look oh so tuggable.

"Thanks, I'm just going to make a grilled cheese, it won't take long."

"No problem, unless you want a burger, I can throw one on for you," he kindly offers in this thick Irish accent that makes her knees go weak as he flashes off that adorable dimple again.

"Oh no, I'm fine," she quickly waves him off and scampers to the refrigerator to retrieve her ingredients, since it's the only thing she knows how to cook. "So, umm, how come you're not tossing back some shots?" She asks when she slides back to him again because the kitchen is becoming awfully loud now and she can barely hear herself think.

"I'm kind of a loner," he mumbles under his breath and focuses again on his meat.

"Yeah, I get that," she whispers because she doesn't want him to know how much of a loner she truly is. "I'm Emma by the way."

"Graham," he states with a sense of pride but not in a cocky way, more like he's just content with his life and the way he floats by.

And for a split second, she can't help but think that she has never met another human so genuine and trustworthy before. No alarms of suspicion or deceit ring loudly in her head like when her inner lie detector test goes off. She immediately keeps Graham and Tink in the back of her mind for possible allies in this game.

"Hey guys! Whatcha cooking?" Tink asks, peeking over Emma's shoulder to catch a better glimpse.

"He's got the burgers and I got a grilled cheese," Emma answers kindly, truly thinking that she might have found a pack to stick with because she knows nobody gets very far in this game alone. "Are you hungry?"

"Starvin', I'm down for a burger!"

Graham offers a small smile, expressing how shy he really is by nature and then immediately tosses a patty on for Tink. All while the rest of the house tosses back shot after shot, clearly not stressing on the whereabouts of the rest of the cast.

But Emma knows better. The vets made this game what it is, and the producers wouldn't create a new season with an entirely new cast and not their show-runners. So, where the hell are the Vets?

~~~~

It was around six in the morning when production disturbed their slumber with a blaring siren that had Emma and the rest of the cast scrambling out of bed in fright. Uniforms with their names were laid out for them like children and Emma felt her heart plummet straight down to her ass. She broke out in a cold sweat that very moment knowing that the games were about to begin.

Cameras were everywhere, listening to their speculations on what might be happening, what kind of daily challenge they were about to endure and above all, zooming in on the men's washboard abs as they dressed. Kristoff was in her face as well, very focused on the way her fingers tied her shoes as if this was a challenge in itself. Sure, she may not have learned until she was ten because nobody took the time to teach her but nobody in the house knows that.

Eventually, the cast was ushered like cattle onto a bus with no instructions or clues as to where they were headed. She was fairly confident though that whatever she was about to do, it involved something where she would get wet and she knew this because the production team requested that everyone wear the tiny booty shorts with their names imprinted across their ass. She has seen enough episodes to know that means their shirts will be coming off and the audience will distinguish each player by their bottoms, which means water is involved.

By the time the bus rolls up to their location, it's eight o'clock in the morning and all she can see is a giant wall in the middle of god's green Earth. Before anyone can make a break for it, Elsa is explaining that no one is to speak until the host, TJ Lavin, introduces them. It's all a big surprise and everything is hush-hush, so one by one they climb out of the bus and stand in a single file line, waiting patiently for their introduction.

Her ass is literally sweating from the anxiety attacking her from within. She is positive she has never felt more nervous or nauseous for that matter and she really wishes her damn heart would slow the fuck down. Her stomach is twisting itself into painful little knots and in all honesty, she's not sure she can perform under this type of pressure. How the hell do the vets do this, season after season? Episode after episode? Challenge after challenge?

Her mind is swept clean from poisonous thoughts when she hears the familiar voice booming through the open land. TJ has been the host for over twenty seasons now, he is the face of The Challenge and now Emma might be sick at the prospect of meeting this legend.

"Welcome, to The Challenge!" TJ proudly shouts, his voice echoing through the expanse and it sends a shiver down Emma's spine as she hears an eruption of clapping and hollering. She knows the Vets must be on the other side of that wall with TJ. "Each and every one of you are veterans in this game, I see a lot of familiar faces but..." he trails off and pauses and Emma thinks this is the moment of introduction but someone else speaks.

"Exes 3?" She hears a man playfully call out and she knows right away that it's Neal. "Regina, most of your exes are here."

"Rivals 2!" Emma hears another legend in the game, Robin, shout out.

"I don't see Mal anywhere," and that right there is the Queen herself as she quips with an air of sarcasm that has the cast all laughing along.

"You guys are looking pretty sparse," TJ cryptically states and she can just imagine his little smug smirk dancing across his face. "Why don't we get you guys some competition?"

As the entire cast groans their disapproval, Elsa motions for the Rookies to take off around the wall and that's where TJ and the rest of the cast are waiting on pins and needles. She desperately tries to ignore the vets as she jogs behind the person in front of her but she finds Neal's baffled expression in the crowd, next to Killian who is quite literally scratching his head and then comes Regina with her lips pursed in disapproval while her eyes narrow skeptically.

"Miss me, Sis?" The obnoxious redhead, whose name she still doesn't know, yells over to the vets, stunning quite literally the entire cast.

"Not really," Regina coldly remarks, rolling her eyes away and ignoring the newcomers altogether.

Everyone gasps, knowing damn well that Regina has never mentioned a sister in all her seasons on the show. Not only that but this woman is the exact opposite of Regina's Latina appearance with her vibrant red curls and British accent. The supposed sister grumbles something under her breath but Emma is too tormented by her inner panic attack to really be paying any attention to the drama.

She swallows down the bile slithering up the back of her throat and focuses on her surroundings.

There is another giant wall painted in royal blue that says The Challenge in white with two platforms, each a different height. As all the cameras zone in on the Vets' expressions of shock and confusion, Elsa points for all the men to stand on the platform in the back with the women in front of them.

"Welcome to The Challenge: Fresh Meat!" TJ ecstatically announces while the entire cast appears dumbfounded. "For those of you who don't know, I am your host, TJ Lavin. Now, the vets just got off the plane but go change because we are about to kick off this season with our first challenge that will determine your fate for the rest of this game."

Emma spies a man off to the side, cuing TJ, who smiles and nods after a moment and what Emma is used to seeing on the show are interviews from the cast on how they are all feeling about the first challenge. Except things are a little different behind the scenes. Production members immediately usher the vets to makeshift tents, so they can change into their uniforms while Elsa starts stealing Rookies away for quick interviews that may or may not make it onto the show. Emma doesn't get picked to comment and she knows it's because of her lackluster personality and for keeping to herself the first night.

After a ten minute break, the cast is organized again, the Rookies on the left and the Vets on the right with the men standing behind the women, all professional in their black spandex uniforms. This is when TJ steeples his fingertips together and appears so damn giddy. Emma's stomach bottoms out.

"For our first challenge, it's Playing Dirty." The host pauses dramatically so the vets can hum and awe over a familiar classic while Emma nervously wipes the sweat beading at her hairline. "A classic game of wrestling in the mud. This game will be played in three heats. You're going to run through the mud, grab a ball at the end and carry it over the finish line. If you make it across with a ball, you advance to the next heat. If you don't have a ball, I suggest you wrestle or do whatever need be to get one. We will be playing this with just the rookies and then the vets. Like I said, your fate rests on this game, so get it done," and with that TJ clasps his hands together and the cameras turn off to prepare for the game.

She's queasy, her stomach won't stop rolling and she can already feel the sweat trickling down her back. None of that matters though because Elsa is herding them to a table with black helmets lined up with their names on the side. She finds hers next to Tink's, who is quickly braiding her own hair as if she might be scolded for taking too long. With shaky hands, she tosses hers into a quick bun at the base of her neck.

"Ladies, remove your shirts and leggings. For this match, you should be in your shorts and sports bras. Everyone must wear a helmet and a mouth guard," Elsa announces while the Rookie women scramble to prepare for their first daily challenge.

She hears whispering coming from behind her, so she peeks over her shoulder and it's that damn woman again. Regina's sister is especially close to a woman named Fiona, her eyes laser focused on Emma alone.

"She's feisty, took me out in auditions. We should team up against her," the redhead recommends, inspiring Fiona to nod along.

Emma inhales a sharp breath, knowing she took out both of those women without much effort and now she has a target on her back before the games even begin. Not like this is anything new for her, the cards are always stacked against her and she always finds a way to pull through, no matter what shitty circumstance she finds herself in.

It takes all of three minutes for the women to be escorted behind the royal blue wall where a giant mud pit awaits. The women are lined up at the edge, groaning from the cold mud squishing between their toes. Her eyes trail over the brown water to find yellow balls floating at the end, twenty-five feet away.

"Rookies!" TJ hollers with a foghorn held up in the air. "There are six balls and seven of you, don't be the one left without a ball. Are you ready?" He waits patiently for each girl to nod their approval before he yells, "Go!"

The foghorn blares in her eardrum and makes her a little disoriented but her feet leap into action without any hesitation and she hops along the mud, trying not to stay in one place for too long to sink. Her heart is hammering achingly fast against her chest, ready to crack the bone but she tells herself that one ball could mean another night's sleep on a mattress and another meal inside her stomach. So she pushes herself harder, lifting her knees high to power through the thick mud. Halfway through, the mud disappears beneath her feet and she collapses into the filthy pool of water.

She hears the splashes and yells from everyone around her but she blocks all of that out and dives for a ball. Her chest lands on top of the spongy material, her arms curling possessively around the bottom as she quickly turns around and heads for the finish line. That's when she feels someone jump onto her back.

"What the-" she grunts, whipping from left to right to shake this animal. "There are six other balls, get your own," she complains, hugging her ball even tighter.

"Like we want you getting to the next round," Fiona taunts maliciously into her ear but that only pours gasoline onto her fire.

"This is the first challenge, you have no idea who's a threat," she grumbles through clenched teeth, crawling out of the water and into the mud pit.

Out of her peripheral, she witnesses Tink skipping merrily along with a ball tucked under her arm. She groans to herself, she should have played the weak card and everyone would have left her alone but no, she had to come into the audition, guns blazing.

Fiona locks her arms around Emma's neck and tries to yank her off the ball.

"Fuck," Emma pants, squeezing the ball close to her chest as she goes willingly, flipping onto her back and crushing Fiona into the mud.

She hears everyone on the sidelines either gasp, laugh or scream damn, from how hard she slams the woman but she doesn't give a fuck, a warm bed is on the line. Besides, Tamara is trudging right on by which only irritates her even more.

"Zelena!" Fiona screams. "Get her ball!"

Regina's sister stops dead in her tracks, even though she has a ball of her own already and drops to her knees. She tucks the ball safely between her thighs and then tries to rip Emma's arms off the ball while Fiona is still wrestling to keep Emma still.

"Fuck off!" Emma yells, chucking her ball back into rusty water, taking everyone by surprise.

Fiona immediately releases her and leaps back into the water. Zelena is stunned for a split second so Emma takes that as her opportunity to rip the ball from her thighs, then shoulder checks the woman before she wobbles to her feet and takes off running. Zelena scrambles quickly, latching onto her ankle and yanking hard enough to send Emma back down into the mud.

That doesn't stop her, not even when Ivy and Marian are dashing toward the finish line. She hugs the ball close to her chest and crawls, sinking further and further into the thick mud that might as well be fucking quicksand at this point. Zelena tugs harder on her ankle, she can feel the woman trying to climb up her body but she is determined at this point to simply win against this wicked witch.

She hears one of the guys off on the side screaming, "Let's go!" And for some reason that kick starts her heart, pumping adrenaline through her system, encouraging her to drag her body with Zelena on top of her back, across the finish line. She can hear people cheering but she rests on her ball and attempts to regulate her breathing. Not even a minute later, TJ blows the foghorn as Fiona crosses the finish line.

Zelena is out.

And that's only heat one of three. She has to do this two more times. Fuck, what did she sign up for?

A/N: Welcome back! My best mate from across the ocean has been begging me to write this story for way too long now. So Kat, this is for you. I hope everyone enjoys this story, I loved writing it, as you can see, it's Swanqueen meets The Challenge. The beginning is heavily focused on the games until Regina and Emma grow closer, but you will definitely want to stick around to see their relationship bloom! I really hope everyone enjoys this story, every daily challenge and elimination round is based off actual scenes from the show. If you haven't watched The Challenge, no worries, you will be able to follow along. Thanks again for all your support!

Chapter Text

"Ladies, are you ready?" TJ hollers, motivating all the women to nod.

He blares that damn horn and everyone takes off again like horses at the track. This is the last heat and thankfully the second one was a breeze for her. Nobody wanted to wrestle against her, so everyone left her alone and went straight for the balls. Now, she's not so sure it will pan out the same way, not when there is only one ball and three girls left.

She is in the final heat with Tamara and Tink. There wasn't any time to talk strategy with her roommate, but she hopes the woman understands that this is a game. She refuses to show her cards so early and even though she would like to work as allies with her new friend, she can't allow the house to see her plan so early on.

Emma is the first to the ball, her heart leaping to her throat in anticipation of the wrestling she knows is sure to come. Tamara is there, waiting for her to emerge out of the swamp like she's too good to dip in those dirty waters. Tink is to Tamara's right, hands on her knees, gasping for air while she licks her mouth guard. Emma doesn't even think, she just makes a break for it like she's going to charge between both women but at the last second she dashes to her left and fakes them out. Tamara slips in the mud but Tink easily maneuvers and tackles Emma by ramming in to her side.

"Shit," Emma groans as she collapses into the mud.

She instantly gets the wind knocked out of her but she forces herself to her knees because Tink is yanking the ball from her clutches. Her heart sinks the minute that slippery ball drags through her wet fingertips. Everyone is cheering as Tink takes off with the ball. Luckily, Emma has time to get on her feet and chase her through the mud because Tamara is picking Tink up by her waist, ready to body slam her down.

Emma runs up and she's expecting a huge fight for the ball but Tink halfheartedly tugs the ball while Tamara has her off the ground. It's obvious to Emma by the lack of force but not to the audience that Tink is handing her the ball. So Emma adds a little dramatic flare as she yanks the ball free and charges toward the finish line where TJ blows the horn for her victory.

"Gnarly heat by the Rookie women. Congratulations, Emma, you win for the women! Next up are the Rookie men!"

Emma is stunned, did she actually just win? She can't feel much of anything from the amount of adrenaline pumping through her veins but she knows she should feel proud by TJ's compliment. Every challenger is always seeking approval from The Godfather of the Challenge. She glances down at herself, realizing now that she is caked in mud, head to toe, definitely in her ears but a towel is thrusted into her line of vision as the men start to get ready for their turn.

"Great job, you really killed it out there," Mary Margaret compliments, motivating all the heat in Emma's body to rise to her cheeks.

She never knew how to take a compliment. "Uh-yeah. Thanks. That was rough," she awkwardly giggles as Elsa calls her name. "I think I'm being summoned."

"Interviews to talk about the round. Be witty," the woman kindly offers but that only makes Emma's mind panic all the more.

Witty? Witty? What the hell is she supposed to say that comes off charming or funny that will make the audience fall in love with her as a competitor?

"When I point to you, I want you to explain the difficulties you might have faced today and what it feels like to claim your first win," Elsa sweetly explains, very far away from the cast and crew.

"I did it!" She squeals, this bubbly personality coming out of her that is so not the real her in any way shape or form. "Holy crap, I actually did it," she laughs to herself and shakes her head in bewilderment. "I honestly didn't think I was gonna be able to pull that one off, not when I heard Zelena and Fiona conspiring against me in the beginning but I pulled it off. Karma," she nonchalantly says, shrugging so innocently.

Elsa nods proudly and taps Kristoff on the shoulder to stop filming. "That was great! We need to see more of that outgoing-Emma, not the lonely introvert who likes to lie around in her bunk bed, okay?"

"Yeah, I-I know. I'll try," she sheepishly says as Elsa flashes her a megawatt smile.

"Congratulations on the win today. You were awesome."

"Thanks!"

Elsa nods politely like she just remembered she really shouldn't be congratulating her. "Can you send Tink over?"

"Sure thing," she says as she hears the horn blaring off in the distance for the men to begin.

The first heat is all of four minutes long because the guys head straight for the balls and don't bother with wrestling. The last two are Baron and Phillip and it's no surprise Phillip gets checked so hard that he can't possibly chase Baron to the finish line. Tink and Phillip are off doing their interviews during the next heat and Emma has to admit, she never noticed cast members disappearing before to do all those interviews between takes.

Emma stays quiet during the men's game, not wanting to express her favoritism toward Graham just yet. However, she pays very close attention, needing to know who would be good to have on her side, who seems a little shady, and who won't make it past week two. Graham is a lot stronger than she initially assumed and he ends up putting up a great fight but David and Merlin tag team him and beat him to the final round. Naveen takes the win in the end but Emma already knew that was going to happen by how ripped this guy is.

When the men for the Vets head up to the line, everyone is whistling and applauding their approval of the shirtless champs who spend every waking moment training for this competition. Honestly, these damn men looked photoshopped by how perfect their pecks and abs are. It's ridiculous really and she can't help but roll her eyes. She doesn't participate in the drooling and fawning but she pays very close attention to see which guy still has it and who is starting to age and slow down.

It's a blood bath. These men have turned this game into their career and not one of them is willing to appear weak and lose out on payday. The heats last fifteen to twenty minutes each, filled with tackling, choking, and enough shoulder checks to mistake the damn game for hockey.

Arthur is the first one out, he's still relatively new compared to everyone else and Killian ended up taking two balls in the beginning and tossing one to Neal, all with one hand. He's an insane competitor. A cocky son-of-a-bitch but has every right when he plays this game with one hand and still shows up most men with two functioning hands. He's been on the show for eight seasons now, a downright asshole when he first made his debut. He wanted to take out Neal constantly but after Neal sent him home twice, Killian calmed down a bit. Now, they work together and the stuff Killian can accomplish is mind blowing. He was born that way, a real tear-jerker of a story the first time he appeared, explaining how he doesn't have fingers around his palm but that only motivated him to work harder and be better. He's a three time champion in the game and people respect him.

Killian takes the W for the Vets with Neal and Robin trailing behind.

The Vet women clearly train with the men in the off season because they are just as fit and sculpted like Greek goddesses. Aurora is the first one out, despite Mulan trying to help her. Emma is not even remotely shocked when Regina comes in first with Mary Margaret and Sabine behind her. It's boring really, predictable and the little devil on her shoulder whispers words of encouragement to shake up the game and knock Regina off her stupidly high pedestal.

Sure, she will probably be the most hated Rookie if she accomplishes it because this audience is loyal as fuck to their Vets. The Vets can do or say no wrong and all Rookies are simply stepping stones to get to the final but she's ready to turn the tables.

"What a great challenge today," TJ praises as everyone claps along and yells their excitement. "Epic, really and we have four winners today, Emma from the Rookies..." she blushes and hates herself for feeling so out of place in front of the camera. "Regina from the Vets, Naveen from the Rookies and Killian from the Vets. So, I hope you were all paying close attention to each heat," he smugly states and while everyone's face falls, Emma stands a little taller. "Like I said before, this is The Challenge: Fresh Meat, each Vet is going to be paired with a Rookie or the fresh meat, if you will."

All the Vets groan and express their shock while the Rookies are so excited at the prospect of working with a legend. TJ is off laughing in the background like he usually does and Emma can't help but smile along with him because that sound is not only familiar but contagious as well.

Except, she's momentarily distracted wondering if it's going to be a female or male partner that she will be paired with. If she is given the opportunity to choose, she thinks she might pick Mary Margaret or Neal.

"Alright winners, Regina and Killian, you get to pick your partner first of the opposite sex. Ladies first, Regina, who would you like as your partner for the season?"

"Well, based on performance today, I think it would be a wise decision to go with the winner from the Rookie team, so my pick for the season is Naveen."

"Excellent choice. Naveen, Go ahead and stand behind your partner, Regina," TJ instructs, motivating Naveen to happily leap down from his spot and jog across the field. He scoops Regina up into his arms and thanks her profusely before he takes his spot right behind her. "Alright, Killian, you're up next, who would you like to claim as your partner for the season?"

Emma's heart begins to knock aggressively against her sternum because as much as she likes Killian as a competitor, she thinks she would do much better with Neal by her side. He has more experience and more patience and to be honest, she just finds something about his personality alluring. Neal almost always makes it to a final and she could use his name in the game to carry her to the end.

But then she hears her name called and she tries her best to plaster on a smile for the cameras as she treks toward her fate. He doesn't lift her off the ground and swing her around like Naveen did with Regina, instead, he gives her a side hug and whispers in her ear that this is their year. And for one split second she believes him.

One by one names are called and people are chosen like a fantasy football draft. She takes note that Tink is scooped up by Jefferson, who is very close with Regina which might be beneficial to her game. Graham is recruited by Ruby who has always been best friends with Mary Margaret and Regina despite their rivalry, which also might be great for her game.

In the end, when everything is all said and done, the four teams that are on her radar are, Regina and Naveen, Sabine and Merlin, Mary Margaret and David, and Neal and Tamara. It's going to be one hell of a season and she knows she's going to have to fight for her life to make it past next week.

~~~~

After TJ was done with his monologue, the camera crew shut down so the cast could rinse off in private before they headed onto the bus and back to the mansion. The group was especially rowdy on the bus ride back, everyone chatty, trying to learn everything about their new partners and Emma was trying her best to be friendly with Killian in front of the cameras and not visibly show her disappointment.

As soon as they arrived, all the women raced to the showers while the men swarmed the kitchen. Bottles were popped to celebrate, cheers and congratulations were screamed through the house but Emma was feeling overstimulated and searching for some rest and relaxation.

That, of course, wasn't allowed.

"Emma and Tink, right?" The words are like a dangerous perfume, wafting through the air to lure in their enemy for a sneak attack. Emma abruptly spins around from her backpack to find Regina lingering in the doorway but Sabine has already shoved her way inside.

"Uhhh, yeah..." Emma's eyes are tracking Sabine as she pushes all her luggage into a corner and steps on the bottom of the ladder to peek at the top bunk.

"Looks like we will be forced to room together since you two so strategically moved into a room by yourselves without any other Rookies," Regina darkly calls them out as she sashays into the room like it was always meant to be hers.

And yeah, she's still dirty, her face clear from any makeup and there is still a clump of mud stuck to her temple. Her hair is starting to curl from the moisture, little wisps trying to escape even though it's pulled into a painfully tight ponytail. And she is still somehow the most beautiful woman Emma has ever laid eyes on. Yes, Emma knew from the first episode she ever saw that Regina was gorgeous but her arrogance knocked her down a peg or two and it was an immediate turn off.

"We were just looking for some peace and quiet," Tink thankfully chimes in from Emma's brief paralysis.

Regina hums, neatly setting up her bags along the wall next to Sabine's. "I know it may seem like we pull pranks on each other in the show but let me make it very clear that nobody is to go through my stuff. It's off limits," she barks like she's a massive Rottweiler ready to attack but all Emma hears is a annoying little chihuahua yapping at her ankles.

"No need to worry," she huffs under her breath and turns back to her own bag for some sweats, "not like we'd find anything interesting in there anyways."

"Excuse me?" Regina snaps and she can already feel this woman against her back with a camera crew ready for the drama they were promised. "Are you insinuating that I'm boring?"

Emma has to fight the urge to glance at the camera, so she keeps her head down and rummages her bag as if she's not interested in this conversation at all. "Predictably so," she plainly says but before she can even finish her statement, Regina is snatching up her baby blanket, stealing her sole attention as Emma's chest constricts in fear. "Hey, what the-"

"I thought I was predictable," Regina lowly taunts, glaring so dangerously as Emma steps into her space, nostrils flaring and fists clenching.

"Whoa, hey," Tink quickly interjects, coming to Emma's defense while Sabine leans against a bunk bed, appearing bored. "It's the first night after a big win, you wouldn't want to do anything stupid, Emma."

Yet, Emma can't hear her friend's plea because she's furious, sending rush after rush of blood to drown out her surroundings. That blanket is the only thing she has of her birth parents and there's nothing else in this world that means anything to her. She has always been extra defensive when it comes to the thing and in every foster home, she has been in a fist fight over trying to protect it when other kids teased her about it. It's simply a sore subject and Regina is just standing there, poking her tender wound.

Her heart is racing, her chest actually hurts and she's struggling to breathe but her momentary lapse of judgement is broken by Regina's eyes flicking down to her mouth for a brief second. As fast as the action occurs is as fast as it vanishes and Emma truly believes it is all just her imagination.

"See, you don't like when people touch your things, so don't touch mine," Regina coldly commands, pressing the blanket into Emma's chest.

Emma immediately curls her fingers into the blanket and breathes a sigh of relief.

"Why do you have to be such a bitch, I said I wasn't going to?" Emma snaps over her shoulder the minute Regina takes one step away.

Regina whirls around so effortlessly like a goddamn ballerina and leans back into Emma's space. "I've been on this show for twelve years, the ratings only increasing with every year I win." This damn woman leans in dangerously close, her nose practically gifting Emma the kiss of death. "Don't ever call me boring."

And with that, Regina struts into the bathroom with Sabine, leaving Emma to fight away the warm tears welling in her eyes. Maybe this was all a bad idea, she's an imposter here, trying to be a star in a cast of headliners. She's a loner, she's not meant for cameras and dramatic flare. She's an introvert, she likes reading and a bed.

"Hey, you alright?" Tink questions, keeping a respectable space between them which is greatly appreciated right now because she doesn't like being touched. Hugs make her cringe.

"Yeah, of course," she says through a fake smile even though her voice is wobbly and then quickly shoves her blanket into her bag. It takes everything in her to not punch Kristoff for swooping closer.

"If you wanna talk, I'm here. I won't judge you." Emma remains silent, her entire mind and body shutting down from the altercation because she has been trained to be quiet after a fight in a foster home, shut down and pack up because she is about to be shipped away. "Emma, that blanket-"

"It's fine," she grumbles, snatches her sweats and storms off to the showers, leaving behind a completely gobsmacked Tink.

~~~~

After her shower, a moment to herself to cool down and wash away her tension and dirt and grime, she found herself standing with Graham and Tink in the kitchen. He had prepared some delicious chicken for her as a congratulations on the win while the rest of the house drank by the pool.

"I don't get it, aren't they worried we are going to have a daily challenge tomorrow?" Emma mumbles as she washes her dish and places it in the drying rack.

"It's very rare that we have two daily challenges in a row," Mary Margaret announces as she makes her debut into the kitchen. "Especially on the first night, they want us to party and have a good time, celebrate, cause drama," she claims, offering a glass to Emma. "Congrats again."

Normally, Emma would decline the drink because she doesn't have any money to pay for it but she could really use the liquid to calm her anxious nerves.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. How are you feeling after the big win? Let me guess, sore?" The woman kindly laughs while Tink and Graham watch the interaction silently in the back.

"A little bit," Emma mutters into her glass. "I don't know why the sisters have it out for me."

"The sisters..." Mary Margaret frowns. "Ohhh, right, no wonder why Regina is on edge tonight," she says mostly to herself but she hears the woman loud and clear. Besides, Mary Margaret is known in the house to have a big mouth. "Wait, did something happen with Regina?" She inquires, suddenly growing very serious.

"No, umm, not really. It's fine. Just had some words. No big deal," she sheepishly rambles while her cheeks burn from the sizzling heat of embarrassment.

Mary Margaret opens her mouth to speak but it's Zelena's voice that comes barreling out. Everyone in the kitchen exchange worried glances before they rush outside to investigate the commotion.

She finds Zelena perched at the end of a lounge chair, glaring murderously at Regina who is floating in the pool with all her closest friends and allies.

"I'm not here to argue, Zelena. I'm here to play the game and get paid. I don't have time for your childish behavior and if you think for one second that I'm going to carry you to a final, you have another thing coming," Regina sternly threatens, all eyes in the house bouncing to her sister for a rebuttal.

"Ah, classic sister of mine, choosing trash off the street over your own flesh and blood."

"You're not going to get under my skin," Regina flippantly states. "What are you doing here anyway? Searching for your fifteen minutes of fame? Well, you've had twenty, time to go home," she cruelly mocks.

"You would send me home. I bet I'm the first person you vote in," Zelena proceeds, poking the bear a little more, motivating Emma's eyebrows to leap to her hairline.

"Yes and you know why? You came in dead last today and that should be an automatic vote into elimination. You're lucky that challenge was for partner picking and not to stay in the game because otherwise, you'd be on your way home tonight," Regina precisely states, punctuating her words and speaking eloquently like she's in some business meeting.

"I'm your bloody sister, you should want to protect me from eliminations."

"But you're not my sister," Regina demands, standing tall in the pool and drifting through the cool waters toward the woman burning with rage and maybe even a little embarrassment. "You have never been a sister, you don't know the meaning. And now you show up after all this time to get arise out of me but I won't have it. Do you understand me?" She darkly threatens with the entire house eating up the drama.

Zelena bends down so they are eye to eye. "You're a bitch, you know that?"

"I do, thank you very much," Regina proudly says, thrusting her chin into the air, persuading her sister to storm off back into the house. Her partner, August sighs and rushes after her to see if he can calm her down, along with Fiona and her partner, Arthur. "She's gone, the show is over. Exactly, what she wanted," she scoffs and swims back to her friends.

"Excuse me, I should talk to her," Mary Margaret sweetly says, scooting past Emma which she finds rather odd.

Yes, Regina and Mary Margaret made amends thanks to their win together but they aren't friends, more like allies really. However, she observes as Mary Margaret sinks into the pool and turns her back to the camera. Just then, Sabine makes a commotion, jumping into the water and climbing up Naveen like he's a freaking life raft. He seems slightly inebriated at this point, so he grins wildly at the woman and everyone is taken by surprise when she slams her mouth against his. The cast is all whooping and hollering and everyone, except for Emma, misses Regina and Mary Margaret against the side of the pool, backs to the cameras, having a very private conversation.

For a split second she thinks it's all a little too perfectly planned and maybe these women know exactly how to play and avoid the cameras. But it's ludicrous, there is no way Sabine could have known that Mary Margaret wanted to have a private conversation with Regina, right? She laughs at herself and shakes her head as an arm hooks around her neck.

"What's so funny, Emma?" Killian asks, tapping his glass against hers.

"I can't believe I'm here," she easily says in disbelief.

"Aye, it's wild isn't it?"

"It feels like a dream," she mindlessly rambles, analyzing all the players as they drink and converse and laugh and drink some more.

"Let me wake you up."

"Huh?" Before she can even process what she wants to ask next, Killian has scooped her up into his arms bridal style. "Killian!" And that's the last thing she screams before he jumps into the pool with her clawing at his bare chest. "You..." she sputters when her head bobs out of the waters.

"Asshole," Regina finishes, splashing Killian right in the face when he pops right back up but he's laughing and the Queen doesn't seem all that pissed. "You ruined all our drinks," she huffs.

"I'll get you more, relax, Your Majesty," he teases with a twinkle in his eye and that's when the realization that Regina and Killian used to date barrels into Emma like a freight train.

"Shit," she breathes out, persuading everyone in the pool to turn to her in confusion. "...shit...it's...cold..."

It's not cold at all, it's like fucking bath water really, especially in the suffocating heat but everyone proceeds as if she didn't just make a fool out of herself. Except for one stormy glare, scrutinizing her drowned rat head down to her very wet, very see-through white tank top. A stifling heat erupts through her blood and rushes to her cheeks when she realizes that she opted out of a bra this evening after her shower. Dammit. She folds her arms across her chest, ignoring the way Regina raises one challenging eyebrow and then quickly swims in the opposite direction. 

The last thing she needs is to have Regina mock her again in front of the cameras.

Chapter Text

The first night in the house with the Vets was overstimulating and exhausting in Emma's opinion. After the pool incident, she changed and then opted to hang out with Graham inside and pig out on food while everyone else partied. This is when she learned that he too was abandoned as a baby and spent his life tossed around the foster system. That's why he's a loner just like she is and that is why they get along so well.

She listened intently as he told many stories of the horrible houses he was in and that's when she knew she found a friend for life. She was vague about her backstory but she did confide in him about being a foster kid too. Eventually, she grew tired of Elsa rolling her eyes toward the pool and tapping her watch in a silent command to hang out with the rest of the house.

So, they did as they were told and hung out by the pool. That's where she officially met Veterans: Belle, Mulan, and Aurora. They were definitely the quiet ones of the bunch, talented but didn't mind hanging out in the background and observing the chaos from a safe distance. She's fairly confident that this will be her core group of friends in the house for as long as she remains in the game. Unfortunately, she isn't rooming with any of those vets.

The house didn't quiet down until four in the morning and it wasn't until six a.m. when everyone finally retired to their beds. As Mary Margaret stated, there wasn't a daily challenge the following day which was a blessing. Most cast members didn't roll out of bed until one in the afternoon.

Which was great for Graham and Emma.

They were up by ten in the morning, enjoyed a nice breakfast and then took advantage of the gym with some peace and quiet. Graham spent a lot of time doing yoga which she found interesting and inquired about since she never tried it before. He was kind and showed her some techniques and then they ran for miles next to each other on the treadmills. They didn't say much but she suspected that he loved that part of their companionship just as much as she does.

The evening was much more reserved and that was when production would pull cast members for interviews and commentary on the first daily challenge and events that occurred at the pool party. All the vets were tame, a stark comparison to their behavior the night before, so Emma knew that a daily challenge was coming the next day.

And sure enough, she was woken up at six a.m. the following morning by a blaring siren. The camera crew focused on Regina's stomach as she tugged her game shirt on. Kristoff zoomed in to Sabine knotting a bandana around her head and then of course, the camera zoned in on Emma's shoe tying ability. The cast was escorted to two buses and then they drove for what felt like hours up a very high and winding mountain.

She's about to throw up from the elevation and motion sickness alone.

When the entire cast is lined up at the edge of a mountain side, TJ smirks and Emma feels her soul actually leaving her body.

"Welcome to the beautiful Phu Chi Fa Forest Park in Thailand," he begins, earning himself and the gorgeous scenery a round of applause. "Since you all have new partners, what better way to build a bond then to start off with a trust exercise."

"I don't like where this is going," Neal chuckles, squeezing Tamara's shoulders while the rest of the cast loses all color from their faces from the death defying heights.

TJ has the audacity to laugh. "Today, we are playing, Don't Let Me Down. You and your partner will be suspended two hundred feet in the air. One partner will stand at the edge of a platform, holding onto their partner's hands as they dangle off the edge of the cliff."

"Teej, please, god no," Ruby groans, encouraging the rest of the cast to mumble their disapproval.

"Whoever can hang onto their partner the longest will win today's challenge and grant them immunity from elimination tonight. The losing pair will automatically be sent into elimination to fight for their place back in the house. Let's have some fun."

"Easy for you to say when your feet don't have to leave the ground," Regina groans just before the camera crew shuts down, so production can begin harnessing the first pair into place.

"Killian," Emma whispers into his side, persuading those bright blue eyes to drift down to meet her worried gaze, "how are you...how are we...we are at a disadvantage..."

"Because of my hand?" He lightly asks as if he doesn't have a care in the world. "Emma, I've never let that stop me in anything in life. This is a trust exercise, trust that I won't let you down, mate."

"But..."

"I've got you," he vows, pulling her into his side for a tight hug of reassurance but that only makes her sweat even more and she isn't sure if she's more queasy about the heights or the hug.

This challenge turns out to take a very long time, nothing like what she is accustomed to seeing on television with montages and cuts of the game pieced together. The production team tries to manage their time wisely, making sure to capture interviews while other teams are performing but the reality is, it takes a lot of time and effort to ensure everyone's safety and make sure each male is properly strapped to the platform and each woman is harnessed properly for their inevitable fall.

One by one she watches as the men stand at the edge of a platform with all sorts of cords to keep them from free falling to their death while the women dangle from their fingertips.

Robin and Marian are the first ones to try out the challenge, Marian screaming incoherent babble the entire time while Robin repeatedly asks her to calm down. Mary Margaret and David follow the pair and Emma burns with jealousy at how calm the couple is. David proves to be a fierce competitor, refusing to allow her to fall hundreds of feet and Mary Margret easily dangles from his grasp with her eyes closed as if she's meditating. At one point Emma wonders if she has fallen asleep.

"Emma, Killian," Elsa quietly calls to them, "we need you for interviews." Killian and Emma walk away from the cast to a quieter location where they are handed helmets as if they are up next. "Tell us what you are feeling and how you anticipate this challenge to go with Killian only having one hand capable of gripping you."

"Well, I expressed my concerns about this challenge," Emma begins but her partner jumps in with a dashing smile set into place.

"I told her this is a great way for her to build some trust with me. I know we are at a slight disadvantage but I won't let her down. It's never stopped me before and this silly challenge definitely won't break me now," he proudly says, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and shaking her close in a playful manner.

She attempts to fake a smile and she hopes the camera and audience don't pick up on her grimace instead. "We will figure something out," she confidently states, peering up at him with hope shining in her eyes.

"Listen, all we have to do is be better than one couple out there, just one, to save us from elimination."

"Well, that's true," she fakes a laugh for the audience's sake and nods with a new boost of confidence. "We've got this," she promises the camera just before Elsa taps Kristoff on the shoulder.

"You've got this?" Elsa muses.

"Aye, piece of cake," Killian vows before he leads Emma back to the rest of the group.

They end up missing Aurther and Fiona, along with Al and Ivy and Aurora and Phillip. So she assumes they all must have not lasted that long. Zelena is just swinging through the empty space, spewing all kinds of curse words when they arrive. And that's when she remembers what Killian said, they only have to beat one couple. So, that gives her an idea.

Next up is Tink and Jeff and to be honest, he seems more queasy than she does. Her roommate appears the most confident as if she spends all her free time soaring through the air. Once TJ blows his air horn, Emma begins counting in her head. It takes thirty-five seconds before Tink is flying through the air like a dainty fairy. Emma's amazed by the grin smeared across her friend's face.

One by one contestants participate. Tamara has a full-blown panic attack and they almost disqualify until Neal magically talks her down. She yells and screams at him the whole time, begging him not to let her go and she is in tears when they finally pull her up from her fall. Neal holds her the entire time, consoling her and telling her how proud he is of her.

Belle and Will only last thirty seconds. Mulan and her partner, Baron, make it a whopping fifty seconds. Graham and Ruby reach only forty-five seconds and Emma's heart sinks but at least she knows he won't be last. Sabine and Merlin last fifty-five seconds, putting them in the lead and Emma wonders if they have been counting too?

"Emma and Killian, you're up next!" TJ shouts.

Emma swallows down the disgusting vomit crawling up her throat and follows Killian to the platform on quivering feet. One team works diligently to hook Killian up to the platform while another team takes special care of all her bungee cords. Someone from production offers Killian a glove to protect his hand and he smiles politely and says thank you.

Killian stands at the very edge and bends his knees just the slightest while Emma is carefully lowered over the edge by two professionals. Her body immediately starts to shake from the fear of plummeting two hundred feet to her death and she almost breaks down in tears because she realizes that nobody would even miss her.

"Emma, breathe, love," Killian calmly encourages. "Just one couple, we've got this."

She blows out a long and shaky breath, unable to formulate words at this point. Her back is to the ledge, so all she can see are mountains off in the distance and empty space, she can't even look at her partner's face to keep her mind distracted from the ungodly heights.

"Lift your arms, Emma," one of the professionals instructs, so her trembling arms slowly rise above her head.

"Cross your arms at your wrist," Killian requests.

"What?"

"Trust me." Slowly, she crosses her arms at the wrists, even though no other couple has done this, as Killian slides his strong hand into her left one. "Now, with your right hand, grab my left wrist," he directs and this time she does as she's told.

And that's when she realizes her dominate hand is clinging to his weaker wrist while his strong hand is securely holding onto her other hand. He strategically planned out how to hold hands, so both of them could hang on to the best of their abilities and this is the motivation boost she needs to push her through this challenge.

"Killian, are you ready?" TJ screams safely from his position back on solid ground.

"Aye!"

"Emma, are you ready?"

"Yes," she hollers back, forcing that damn foghorn to echo through the mountain tops before the safety harness releases and she sinks a little further down.

But dammit, Killian hangs on with all his might and she clings even harder to his wrist to keep herself afloat. Slowly, to ensure she counts correctly, she begins the countdown in her head, knowing they at least need to make it to thirty seconds to not come in dead last. She makes it twenty seconds when Killian's legs begin to quake.

"Hey, you've got this," she assures him, even though there is a slick sheen of sweat building between their hands, "only ten more seconds, okay? You can do that."

"I know I can, Emma. I don't feel a thing," he lies through clenched teeth and what seems like he's holding his breath.

"You're shaking," she teases in hopes to distract his mind.

He breathes out a small chuckle. "Don't you worry about me. I'm a survivor."

"Okay," she whispers and then counts to ten in her head knowing that will at least push them to forty seconds. "You can drop me."

"No, I-I..."

"I promise you," she vows as the sweat between their hands begins to destroy them. She feels herself slipping from his grasp, motivating her heart rate to spike. "We just had to beat one, we did, I promise you."

"I'm sorry," he sadly whispers just as she slides right out of his hand and free falls to nothing.

She attempts to scream, her body's natural instinct but nothing comes out of her mouth. She feels her stomach leap up to her throat and her heart seizes up and without much thought, her limbs begin to flail as if she can magically sprout wings and fly. It's the scariest moment of her life and she kind of wants to throw up everywhere but then the falling stops and suddenly she is simply swinging from left to right.

Her heart rate slows down and she can actually inhale a deep breath that calms her soul. She takes a moment, peers out along the vibrant greenery and vows to never forget such a beautiful moment. Without this show, she would have never traveled to a foreign land, would have never done something so fucking stupid but in the end, it's the most peaceful and gorgeous moment of her life. And suddenly there's an ache in her chest and she feels so damn lucky to have been gifted this opportunity.

When they reel her back up to the top, she jumps into Killian's arms and squeezes him especially close. "Thanks for the confidence boost out there," she whispers into his neck.

"Me? What about you? You got me out of my head and kept me going!" He excitedly squeals before he squeezes her one last time and gently sets her down.

Emma can feel a heavy weight to her left and sure enough, Regina is glaring dangerously at them. She swallows thickly, her body breaking out in a sweat from embarrassment because she never hugs anyone and she was caught doing so. She just doesn't know if Regina is scrutinizing them because Killian is her ex and she's jealous or maybe because they are coming off more as a threat? Either way, she quickly slinks away to Elsa for her post challenge interview.

"We did it!" She squeals.

"Not as long as I'd hoped for," Killian sheepishly says. "I wanted to win the whole damn thing."

"Yeah but come on, we killed it, despite everything!"

"Yeah, you're right. We are pretty badass, Emma," he laughs and offers her a lame high-five but she happily smacks his good hand.

Five minutes later, she's standing at the edge of the cliff watching as Regina dangles so effortlessly from Naveen's massive hands. She knows ten seconds in that they are going to blow everyone out of the water. Unfortunately, Regina seems to have had the same idea as she did because suddenly Naveen asks where they are at.

"Fifty-five, fifty-six, fifty-seven..." Regina calmly counts out loud, causing the entire cast to groan knowing that she counted every contestant along the way and she knows exactly how long they need to make it to.

It feels like forever before Naveen finally drops Regina and this woman opens her arms and acts as if the cord couldn't possibly snap and she could tumble to her death. A serene expression washes over Regina as she glides from left to right and for a split second, Emma sees a completely different woman below. She shakes off that thought though because she hates Regina, she's a downright bitch and she refuses to allow this woman to play tricks with her mind.

"What a wicked challenge today," TJ laughs, rubbing his hands together. "I'm super proud of everyone for getting out there and getting it done." The entire cast claps along and shouts their excitement as well for braving such a sick and twisted challenge. "Now, unfortunately, one pair just couldn't hang like the rest, Will you dropped Belle at thirty seconds, you two will be joining me in eliminations tonight."

Emma pouts, glancing to her left where Will is scrubbing his hands down his face in shame while Belle promises him that it's alright. She really likes Belle to be honest, she feels like she can trust her and it would be in Emma's best interest to keep the woman around. She may not be the fastest when it comes to running but she is a whizz at puzzles, math, and problem solving.

"As for the winner today and safe from elimination, Regina and Naveen blew everyone out of the water with one minute and forty-five seconds, congratulations you guys!" Everyone politely claps along even though Emma is sure the rest of the cast is just as annoyed by Regina's win as she is. "Now, I need everyone to go back to the house and pick one pair to compete against Will and Belle in eliminations. You have partners now, so you will be voting as a team. Alright, see you guys later."

The cameras follow them as they head toward the bus, the only two conversing are Regina and Naveen knowing they are safe tonight. Everyone else seems to be in a somber mood knowing that not only is there a possibility they will be going home tonight but they will also have to nominate a pair and show their cards of whom they might be working with.

~~~~

Nobody spoke on the way back to the mansion, suddenly all the fun was sucked out of the game and all that was left was the realization of losing one million dollars this evening. Every cast member carried their heavy feet filled with dread into the house and then production granted them one hour to shower or change if they wanted to before the voting process began.

"Hey, you guys did amazing out there today," Tink sweetly compliments as Emma rummages her bag for a change of clothes.

"Thanks, you were awesome. You didn't even look scared."

"Nah, it wasn't too bad. I don't know why but heights have never bothered me." Emma hums and nods along, securely hiding her blanket back inside her backpack before she zips it back up. "Hey, have you and Killian discussed who your vote might swing toward?" Tink unexpectedly whispers into her side even though they are the only two in the room besides the camera crew.

"We haven't actually. To be honest, he's the Vet and I'm not especially attached to anyone here, so I might just let him take the lead on this first elimination."

"Yeah, that makes sense but umm...I hope you know I wouldn't say your name," Tink bashfully declares, provoking Emma's gaze to snap to attention. "I mean, I don't know where you stand but I feel like we are friends and maybe we could have each other's backs out there..."

Emma hesitates for a second, she can see the fear clouding her friend's eyes that maybe she made a huge mistake by being friendly with Emma. It's not her fault, really, Emma just has a hard time trusting people in general and she wasn't planning on making promises so early in the game. Yes, she and Tink are roommates and have been friendly, she even jumped to her defense with Regina but Emma still likes to keep people at a safe distance. Yet...

"Yeah. I haven't really talked game yet with anyone or started politicking but we are roommates and all. You're the last name to come out of my mouth tonight," she says, hoping that it's not fully a commitment to allies for the whole season just yet but a step closer toward trusting one another.

A blinding smile cracks along Tink's face, reaching all the way up to her eyes. "Yeah. Okay, cool. For sure."

Emma nods her agreement and offers a tight lipped smile. "I'm gonna hit the showers before voting. I was sweating my ass off on that mountain side," she laughs, eliciting a small giggle from her friend before she bounces happily out of the room.

Emma holds her clothes close to her chest and slinks into the bathroom. With twenty-eight people in the house, all her roommates have been sharing this one bathroom that is setup like a locker room with two shower heads and two toilets. She doesn't mind showering next to someone, everyone usually showers in bathing suits because there are just too many people for each person to take their own private shower and linger.

What she isn't expecting is to walk into the bathroom to find Belle sitting on the vanity, one leg propped up as she rests her head upon her knee while Regina is showering, clearly having a private conversation.

"Just tell me where you want the votes to swing tonight?" Regina casually says somewhere behind the curtain as Emma waltzes inside without a second thought. Although, her body tenses and she becomes paralyzed the moment she realizes what is actually happening. Belle perks right up, her back stiffening as green eyes lock onto expanding baby blues. "Belle?"

Belle swallows, clearly caught red-handed scheming with the Queen of Politics herself. Emma has studied this show close enough to know that Regina and Naveen will start off the voting for winning and majority of the house will follow her lead because she is in charge of the Challenge house and nobody dares to cross her because of her reputation.

Regina peeks her head out from the curtain to find Emma and Belle continuing to blankly stare at one another like deer caught in headlights.

"Uh, thanks for trying to cheer me up..." Belle awkwardly says as she slides off the vanity. "I'll catch up with you later, Regina," she mumbles, scooting past Emma and booking it out of the bathroom.

Regina rolls her eyes and snaps the curtain back into place to hide herself, even though the cameras aren't spying on them just yet. She knows Elsa and Kristoff are on the other side, waiting for either of them to emerge but for now they are safe.

"Umm, congrats on the win today," Emma shyly whispers just because she doesn't want to make things even more uncomfortable and intense between them.

"Thank you," Regina shortly answers while Emma slips out of her uniform and changes into her bathing suit to shower.

Without a care in the world, Emma pulls back the curtain and enters the communal showers. And it's impossible to ignore the way Regina jumps slightly as if it's some unspoken rule that nobody should ever join her. However, Her Majesty, doesn't say anything, she simply continues to scrub away the sweat and fear still clinging to her body.

Emma attempts her best ignoring skills, running her fingers through her hair under the hot spray, relishing in the way the warmth seeps into her skin and relaxes her tense muscles still locked with fright from the heights. When Emma reaches for the provided shampoo pump attached to the wall, she can't help but notice the way Regina's hands slowly caress her own body as she lathers up.

It's scandalous, downright teasing in Emma's opinion, the way she seductively glides up her own biceps, to massage slowly over her shoulders and caress gently down her chest. Emma slams her eyes shut from the taunting show, her mind suddenly running a mile a minute wondering if this woman knows what she is doing or if she's simply lost in the soothing shower?

Emma sucks her bottom lip between her teeth and bites down to distract her body from feeling much of anything else. She searches the back of her mind for clips of the show, desperately trying to recall if Regina had ever kissed or hooked up with another woman. She knows she dated Killian and Robin. She knows she slept with Jeff one time but women?

She gradually peels her eyelids apart and sneaks a quick peek out of the corner of her eye and Regina is simply standing there under the water, fingers pressing into her shoulders like she's all knotted up from the challenge today. She quickly averts her eyes, she is a little sore herself, the way her arms were being stretched over her head and the damn platform biting into her back before she fell and Regina held on an extra minute longer.

Emma opens her mouth to compliment the woman again but Regina is shutting off her shower head and yanking open the curtain. And she isn't quite sure if it's deliberate or not but Regina doesn't necessarily close the curtain all the way. She leaves the damn thing slightly open, only on Emma's side like she wants to let the cold air in and allow all the hot steam to escape.

"Seriously?" She scoffs under her breath, stepping forward and ready to yank the thing closed and that's when she finds a very naked backside of Regina practically right in front of her, stripped from her bathing suit and all.

"What?" Regina feigns innocence as she teasingly peeks over her shoulder and slowly wraps a towel around her very naked body.

Emma swallows, her throat drying up immediately as a very traitorous flutter erupts between her thighs. "You left the curtain open," she barks through a very rough and distorted voice box, thanks to her needy hormones.

"Oh?" Is all this infuriating woman says before she turns back around and checks herself out in the mirror.

Shallow bitch.

"You're letting all the steam out and the cold air in," she scoffs, tugging the curtain back into place before her body reacts without her permission and does something she very might well regret.

Regina laughs, actually laughs and then breezes out of the bathroom without a word. And Emma whimpers, because dear god how can someone so hot be such a turnoff? Her mind is grimacing but her body is burning hot with need and it's all kinds of confusing.

But no, hell no, she's been through enough with relationships and the last thing she will ever do is hook up in The Challenge house. That's all kinds of disaster waiting to happen.

~~~~

"Regina, Naveen, since you won today's challenge, you will start off the voting tonight. Who would you like to see in elimination against Will and Belle this evening?" TJ very seriously inquires with his hands resting behind his back.

"Well, TJ, Naveen and I discussed and our vote will be for Aurora and Phillip."

"What?" Aurora yelps in shock, persuading all eyes to leap to her and her partner.

There are two very long couches facing each other, most of the women are sitting with their partners either standing behind them or sitting on the floor in front of them. Emma's sitting almost directly across from Regina, so she takes this opportunity to really study the Vet closely.

"Alright, that's one vote for Aurora and Phillip," TJ says. "Sabine and Merlin?"

One by one the cast is called upon by the host and each and every pair follows Regina's lead and calls out Aurora and Phillip. With each vote, the Vet is becoming increasingly agitated and to be honest, Emma is a little surprised herself. She assumed Regina would choose a Rookie girl to throw in against Belle, to give her friend better odds but it doesn't seem to be the case this evening.

"Aurora and Phillip, come on up," TJ instructs, gesturing for them to stand on his left while Belle and Will stand on the right. "Looks like you guys will be facing off in elimination this evening to fight for your chance back inside the house. Good luck," he says and then disappears out of the house without another word.

Emma moves to stand but Aurora's shrill voice paralyzes the entire cast.

"What the hell, Regina?" Regina sighs, rolling her eyes in the process. "Why the hell would you vote me in, I'm not a Rookie!"

"Every team has one Rookie, Aurora. Either way you look at it, one Vet is going in," Regina calmly explains as if she's bored which only infuriates Aurora even further.

"No, that's bullshit! You're pinning a Vet girl against a Vet girl. Why wouldn't you pick a Rookie girl to go in? We clearly know you don't like your sister, or was that all an act? Because here we are, first vote and she skates by."

"Oh come on, stop acting so entitled. You're not a Vet, you've only been here two seasons and you haven't even seen a final. Stop whining, Princess, and go in there and earn your right to be here," Regina snaps and for some reason, Emma finds herself sinking further into the couch like she can possibly hide from the altercation.

"You're so stupid, you just showed your cards, clearly you're still working with all your exes because they are all safe, along with their Rookie girls."

"You really are a spoiled brat," Regina sneers, "this is The Challenge, people get voted in, one way or another, we all face elimination."

"Oh, please. You could have easily voted in Tink, Marian, or Emma-"

"Oh yes, let me vote in Emma who had to hold herself up when most girls just dangled because Killian had a huge disadvantage and still out preformed most of the pairs here. Yes, Aurora, that makes perfect sense."

"Whatever, we all know you're still working with Killian and Robin and Sabine like always," she scoffs before she storms out of the room.

Regina flips her the bird and then tosses the pillow from her lap and storms out of the room while everyone sits dumbfounded by the sudden outburst. Emma is half expecting Mary Margaret to chase after again but it's Ruby this time that slips away.

"Well, that was fun, right mate?" Killian laughs but Emma just rolls her eyes and shoves him away playfully.

"I guess I should thank you for sleeping with her and ensuring our safety," she whispers but the camera is right there in her face.

"Nah, that just put a huge target on our back. Regina is going to throw us in next just to prove that she's not aligned with me."

Her heart stops immediately as her eyes double in size at the prospect of only having one more week of shelter and food.

"We better start training harder," she mumbles.

Chapter Text

The elimination was a classic game of memory match. There were two giant boards where the partners would take turns running and flipping two tiles over to make a match. There were fifteen matches on the board and Belle had the puzzle memorized within five minutes. Will didn't seem to be helping, other than running really fast back and forth to the board and to tag Belle back in for her turn. Belle is a Vet though, one championship under her belt so she sent Aurora and Phillip packing.

Everyone went back to the house to celebrate with a pool party and as much as Emma didn't want to participate and didn't have the money to buy her own alcohol, Killian insisted that they hang out and get to know one another to help build their bond and trust.

"Here you go, mate," he happily cheers as he hands her a drink in a red solo cup and then splashes into the water beside her. "So, Emma, you're awfully quiet, tell me a little about yourself."

"There's not much to tell," she says, painfully aware of the cameras in her face along with five other cast members.

"I think you're the quietest Rookie we've ever had," Ruby chuckles, already tipsy and diving right into flirty mode. Every time this woman drinks, she becomes the biggest flirt and Emma is fairly confident she has made out with every challenger at least once. "Usually Rookies are all about the partying and forget that there's a game to play."

"I guess I'm still just taking everything in," she mumbles into her cup, batting her eyes to portray innocence.

"Well, at least tell us what you do back home," Killian kindly asks and he has been nothing but sweet to her and not at all inappropriate like some of the guys here, so she deflates.

"Umm, I was a bartender-"

"Was?" Mulan stresses, her sole attention on Emma and only Emma even though Ruby is quite literally touching her, adjusting something on her bathing suit behind her back.

"Uh, yeah. I mean, I'm here now, right? They weren't going to hold my position while I'm away for three months, you know?" She jokes, lying right through her teeth because she refuses to reveal the truth behind her unemployment and homeless situation.

"That's true," Ruby chimes in distractedly because she seems to be heavily interested in Mulan this evening. "I waitress for my Granny's restaurant. She has to find a replacement for me every time I leave. I feel bad but I'm not ready to commit owning the place yet."

"Makes sense," Emma nods along, sipping more of the deliciously fruity drink Killian prepared for her. "What about you, Killian?"

"Aye, my father owns a fishing company in the Keys. I've been taking over for him a lot as of recently but when I come on the show, he's always there to step back in. I have a brother, Liam, who is there as well, so I know it's in good hands while I'm gone."

"That's amazing. I didn't know that," she says, spilling a little clue that she has watched the show before.

Killian raises an eyebrow in amusement but chooses not to call her out in front of the camera, thankfully. "I don't really talk about it on the show. My family doesn't need the negative press if a viewer simply doesn't like me on the show."

"Oh yeah, that would be awful," she quietly whispers because her mind is having such a hard time accepting that this arrogant, cocky asshole can actually be really nice now that she's taking the time to get to know him.

"Belle! Babe, I'm so proud of you! Let's do another shot!" Ruby exclaims as tonight's winner walks past to refill her drink.

"Let's go," Belle nonchalantly says, tipping her head toward the kitchen.

Ruby pushes herself up the ledge of the pool, water dripping everywhere along the way. "I gotta pee first, come with me," she whines, curling her arm around Belle and dragging her back into the house.

Killian scratches at his nose, his eyes focused intently on his drink like he's trying to hide a smirk. Mulan seems unfazed that Ruby was just flirting with her and then ran off and Emma feels like there's a story there but doesn't necessarily think it's her place to ask anything too personal just yet.

"So," Mulan chirps, "you two ready for the next daily? If you don't win, Regina will be gunning for you."

Killian immediately waves her off and laughs. "Regina is always gunning for me. What else is new? Even if we go in, have you seen Emma train? She's ready, right mate?"

"I-I..." she stammers, a blazing heat violently ripping through her blood. "I'll try," she mutters mostly in defeat and very little confidence.

~~~~

She's lying on her bed, eyelids heavy from the alcohol merrily swimming through her veins, her mind ready to drift off to sleep when her roommate comes barreling into her bed.

"Oooffff!" She groans as Tink lands on top of her with a thud.

"Emma, you awake?" Comes a thick Australian accent and the awful stench of cheap vodka hot on her face.

"Ugh, I am now," she groans. "You're awfully heavy for being so tiny," she complains, attempting to wiggle her friend off her body...maybe off her bunk.

That's when a blinding white light washes over the room, forcing Emma's body to explode with a burning heat of embarrassment for being caught in such a compromising position.

"At least try and hide your hookups beneath a blanket," Regina scoffs in annoyance, only causing Emma to flush even more in shame. "The cameras are right there and I promise you, they don't miss a thing."

"I-no, that's not, we weren't, Tink, get off!" Emma grumbles which only motivates the blonde to burst into a fit of giggles.

"Hey, it's none of my business," Regina claims but her tone is all low and threatening. "Just have the decency to do it private and not in my room," she snarks, angrily scooping up her pajamas and stomping toward the bathroom.

Tink waits until then to climb off Emma, sitting up abruptly and then crosses her legs like a pretzel. "Listen, I heard you and Killian might be the main vote next elimination because Regina has some point to prove, so I want you to be prepared."

Emma sighs, curling into a ball and hugging her pillow especially tight. "I know, thanks for the heads up but I've already been warned and Killian is already aware too."

"You need to come in first."

"I know, I know," she sadly answers, her body tensing from the idea of having to leave this comfort and security so soon. They have only just begun.

"If you could pick any team to go against, who would it be?" Tink hopefully inquires like she is capable of somehow masterminding a scheme.

She shrugs hopelessly. "It's not going to be up to us. We will be the house vote and we are going to go against whomever loses the next daily. There's no changing that."

"I suppose," Tink sadly exclaims just as there is a loud thump that startles both of them. "What the-?"

Naveen is pinned against the doorframe, Sabine shoving her tongue down his throat as she thrusts roughly against his body. Emma can't help but laugh, inspiring Tink to chuckle along with her.

"Ugh," Sabine rips her mouth away from Naveen's to find that her room is already occupied. "No privacy here," she groans but then Naveen lifts her up by her thighs, earning himself a cute little yelp.

"Try my room," he mumbles and happily whisks her away.

Tink shakes her head, scrambling off Emma's bed. "God, I love it here, it's like college all over again," she laughs and then races out of the room.

Emma feels a familiar ache in her chest and lump in her throat filled with longing and loneliness. She never went to college, barely finished high school to be exact, so she never really had the opportunity to experience the college life. Maybe this is exactly how it would have been, to live in a dorm and party and gossip...

Her thoughts are expunged from her mind when Regina bursts through the bathroom door, a mean scowl painted across her face. She sashays across the room, demanding respect in her demeanor alone. Emma curls onto her side, facing the wall because she's kind of ticked off that Regina will be throwing her in next elimination for no reason at all except to save face.

She hears rustling around, knowing Regina is putting her stuff away before she climbs into her own bottom bunk. Emma's foot subconsciously bounces from the irritation swelling inside. She wants to lash out and ask her why Regina doesn't pick on another Rookie but she knows that will only paint a bigger target on her back and she wants fans to respect her game and not hate her attitude. So, she remains silent.

That is until she notices all the blinding lights on and Regina has already climbed back into bed.

"Aren't you going to turn off the lights?" She lowly growls.

"If you want them off, get up and turn them off yourself," Regina snottily remarks.

"But you turned them on, I had them off," she fires back.

"If it really bothers you, stop arguing with me like a child and go turn them off."

"Ugh," Emma groans, bitterly shoving her blanket aside. "You're such a..."

"A what, dear," Regina mocks, propping herself up on one elbow as Emma rolls out of bed.

And it's really unfair that one person can be so damn beautiful in fucking yoga pants and a simple v-neck shirt that is far too big and baggy. Emma would look like a homeless person if she tried to pull off that look. Even though she literally is homeless.

Anyways, she stomps her feet like a petulant child all while Regina smugly smirks back at her, knowing she crawled her slimy ass under Emma's skin and ticked her off. She moves behind Kristoff and flicks off the switch, eliminating all light but the small red dot that informs them that production is still rolling.

"You're a brat," Emma hisses directly in front of Regina's face before she clambers back into bed.

"A brat?" Regina muses, clearly enjoying all the bickering while Emma grows hotter from the altercation and embarrassment.

"Would you rather I call you a bitch?" She snaps, tossing onto her side again and offering Regina the cold shoulder.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night knowing I hold your fate in my hands," Regina concededly retorts.

Emma huffs her aggravation but decides fighting with Regina will get her nowhere in this game, so she just stares blankly at the wall until exhaustion pulls her to dreamland.

~~~~

It's pitch-black in the room, no shred of light to guide her way when she wakes up thrashing and covered in a sheen of sweat. Her shirt is clinging to her and only agitating her soul even more and there's an eerie chill sliding down her spine in a way she's all too familiar with. Another nightmare.

She's gasping for air, bolting upright in bed when she notices a shadowy figure kneeling beside her bed. For a second, she's confident that it's Tink who is either trying to console her or woke her up but unfortunately it's Regina. Every inch of her damp skin prickles from embarrassment and most of all dread because now this damn woman is going to look down upon her and think she's weak.

"I-"

Emma doesn't allow Regina the chance to finish her thought because she's leaping from the bed and dashing across the room so she can fall into the bathroom and hide away. She slams the door, probably waking her roommates along the way but she can't seem to control her shaky limbs.

It's not like she's not used to this feeling, she has been suffering from nightmares ever since she was three-years-old. A kind family adopted her and she thought for sure they would be her forever home but all that changed when they sent her back into the system because they were able to finally conceive on their own. And ever since then, whenever she found herself in a new home, the nightmares would haunt her until she became familiar with the new surroundings, all to be shipped to a new place and repeat the process all over again. So of course, staying in the challenge house with strangers in a foreign land, she knew it was only a matter of time before the nightmares began again.

It's always the same dream, the foster dad handing over her luggage while her mom kneeled down, big fat tears in her eyes and she kissed Emma's face and hugged her goodbye. She had no clue what was going on, she was three and didn't understand what was truly transpiring. She thought they were simply going on a trip and they would be back to come get her. As the weeks had gone by, she asked repeatedly for her mommy and maybe someone explained it all to her or maybe they didn't, it's all a little fuzzy now but she never wrapped her little head around it. That's when she started having nightmares of herself crying for her mommy, her little hand inside the woman's, begging her not to leave her behind, just to be ripped away in the end.

She always wakes up in a cold sweat, sticky cheeks from the unknown crying and when she was really little, she used to wet the bed. Some foster parents were kind and understanding, changing the bed while she stood there and cried even more, others were not so nice and a few cracks on the bottom made her really good at holding her urine in. Thankfully, she hasn't wet the bed since she was five.

As she leans her back against the door and tries to regulate her breathing, she hears whispering on the other side. She is convinced it's Regina and maybe Sabine, but then she hears Elsa's distinct voice and for some strange reason, she relaxes. She doesn't know why but she is sure that woman has a soft spot for her and she will grant her the privacy she needs right now.

She pushes off her trembling legs and stumbles toward the massive vanity to wash her face but then she realizes her entire body is shivering from the cold sweat. She strips all her clothes away, needing to free herself from the nightmare still desperately clinging to her and then she climbs into the shower. She cranks up the water to scalding hot, hoping it will melt away all her past trauma. And she just stands there under the hot spray until her body is completely relaxed once again.

When she finally emerges from the bathroom, Elsa is nowhere to be found and all her roommates appear to be sleeping again. She sneaks over to her bed, blindly searches for some clothes to sleep in and quickly changes in the dark. She shoves her hand into her bag, instinctively searching for her baby blanket because she is going to need to at least put it under her pillow, so she can sleep the rest of the night but she comes up empty-handed. She panics, her heart banging violently against her chest to hurry up and find her comfort. She drops to her hands and knees, feeling around on the ground before she starts reaching around her bed. That's where she finds it, already on top of her pillow, waiting for her.

She whips around so fast, ready to fight because she knows for a fact that she never took it out of her bag.

"Regina," she hisses in a hushed whisper. "Did you-"

"Go to sleep, Emma," Regina huffs, flipping onto her other side to face her own wall.

"But I didn't, why did you touch-"

"Shut up," Regina lowly threatens but it doesn't come packed with the usual spunk Emma has grown accustomed to.

Emma inhales a deep breath to calm the anxiety festering inside and then slowly crawls into bed. She wants to shove her blanket beneath her pillow, so others don't find out but she ends up hugging the soft yarn close to her chest and falling asleep before she can think not to.

~~~~

The cast didn't have another daily challenge for two days, so those days were spent training with Killian, relaxing in some deep meditation with Graham and then lounging by the pool with Tink, Mulan, Belle and sometimes Ruby. It seemed that the women of the house were segregated into cliques while the men didn't seem to care who they hung out with.

Emma noticed that Regina had her core group which consisted of Sabine and Mary Margaret while the other Vets, Belle and Mulan stuck together. It was obvious that Ruby never chose sides, nor did anyone ask her to but Emma noticed that the little minx would float easily between the women. After accidentally stumbling into the bathroom to find Belle and Regina conversing, she briefly wonders if Regina is actually friends with all of them and she pretends not to be for camera purposes.

All the Rookie girls have been clinging together, conspiring and hoping to take down the Vets but for some reason, they haven't come to her or Tink and she kind of just found herself aligned with Belle and Mulan on accident. She suspects it might have to do with Killian as her partner, she could totally see him asking those girls to take her under their wing and they would because of the reputation he has. Either way, she genuinely likes those girls, so she's not complaining.

Anyways, it's a brand new week and Emma is finding herself in the middle of nowhere yet again with nothing but the burnt orange dirt in front of her going on for miles. There is one monster truck with two rows of tires attached off the back and Emma's muscles ache just thinking about trying to hang off the back of that thing.

"Welcome to your second Challenge!" TJ announces from on top of an ATV. Everyone claps along like they know they are supposed to but Emma is too focused on what he could possibly ask of them this week. "Today we are going to be playing, Doom Buggy!" He shouts with so much enthusiasm, she feels her knees begin to quake because a happy TJ means a miserable challenger.

"You guys will be paired off, competing against each other. You are going to climb to the next tire in your row, one by one, and as you make it to the next tire, you must turn around and release each tire until you make it to the back of the monster truck, all while going fifty miles per hour!" He cackles while the cast gasps in shock. "But once you reach the back of the truck, you're not done, you can pull your opponents cord, releasing all their tires and them along with it. Whichever team releases the most tires at the end will win today's challenge and be safe from elimination. Loser will automatically be sent into The Jungle with me tonight. Good luck out there!"

Production calls Tink and Jeff  to go first with Mary Margaret and David and Emma blows out a breath of relief knowing they don't have to be the Guinea pigs. This gives them a perfect opportunity to watch at least one round and see if there are any tricks she can pick up on.

David and Jeff are officially the first to go ahead, being dressed in thick heavy jumpsuits in case they fall off, along with helmets with protective shields, to protect their eyes from the dirt and dust. This is a good match in Emma's eyes, David is strong but Jeff is super tall and lanky and could probably hop from tire to tire fairly easy.

"Ah, this is why I love the game!" Killian shouts as the big, old, monster truck roars to life. "You feel that adrenaline, Emma?"

"I think I'm going to choke and die on the exhaust before we even start," she complains but he just chuckles and screams his excitement to pump up the guys hanging off the back of the last tire.

"I'm nervous," Tink whispers into her side. "I'm so short, I know I'm going to struggle getting from one tire to the next."

"I don't know," Emma nervously says, nibbling on her thumbnail as the foghorn goes off. "Maybe you can jump from tire to tire."

"Yeah, unless I fall and eat shit."

"Yeah, there's always that," Emma nonchalantly concludes, earning herself a playful shove from her friend. She just smirks and nods toward the monster truck peeling away. "Jeff is already on his second tire. He's got this," she confidently says to boost her friend's ego.

"Yeah, you think?"

"For sure," she confidently states.

And Jeff does amazing against David, his height really being an advantage. He releases all ten of his tires and then pulls David's cord, so he can't collect his last two tires. Unfortunately, Mary Margaret is like a sneaky ninja and hops from tire to tire like she just escaped prison and is being chased by the police. She releases all ten of her tires and pulls Tink's cord before she can make it to tire number five.

The entire cast is shook when production calls Zelena and Regina up next, the show is just begging for drama since the sisters have been quiet lately. Emma hears Regina in her interview stating that Zelena is just another competitor in her eyes and she's unfazed while Zelena goes off on a tangent, ready to rip Regina limb from limb. She's pretty sure she heard the woman say, she hopes she falls and dislocates her shoulder. Damn. She wonders what happened between them to provoke such hostility?

Either way, Emma has her money on Regina, she has seen those thick thighs and those beautifully-um, well sculpted biceps to know she works out for something insane like this. Sure enough, Regina makes it all the way to the truck and pulls the cord by the time Zelena releases six tires. Naveen and August though, are neck and neck the entire time, both releasing ten tires and tying before sending the other packing.

"This is a sick challenge and I can't wait to do it," Killian brags in their interview right before their turn.

"It's crazy is what it is. There is no way anybody could possibly train for something like this," Emma laughs, hoping to woo the audience with her dazzling smile and fake charm. "Who gets dragged behind a monster truck on a tire?"

"It's kind of like tubing behind a boat," Killian easily counters, persuading her nose to scrunch and coaxing a deep chuckle out of her partner.

"We fall, we hit hard ground, not water," she deadpans and that's when Elsa ends their session.

"Good, you guys are getting better at this. The audience is going to eat up your chemistry."

"Chemistry?" Emma balks.

"Audience love when partners have great chemistry or they hate each other's guts. There's no in between, love."

"I don't feel that..."

"Oh, I know. We are good mates, don't sweat it. I'm just turning up the charm for good television."

"So...you don't...date all your teammates?" She skeptically asks because he does have a reputation with the ladies besides his good work ethic.

"It's hard being isolated from society for three months, our bodies tend to lean on someone for comfort. It's all part of the experience. This game can be mentally grueling and it's nice having someone to cuddle with at the end of the day."

"But wait-"

"You're up, mate," he happily concludes, slamming her helmet upon her head and then tapping it playfully as a good luck swat. "You got this, destroy her!"

Her, who? She wasn't even paying attention to who she's paired against. On her Bambi-like legs, she shuffles to the starting line where the team works quickly to dress her in a jumpsuit.

"You ready?" Her competitor questions, forcing her frantic eyes to lift from the ground and discover who she is battling against.

Mulan. Crap. She is the last person Emma wants to compete against. Not only is Mulan extremely strong, like could probably beat any man in an arm wrestle but she's also quick and agile. Honestly, Emma rather go against Regina at this point than Mulan.

Mulan who is staring at her blankly, waiting for a response still. She swallows hard and nods along mindlessly. "Should be fun," she shouts back through her helmet, completely lying straight through her teeth.

Of course, Mulan is as calm as a damn yoga instructor, not only will she perform well but at the end of the day, she's going to be safe from elimination. None of that matters now though because she needs to focus on winning and saving her ass and Killian's from being the house vote this evening.

A member of the team motions for her to climb upon the first tire. She has seen a few people kneel and lose their balance at the start of the truck accelerating, so she decides to lie down on her stomach across the massive tire. The only thing she can hang onto is the thick rope tying the line of tires together, so she curls her fingers painfully tight around the rope with both hands and takes one last deep breath.

Between the heat and the jumpsuit, she's already sweating profusely and could use a gallon of water but she needs to stay focused and win this. She licks her lips and grips the rope even tighter.

"Mulan, are you ready?" TJ shouts, causing her blood to prickle in fear.

"Ready!"

"Emma, are you ready?"

"Ready," she confidently says, even if her hands are beginning to tremble and her stomach is rolling around like it could possibly hide away from what's about to come.

"Go!" TJ hollers, blowing his horn and prompting the monster truck to take off.

The momentum is a hell of a lot faster than she initially anticipated and it sends her jerking back but luckily, she has a death grip on the rope. All kinds of dirt is flinging up, smacking against her helmet and she's so damn thankful for the shield protecting her eyes because it isn't long before there is just a cloud of dust surrounding every bit of her. Okay, so maybe this is going to be even more difficult than she suspected.

She summons all her strength to pull herself up the top of the tire, her hands already slick with sweat as she climbs over the rope and onto the next tire. She glances to her left and notices that Mulan is already jumping to her third tire. She panics for all of ten seconds because fuck, she hasn't even released her first tire yet. She quickly leans back and fumbles for the clip but it's just a regular carabiner. She presses down and wiggles the clip free from the rope and watches as her first tire skids away from her feet.

She quickly sneaks another peek at Mulan and finds her wrestling with her third carabiner. It motivates her to kick it into gear, she actually feels the rush of adrenaline washing through her veins. She finds the strength to balance on the top of the tire and jumps to the next instead of climbing because she's simply taking too long now. She thinks she hears Killian screaming his excitement but she knows she must be dreaming because the exhaust on the truck is too damn loud to hear much of anything.

She moves quickly and efficiently, unclipping the carabiner and then hopping to the next tire without much thought. Her body seems to move on autopilot, the adrenaline pushing her and keeping her motivated with every jump. Her heart is racing and she's soaked in sweat but her life is on the line here.

She makes it to tire seven before she feels or thinks about anything. When she lands on her next tire, her thighs begin to burn and her chest aches from the lack of water and breathing in so much dirt and exhaust. She spins around to release her next tire but her body sways, informing her that she's exhausted and is in dire need of rehydrating. Her heart stops as she swings over the edge of the tire and her foot drags against the dirt.

"Fuck, fuck," she mumbles, utilizing all her strength to pull herself back up again.

By some miracle, she manages to wiggle back onto the tire and even if it takes an extra moment, she takes her time to steady herself before she reaches for the carabiner. She releases tire seven and scrambles to the top of the tire where she quickly leaps to the next. She notices Mulan's shoes kicking and she knows the woman is just one tire ahead of her.

So Emma kicks it into high gear and pushes herself to move even faster. Another tire release, another tire hop, and then she's climbing onto the back of the monster truck. Her biceps are trembling and she's completely gassed and out of breath. She can't possibly inhale one deep breath to refill her dry lungs and she feels as though there isn't a drop of liquid left in her body. She scrambles, heaving and gasping to pull herself up that damn truck and out of the corner of her eye, she finds Mulan safely on the back.

Her heart starts racing again, pumping that delicious adrenaline through her system and waking her back up. She pushes herself up and quickly spins around to release her last tire. She witnesses Mulan's last tire unhook and skid away, and then she hears the woman fumbling to pull her cord, so Emma will only receive nine out of ten tires but she somehow unclips her carabiner just in time and sends her own tire flying.

The horn blares off in the distance and Emma slumps in defeat against the truck.

"That was awesome, Emma! I almost had you but you got all ten," Mulan gasps, dropping to her bottom beside Emma and tapping her knee to show her support.

"Thanks," she heaves. "That-that...was...rough..." she stammers, struggling to catch her breath.

"That was pretty twisted," she laughs, "but you did it," she proudly says, holding up her hand and it takes the last drop of energy for Emma to high-five her back.

~~~~

Killian spent his childhood growing up on a boat which entails, waterskiing, wakeboarding and tubing behind a motor going at least forty miles per hour. So, despite everything, Emma had faith in her partner and he proved to be a fierce competitor once again. Baron struggled with his balance on the tires and so Killian was able to release all his tires and Baron's before the guy made it to tire number four.

"What a sick challenge," TJ laughs, his smile from ear to ear while everyone applauds. "Now, unfortunately Ivy, you fell off right away, not earning any tires for you and your partner. Al, Ivy, you will be sent down for elimination."

Emma still claps for them out of respect. Ivy was the only one who just couldn't get at least one tire.

"Now, three teams were able to release all of their tires. That's Regina and Naveen, Sabine and Merlin, and Emma and Killian," TJ announces as everyone politely applauds them while secretly hating each and every one for being better. "We can only have one winner, so it came down to time. Who could release all twenty tires the fastest?"

Killian squeezes her shoulders, as she nervously sways from side to side. She peeks through the corner of her eye and watches as Naveen hugs Regina from behind and that's the exact moment rich cocoa irises find hers in the crowd. Her tired heart starts picking up its pace for some peculiar reason but then Regina is focusing back on TJ and Emma thinks maybe it's best if she does the same.

"And the winner of this challenge, by three seconds is..."

Chapter Text

Three seconds.

Three seconds.

That's all it took. Three seconds and her safety and security was ripped from her clutches and now she knows she's on the chopping block for elimination. Production informed the cast that voting would be held tomorrow morning and the elimination would take place the following evening. And she knows the game too well to not understand what the producers are hoping for.

Goal number one for the show, send the cast out to a bar, hope they get completely annihilated and cause mayhem by drunken fights or hookups. Goal number two, allow enough time for people to politic, form deals and maybe some alliances and attempt to sway the votes in a different direction and hopefully cause tension in the house. Goal number three, create enough time for people to become antsy and get in their own heads before elimination.

The only thing Emma is dreading, having to attend a bar without a dollar in her pocket. It's only a matter of time before people grow suspicious of her not drinking and partying along with them. So, she tries her best to blend in with her group and portray the happiest person so they don't start questioning her.

"Okay, okay," she laughs, "one more, don't fuck it up," she coldly threatens as she snatches a peanut out of the bowl.

"Have a little faith in your partner, Emma," Killian laughs, balancing on the back legs of his chair and tilting as far back as possible.

"You're going to get us kicked out, Emma, if you hit one more stranger in the head," Ruby laughs lightly, not truly paying attention because she's busy braiding Belle's hair, who just so happens to be sitting on her lap.

Emma pretends that she doesn't notice the intimacy between the two.

"Shut it, Rubes. You've got this, Swan," her partner confidently assures her and then opens his mouth.

Emma bites down on the corner of her lip and takes the shot, soaring the peanut through the air. Her fists are clenched, ready to celebrate because hell yeah, it's going in...until Regina snatches the peanut like she is Supergirl catching a flying bullet and everyone around the table groans their disappointment.

"Regina," Killian whines just as she steps on his thigh and forces his chair back onto solid ground.

Emma rolls her eyes, folding her arms across her chest and huffing her annoyance. That's when some fruity concoction is slammed down in front of her face. She raises her eyebrows, her attention swinging to where Regina is perching herself on a chair Mulan vacated two minutes ago to get the next round of drinks. Her nemesis leans in dangerously close and lowers her voice just to draw Emma in closer knowing the music is far too loud to hear any whispers.

"On me," Regina insists, sliding the glass closer.

"Why?" She skeptically investigates, eyeing the drink like it's made of pure poison.

"Think of it as a congratulations for doing so well on the challenge today," this woman drawls in a condescending tone that has Emma's head tilting in suspicion.

"Thanks but no thanks," she chirps, sliding the glass right back. "I'm not stupid, I understand this is a threat."

"A threat? Since when was buying someone a drink, a threat?"

"I can read between the lines," she smugly quips, intertwining her fingers and resting her hands upon the table to show how calm and unfazed she is by the blatant attack.

"You're quite paranoid, aren't you?" Regina quips, swiftly snatching up the rejected drink and pressing the cool glass to her plump lips. Slowly, obviously putting on a show, she sips the apple red liquid, never breaking eye contact and for some weird reason, Emma's body bursts into flames.

Emma leans into the table, holding her gaze just as intently, refusing to show any weakness. "I know what you're trying to do and you're not going to intimidate me. Killian and I know we are going to be the house vote tomorrow but while you tell everyone it's because you want to prove that you aren't in cahoots with Killian, I know it's because you feel threatened by me."

"Threatened by you?" Regina humorlessly laughs, slamming down her half empty martini. "Oh honey, don't flatter yourself, you're just another Rookie who thinks she can waltz right into this game and take my title. Don't under estimate me, I'm the Queen for a reason," she darkly growls but that only sparks the flames roaring inside of Emma.

She leans in even further, ignoring the cast watching them bicker like a damn married couple. "Three seconds, my majesty, that's it. I was right on your tail today and it's only a matter of time before I catch you. You want me out and you need someone to do your dirty work for you."

Regina smirks, then curls her finger, demanding that Emma comes closer and her stupid body goes willingly. She can smell the sweet liquor on her breath, mixed with a delicate aroma dancing around them from Regina's shower right before they left. It's all a little dizzying, especially since this is the first time she is seeing Regina in something other than workout clothes. Those raven tresses are free and wild this evening, perfectly straightened and resting upon her chest. A chest that is on full display for ogling thanks to her skin-tight little black dress that is begging to be shredded and free those full sexy curves.

"Do you know why Rookies never succeed in taking me out? How come season after season they come in, determination etched all over their naive faces with their trim physiques and inflated egos and yet they never accomplish defeating me?" Regina lowers her voice to a deadly assault and Emma sways even closer until their noses are almost kissing. "Because this isn't just a physical game, dear. It's all mental. Between the politics and the isolation, prisoner to the same walls day in and day out for weeks, only allowed the same faces and sharing every inch of personal space and time. You couldn't possibly comprehend how it all builds and builds until it drives you mad. You'll start to second guess yourself, grow paranoid of who you can and cannot trust and soon you'll destroy yourself. So, honey, I don't need anyone to take you out. You will do that all on your own."

"You don't know me," she carelessly shrugs, a smirk of indifference plastered across her face even if her heart is raging its defiance.

"Oh, I think I do."

Emma pushes forward, her eyes narrowing to express her seriousness. "Don't come at me about mental capacity. You have no idea what I have endured mentally and what I am capable of."

Regina's eyebrow twitches just the slightest bit, it's faint, hardly even there but Emma knows this woman is surprised by her determination and willpower to not back down. The corner of this woman's sassy mouth lifts in amusement before she tosses back the rest of the drink all while those intense eyes never leave Emma's hot glare.

"Good luck tomorrow," she snottily says and then elegantly drifts away as if she didn't just ruin Emma's night.

"Ugh, why does she have to be such a bitch?" She grumbles, anxiously raking her nails against her scalp.

"Because if she wasn't, she wouldn't be the legend she is now in this game," Killian indifferently responds.

"Why are you defending her? I get she used to own your balls but your my partner now," she declares, eliciting a deep chuckle from him.

"I'm not defending her," he vows, placing his hand upon hers. "I just know the strength and willpower it takes to win one of these. I have played this game with her for ten years, we have watched each other grow and I'm telling you, she's not that bad. It's a game, Emma and she's playing it, like she's supposed to. She wouldn't have so many wins if she was nice all the time."

"Mary Margaret is nice and she has won."

"M and M can be shady when she needs to be," Ruby easily chimes in.

"Okay, well, Belle has one," she counters. "And so do you, Rubes."

"Because we were all on a team and Regina fucking carried our asses that season and pushed us to the brink of sanity," Ruby divulges, reminding Emma of the Rookies vs. Veterans season.

It was Regina's third season, always making it to the finals but never winning and she was paired up with Ruby, Belle, and Kathryn. Their team was the Rookies, playing against the Vets, Mal, Ursula, Cruella, and Victoria. The Vets killed the Rookies, week after week in the dailies but somehow they pulled it off in the final and earned the title of Vets.

And oh shit, Emma completely forgot about that season. To be fair, it was eight years ago and it's no wonder why Regina still looks out for Belle and Ruby; they won together. There is a bond there that only they can understand, something only they lived through and experienced together and leaned on one another like Killian was explaining before.

"So...we are definitely getting voted in," Emma sighs in defeat, understanding how deep the rest of the house is with Regina.

"And we will kill it!" Killian happily cheers, handing his beer over to her and this time she accepts the drink with open arms and downs it in one go.

~~~~

Regina doesn't talk to her again after their heated conversation at the bar. When they arrived back at the mansion, Regina waited until Emma was fast asleep before she snuck into the room to sleep.

The following morning Emma woke up bright and early and snuck down to the gym with Graham, where he offered some new yoga poses to help her relax and meditate. When she finally made it to the kitchen for breakfast, she sat down at a crowded table and ignored the way Regina immediately stood up and left the room. Her heart twisted a little bit as if she was offended by the action but she ignored that too and went on with her morning.

When she was on the treadmill, glistening in sweat and hating the way her spandex shorts and sports bra were clinging to her, that's the moment production chose to usher them into the voting area.

She quickly snags a towel and wipes her face as she settles down on the floor between Killian's legs. He squeezes her shoulder for comfort but her entire body is buzzing, knowing what's about to come.

"Alright, let's start off by having Al and Ivy join me up here," TJ announces, his fingertips steepled and expressing the seriousness of the situation. Once the pair is standing to his left, he smirks. "Now, let's find you some competition. Regina, Naveen, you killed the challenge, so we will start off with you guys. Who would you like to vote into the elimination?"

"Well, TJ, Aurora was convinced I had an alliance with Killian, so I want to make it very clear that we do not have any ties this year, despite our relationship which ended last year. So, our vote is for Killian and Emma."

"Alright, that's one vote for Killian and Emma. Mulan and Baron?" TJ proceeds without skipping a beat, completely unaffected and not giving a damn about the drama.

"A Rookie guy went into elimination last week," Mulan begins, "so I think it's only fair that a Rookie girl goes in this week. So, my vote is for Fiona and Arthur."

"Okay, so that's one vote for Killian and Emma and one vote for Fiona and Arthur," TJ concludes, inspiring Emma's body to release a breath she didn't even know she was holding because she thought this vote was going to be unanimous.

Unfortunately, it's not a surprise when Mary Margaret, Sabine, and Belle all vote for her. Ruby follows Mulan (probably with some convincing from Graham) and votes for Fiona as well, along with Jeff and Tink. Obviously, Emma and Killian vote for Fiona but they aren't going to vote for themselves, so Arthur tosses another vote back at Killian and Emma.

"Okay, the score is all tied up. Five votes for Killian and Emma, five votes for Fiona and Arthur," TJ announces. "Neal, Tamara, who are you voting for?"

"Killian, you're my bro, so I can't vote for you," Neal begins, "so my vote is for Fiona and Arthur as well.

"Thanks, mate."

Emma pulls her knees to her chest and hugs herself especially tight as her body flushes with a type of nervous energy that renders her paralyzed. She didn't even attempt a political game yet, somehow, she has managed to come out ahead here. She might actually beat Regina in her little game.

"Killian and Emma," she hears Zelena vote, quickly tying them all up once again.

Emma deflates, clearly the sisters are aligned even if there is some bad blood between them.

"Come on guys," TJ sighs in disappointment, "you know we can't have a tie here, so we are going to vote again. Think hard," he scolds, forcing Emma to squeeze her thighs even closer to her chest.

She's not ready to go in. She's not ready to go home. Her heart feels like it's going to crack her sternum right in half and break free from its cage to runaway from this torture. Why the hell did she sign up for this again?

She hears Regina, Sabine, Mary Margret, Belle, and Zelena all say her name again, even if it sounds a million miles away as if she's submerged under water. She peeks through her long lashes and finds Graham firmly shaking his head but Ruby is nodding just as fiercely.

"No."

"Yes."

"Ruby, I can't," Graham pleads, his puppy dog eyes filled with sorrow and begging her to understand.

"We will be the swing vote and if we don't, TJ will make us go in," Ruby hisses under her breath at her partner and Emma's heart sinks.

"You know what, it's fine, Graham," she suddenly pipes up. "Come on, Killian, it's going to be us." She lightly pats his knee and stands tall, sounding far more confident than she feels.

"Emma," Graham pleads but she waves him off and takes her place next to the host with Killian proudly following behind her.

"I understand, Graham and I don't want to put you in that predicament. It's fine," she repeats, bobbing her head and swaying from left to right in an attempt to psych herself up.

TJ turns to her, a very serious expression upon his face. "Emma, Killian, how do you feel about being the house vote?"

Emma shrugs, planting her fists of rage upon her hips. "It is what it is. Everyone knows Graham and I are friends and I don't want to put him in that predicament."

"Just a chance to prove that we belong here," Killian proudly says, placing his hand upon her shoulder for comfort.

"Well, then I'll see you all later in the Jungle," TJ reminds them and then disappears out the door without another word.

Emma's gaze locks onto Regina as the rest of the cast disperses and goes back to whatever the hell they were doing before. Regina catches her eye for a brief moment but there's not an ounce of emotion behind them before she wanders into the kitchen.

Regina proceeds to dutifully ignore her the rest of the day as well.

~~~~

"It's really sad how they make you pack your bags and bring them to the Jungle every time you're up for elimination," Tink acknowledges, lounging on Emma's bed as if it were her own while Emma folds her clothes as small as humanly possible to fit in her backpack.

"It makes sense. They don't want drama back at the house after someone gets eliminated. It's easier to send them straight home after."

Tink sighs, flipping onto her stomach and crawling toward the bottom of the bed. "Are you nervous?" She investigates, propping her chin upon her palm.

"Yeah, I would be stupid not to be."

"Well, I think you're going to do amazing! Killian has an insane elimination record."

Emma frowns, peeking through her lashes to inspect her friend's excited expression. "He does?"

"Yes! He's ten and four. Out of fourteen eliminations, he's won ten, that's crazy. Plus, you have been crushing Ivy in all the daily challenges. My money is on you guys."

"Thanks," she breathes in relief because it feels so good to know someone is rooting for her besides Graham.

"What kind of elimination are you hoping for?" Sabine questions as she breezes into the room, startling both blondes.

Regina is trailing behind in her shadow, pretending like she can't hear their conversation.

"I-uh..." Emma trails off, dropping her attention back down to her backpack. "I don't know really."

"Puzzles are too risky. They're a wildcard," Tink rushes on. "It could be anybody's game in that predicament."

"True."

"You never know about physical challenges though," Sabine kindly offers, settling down on the edge of Regina's bunk. "You may think you have the upper hand and then bam, one wrong move and you break something and are forced to leave."

Emma exhales a very winded breath. "That's true too."

"It's never in the bag, no matter how confident and well rounded of a player you are," Sabine sadly states. "All it takes is one split second to turn the tables."

"I don't think you're helping here," Tink vocalizes, her eyes shifting worriedly to Emma's pathetic pout.

"Oh, I wasn't trying to make you feel bad, I'm just saying, if you're nervous and think you don't have this, it literally can be anyone's game. You won't know until TJ blows that horn and the game is over," Sabine sweetly amends and Emma knows by her tone alone that she is being sincere.

"I know," she whispers under her breath, scrutinizing the way Regina gathers her clothes for a shower before she walks away without a single word. Again.

She sighs because honestly, she doesn't understand why Regina hates her so much. Truthfully, everyone else in the house has actually been fairly nice, well, except for her sister. Must be something in the blood.

"Hey, my first elimination, I didn't even go against someone in the house," Sabine attempts to calm down her nerves once more. "They brought in a Vet, a legend at the time, Mal. I was like what the fuck is this? Why can't I just go against someone in the house? Why you gotta be bringing in champs to destroy me?" She laughs playfully. "We had to wrestle a damn ring from each other and then place it on a hook behind us. We went six rounds and I thought for sure I wasn't going to be able to take her but I did. Somehow, I found my motivation. Actually, every time her bony ass elbow dug into my side, I was fueled with adrenaline. Find your fight, your reason to stay," she encourages, patting her shoulder before she too, wanders off toward the bathroom.

Considering she didn't bother to bring any clothes, Emma is sure she is off to tell on herself to Regina for fraternizing with the enemy.

"Hey," Tink softly whispers to gather her attention and not frighten her, "why are you? You seem so focused and determined, is there something going on back home, a reason you have to fight for tonight?"

Emma swallows to alleviate the pressure swelling in her throat because she's still not ready to spill her secrets.

"I just...really need the money," she shamefully murmurs and then aggressively zips up her backpack to end any further investigation.

~~~~

She has spent all day focused; mentally preparing to go and fight for her life. Quite literally. She worked out, nothing too drastic, per Killian's recommendation, reminding her that she didn't want to be too sore or worn out for the elimination. Her lonely bag is sitting beside Killian's luggage on the back of the bus, anxiously awaiting for her fate.

She follows behind Killian into the arena where the pairs fight for their right back into the house, The Jungle. Which is actually built really nice by production. Walking in, she feels so small, everything is built to feel like she's in a treehouse in the middle of the jungle. There's even a bridge made up of deep, rich wood where all the cast members stand to watch the fights that take place in a massive sandpit.

TJ stands in the middle of the arena, hands fastened behind his back, observing as each couple enters and lines up on the bridge. Al and Ivy are already standing beside him, twitching anxiously but all Emma can do is focus on the two walls made up of bricks in the middle of the arena. And every muscle in Emma's body quivers uncontrollably, knowing what's to come. She begs and pleads with her body to just calm the fuck down but she can't seem to control herself. Even her damn teeth are chattering from the anxiety rippling through her blood.

"Welcome to The Jungle. Unfortunately, Al and Ivy just couldn't get it done in the challenge, so the house had to vote for another team to fight for their right to stay in the house. Killian, Emma, come on down," TJ firmly says, motivating her trembling feet to follow the path to her fate.

It's dark out but thankfully there are spotlights guiding her way for the camera to film every heart-pounding second. She knows the other contestants are clapping and hollering all kinds of words of encouragement but she hears nothing. Everything falls dead to her ears and all she can think about is the way her body won't stop prickling in fear.

"Tonight, you guys are going to be playing Through Thick and Thin. One of you will use that sledge hammer to break through this wall, allowing you and and your partner onto the other side where you will then solve a puzzle. Whoever does it the fastest will win tonight's elimination and stay in the game. The others will go home and lose their chance at one million dollars, so get it done," TJ stresses just before the cameras turn off.

Elsa and Kristoff usher Emma and Killian to one side of the arena where they are handed helmets while another cameraman and producer end up on the other side with Al and Ivy for their interview.

"I'm going to puke," Emma whispers as her quivering hands attempt to buckle her helmet beneath her chin.

"That's normal," Killian assures her, flashing his best dazzling smile. "Just push through that feeling and adrenaline will take over."

"I-I don't think..." she isn't granted time to finish her thought because Elsa is interrupting.

"Alright, tell us about your strengths or weaknesses to an elimination like this and how you feel about going against Ivy and Al."

The little red light flickers on and Emma feels her stomach drop to her ass. Her body tingles, breaking out in a full-blown sweat and TJ hasn't even blown his stupid foghorn yet.

"I have a feeling Al will be able to bust through the wall pretty quickly," Killian begins, "but people underestimate what I am capable of. There's a technique to using a sledge hammer, thankfully my father taught me well."

"I'm just hoping to make it through my first elimination without making a fool of myself. I really want to prove myself but puzzles can be tricky, it's anyone's game," she mumbles, hoping that the camera can't pick up on how badly she is shaking.

"We've got this, as long as we stay focused," he states with conviction, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and squeezing her awfully close.

She smiles brightly at him and she's expecting to feel disgust like she usually does when it comes to physical touch but she is taken by surprise when she ends up feeling grounded. She doesn't have time to process that though because production is shooing them off to their starting positions.

She swallows down the bitter bile crawling up the back of her throat.

She hears TJ shouting and asking if they are ready, she may or may not nod along.

Everything is fuzzy.

She clenches her fists and watches as Killian takes off running toward the wall and that's what kick starts her heart and shakes her back to life.

"Let's go, Killian, you've got this! Firm swings!"

She honestly doesn't understand how he is able to manage a grip around the sledge hammer with just his palm and no fingers but he does it. Not only does he do it but he is blowing Al out of the water. Killian's hits are firm and never waver, his hands far enough apart to keep the tool steady and fierce.

"Go, Emma!" Killian shouts.

"I-what?" She questions, rushing forward to the wall in confusion because there's only a small hole and surely he cannot possibly fit through.

"Squeeze through," he tells her, gesturing toward the tiny gap he has provided. "You can start the puzzle while I break the rest of the wall," he quietly explains. "Go, Swan!"

And for some reason, her last name rockets a strength and courage inside of her that she didn't know she possessed. She scrambles quickly, shoving her body through the minimal space, motivating the crowd to chant and scream even louder.

The house cheering encourages her to run as fast as her legs can manage toward the podium where the puzzle awaits. There are nine black pieces, so without much thought, she rapidly begins flipping them over to reveal an assortment of rainbow colors. She quickly scans the pieces, red, purple, blue, green, in the shape of triangles, broken up by black wiggly lines.

What in the actual fuck?

The colors and images remind her of peering through a kaleidoscope and she hasn't the slightest clue where to begin. The only thing her brain can think about doing, is matching the colors together. So, she places one piece down in the bottom right corner and decides to build from there. The color on the right is purple, so she grabs another puzzle piece and lines up the purple together.

Voilà!

She formed a diamond with the purple colors and it creates a rush of excitement through her, persuading her to believe that she's onto something and she might just be able to figure it out. She moves quickly, following the color patterns and lining them all up, until she has two pieces left that don't match to anything she has created.

"Fuck."

"Hey, hey," Killian heaves as he rushes to her side. "What have we got?"

"I have no fucking clue," she sighs in defeat, granting her partner a moment of peace to scan the puzzle.

"Let's go!" She hears Robin shout from the bridge and she knows it's because they haven't moved in several seconds but they are trying to formulate a plan.

"Do you see something I don't?" She exasperates, blinking up at her partner who is completely locked onto the puzzle.

"The lines, Swan..."

"What?" She inquires, studying the black wiggly lines even closer. "Oh my god, those lines create shapes as well!"

"Yes," he whispers under his breath and then they are off, moving pieces quickly to adjust the colors and lines accordingly.

"Check! Check!" She hears Al screaming and her heart plummets to the pit of her stomach.

She lost.

Fuck. How did she lose? Wasn't she only playing for a handful of minutes? How the hell did Ivy solve it so quickly?

"Al, Ivy..." TJ trails off, his hand thrusting that stupid annoying horn into the air.

"Keep working, love. Let's go!" Killian encourages and he's right, she refuses to give up just yet.

Like Sabine had said, it's anybody's game until that horn blows.

"Incorrect."

"What?" Ivy screeches on the top of her lungs.

"Sorry, that puzzle is incorrect, keep going," TJ says, shuffling back to his spot between the two teams.

"Go, go," Killian happily says, their hands moving extra fast to move all the pieces.

"Should we check?" Emma asks, her eyes scanning through all the colors to makes sure they form a diamond while the black lines create squares, stars, and crosses.

"This color pattern up here is off. Everything is a diamond but there is an extra color at the top."

"Yes, but all the black lines match up correctly. Maybe that's there to fuck with us. Maybe the puzzle is the black lines and not the color scheme in the back."

"I-"

"Check! Check!" Emma shouts without his approval and suddenly everything and everyone in the arena becomes dead silent. "Please for the love of god, check!"

"Emma and Killian..." TJ slowly says, lifting the foghorn into the air as she mentally screams for him to please just blow the damn thing. "That is correct."

"Oh my god! Holy..." she squeals, her words vanishing in thin air as Killian scoops her off the ground and spins around and around.

"Ah, I knew you had it in you! Look at us!"

"Oh my god, we did it! I can't...thank you!"

"No, Swan, thank you. I was doubtful for a minute and you took control." He gently sets her down and quickly unfastens his helmet. "Come, it's bad form not to shake the opponent's hands."

"Right, of course!"

They quickly take turns, shaking Ivy and Al's hands and telling them how well they performed. Ivy is sour but Al smiles politely and congratulates them. And after that everything is a blur; from her squealing the entire time during her interview to TJ congratulating them and sending them back to the house.

And that's only just the beginning to a very eventful night.

Chapter Text

She's not sure how she got here but she is now seven shots of tequila in with her fellow cast mate grinding on her lap.

What she can remember, is that she was on such a high from winning that she threw her reservations about taking other people's drinks out the window and accepted every tiny glass from her partner that was shoved into her face. Nobody partied this hard after the first elimination win but she suspects it has to do with a champ returning to the house to claim the title.

So, here she is, sitting on a chair in the middle of the living room with Killian beside her. Tink is forcefully shoving her tongue down Killian's throat as she gifts him a lap dance and he is all too eager to reciprocate. Everyone is blissfully wasted, all inhibitions benched for the evening as they celebrate to their fullest potential. Someone decided it would be hilarious to gift the winners lap dances and somehow the living room has turned into a strip club.

The light are dimmed and people are whooping and hollering and everything is a little fuzzy. She blinks, long and hard to refocus and she realizes The Challenge Legend, Neal, is the one rolling his hips upon her lap. Once upon a time ago, she had the biggest crush on him, all because of that bad boy reputation. She has a weak spot for the mischievous ones and she knows it has everything to do with her lack of parents and role models growing up.

Even though he has changed so much and come such a long way, he's still charming as hell, witty, and above all, makes her laugh like nobody else can. It's crazy how she used to see him as someone unattainable because he was on television and she's a homeless orphan, but now here she is with him on her lap. She's breathing the same air and she wonders what it would be like to kiss such a mogul.

Without another thought, she eliminates the space between them and kisses him, hard. He chuckles, low and deep in the back of his throat and then gently cups her cheek and kisses her back. He slows down the pace, because clearly she's drunk and sloppy but he never backs away. The entire cast is cheering and that's when she remembers this is all being filmed and her blood sizzles with embarrassment.

Gently, she ends the kiss but he simply smiles at her and pecks the corner of her mouth one last time. "You wanna go get a drink?" He asks in the heated space between them and she wants nothing more than to escape the crowd, so she nods along.

He climbs off her lap, in nothing more than a pair of his spandex shorts for the game with his name across his bottom, and then takes her hand. He leads her out of the room, everyone making snide comments and she just knows the audience is going to assume she is trying to sleep her way to the top. Her heart panics and for some reason her eyes are searching for Regina, waiting to be mocked. Except, Regina is nowhere to be found.

A cameraman that usually follows the Vets, trails behind them and she is just about to protest going to his room and demand that she doesn't want to win this way but he leads her to the kitchen. Bewildered, she observes as he unscrews a bottle of vodka and pours her a drink.

"Umm...thanks," she sheepishly says, blissfully ignorant to her morals with this much alcohol swimming through her system.

"I thought I owed you a drink as congratulations on tonight's elimination," he kindly says through a broad smile that shows off a dimple deep in his cheek.

"Cheers," she says, tapping her red solo cup against his before taking a sip to control her nerves about speaking with the legend. "So, Neal, what's your story?"

"My story?" He laughs. "Interesting choice of words, considering my life over the past decade has been played out for America on cameras," he quips, leaning heavily on the countertop between them.

"I mean, you have been known for being the bad boy. What happened? Why such a drastic life change?"

Neal stretches the back of his head and sighs. "Uh, my story is that I was in a screwed up situation and I left and it kinda screwed me up even more."

"Crappy home life?" She vaguely replies. "I get that."

"I mean, it wasn't always." He sucks a sharp breath between his teeth and then downs the rest of his drink. "My father wasn't always a bad guy. He was a good man but...my mom left and he struggled to support me and he turned to gambling. It was all really messed up. I went down a dark path after that, drinking heavily, acting out...but ummm, a few years ago, he was murdered. Some bookie shot him in the back and I don't know, it was a wake up call for me. I was scared shitless, I didn't want to end up like him."

"Neal, I'm so sorry, I had no idea-"

"Nah, it's fine. Most people don't know but I just...you're different, Emma. You seem like a genuine person and like I can trust you."

She nods slowly, her eyes lost in his big sorrowful eyes, pleading for her to trust in him. "Are you trying to get me to be your ally?"

He bursts out laughing. "You're already on my side for numbers. Remember? Killian is my number one."

"Right," she deadpans, flushing crimson because how could she forget?

"Nah, I just thought I should get to know my guy's partner. He keeps saying what a great person you are, so I thought we should talk."

"And the ummmm...." She trails off, mortified by how she just kissed him without any warning.

"Kiss?" He laughs, all in good fun. "I don't date in The Challenge house anymore, learned my lesson with Wendy but hey, if you ever wanna cuddle and have a little fun, I'm always down."

"Ha!" She mocks. "You couldn't handle being friends with benefits, you would catch feelings within the first week."

He laughs, his head falling back as he taps their cups together. "Touché," is all he says before Killian, Tink, and many others join them for another round.

~~~~

Killian threw her in the pool again and she needs some dry clothes. Oh, and sweat pants! She's halfway down the hall, Kristoff trailing behind like always, when she hears Robin's voice coming from her room.

"We were good together, remember?"

"That was a long time ago," Regina's emotionless tone drifts down the hall and stops her feet from moving any closer.

"But we had some great moments."

"Yes, until you decided that your weird honor and code to your bros came before your girlfriend," Regina exasperates, although, she doesn't sound hurt, more like tired of the same old song and dance.

"Regina, you can't honestly still be mad that I chose John for my boat to the final over you. We were together at the time, it was in our best interest if John and I were on the same team and we could win and we did! We spent some of the money together."

Emma's entire face scrunches from the disgusting reasoning behind Robin choosing his friend over his own girlfriend to run the final with.

"Look," Robin says sharply, motivating Emma's feet to shuffle closer. "You weren't always so forthcoming either."

"I didn't lie," Regina plainly defends. "I just didn't divulge every aspect of my life on camera."

"But I was your boyfriend. I wanted all of you and when I found out that you weren't sharing-"

"Oh please shut up, Robin. That was seven years ago. We have both moved on."

"But we could be so good together this time around. All our titles under our belt, no more secrets."

"You're delusional," Regina scoffs, so Emma takes that as her cue to barge in because Regina has rejected him several times now and he's not taking the hint.

"Sorry for interrupting," she mumbles, dripping wet and scurrying toward her backpack upon her bed.

"Hey! Congratulations on the big win tonight. Looks like we got ourselves a competition," Robin happily compliments, lounging at the foot of Regina's bed as if he's perfectly welcomed.

Emma's eyes bounce to dangerous pools of rich chocolate and she suspects he is not at all wanted. Regina's face is expressionless yet she still says, "yes, Emma, Congratulations."

"Yeah, thanks," she mutters over her shoulder and drops her gaze back down to pull out her pajamas.

"Now, what do you say, Regina? Shall we cuddle tonight?"

Emma shivers, maybe from the icy water slithering down her back or maybe from the condescending tone drifting behind her like a thief in the night.

Regina laughs. "Cuddling? I know what that leads to, me waking up with a dick trying to worm its way into my ass."

"Ewww," Emma says without ever processing the word in her brain.

Thanks, alcohol.

Regina chuckles under her breath while Robin scowls. "We all know it's going to get lonely and Marian has already been hinting that she wants to sneak into my bed."

"Well good for her. I hope you two will be very happy together and she will be the perfect little wife to raise your babies just like you have always hoped for," Regina snottily replies and Emma wants to hide away in the bathroom and pretend she is not part of this entire conversation but her feet aren't budging and the alcohol induced portion of her brain loves the gossip.

"Why you gotta be like that, Regina?" Robin scoffs. "I could trade rooms tonight with Emma. What do you say?"

"Huh?" Emma blinks, utterly confused on what is happening and she finds Regina studying her especially close.

"You take my room, I'm sure you'd like to finish what you started with Neal and I could take your bunk."

"Uh," she drawls, completely hypnotized by Regina's intense glare sucking her in. "Neal and I were just...having some fun. It didn't mean anything. Just a stupid, silly kiss."

Regina's chest rises like she's been holding her breath this entire time and she can finally breathe again.

"See, Regina, just having some fun," Robin states as cocky as ever while his toes dig into Regina's side but she is quick to swat him away. "We can have some fun for old time's sake."

"You're right, cuddling can just be fun," Regina says with enough cryptical hidden meaning in her tone that it rattles Emma's bones. She gingerly taps the spot beside her and right when Robin lifts off his elbows, Regina's evil mouth speaks. "Come here, Emma, why don't we cuddle, just for fun?"

"I-uh-wha-" Emma stammers like a complete idiot, quite literally choking on her own saliva.

"Oh don't be cruel, Regina," Robin sasses. "Don't break the poor Rookie, we all know someone should be subjected to the challenge house for at least three seasons before they play your games."

Regina rolls her eyes. "Shut up," she barks, using her feet to shove him off the edge of her bed. He doesn't move. "Go bother, Marian."

"Listen-"

"Dude, back off," Emma unexpectedly snaps, surprising herself in the process along with everyone else. "She already said no, how many times? If Marian wants you so bad, go get her. Regina clearly doesn't want you," she seethes, causing her enemy's two dark eyebrows to jump in shock.

"Don't you have a shower to get to?" Robin huffs in annoyance.

"I think my fist has a prior arrangement with your nose," she rebuttals, stepping closer toward Regina's bunk and honestly, she has no idea where this protective nature over Regina is coming from but it's instinctual and she doesn't think she can tame it.

Damn the alcohol.

"I would love for you to punch me," Robin cackles, standing tall from the bottom bunk and towering Emma's height by at least four inches.

Regina exhales loudly, moving slowly out of her bed as the two blondes go toe to toe.

"Nobody is punching anybody," Regina sternly demands. "Emma, you would immediately be disqualified from the show and Robin, Killian would never forgive you for getting him kicked out. As much as I appreciate you, Emma, for defending me, it's not necessary. Robin, it's time for you to go," she firmly states and then shoves him toward the door.

"I don't know why I ever considered giving you another chance," he whines like a toddler as Regina proceeds to push him out.

"I don't know either, you would just be constantly miserable from never being able to satisfy me," she gleefully quips and then slams the door in his face before he can say another word.

When Regina spins back around, Emma is analyzing her very closely, wondering what hidden meaning is behind those words that her sluggish brain can't pick apart right now?

"Man, I can't believe he wouldn't stop, he just-"

"Don't you have a shower to get to?" Regina snarks coldly, stomping her pissed off feet back to her bed.

"Hey, I thought...that was...I defended you!"

"I didn't ask you to," Regina growls, glaring murderously up from her bottom bunk. "I can handle the immature men around here. I've been putting up with it for twelve years. You have no idea what I endured the first few years. I don't need you coming to my rescue and making me appear weak."

"That's not at all what I was doing, damn, you really are the Evil Queen."

"I guess so," she nonchalantly claims and then crawls back into bed.

"Whatever," Emma grumbles and then stomps her heavy feet to the bathroom where she slams the door behind her.

~~~~

So, here's the thing, Emma never had parents which means that nobody ever took the time to teach her how to properly swim or at least sign her up for some swimming lessons. When she was about seventeen, a certain someone was kind enough to teach her the basics and that was enough for her. She's not awful at it but she is not good by any means, so when TJ announced that today would be a swimming challenge, every organ in Emma's body stopped functioning.

The goal of today's daily challenge, clock in the most time, whoever can last the longest wins. However, it's not just swimming, why would it be? That would be far too simple. No, today, there is a sunken treasure chest at the bottom of a lake and only one person can dive down to the bottom at a time, lift the chest off the ground and then their time will begin. The chest cannot touch the ground, otherwise their time will be stopped and their turn is over. To make things even more interesting, her partner has to come down and take the chest from her hands to relieve her so she can swim to the top, take in some air and then swim back down to relieve her partner.

Fun.

"I'm not the strongest swimmer," Emma begins to explain in their interview, "but I'm hoping I can pull through and last long enough, so that we don't end up in the bottom today."

"Mate, I wish I would have known, we could have been training in the pool," Killian kindly says, no judgement or anger in his tone and she is so relieved that she ended up with such a supporting partner.

"I really didn't think it was going to be an issue..." she trails off hopelessly, nibbling on her bottom lip.

Elsa snorts, forcing Kristoff to quickly pause the camera. "You didn't think swimming would be an issue? You have seen the show before, correct? That's like saying that you didn't know heights would be involved or eating disturbing animal parts."

"I'm not terrible...it's just not my strong suit," she sheepishly defends but Killian is there to hook an arm around her shoulder and settle her fears.

"We will be just fine. Just remember to remain calm."

She can feel all the blood drain from her face as she nods along and follows him to the edge of the dock. She's having an out of body moment, her soul is leaving its vessel but everything seems to be moving along on autopilot. She clips her helmet into place which has a tiny camera mounted on top for the audience to see what she will be doing and then she hears TJ ask if they are ready.

No, she absolutely is not ready at all because Fiona and Arthur already went and lasted all of forty seconds and Mulan and Baron were far worse with a whopping thirty seconds. Regina and Naveen were pros like they have literally been training for this on their off season and lasted an astonishing two minutes. Even David and Mary Margaret weren't too far behind Regina and Naveen.

"Go!" TJ screams, persuading her body to leap into the warm waters.

She doesn't really think about much, she simply focuses on her partner and follows him out to the flag bobbing in the water, where their chest awaits. It's not like she swam very far but her chest is tight and she is already starting to panic from the fear of letting Killian down.

"I'll go down first," she says because she's not sure she can last that long and hopefully Killian will come down to rescue her and will be able to rack up some time for them.

"You sure?"

"Yes, just...please don't leave me down there too long," she pleads, hating herself for sounding so vulnerable but at least her enemy isn't around to hold it against her.

Actually, Regina has yet to bring up the baby blanket situation but she doesn't have time to dwell on that piece of information.

"I'll be right behind you," Killian vows with a sweet smile to calm the anxiety crippling her from within. "Take a deep breath," he softly commands and without much thought she obeys.

She nervously adjusts her thick goggles and summons the courage to at least try this challenge. One deep breath and then she dives head first into the water and crap, the treasure chest seems a hell of a lot further down than she expected. She pushes forward, kicking her legs as hard as possible as the temperature in the water begins to cool.

She's already struggling to hold her breath, she never really practiced swimming underwater quite like this. Most of the time she was swimming under the water but just below the surface but this is frightening and the thought of drowning is overwhelming. How the hell did Regina do this for so long?

Her fingers reach for the chest, lifting it right off the ground and pulling it closer to her body. She closes her eyes and tries to relax like Killian asked of her but this feels impossible. The pressure in her lungs feels like she might combust at any moment and all she wants to do is drop the damn thing and swim as fast as she can to the surface before she dies.

Her eyes fling open and even though she feels so damn guilty, she knows she cannot possibly hang on for one more second. And then Killian is there, offering her a smile and happily taking the chest from her hands. She doesn't think twice, before she even releases the chest, she is kicking and flailing her way to the surface.

Her head emerges, her mouth hastily sucking in a greedy breath of fresh air. She moves quickly, lifting her goggles to empty the water that was slowly filling inside. She inhales another deep breath and she knows she needs to go back down but she feels as though she still can't breathe. She takes one more deep breath and then dives right back down.

Killian is holding the chest up, so she doesn't have to swim that far back down but she panics, her chest constricting and her entire body convulses in fear. She frowns, knowing that she can't possibly swim back down there. Her mind is screaming at her to just hold the chest for ten seconds, allow Killian just a second to come up for air and then he will be back to save her.

Before she can think about what to do, her body is already popping back up above water, gasping dramatically for air. It's all of three seconds later when Killian emerges and her heart sinks, knowing that they failed, she failed him, miserably.

"I'm so so sorry," she rushes out, "I couldn't...I panicked..."

"Emma, it's..." he hesitates and she can so very clearly see the disappointment flashing across his face. "It's alright. You tried and that's the most I can ask for."

"No, no, I should have tried harder. I should have pushed myself-"

"Hey, don't beat yourself up. You still clocked us at least ten seconds. It's better than zero."

"Not by much," she grumbles bitterly under her breath and angrily swims back to the dock where TJ is not holding back how disappointed he is by his facial expression alone.

"What happened?" TJ immediately asks as she climbs out of the water and back onto the sturdy dock.

"I-I'm not that great at swimming," she quietly whispers, her cheeks heating up from the shame.

"Yeah, we saw that," he sarcastically retorts through a deep chuckle.

She rolls her eyes and stomps away toward solid ground in search of a towel. The moment she snags a towel off the table, Elsa and Kristoff are in her face. Killian rushes to her side for the interview and then Elsa is signaling for them to begin.

"I guess we know how we are going to spend our free time," she mumbles in agitation.

"Swim lessons every day in the pool, mate," Killian demands but his voice is still calm despite the sinking sensation of most likely losing and going straight to elimination tonight.

"I'll be there," she sadly confirms but then he pulls her flush against his chest and wraps both arms securely around her, no half hug today.

"You did great, you tried your hardest, everyone has a bad day," he sweetly says and for once in her life, she completely surrenders to a hug.

She actually hugs him back and for a brief moment, she hopes that he will remain a true friend in her life and won't disappear like the rest.

~~~~

"Great challenge today, everybody!" TJ compliments and Emma can't help the way her body prickles from embarrassment all over again. "Unfortunately, one team just couldn't get it done today." She sags in utter defeat, he doesn't even have to say it, her stomach is already churning and warning her of what's to come. "Killian and Emma, one more second and you would have tied with Mulan and Baron but time wasn't in your favor today, so you are headed straight into elimination."

She covers her face, loathing the way her cheeks heat right up from the disappointment and embarrassment. Another elimination. She was just in the last one. She hasn't even had a chance to unpack her backpack yet. She was still riding the high from winning her first elimination and now she's being tossed right back in.

It's a sudden jerk of emotions that she wasn't really prepared for and unexpectedly, she wants to cry. And she never cries. She was trained at a very young age to bottle up those tears and place them on a shelf, never to be seen or heard from again. It's unnerving and quite overwhelming to feel such a strong emotion again after so long. She didn't even cry after all the drama that went down before she was kicked to the curb and ended up here.

But here she is, losing her first daily challenge and feeling like a pathetic loser who just wants to hide away in bed and cry her eyes out.

"And for today's winners, Regina and Naveen, killing it again. Congratulations you guys! You are safe from elimination once again," TJ proudly announces which only forces her eyes to swell with a warm liquid she is unfamiliar with. She swallows thickly, clenches her jaw and steels her erratic emotions. "You guys will all head back to the house to deliberate and select one pair to face Killian and Emma in the Jungle."

She scans the group of contestants left and realizes that there isn't one female left that she would feel confident in competing against. Each one is a badass in her own way and excels in at least one aspect of the game. Subconsciously, she frowns.

She's fucked.

Chapter Text

"Eat," Tink sternly orders, sliding a plate of macaroni and cheese under her face.

The warm smell wafts under her nose, creating a weird sense of déjà vu that reminds her of her childhood. It's weird really, to have such a sinking sensation in a heart that yearns for home when she never even had a place to call her own or a family for that matter.

"I'm not hungry," she mumbles under her breath and god, why does she feel like crying again?

This isn't her. She's always so in control of her life and now she's struggling to keep her emotions in check. She tiredly scrubs at her eyes and slumps back against her chair. Half the cast is showering away the lake water and the other half is already drinking by the pool and soaking up some sun.

"You need to eat," Graham kindly instructs, snagging her plate away and replacing it with something far more appealing. "You need to keep up your strength," he reminds her, wiggling a plate of grilled cheese beneath her nose.

She does love a good grilled cheese.

"I'm just...tired."

"I think that's part of the game," Tink whispers, stabbing her fork into the untouched macaroni and stealing it for herself.

"We barely do anything all week though," Emma complains. "We have one daily challenge and one elimination a week."

"We train every day," Graham proudly reminds her and she can't help but smile at his innocence.

"It's not that...it's just..." she trails off when she finds Zelena and Fiona settling down in the empty seats around the table without an invite. Her curious eyes bounce to her friends for guidance but they seem just as puzzled by the unexpected visit.

"Grilled cheese and macaroni and cheese, what a substantial last meal," Zelena sardonically quips while Fiona curls her nose in disgust.

"It's not my last meal," Emma bitterly grumbles, roughly chewing off the end of her sandwich. "Elimination is tomorrow. I still have three more meals left and then I'll have even more after I win," she smugly retorts.

"Good, that's the kind of blind arrogance we need," Zelena fires off and right when Emma opens her mouth to argue, this woman rushes on. "Listen, it's us Rookie girls left-"

"Marian and Tamara are still here," Tink reminds the wicked woman, persuading icy blue irises to roll in annoyance.

"Yes, I'm quite aware, however, they are tied to Robin and Neal and I don't believe those two will cross Regina."

"Jeff dated Regina," Tink proceeds which only agitates Zelena even further.

"For all of three weeks on the show, quite scandalous," she mocks, rolling her eyes once more while Emma quietly eats her sandwich and listens to every word closely. She can practically feel the camera zooming in on the side of her face and she pleads with her body not to blush. "Anyways, it's obvious that the numbers are going to swing in my direction this evening or Fiona's."

Emma steals a chip and slowly nods along, not wanting to draw too much attention to herself and paint herself as a schemer.

"So," Fiona chimes in, eyes sparkling with mischief, "we are thinking, if we can all get on the same page here, we might be able to throw in a more powerful team."

Emma's eyebrows pinch together in confusion. "So, you are asking me to align with you tonight when we are voting and then go up against one of the Vets?" She investigates in disbelief because the last thing she wants to do is stack the odds against herself and send herself packing home tomorrow.

"But just think, last week was a puzzle," Zelena very seriously acknowledges, "that means you're probably going to get something physical. Imagine if you took out Mary Margaret or Ruby, you could definitely beat them in a hall brawl."

Her stomach curls itself into the tightest ball imaginable, playing dead and hoping to protect itself from starving prey. Hall Brawl. She didn't even think about if she has to compete in that grueling game. Basically, each person stands at the end of a very narrow hallway and they have to run full force into each other and wrestle their way free to ring a bell at the other end of the hall. She has seen many broken body parts in that elimination and she definitely can't afford a hospital visit.

"Mary Margaret is feisty, I've seen that woman overpower women twice her size and Ruby can be vicious, I don't think she's ever lost a Hall Brawl."

"Until you," Fiona flirts in a sticky sweet tone that has Emma's mouth molding down into a disgusted frown.

"I-I...it's only week three, I don't want to shake up the house just yet. I need to play smarter, not harder," she says, glancing between her friends for validation and they are both already shaking their heads in agreement.

"I don't think you could swing the votes to Mary Margaret," Graham states. "And umm, hello, Ruby is my partner and I'm not going to vote myself in."

"If we can convince Belle and Mulan, we will have enough votes for Mary Margaret and we will go down in history as the bravest Rookies for going after a champ like that," Zelena declares, her eyes sparkling with mirth.

"There's no way you are going to get Belle to vote against Regina. Have you not noticed their votes have always been in sync?" Emma scoffs, snatching Tink's plate back and shoveling more food into her face because this conversation is making her all antsy and she has always been a stress eater.

"We can do this," Fiona states with conviction, "we just need to make sure you're all on board, so we can make deals with Mulan and Belle and convince them this is in their best interest."

Regina chooses this exact moment to barge her way into the conversation. She is soaking wet, not bothering to cover up her body as she struts away from the pool and over to their table. She leans over, thick water droplets raining off her body as she reaches into the bowl of chips. She makes direct eye contact with Emma and her entire body hums in response from the intense glare.

"Whatever my sister's puny brain concocted that would lead to all of you conversing, I promise you, it's suicidal. Don't listen to a damn word she says," Regina threatens Emma, nobody else around the table, just her.

She doesn't know why her throat decides to close up in that very moment but it does and she finds those muscles useless in spewing words to defend herself.

"Why on Earth would she listen to you, Regina?" Zelena spits with such disdain. "You're the one that threw her ass into elimination last week and we all know you'll do it again given the opportunity."

Regina slowly pulls away from the bowl, eyes narrowing on her blunt sister. "I thought you said I was out to get you?" She feigns innocence, yet in the most condescending tone that makes Emma feel about an inch tall and the comment wasn't even directed toward her.

"Oh you will be but not when there is a bigger threat to your game still out there," Zelena smugly declares, thrusting her chin in the air as if she just won and now Emma sees the family resemblance.

"Yes," Regina sighs, her eyes swinging back toward the pool, "the un-charming fairytale couple is a problem."

Emma shifts in her seat to see who the hell Regina is sneering at and that's when Mary Margaret wraps her legs around David's waist and she squeals like a little school girl when he leaps into the pool, holding her closely. She doesn't know why she finds them kind of adorable. Mary Margaret has never dated anyone on the show, she is usually so reserved and only thinking about the game. This is the first time she has ever seen the woman so smitten and well, she has every right when David looks at her like she is the fairest princess in all the realms.

Wait...is Regina insinuating that she is gunning for Mary Margaret?

"Don't be so foolish as to allow my sister's scheming to convince you to go against someone you couldn't possibly beat," Regina coolly states and then sashays away with an extra swing in her hips.

She doesn't know why her eyes trail behind Regina, studying every step closely like there will be a pop quiz on Regina's ass later. Maybe on trivia day, TJ will ask her about the thick curves and that tight little...

Nope. Game. Focus. Need food. Shelter.

When she blinks away her naughty thoughts, she finds Graham blushing with his head down like he just knows that Emma's raging hormones find Regina titillating. She clears her throat and tries to sound as confident as she can muster up.

"I don't think it's in my best interest to be making deals this early on in the game."

"Of course, one empty threat from my baby sister-"

"No, I stated from the moment you explained your idea that I wasn't for it," she firmly defends. "I get that it's wise to get the Vets out early but we've only just begun and I don't think it's worth the risk just yet."

"Then I guess you'll be seeing Zelena tonight in the elimination," Fiona sasses, standing tall from her chair and purposely scratching it against the rough concrete below.

"I guess so," Emma shrugs carelessly and then shoves a handful of Doritos into her mouth.

~~~~

She tilts her head back, allowing the water to cascade down her face and relax all her tense muscles. She's exhausted. Maybe that has to do with the fact that she spent the morning with crippling anxiety about drowning, or that she stress ate her entire body weight, either way, all she wants to do right now is crawl into bed and sleep for one week straight.

She can't though, not when they are in an elimination coming up tomorrow.

She groans in defeat, completely forgetting that she is never truly alone in this damn bathroom.

"You better not be doing what I think you are," Tink chirps in a tone that is all playful and she can't suppress the laughter that bubbles out of her mouth.

"I'm not, I'm just really freaking tired."

"Well, we don't have time to be tired. We have deliberation in twenty minutes and then we hit the club tonight!" She groans again, pretending to be annoyed but she can't really be mad, not when this is the first time in her life that she actually has true friends. "Hurry up!"

"I'll be out in a minute," she sighs, slowly craning her neck from left to right to alleviate the tension clotting back there from all her stress.

She hears the door swing shut and just like that, her entire body deflates. She places one hand against the wall and hangs her head to allow the hot water to soothe her aching muscles. She whimpers, feeling the stretch and pull of those tight muscles.

"Tired?"

"Jeez-fuck!" Emma shrieks, her body flushing in sheer fright because she definitely didn't hear Regina sneaking in.

She whirls around, finding the cruel woman with her eyes closed, peering up at the shower head. The water-drops catch on those thick eyelashes and for some peculiar reason, Emma feels a twitch between her thighs.

"We've only just begun this game," Regina says into the water, "don't mix yourself up with someone like my sister. You are only a pawn in her chess game."

"Ha!" Emma cackles sarcastically. "That's the pot calling the kettle black." Regina doesn't even bother turning around to have a proper conversation, she resumes showering as if Emma isn't even there at all. "And since when do you care about my game?"

"I don't. It just so happens that your benefit aligns with how I want the numbers to swing tonight," this woman so casually confesses as if none of this really means anything to her.

"Bullshit. You just want to throw your sister in and you're hoping I can do your dirty work and send her ass home."

Regina tilts her head back, the water rushing to sweep away the thick suds in her hair. She never opens her eyes or even glances at Emma in the process and it drives her slightly mad. She doesn't know why but she has this nagging sensation deep in the pit of her stomach that's dying for those intense eyes to start the embers burning inside of her from the day she endured.

"Oh, you have no idea what I want," Regina slowly warns in a tone that reaches out toward Emma, sliding mischievously across her skin and awakening the goosebumps that have been in hibernation for far too long now.

And then, much to Emma's surprise, chestnut irises come back to life, those thick lashes blinking away the water as Regina makes direct eye contact. It sends a scorching heat to scatter across her bare skin but she can't become distracted by Regina's mind games. And it's a total mind fuck because sometimes she feels like Regina's sole attention is on her and fuck everyone else in the crowded room, and then there are moments where she is convinced this woman is slyly flirting with her but Regina never flirts with women, and then there are times where she is sure this crazy woman is going to slam her against the wall and either smack her across the face or kiss her. She honestly wouldn't mind either and that's neglect and abandonment issues coming into play.

Here's where things get tricky and complicated. It all starts with the sweep of rich eyes drifting down to Emma's lips and her heart stops, completely forgetting how to beat all on its own. The organ waits as if it was told by Regina herself that it can't move without her permission. She doesn't breathe, doesn't swallow, no, she's paralyzed in the moment, hypnotized by those alluring eyes, placing her under a temporary spell. Although, her mind has one hundred different questions but none more important than asking what it is that Regina wants?

Regina blinks, god, she swears it's in slow motion, those eyes sweeping back up to meet her head on and Emma's soul lights on fire. Something is here, it's strong and pounding for them to surrender but she has a feeling that Regina is far more stubborn than she is. This woman takes an assertive step forward, the heat emitting from her body and seeping into Emma's skin, trapping her once more.

"Do whatever you want, it is your game after all but I think we both know you will regret crossing me," Regina lowly threatens, punctuating her words and ensuring that Emma is paying very close attention.

"I don't have time to dwell on regret," she finally finds her voice again, even if it's a little unstable. "I learn from my mistakes and move on."

Regina is obviously amused by her choice of words because both eyebrows spring up her forehead. This seductive creature smirks and drifts a little bit closer until they are indefinitely sharing the same breath.

"An inspiring hero," she mocks, her voice dropping an octave or two to lure Emma in even closer.

She's too close now for enemies or friends and her sternum is starting to ache from how heavy her heart is hammering. It could be so easy, too easy just to slam her mouth against those luscious lips and shut this woman up for good. By the look in this woman's eye, she wants it just as desperately but Emma refuses to be the weak one.

"Emma! Regina?" Tink suddenly shouts from the door, shattering through the spell they were both trapped under. "Voting is in five minutes!"

Regina spins around without a second glance in Emma's direction and hurries to finish her shower. Emma shuts off her water and rushes out before she makes a mistake that would be very hard to move on from.

~~~~

Confused. Puzzled. Bewildered. None of these words come close to how flabbergasted and gobsmacked Emma feels when the name that so effortlessly flows from Regina's mouth is Fiona and not her sister, Zelena. For sure everyone was convinced Regina would be saying Zelena's name tonight, since she has wanted her gone since day one.

Then Emma thinks about it, ponders how Zelena has followed Regina's vote the past two deliberations and she has her answer. It's better to keep Zelena around and have her follow her sister's coattails to the final, so Regina will always have numbers on her side. And then she can destroy her in the final because Regina has seen eight of them and Zelena hasn't seen one.

Fuck. She's good at this game.

One by one, Fiona is the name to say and the only person that doesn't follow suit is Zelena. She never says Mary Margret though, she burns her vote on Ruby knowing how much of a neutral party and non-threatening person she is when it comes to politics.

So, Emma and Killian against Fiona and Arthur in The Jungle and it's not that she's confident but she does feel better than if she had to go against one of the Vet girls.

She's antsy now and the music is far too loud tonight and all she wants to do is go back to the mansion and sleep and prepare for this elimination. It's vital that she stays in this game, even though three thousand dollars is going to be a game changer, it's still not nearly enough to get back on her feet. Two more weeks would mean a total of five thousand and that would be a great start to a new beginning.

"So, I hear you want to throw me in," Mary Margaret cheerfully announces as she slithers up to where Emma and Graham are relaxing at a table, drinking water and being very boring.

Kristoff hones in on her and this time she doesn't flinch.

"I never said that. I said I don't want to go against you. I know how good you are," she easily compliments, sporting a grin that has this woman melting at her feet.

"You really think so?" This petite woman chirps, her eyes brightening and her cheeks a little rosy from the alcohol.

"Of course. When we first got here, I thought, if we had to pick a girl Vet, I would want you as my teammate," she happily informs, inspiring Mary Margaret to fling her arms around Emma's neck and pull her into a hug.

"You're the cutest, you know that?" Mary Margaret gushes, squeezing her even closer and whispering in her ear, "I know why she has her eye on you."

"What? Who?"

"You're going to kill it tomorrow, I promise. Oh good! You're drinking water, that's exactly what you need to win. Where is Fiona? Maybe I'll buy her some shots and take her down a few pegs," she rambles incoherently and oh boy, Ruby was right, this woman can be shady if need be.

But she kind of likes it and thinks she's a badass in her own way. She always liked Mary Margaret.

"There you are!" David exclaims, pulling the dainty woman to her feet and kissing her soundly on the mouth, two firm hands taking over both cheeks in the process. Emma chuckles under her breath while Graham blushes and quickly averts his gaze. "Come dance with me!"

"Okay!"

And then they are off, skipping toward the dance floor and Emma's left a little dizzy from the mindless babbling of one drunk contestant. She watches them closely, inspecting how various cast members around them are hooking up. She supposes they have been here for three weeks now and people are bound to get a little lonely and bored. It's not like they have televisions, phones, or any sort of entertainment on their own besides a pool and a gym.

In the crowd swaying on the dance floor, she spots Naveen and Sabine, making out yet again. Robin has Marian pinned up against the wall but she's laughing and nuzzling his neck. Tamara is blatantly flirting with Neal and trying to get in his pants but he seems a little reserved. Jeff is grinding with Arthur which totally takes Emma by surprise and then comes Tink and Killian, kissing in a booth like nobody could possibly see them.

"Are we on The Challenge or Love Island?" Emma asks Graham who becomes all bashful again.

He rubs the back of his neck and tries to avoid eye contact with the rest of the cast. "It is kind of crazy, right?"

"Anyone interest you?" She asks because the camera is still watching them closely and all they are doing is sipping ice water.

Tantalizing.

"Uhhh...oh, I don't know," he murmurs, picking at his fingers on top of the table. "Like I said, I'm kinda a loner."

"Me too but there has to be someone you find at least attractive. I mean, we are a good looking cast," she gloats, tugging on her red leather jacket with pride.

He laughs, everything is always so easy and fun with him around. "Ummm...Regina is really beautiful," he shyly confesses, his cheeks morphing into the shade of her trusty jacket.

Her mouth instantly fills with a tangy saliva that turns her stomach. "Oh yeah?" She chirps a little too wobbly as she sweats through her jacket but she has to play it cool for the cameras. She takes a small sip from her water to cool herself back down. "She is attractive," she plainly agrees and prays that she comes off aloof.

"What about you? Besides my ruggedly good looks, who else you looking at?" He muses, persuading her to knock into his side playfully.

"That's for me to know and for you to never find out," she quips, pointing directly at the camera and maybe Elsa silently scolds her with her eyes but she doesn't give a damn.

"My money is on Killian," Graham smugly wagers but her face scrunching in disgust doesn't help the situation at all. "No? Oh...well, then who?"

Emma shrugs, her eyes fluttering back to the dance floor for a moment before they wander over to the bar. Regina's head is falling back, a deep cackle escaping her lips and sending a shiver down Emma's spine. Regina shakes her head and shoves Belle's face against Ruby's, who doesn't seem to mind at all. Ruby takes Belle's head between her hands and carefully kisses her cheek.

And Emma is left wondering again, what is going on with the three of them?

~~~~

It's a downpour. There's no other way to describe the buckets and buckets of water falling from the sky this evening. And for a split second, relief fills her body because she thinks they will have to cancel the elimination and she gets free food and a bed for one more night.

Wrong.

She is escorted to The Jungle in her black Under Armour shirt with her name across her back and the little spandex shorts for game time. She laces her shoes extra tight before she leaves the bus because the last thing she needs is to trip over wet laces.

Her mouth is watering and her stomach is flip-flopping all over the place when she sees the sand pit with a large red circle in the middle. Her heart sinks to her feet because a gigantic circle in the middle of the arena means one thing. Wrestle. And her first thought is the classic game of pole-wrestling where players grab a pole and yank, tug, wrestle, do whatever need be to rip the pole from the opposite opponent.

And well fuck, Killian is at a disadvantage once again.

"Welcome to The Jungle!" TJ happily announces, causing Emma's ass to begin to sweat. "Killian and Emma, you couldn't hold your breath under water long enough which sent you straight into elimination. So, come on down." The cast begins to clap and cheer and she knows everyone is rooting for Killian, not so much her. "You all voted and decided to send Fiona and Arthur into elimination, so come join us," he continues as smug as ever because the host loves a good wrestling competition. "Tonight, you guys are going to play, Out of Line."

Emma swallows, her knees begin to shake and buckle because she knows as strong as she may be, one wrong move and she could end up breaking something and costing her this game. And all this rain isn't helping her odds, whatsoever.

"Like our classic game, Pole Wrestling, you guys will be given a short piece of rope, tug and pull the rope until you can rip it from your opponent's hands and they are out of line. Men, you will start off first, then the women will go. If there is a tie, we will flip a coin to see who plays the third round. Let's get you guys geared up!"

A production team rushes over, securing a helmet with her name on the side, on top of her head, along with gloves to protect her hands from rope burn.

"Another disadvantage," Emma grumbles under her breath, pausing Killian's movements for a moment.

"Emma, when are you going to stop doubting me? Arthur may have two hands but I think he shares his brain with a fruit fly. I'm going to be just fine, you watch and see. What have I told you, work smarter not harder, I've got the advantage here," he promises, motivating her frown to crack into a small smile.

"I'm sorry, Killian. I didn't mean it like that. I'm not trying to discourage you or anything. I know you're so strong and have proven yourself time and time again. I'm just freaking out here," she anxiously reveals.

He taps her helmet and looks her square in the eyes. "We are taking this win."

"We've got this," she vows but her slippery body is vehemently disagreeing with her.

She is then ushered to the sideline where she stands beside Fiona who is practically foaming at the mouth. It doesn't matter though because Emma is observing Killian intently, watching as he tries to figure out how to hold onto the rope. He just has one thumb on his left hand so he latches down on the rope right next to Arthur's one hand.

"Boys, are you ready?" TJ screams over the angry rain as it pelts every person in the face. "Killian, you ready?"

"Aye!"

"Arthur, you ready?"

"Yes!"

"Go!"

The foghorn blares over the rain and Emma watches closely as Killian wraps his wrist in a haste around the rope, so he won't be at a disadvantage. Arthur immediately tries to tug the rope away but Killian follows the movement with his entire body.

"Yes! Yes! Just like that, Killian!" She yells over the cast screaming in the background.

Arthur jerks the rope toward himself again and Killian is quick to place one leg behind Arthur's calf, which inevitably sends Arthur toppling down to his bottom. Killian lands on top of him with a sickening crunch.

"Yes! Let's go, Killian!" She screams, hoping her cheering will egg him on and encourage him to keep fighting. Also, maybe make up for her being such a downer earlier about his disability. "You've got this, work smarter!"

"You piece of..." Arthur trails off, worming his way onto his stomach to try and pry the rope from Killian's hand. Killian shocks the entire cast when he lifts Arthur off the ground by the rope and then drops him right on his face. He lifts him one more time and drops him on his back this time. "Dick."

Killian smirks, his one wrist wrapped in the rope while his other hand has a firm grasp around the middle. Arthur is lying on his back, his two hands on the very end of the rope, clinging for dear life. Arthur rapidly jerks the rope and Killian wobbles down a little bit.

"Damn right!" Fiona shouts. "Get him! Get this win!"

Killian is quiet during everything, his eyes laser focused on Arthur's hands and Emma knows he's working on a strategy to win. Arthur jerks again and then swings his leg over the rope, so he's on his knees in the wet sand, rope between his legs. When he moves to tug on the rope again, Killian, pulls with all his strength and literally kicks Arthur in the bottom. He collapses to the ground and Killian easily tugs the rope free.

"Got it! Got it!" He shouts rapidly, running toward the other side of the circle to show off his claim and sound that damn foghorn.

"Yes!" Emma cheers, leaping into his arms but he catches her with one arm and hugs her close.

"My forearm is burning," he laughs.

"You were so amazing! I am so proud of you!"

He nods and sets her down. "You bring this home for us, yes?"

"I won't let you down," she vows with a new determination swimming so hungrily through her blood.

She feels energized like she has never felt before. This need and obsession to win and come back, fight another day and have two elimination wins under her belt. She needs this as much as she needs a place to rest her head at night.

"Okay, score is one to zero, in favor of Killian and Emma. Emma, you need this one to win the game. Fiona, you need this one to stay in the game."

Both women nod as TJ holds the rope between them. She's fired up, her heart pumping adrenaline and kick starting her desire to kick some ass and win. Her mind conjures an image as she curls her long fingers around the rope. She pictures her...with him, and her blood boils with anger. She thinks about leaving, thinks about a new place she has to find that comes with a new set of nightmares. She burns with rage.

"Fiona, are you ready?"

"You have no idea, Teej."

"Emma, are you ready?"

"Yes," she plainly says because she is in fighting mode now.

"Go!"

She doesn't pull the rope in hopes to rip it from this woman, no, she surges forward and shoulder checks Fiona, pounding her into the hard sand below. She hears everyone groan and wince but she thinks about how she wasted the last six years of her life and she lifts Fiona off the ground by the rope, just like Killian had done and then slams the woman back into the ground.

"Go ahead, tire yourself out," Fiona chuckles, never relaxing her grip on the rope.

Emma lifts her again, Fiona huddled into the fetal position as she drops her back to the ground. Emma attempts to better clasp onto the rope because everything is soaking wet, she can hardly even see at this point and Fiona uses this opportunity to swiftly kick her feet out from under her. Emma buckles, slamming her ass on the hard sand below and definitely bruising her tailbone.

"Fuck," she hisses and that's when Fiona climbs on top of her.

Emma quickly wraps her legs around Fiona's waist and rolls them onto their sides.

"Hell yeah! Let's go, ladies!" She hears Neal screaming from the bridge which motivates her to pull even harder on the rope.

Fiona starts kicking her and she hears TJ yelling at her to stop but she doesn't. "Seriously?" She grits through her teeth and flips onto her other side, so Fiona is kicking her back and not her stomach.

She has the rope with two hands close to her chest and she uses her shoulder strength to pull. The thick and rough rope digs into her back and Fiona only uses this as an opportunity to inflict pain. This bitch wiggles the rope as fast as she can, burning Emma's flesh through her shirt.

"Move, Emma! Get up! You can't stay like that," Killian coaches her from the sidelines.

She groans in agony but uses that pain to fuel her fire. She summons all her strength and rolls onto her knees, the rope still biting into her back and Fiona climbing on top of her like a monkey.

"That's all you got?" Fiona antagonizes her but Emma can hear the woman is just as out of breath as she is.

She seethes, screaming through the biting pain as she flips onto her back and crushes Fiona into the sand. She knows she ripped open her own knees, she can feel the blood trickling down her shins but she keeps fighting.

"That's right, Swan!" Killian yells over Arthur. "Let's go! Keep fighting! Remember why you're here!"

"Who wants it more, ladies?" Robin taunts and she so badly wants to smack his smug face, so instead she will just have to deal with beating Fiona's ass.

She uses this opportunity of lying completely on top of Fiona's front and starts pulling the rope up toward the sky, her shoulder be damned.

"Fuck you," Fiona hisses in her ear and then Emma feels a sharp pain.

"Did you fucking bite me?" She gasps in disbelief, slamming her elbow down into the side of Fiona's ribcage.

"Hey, hey, no elbows," TJ scolds.

"She bit me," Emma rages.

"Clean fight, girls!" He warns them which only further pisses Emma off because she didn't do anything wrong and they should have to reset or Fiona should be disqualified.

She screams through her rage, inspiring the rest of the cast to holler and yell words of encouragement. She quickly flips onto her stomach, moving the rope up and over her head and pinning Fiona's hands above her head in the sand.

"This is it," Killian bellows. "Let's go, Swan! Look at me," he encourages, his eyes steady and all the motivation she needs to continue. "You've got this, this is all you, Swan!"

She tries with all her might to force the rope up and out of Fiona's death grip but this woman just isn't having it. She vaguely hears Tink out in the rain, screaming her name, so she peeks up to find everything a hazy blur. She may or may not see Belle and Ruby jumping up and down on the bridge, screaming her name. She also might see a blurry Regina figure, nibbling on her thumb, either way it's what inspires her to continue.

She's never had people rooting for her before, she never had people in her corner, urging her to fight and never give up. And it is exactly what she needs at a time like this.

"Swan, let's go!" Killian urges. "Fight!"

Chapter Text

She's shaking, her forearms burning and her entire body quivering from the cold rain or maybe it's her own sweat, she doesn't even know anymore. She's exhausted though, struggling to breathe and subconsciously, her eyes swing to TJ. He's standing there out in the rain, horn waiting patiently in his hands.

"You girls have been going at it for thirty-five minutes," he announces. "Who wants it?"

"Swan," Killian calls to her, inspiring her gaze to fling over to him as she gasps for air, rain pouring down her face. "Stand up and run, take this from her right now!"

She nods along numbly, her body most likely going into shock. She is sitting on Fiona's stomach, pinning her hands above her head in the sand and this bitch will not let go of the rope. She grunts, slowly shimmying up the woman's torso all while Fiona squirms and tries to wiggle her way free. She knows if she steps on Fiona's arms she will be disqualified in a heart beat, so she squeezes the woman's arms between her knees.

Fiona cries out in pain but TJ isn't calling it, so Emma pushes the rope even harder, although her hands are weak now and she can barely get a grip on the damn thing anymore. Fiona shifts onto her side, so Emma uses this as an opportunity to utilize other parts of her body. She rests her bottom on Fiona's shoulder and pushes her ass back while she stretches her arms as far as humanly possible, literally tearing Fiona away from the rope. Fiona screams again in agony and Emma is sure she almost has her.

Emma starts rocking her body, using the momentum to tear this rope from Fiona's death grip.

"Go! Go! Swan!"

And that name inspires her to show that she isn't that lost ugly duckling anymore, she is so much more than that.

"Ah!" A scream rips from her throat while Fiona cries out and that's when Emma pries the rope from Fiona's fingertips.

The foghorn blares and she collapses onto her side in the sand, hugging the rope close to her chest.

"Hell yeah! That's my partner!" Killian gloats, hopping around the arena before he slides in the wet sand and lies down beside her. "You did it, mate! You fucking did that!" He proudly praises her and she has never felt so seen before, nobody has ever made her feel so accomplished.

She wants to burst into tears because every muscle in her body aches and she is also so fucking ecstatic but she doesn't want the entire cast seeing her cry, so she ends up laughing uncontrollably from smothering her emotions. Killian laughs along with her and hugs her close and yes, she thinks she has found her ride or die in this game.

"Congratulations, Emma and Killian," TJ says through a contagious grin. "Damn Emma, you killed it. Gnarly elimination," he praises, offering his fist but she literally cannot lift her arms. Killian lifts a hand for her and fist bumps TJ's knuckles. "You guys can go join the rest of the competitors."

She scrambles to her shaky feet and follows Killian back to the bridge where everyone is celebrating. Each person offers a hug and congratulates her, well, except Zelena, she bitterly scoffs.

Regina settles on a head nod and whispers, "Nicely done." And she's all smug about it like she knew this would all happen.

"Thanks," she gasps and then falls into Tink's embrace.

"Tonight just wasn't your night," she hears TJ tell Fiona and Arthur (who is crying). "This ends your time here in Thailand, I'm sure we will see you guys again."

Everyone applauds politely for the eliminated couple and Emma tries her very best to clap along.

"How the hell did you beat him so quickly?" Emma whispers into Killian's side as they walk back to the buses.

Killian laughs, so very cocky. "He had a tell, every time he was about to do a big pull, he would change his hands, so I waited and watched and when I had his rhythm down pat, I pulled as he was changing up his hands."

"You brilliant son of a bitch!"

Killian tosses his head back and slings an arm around her shoulders, sending a biting pain to shoot down her spine. "Shit, sorry, Swan!"

"It's alright, I just have rope burn on my shoulders," she winces.

"And blood running down your legs and elbows," Tink chimes in. "We will fix you up as soon as we get back."

"Thanks," she breathes out in relief.

Her friends settle her down in a comfy seat and then she passes out immediately on Tink's shoulder as the bus drives them back to the mansion where she is safe.

~~~~

Killian tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and carried her into the house. He sat her down on the toilet and then scurried away so she could shower off all the sand shoved into many crevasses, including wounds that she didn't want infected. When she emerged, Tink bandaged her knees and elbows and it took every ounce of willpower she had left in her empty tank not to cry.

All because nobody has ever fixed her boo-boos.

Eventually, she made it back downstairs, cozy in sweats to the sweet and savory smells of whatever Graham was cooking for her celebratory dinner. She quickly inhaled her barbecue cheeseburger topped with pineapples and bacon. It was out of this world, flavors she never experienced before on her tongue and she was so thankful that she found a friend in him.

Now, she is full and quite tired again but she's comfy on the couch, a glass of wine in hand thanks to Ruby as a congratulations and she's nestled against Tink.

"You know," Killian begins from the couch across from hers, "maybe it's just my imagination but when I called you, Swan, tonight, there was a fire in your eyes like a pirate finding his first loot of gold."

"Yeah," she blissfully sighs and maybe it's the exhaustion or maybe it's the alcohol warming her blood and making her all loopy but for once she doesn't hold back with her new friends. "I gave myself Swan as a last name."

"What?" Graham sputters, jerking up from the couch to interrogate her further.

"So, umm, I was a foster kid and I really only had the name Emma and one day I ran away and when the cops picked me up, they asked my last name. I think I was maybe seven or eight and I really only read The Ugly Duckling and I just...related to the story so much and I decided I wanted to be a swan. I was done being the ugly duckling that all the parents didn't want, I was determined to be a beautiful swan one day."

"That you are, mate," Killian proudly states, grinning from ear to ear. "You're a beautiful swan, inside and out."

"Oh stop," she grumbles, her body tingling from head to toe in embarrassment. "So, I don't know, that name kinda pushed me to keep going and prove everyone wrong."

"Well then you are Swan to us," Tink vows, clinking her glass against Emma's before she downs the rest of her drink.

"God, I still can't believe we won," Emma breathes out in relief. "That was ridiculously hard. I hope there isn't a daily tomorrow because I think I'm going to be sore for the next three days."

"They'll give us a break after that one, for sure," her partner promises, tossing back the rest of his drink before he stands. "Another round!"

"Bed," she mumbles, summoning all her inner strength to lift her lazy ass off the couch. "You guys have a nice night."

Everyone wishes her a good night as well but nobody follows her upstairs, thankfully. She needs some time alone and more importantly, she wants some peace and quiet to relax. She needs to decompress by herself from the stress she suffered through this week.

When she climbs into her bed, she plops down on her stomach, stuffs her hands beneath her pillow and curls her fingers around her baby blanket. She sighs, finally finding some comfort in the soft yarn woven so intricately. Sometimes she wonders what kind of person could toss their baby away so recklessly on the side of the road, yet take time to have such a beautiful blanket crafted? She tries not to dwell on the fact, every time the question pops up in her mind, she angrily tosses it right back out because she knows the what if's will drive her mad.

But tonight, she's mentally drained, physically bruised and for some odd reason there's a pressure in her chest that makes her believe she misses her mommy. A mommy that never existed. She swallows down the tears because she cannot risk Regina walking in and seeing her so vulnerable and weak.

Eventually, she drifts off to sleep.

~~~~

The way she flings upright in bed is unnatural and if every muscle in her body wasn't already torn, she would have pulled something indefinitely. She's gasping frantically for air, her shirt soaked and clinging to her body and the memory of a mother's hand slipping from her grasp is still so fresh in her mind, taunting her.

Without much thought, her hand searches her mattress in a frenzy for her baby blanket but there is a shadow perched on the floorboards, placing the blanket in her lap. Her breath hitches, becoming trapped in her throat as her attention swings to her left where Regina is crouching down beside her bed.

"I-I-I-" she stammers, her mouth just not cooperating from the panic or maybe the deep chill running like a river through her blood.

Regina shakes her head, places her finger against her lips and Emma immediately snaps her mouth shut, thinking that a cameraman must be nearby. This strange woman pats the blanket upon her lap and then slowly slinks back to her bed like a sneaky ninja. She really, really hates Regina seeing her this way but that damn dream still lingers all around her.

She quickly snatches up her blanket, curls her fingers impossibly tight through the weaves and presses it against her chest. She knows wholeheartedly that the blanket lost its scent over twenty years ago now but she still inhales deeply like her mind can conjure up the perfect combination of aromas that might match. God, she just wants to go home and how fucked up is that because she doesn't have a place to go home to?

This time she doesn't hide away in the bathroom because Regina already knows about her secret security blanket. Instead, she curls into the fetal position on her bed, presses the blanket against her chest and waits for the Sandman to sweep her under again.

~~~~

When she wakes in the morning, it's much later than her usual time, in fact, it's almost lunchtime. She rationalizes the heavy sleep that she was simply exhausted from her elimination but she knows, deep in the back of her mind that it has everything to do with her nightmares.

Half of the cast is sunbathing and lounging in the pool and the other half is working out in the gym. So she takes this opportunity to eat alone in the kitchen and thankfully, nobody bothers her. Some people sweep in and out to refill drinks or grab snacks and of course they say hi but not one challenger lingers, even Elsa and Kristoff grant her space.

After she fuels her body back up, she still feels the heavy weight of exhaustion in every fiber of her body, so she searches for Graham. She doesn't have the strength for an intense workout, so she asks if he would be willing to guide her through some yoga. He agrees without hesitation and that's where she spends the next hour to center herself and try and calm herself back down.

After that, she finds Tink, Mulan, and Belle lying by the pool and soaking up some vitamin D. She doesn't think twice about how vulnerable she may appear, she just crawls onto the lounge chair near Tink's feet and lies down, still in her workout attire.

"Tired?" Belle softly asks, sounding like she sympathizes and knows exactly what she is feeling.

"A little," she lies right through her teeth, her eyes fluttering closed to avoid further speculation.

"We are heading into week four," Mulan acknowledges, "this is when people tend to go a little stir crazy."

Belle hums in agreement, pointing her chin more toward the sky for sun. "Four weeks without television, phones, radio, internet. Four weeks without contact from your family, it's mentally draining."

"Yeah," Tink sighs, "I'm starting to get a little bored."

"Yup," Belle says with a pop of her lips, "this is when people start hooking up even more and drink a little more and all the drama comes out."

"Yes, oh, and pranks. The boys really get bored now and they will start pulling all sorts of pranks, on everyone, so watch your back," Mulan warns.

"Especially Robin, he's a sneaky trickster," Belle grumbles in annoyance.

"I'm just thinking about the next challenge," Emma mumbles under her breath. "God, I hope it's not another swimming challenge."

"You can't worry about that now," Mulan very seriously states. "You won the elimination last night, you should be taking this time to enjoy that you have one more week away from reality."

"I guess," she murmurs because the sun is starting to tingle against her skin and it's making her sleepy again.

"Swan!" She jerks, snapping fully awake to find Killian hovering over her.

"You're blocking my sun," Tink complains.

"Oh, am I, love?" Her partner feigns innocence and then crawls right on top of Tink's tiny frame and kisses her softly on the lips like Emma isn't on their lounge chair at all. "How about now? Still blocking your sun?"

"Yes, you big oaf!" She groans but she seems to be struggling to conceal her smile as he playfully kisses all over her face. "Didn't you come here for your partner?"

"Right!" He exclaims, falling to Tink's side instead and snuggling up against her. "Swan, swim lessons, let's go!"

"I'm..." she doesn't want to use the excuse of tired again and expose a weakness around all these Vets. "Isn't the pool a little packed right now?"

"Nah, it's getting later now. Some will start to move inside to eat and others are going to workout a little bit."

Emma watches in astonishment as people start to trickle out of the pool like they heard Killian and took his words as a warning but she kind of thinks that after many years working together, maybe they all have a routine by now to keep themselves busy here.

"Alright," she concludes but her tone is rather grumpy.

She forces herself off the chair and excuses herself to change into her bathing suit. Five minutes later, she's standing at the edge of the pool with Killian handing her a pair of goggles. Mulan and Belle have seemed to disappear but Tink is still relaxing in the same spot, probably enjoying the view of her new hookup buddy.

"Alright Swan, where do you think you need more practice when it comes to swimming?" He kindly asks with all the patience she could ask for in a instructor.

"Probably diving underwater," she awkwardly admits.

"Great!" She scowls at his choice of words but her attention is quickly stolen by Regina emerging from the house in a very skimpy bathing suit.

Her eyes instantly zone in on the flat stomach, exposed with a cute little belly button, just begging for attention. And yes, she has seen Regina in a bathing suit plenty of times but usually it's the one that the show provides for games and not for personal use. Her throat suddenly feels dry by this scrap of material that really shouldn't qualify as a bikini and more like sexy lingerie. A black little number and tiny strings-

"Swan! Are you even listening?"

"Of course," she scoffs, even though she's a filthy little liar.

"Alright then close your eyes."

"Why?" She bulks skeptically.

"I thought you said you were listening?" He exasperates but she simply shrugs, eliciting an eye roll from her partner. "I'm going to toss these diving sticks into the deep end and we are going to practice collecting them."

"Oh, umm, okay," she agrees but her voice cracks and reveals just how uncomfortable she is with the lesson.

Especially when she can hear the water moving as Regina so elegantly steps in the pool and slowly drifts down the stairs. The very last thing she wants to do is take swimming lessons in front of the Queen. However, she knows swimming is detrimental to her game, so she ignores the brunette at all cost and pays very close attention to her teammate.

She closes her eyes, listening to the plopping noises as Killian tosses the sticks into the pool.

"I'm going to watch you and see if there are any techniques I can show you to help," he offers with a warm smile that helps settle her anxiety about this whole situation. "Okay, go!"

She doesn't think twice, pretending that this is a daily challenge and wanting to try her best. She jumps into the water and holds her breath. She dips down, her eyes shifting from left to right and immediately finds a red stick bobbing to her right. Her chest burns a little and she is already struggling to hold her breath but she forces herself to swim toward the bottom. She quickly snatches the stick, her lungs crackling, sending a jolt of fear to zip through her veins. So, she moves quickly, kicking her feet and moving back to the surface.

She inhales a deep breath when her head pops back up. She sucks in two more breaths and just when she's about to dive back down, she hears Killian calling to her.

"One?"

"What?"

"You went all the way down there and only grabbed one?" He interrogates in disbelief.

She breathes in a deep breath through her nose and shoves the goggles on top of her head. "Yeah, I-well, it hurts to hold my breath," she finally admits.

"Ahh, so that's the problem," he sings, his smile creeping along his cheeks as he slides off the edge and sinks into the water. 

And Emma is trying her best not to glance over her shoulder at Regina who has decided now is a perfect time to start laps in the pool. Although, she seems to be giving them space and privacy. But honestly, would one peek really hurt her?

"Swan-"

"Huh?"

"Let's start off simple."

"Okay...."

"How about we just practice going under water and holding our breath, alright?"

"Ummm..."

"I'll go down there with you and just keep your eyes on me, okay? Don't think about being under water or drowning or anything else silly that's running through your mind, just focus on me."

"Okay," she halfheartedly agrees, fixing her goggles into place.

"Take a deep breath," he seriously instructs, motivating her to follow his lead.

And then he nods and slowly submerges himself and Emma is right there with him, sinking down into the warm waters. She counts in her head and makes it to ten before she feels that prickly sensation of fear and anxiety. She pushes herself up and gasps for a clean breath of fresh air. Killian pops up almost the same time as she does.

"What happened?" He questions in disbelief.

"I-I don't know," she shamefully admits, her eyes instantly darting to see if Regina is paying attention but the woman seems focused and deep in thought as she pushes off the end of the pool and she swims like a damn Olympic athlete. "I don't know why I panic."

"Are you scared of drowning?"

"No!" She firmly demands but his gentle baby blue eyes are open and inviting and she groans. "I'm not like actually scared of drowning like I know I'm not really going to but I don't know...I just never really been down deep in a pool or a lake before and it's..."

"Intimidating. It is," he wholeheartedly agrees, "especially when your ears start to pop and there's a pressure in your chest. It's nerve-wracking."

"Yes!" She breathes out in relief that someone understands her.

"Fair point, why don't we try something a little easier?" He suggests.

"Easier than just sitting underwater?" She deadpans, earning herself a deep chuckle in response.

"Yes, let's simply float on our stomachs, our backs will be above the water but our faces will be below and we will practice holding our breaths, sound good?"

"Sure, why not?" She concedes, mimicking him as he inhales one deep breath and then plops his face into the water.

She can do this, there is nothing scary with just dipping her head under water and holding her breath. All she has to do is pop her head right up if she feels uncomfortable. So, she tells herself to remain calm and focus on Killian who is smiling like a buffoon at her and waving. It isn't long before Killian gives her a thumb's up and points for her to go back up.

"Hey! Not too shabby, fifteen seconds!" Killian proudly praises.

"Fifteen? That's it? I could have gone longer."

"Oh, I know. I just wanted you to feel comfortable and accomplished. See, you can do it. Let's go again."

She nods and follows his lead and this is how they proceed, dipping their heads down and with each turn, Killian adds five seconds. When they reach thirty, he praises her and decides simple laps is a good way to end the lesson. Baby steps.

It starts off leisurely, calm, long strokes, no rush, swimming from one end of the pool to the other. Killian watches two laps before he announces he wants a drink and will be right back. She proceeds though, knowing she could use the practice.

"Why are you doggy paddling?" Regina investigates the minute Tink leaps up, rushing off to follow Killian to the kitchen.

"What?" And Emma is genuinely confused by this comment. "I'm swimming."

"No," and why is Regina's voice so low and throaty, making Emma's skin tingly? Especially since she won't stop swimming and actually look at her. "You're doing a doggy paddle."

"What the hell are you talking about?" She bristles, stopping dead in her tracks, self-conscious about swimming any longer in front of this infuriating woman.

"This is swimming," Regina stresses, extending her arm dramatically over her head and scooping into the water as her head turns from one side to the other before she repeats the same movement. Then she stops, places both hands beneath her chest and paddles very much like Emma just was but she kind of thinks she resembles more of a frog than a dog. "This is the doggy paddle."

"You look like a frog."

"Yes dear, you look like an idiot as well when you swim like that."

Emma huffs her frustrations through her nose and narrows her eyes. "Seems to get the job done."

"It won't when we have daily challenges that require a mile of swimming or in the final when you're dropped from a helicopter and have to swim three miles in a swampy lake."

Emma's heart literally stops beating, the damn thing just threw its hands up in defeat and quit its job. Her face falls and she can feel the blood draining all because she never thought that she was swimming wrong. This was the only way she was ever taught.

"You really weren't taught another way?"

Emma blinks, realizing that Regina has stopped swimming and is now just floating right in front of her; inky locks dripping wet and thick droplets clinging to those long lashes. She sounds so much softer and sincere and it makes Emma want to tear down all her walls for this woman. She swallows, her throat feeling extra tight and rough.

"I didn't have parents to teach me," she finds her mouth announcing, revealing just a flicker of surprise and concern in Regina's dark eyes.

"Alright, well whomever taught you this way is an idiot."

"You can say that again," Emma scoffs under her breath.

"Did you teach yourself?"

Emma purses her lips and shoves a wave of water to splash Regina right in the face. Her body tightens, thinking Regina might actually murder her but this woman wipes her face clean and flashes a radiant smile that could very much well blind Emma.

"I did not teach myself!"

"Well asking a toddler for swimming lessons didn't work in your favor," Regina sasses.

"I'm sorry but Michael Phelps wasn't available at the time," she snips right back, earning herself an eye roll.

"Anyone would have been better than whomever set you up for failure."

A brick of heartache sinks to the bottom of her stomach but she refuses to dwell on her past any longer. "You could say that again," she mumbles quietly to herself but she knows Regina is too close and heard every word. "Are you volunteering?"

The sun streams down, shimmering against those dark eyes and brightening them right up to a mesmerizing shade of amber. She's never seen such a beautiful pair of rich irises that make her heart flutter so wildly before. And she's so sad when they drift away to something more interesting.

Regina clears her throat and aggressively swims backwards. "You already have a good teacher now," is all she says before Emma notices Killian and Tink strutting side by side on the patio with some red solo cups, most likely filled with alcohol.

Emma frowns, studying the way Regina effortlessly slips back into her professional swim. She wants her, she wants Regina to teach her how to swim so elegantly and strong. She sighs, blinking back up at Killian who is already strapping his goggles back on and ready for more lessons.

"You ready to go again?" He happily questions.

"Ummm, can you maybe teach me how to actually swim?" She shyly asks, persuading his eyes to slide in the direction of Regina's perfect strokes.

He flashes a proud smile and nods as he jumps back into the pool. "Let's get started."

Chapter Text

She's hopping around like an imbecile but it's two in the morning and there is a lot of alcohol dashing through her veins and every single person in the house is doing the same. There's music from the early 2000's playing, thanks to production and there's a mess of cards scattered across the coffee table and every insecurity has officially been drank away.

She's playing some card game that she is sure has different rules each round but she's too inebriated to truly pay attention. Except, the Vets all seem to be on the same page every time, so it's more plausible that it's some made up game that they invented when they were all eighteen and bored out of their minds and every year when they are back in the challenge house, they play.

Merlin had just flipped a Jack and all the Vets yelled Jumping Jack Flash, leaping from their seats and started dancing around like fools. Ruby is shaking her booty into Belle and eventually pushes her to fall back into the couch. Regina collapses beside them and everyone else follows suit to sit back down and allow the next person to take their turn. Neal happily takes his turn with Tamara leaning heavily into his side, flirting shamelessly with him.

"Ace!" He bellows, slapping the card down, motivating every Vet to scream, "waterfall!"

Emma has no idea what a waterfall is. She has never been to a party quite like this where people play drinking games, so she's a little out of her element. She watches as Neal begins chugging his drink, inspiring the rest of the group to drink along. Emma is about to pull the cup from her lips but everyone else is still chugging. Soon Neal surrenders, placing his cup back down and Emma watches as each person slowly stops drinking, in order until they reach the last person.

She doesn't know how she's going to finish this game, she's already hammered. Apparently, Zelena can't wait to take her turn, so she stretches across the table and flips over a King.

"Alright, you have to kiss the King to your left," Killian informs her, generating a deep frown upon the redhead's face.

"Robin, really?" Zelena scoffs, rolling her eyes dramatically.

"Do I not suffice?" Robin teases, evoking laughter from everyone except for the cranky sisters scowling like twin toddlers.

"Not when you dated my sister."

"If you would have picked a Queen, you would have to kiss the woman to your right," Robin reveals, "but you won me, instead," he smugly adds on, wiggling his eyebrows.

"The Queen to my right is my bloody sister!"

"Then who the hell do you want to kiss?" Jeff interrupts, wanting to move this conversation and game right along.

"Hey, those aren't the rules-" Robin begins to argue but Neal cuts him right off.

"Well, she has valid reasons for not kissing them, so beginner's choice. Who you locking lips with, Zee?"

"Oh well, if it's my choice, I'm going with Beauty over here," Zelena flirts, batting her lashes as her attention flings in the direction of Belle.

"Who is Beauty?" Will asks as Zelena stands tall to confidently strut to where Belle is currently pinned beneath Ruby.

"Me?" Belle squawks and the whole cast gasps in shock as Zelena wedges herself between Belle and her sister.

"Well," Zelena prompts, drifting closer but Emma's eyes are on how red Ruby is turning.

"Rules are rules," Robin states with a kind of satisfaction that has Emma eyeing him suspiciously, like he just knows this is going to stir up some drama.

Belle laughs carelessly and meets Zelena in the middle for a tender kiss. Honestly, Emma was expecting that crazy woman to be rough and sloppy, maybe put on a show but she's very gentle and slow as if Belle is a delicate flower and can wilt away at any moment.

Unexpectedly, Ruby pops up from Belle's lap and storms right out of the room. Killian slides a bowl of chips into Emma's lap like they are about to watch an extravagant show. She's drunk though and absolutely clueless to half the shit that goes on in the house, so she happily munches away, watching in fascination as Zelena deepens the kiss.

Regina produces an annoyed sound, quickly jolting to her feet as well and running off to god knows where. It's not even one second later when Mary Margaret is off chasing her as well.

"What is..." Tink whispers into her side, completely bewildered, yet never finishing her thought.

"No idea," Emma murmurs, passing the bowl over and laughing as Tink snags a handful.

"Should we..."

"Definitely," she nods in agreement, encouraging them to sneak off in search of the missing Vets.

It doesn't take much snooping to figure out that they are in the bathroom, considering there is a cameraman in the doorway, filming every second. So, Tink and Emma linger in the kitchen, pretending to make drinks but listening to every word since the door is wide open and they are legally obligated to keep it open. This must fall under the drama and scheming category which allows production into bathrooms.

"It's bullshit!" Ruby snarls like an angry beast as she paces the bathroom.

"You need to get your emotions in check," Regina coldly scolds.

"No, what I need to do is rip off your sister's face."

Regina snorts and maybe Emma does too.

"Rubes," Mary Margaret gently begins as if she is speaking to her temperamental toddler, "you've had a lot to drink and maybe you need to think..."

"No, I'm done with this," Ruby growls, smacking the door, forcing the heavy wood to slam against the wall.

"No, you are not," Regina swiftly says, "you need to think about what you are saying here and what could potentially happen."

And Emma isn't sure why, everything is really fuzzy and loopy but she feels like Regina is trying to insinuate something.

"No, I'm just done. I can't keep doing this to myself. It's torture. I'm over it, I'm going to go out there right now-"

"Oh no you are not!" Mary Margaret chastises. "This isn't you talking, this is the alcohol and if we allow you to do something stupid, you will regret it tomorrow!"

"No, I won't," Ruby angrily states, pushing past Regina and stepping right into Mary Margaret, who refuses to let her leave.

Emma is busy watching Belle rush over with a look of concern consuming her face.

"Ruby," Belle gently calls to her but this only seems to enrage Ruby all the more.

"Move, Mary Margaret," Ruby warns in a deep growl but the petite woman stands taller between both brunettes, refusing to budge.

"Absolutely not, not until you calm down and think about what the alcohol is doing to warp your mind."

"Mary Margaret, it's fine," Belle sweetly says, "you can let her go."

"She might kill you," Regina sasses while Emma and Tink sip their refreshed drinks in fascination and watch this drunken mess.

And hey, it really is reality tv.

"She won't hurt me," Belle scoffs.

"She's pretty drunk," Regina rebuttals. "I think she's in blackout mode and she's not herself. I think it would be best if we took her to her room."

"I'm her roommate, we've been rooming together for eight seasons, I know how to handle her," Belle defends, pushing Mary Margaret aside without a care in the world to how Ruby could easily rearrange her face.

"Belle, I'm begging you not to talk right now," Regina urges, very serious about the entire situation.

"Ruby, come with me," Belle demands and Ruby follows her back to their room like a lost puppy in hopes to find their forever home.

"That's it?" Tink shrieks, gesturing to where Regina and Mary Margaret walk off back to the rest of the cast. "How are we gonna find out what happened to Beauty and the Beast?"

"I guess we are going to have to tune into MTV on Wednesday's at seven o'clock," Emma says with all the flair of someone trying to sell a product. She even winks dramatically, eliciting giggles from Tink and Elsa.

She then returns to the game and prays that she doesn't pick a Queen or a King and stir up anymore drama. She doesn't need that kind of buzzkill right now.

~~~~

Now, she knows that every season there is at least one ridiculous challenge that is set up to make the contestants look like damn fools but that fact has seemed to slip from her mind. She's reminded though as TJ stands there, laughing uncontrollably at just the mere idea of how they will look trying to accomplish these tasks. Honestly, she doesn't know how this is even appropriate for viewing pleasure, everything is a sexual innuendo and she is not at all comfortable with any of this being filmed.

Today's challenge is called Rounding the Bases and will be broken up into four stations. The first station or "base" is a classic suck and blow game where there will be a card that the teams will have to keep between their mouths as they run along a bamboo fence that has barriers in between so the contestants are forced to break apart and come back together again without dropping the card. She really hopes the card doesn't fall so she is forced to kiss Killian, he's like a brother to her.

Second base is extremely naughty, where there is a baseball bat at the height of their hips and then two baseballs around the height of their chests and they have to unscrew these items from the poles they are attached to. Yes, it's going to appear very inappropriate as they try to unscrew the objects.

Then comes the third base, where they have to lick a wall of peanut butter to reveal numbers that will unlock supplies for the final base. She will indefinitely be swapping saliva with Killian today.

And lastly, fourth base is even more ridiculous, where there will be two poles, each player will hold one pole which has them standing sixty feet apart and they will have to try and maneuver the ends of the poles so that one pole will slide into the other and then to top it all off, the challengers will have to run toward each other and pop a cork inside one end of the pole. Gee, wonder what that represents?

"Classic suck and blow," Tink laughs as they all line up at their first station. "This is the only way I got boys to kiss me in middle school. I would just let the card fall and be like whoops!"

The whole cast laughs and surprisingly everyone is being a good sport about it all.

"As weird as this all is," Marian chimes in, "I'm just so thankful that we aren't risking our lives today behind a monster truck or three hundred feet in the air."

"It's actually a pretty chill race," Naveen adds on but his partner's face expresses extreme focus and determination.

"Everybody ready?" TJ hollers with his foghorn up in the air. All the contestants nod along, placing their hands behind their backs like they were instructed to do, so TJ blares his horn. "Go!"

Emma snags the card first and places it against her lips but Killian isn't leaning forward.

"Hold up, Swan, look at the barriers, we should discuss who is going to suck the card and who will blow at those breaks so we don't drop the card," he explains as Marian starts going off on Robin.

"You ass! You did that on purpose!"

Emma sees the couple having to start from the beginning again but she does her best to ignore the other players.

"I'll suck, you blow," Emma diligently commands, inspiring one eyebrow from her partner to raise curiously.

"Swan..."

"Oh shut up, let's go!" She demands, sucking the card against her lips and leaning over the fence.

Killian meets her halfway this time and when they meet in the middle, they simply press their mouths together and walk slowly along the fence, perfectly in sync. Neither one is sucking or blowing at this point, saving their energy for when they come up to a bamboo wall that they will have to move around.

Emma can hear the other contestants shouting at each other and grumbling their frustrations. She can hear Neal's contagious laugh echoing through the field along with Zelena's shrieking. Sabine is barking orders at Merlin and she knows they will have to start again. The only couple that she can't hear is Naveen and Regina and that just pours determination all over her competitive side.

She and Killian come to their first barrier and they both seem to pause for a moment to make sure they stay in control. She sucks in a deep breath and he blows the card back at her. She tilts her head back just a tad to balance the card on her lips and then very carefully, shuffles her feet to the other side of the bamboo poles. When she is safely on the other side, still sucking the card against her mouth, Killian leans over the fence and above her face to ensure they won't drop the card as they move back into position.

Her eyes brighten, her eyebrows shooting up in a silent cheer for making it past the first barrier but Killian's eyes narrow, wordlessly urging her to stay focused.

"Why is the card so wet?" Mulan hisses. "It's suck and blow! No tongue, never tongue!" She seethes at her partner who is actually laughing at her.

Good, another team that has to start over. She listens carefully as her feet gently move along the fence and she notices that she hasn't heard a peep from Mary Margaret and David. They make out constantly, she can only assume how great their lips are together.

Another barrier comes a lot faster than she expected but she sucks hard, tilts her head back again and slowly moves, unfortunately, her shoe accidentally bumps into the fence which gives her a little jolt. The card starts to slip from her lips but Killian rushes forward, smashing his mouth against her chin and catches the card. Green eyes expand to their fullest potential in fear of having to start over again.

"Wait," Killian mumbles against her chin, causing every muscle in her body to freeze up.

Slowly, Killian nudges the card with his lips, sliding it back up against her mouth. Her pounding heart deflates in relief when the card is securely locked between their lips again.

"Go," he murmurs against the card, motivating her feet to follow his lead.

This time their feet shuffle a little faster to make up for lost time. When they reach the third barrier, her body breaks out in a sweat, terrified she might make a mistake again that will force her to start over. Still, she sucks the card against her lips and moves swiftly and efficiently to the other side without any hiccups.

"Go, go, go," she hears Regina order Naveen, so she knows they must be running to the second base.

"Yes! Good job, David!" Mary Margaret squeals in delight, rattling Emma's nervous heart all the more.

But Killian is pressing his mouth to hers again and they are through all the barriers. Now, they have to carry the card to a basket and drop it inside perfectly. When their feet are near the wicker basket, Killian slowly begins to lower himself to the ground but Emma is studying him closely and following his every move. When they are just a few inches above the basket, they break apart and watch as the card lands in the basket.

"Let's go!" He encourages, their feet taking off to where Mary Margaret and Regina are already working on their bats.

Out of her peripheral, she notices Sabine and Merlin hot on their heels.

"Can I unscrew the balls and you work on the bat?" Emma curiously asks because it would be so much easier for Killian to have only one thing to unscrew.

"No," she hears TJ say from the sidelines. "Men, unscrew the balls and women unscrew the bat."

"Well that's a little stereotypical," she says loud and clear, prompting the players beside her to all gape at her in surprise.

Killian tosses his head back in laughter, his hands already on the balls and twisting in a very provocative way. Luckily, he is able to use the flat of his palm on top of the ball to spin it in the right direction. It isn't very long before Ruby and Graham catch up, followed by Tink and Jeff.

She hears a loud thump to her right and notices Regina has already unscrewed her bat which motivates Emma's hands to crank up the speed. Killian's right ball falls, so he quickly uses both hands to spin off the last ball.

"Naveen, let's move!" Regina yells just as Emma's bat tumbles to the ground.

"Go, go, go!" Emma happily cheers on Killian, not wanting to stress him out all the more.

That's when she sees Mary Margaret and David take off toward the peanut butter walls. Her entire body tingles with nervous energy and she can't help but sway anxiously from left to right.

Killian and Naveen finish at exactly the same time, which has Emma and Regina dashing to the next base. She smirks to herself, knowing she can keep up with the Queen when it comes to speed. She glances over at Regina as they run as fast as their feet can carry them, but this woman refuses to break her laser focus on the peanut butter. Being ignored only inspires Emma to push harder, so she takes a small lead, making it first to her station.

She doesn't even hesitate; she just sticks out her tongue and takes a long swipe of peanut butter. Off to her left, she hears Mary Margaret gagging.

"It's too much," the woman whines around a mouthful but David doesn't respond, so Emma is sure he is busy licking away.

"Damn Swan, go!" Killian praises just before he licks from the bottom of the wall, all the way up to the top.

"Why is there so much?" Naveen mumbles his complaint with a mouth full of peanut butter.

"Just lick," Regina scolds.

"It's so hot," Mary Margaret cries out. "It's disgusting," she chokes, struggling to keep it all down.

And Emma notices how hot and wet it is from roasting in the sun, but she has spent too many nights going to bed hungry that she will never refuse food again. She flattens her tongue and licks all the way up the wall again, clearing an entire column of numbers. The only tricky part about this wall is there are six columns of numbers but most of the numbers are zeros, so they have to find the other numbers hidden throughout the board for their combination to their lock.

"Damn Swan, looks like we are both good at licking," Killian teases, eliciting a small chuckle to escape her creamy lips.

"Don't make me laugh, focus!"

"Use your chin to drag against the board to clear more peanut butter away," he whispers into her side, and she is quick to nod along.

"I hate peanut butter!" August bellows.

"Shut up and use that big mouth of yours," Zelena reprimands but then Emma distinctly hears the disgusting sound of someone vomiting.

"Stop! You're going to make me puke!" Will yells.

Emma closes her eyes, attempting to hide away and block out all the noises around her. That is until she feels a tap on her shoulder.

"We have all the numbers exposed," Killian whispers into her side.

She spits out the rest of the peanut butter and wipes her mouth as clean as possible. Killian is already rambling off the numbers as she jogs behind him to the next station. Her stomach turns, maybe from the heat, maybe from the peanut butter melting under the sun, or maybe from the sounds of August puking violently. She swallows down the taste of vomit and continues to run, unfortunately Regina and Naveen are chasing their tails.

When they reach the lock, Killian puts in the combination while she bends over, her hands on her knees to just breathe and calm down her insides.

"I don't feel so well," she grits out, pleading with herself not to throw up.

"You just need some water," Killian vows. "We are almost done and then I'll get you some."

He thrusts a pole into her face and she nods, reaching for the rubbery material with a shaky hand. She didn't expect it to be so flimsy and now she thinks this part is going to be harder than she anticipated. Killian runs sixty feet away from her and then turns around to face her, placing one end of the pole below his stomach like they were instructed to do. Emma mimics his stance and together they try their very best to maneuver the poles to align.

She sneaks a peek to her left and notices that Regina and Naveen are struggling as well. Just a few minutes later, it seems like almost every team is lined up, struggling to align their poles.

"Why are we so bad at this?" Neal laughs, not at all phased by the ridiculousness of the task.

"Killian, I feel bad for all your past lovers," Robin heckles, provoking all the men to laugh along.

"It's Regina we should all feel bad for," Zelena chimes in with a wicked smirk. "Look at her two exes, complete fools."

"Why do you think I dumped them," Regina sasses.

And as much as Emma wants to win this thing, she can't take anyone seriously right now as they all thrust their hips and fail miserably to slide one end of the pole into the other. TJ is cackling like a damn hyena between them and it's not helping at all.

"Swan! Swan!" Killian gleefully chants. "We got it! Run!"

Emma starts running toward Killian, so fucking ecstatic that they are going to win their first challenge. Except, when their poles meet at the end, their cork doesn't pop.

"What the-?" She questions in disbelief.

"Let's move back and jam even harder into each other," Killian shouts, so they slowly step back and that's when the horn blows.

Emma and Killian ram into each other, finally releasing their cork but when they snap to attention, they find Naveen already lifting Regina into the air.

"That's it," TJ shouts. "Regina and Naveen win!"

"What?" Killian bitterly shouts. "We bloody had it! The thing was faulty and didn't pop!"

"Rules clearly stated whoever pops the cork first," TJ explains.

Killian tosses the pole angrily to the ground and stomps away, clinging to the back of his neck to calm himself down. Emma sighs in defeat, utterly broken because that should have been theirs. They are losing on a technicality. Still, she doesn't want Killian to fly off the handle and do something stupid. She knows from previous challenges that he can be a hothead sometimes but over the years he has calmed down immensely.

"Killian," she gently whispers, clasping a hand upon his tense shoulder. "It's alright. I know it really sucks but we tried our hardest and we did really well."

"I know but I wanted us to be safe."

"We were sent in the last two times. We earned the right to be here."

"That's not how this works and you know it. They are going to say our names again because why else would they risk saying another name and pissing someone else off."

"So, what? We are going to be the default name every time now?"

Killian doesn't say a word; he just wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her into a hug. Her stomach leaps to her throat and she is sure she is going to vomit any second.

"Killian," she whines, rapidly tapping his shoulder.

She quickly breaks apart from their embrace and releases all the nasty peanut butter from her sour stomach all over her partner's shoes.

Chapter Text

She was able to nibble on a few crackers that production offered her and some water to settle her stomach as soon as they were ushered onto the bus to drive them back. Once the water started to flow through her system and rehydrate her, she did feel a little better. After she showered and brushed her teeth she was almost back to normal, albeit a little wobbly and weak.

Tink is French braiding her hair when TJ waltzes into the house with a storm cloud of doom trailing behind. There's a sinking sensation in her gut and it has nothing to do with her upset stomach from earlier and everything to do with apprehension about being tossed into elimination again.

One by one the contestants fill the common room, filling all the seats on both couches and the area on the floor in front of their partners. TJ grins like a cat who caught the canary and steeples his fingertips together. Emma has to fight down the bile crawling up the back of her throat for the second time today.

"Great challenge today, everyone really pushed hard on this one," he compliments, causing a scowl upon Emma's face because she and Killian were so in sync and they deserved that win. "Mulan and Baron, unfortunately, you had a little difficultly with the suck and blow portion which was a set back for the rest of the challenge, sending you automatically into the Jungle tonight."

Everyone gives them a round of applause while Emma tries not to faint at the idea of having to do something physical against these two beasts. Mulan and Baron stand proudly beside TJ, both with their arms folded across their chests, appearing as calm as a yoga instructor deep in meditation. She swallows again.

"Regina and Naveen, you guys are killing it in the daily's, go ahead and start us off with the voting this evening," TJ delegates as Emma runs her shaky fingers through her hair, well, she attempts to and realizes her hair is in a tight French braid already.

"Well, TJ, there's a saying, if it's not broke, don't fix it," Regina so elegantly explains, forcing Emma's soul to runaway from her body. "So, we are going to stick with the same vote and say Killian and Emma."

Emma's jaw automatically clenches in rage because this bitch just sealed her fate. Everyone will follow suit, Regina owns this house like the damn Queen she is. And sure enough, Mary Margaret, Sabine, Belle, Robin, and Zelena all follow along. That's six votes, so Graham, Neal, and Tink's votes won't even count in her benefit.

She glares murderously at Regina as she clambers to her feet and scurries next to Killian and TJ.

"How do you guys feel about going into elimination three times in a row?" TJ investigates with an underlying hint of sympathy.

"Not great, Teej," she sarcastically quips, shoving her hands into her sweatpants and proceeding to glare directly at Regina.

Except this coward is refusing to make eye contact and all Emma wants to do is lunge across the coffee table and tackle her.

"It's part of the game," Killian easily answers. "We have proven that we should be in this game and there are plenty of others that should fight for their right to stay in this game as well but it is what it is and I know nobody wants to get their hands dirty yet."

"Welp, I wish both teams luck in elimination."

Emma doesn't even wait for the host to leave before she stomps out of there and heads for her bedroom before she explodes, loses her temper and is disqualified from the game for punching Regina in the nose. She is granted one opportunity to slam her door shut but then Elsa is easing it open and there's a stupid camera in her face again. It's only a matter of seconds before Tink is cautiously entering the lion's den.

"Hey."

"Hey," she mumbles, stuffing her hands beneath her pillow to feel for her blanket and then burying her face into the pillowcase.

"Sorry, that's really shitty. You don't deserve that," Tink softly begins, settling down at the edge of her mattress. "You basically won today and for that alone everyone should have given you a break this week."

"Yeah, well, the Vets are all thick as thieves. They are a bunch of villains preying on the good guys. I'm so sick of this bullshit."

Tink gently places her hand against Emma's shoulder. "I know, you have fought so hard to be here."

"And I'm tired, my back isn't even healed yet from the last elimination, I haven't even unpacked my backpack from the last time everyone tried to kick me out," she grumbles into her pillow and then turns her head toward the wall, so she can calm herself back down and not burst into tears.

"I'm sorry," Tink whispers, pausing for a beat to work up the courage to say something she knows will make Emma feel uncomfortable. "Do you want me to go?"

"No."

"Do you want to talk anymore?"

"No."

"Okay," she kindly concedes.

Then much to her surprise, Tink rests her head near Emma's feet, lying perfectly still and careful not to touch Emma by any means. She doesn't say a word but knowing that she is right there beside her, being a supportive friend by not leaving, means everything to Emma. She knows in her heart in this moment, she truly found her first friend ever that's a woman.

It isn't long before exhaustion takes over and she passes out. She's not sure how long she sleeps for or if she dreams but she knows she's waking up when a light flickers on. She groans, curls into the fetal position and feels Tink's bottom pressing into hers.

"Wake up!" Sabine ecstatically calls before Emma hears the bathroom door slamming shut, most likely Regina wanting to disturb her. "We have to be on the bus in an hour to the club."

"I don't want to go," Emma mumbles half asleep.

"You have to," Sabine reminds her because it's part of their contract.

"I'm sick."

"You're not sick," Sabine sing-songs as she rummages her clothes on what to wear. "The heat just got to you."

"I could use a drink," Tink joyfully announces, popping right out of the bed like a wind-up toy ready to move.

"Come on sleepyhead," Sabine playfully teases, smacking Emma's bottom rather harshly, evoking a little yelp from her mouth.

"Hey..."

"Fifty- five minutes left."

~~~~

Emma is still queasy when they get to the bar, so even though Killian offers to buy her a drink, she sticks with water most of the night. She's antsy, her body pumping pure adrenaline and all she wants to do is get into that elimination and find out who the winner is. Especially, because Mulan is so damn calm and impassive about the entire situation. That probably has to do with the fact that her elimination record is eleven and five, according to Tink. Eleven out of sixteen times she has won.

Well what the fuck.

"Hey," Mulan softly greets her out on the deck of the club. She needed air; it was too hot and stuffy, the music was pulsating in her ears, creating a dull headache, and she felt hot all over and she's trying to avoid punching Regina. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I just needed some fresh air," she says, observing as Mulan claims the seat beside her. "I really didn't want to go against you in elimination," she confesses against her better judgment but this woman has been so friendly and genuinely kind since the first time she met her.

Mulan shrugs, her face as stoic as ever. "This is all part of the game. Nobody wants to go against anyone really. I've gone against every Vet girl in this house at some point. Eventually, we all dwindle down and you have no choice but to fight against your friends."

"I know and I get it, I'm a Rookie and I'm paying my dues but what about Killian, he's a Vet and I thought he was tight with all those guys."

"He is," she defends. "Listen Swan, the Vets have all become like this dysfunctional little family after all these years working together under such stressful situations. When we were your age, yeah, we would take this personal, just like you are now but we are older now, wiser, we've played the game enough times to understand this is how it works, no hard feelings. But I think that's why they brought you younger kids in now too. They need that drama back because we are too old now. They need new faces to spice up the house."

"It still isn't fair how everyone is out to get us."

"What it all boils down to is that you two are strong together, your chemistry and dynamic works as friends. The other teams are threatened by you guys. It's unfortunate but that's how this all works. They don't want to compete against you in the final, so they are trying to save their asses right now and they all think that Baron and I can take you guys out."

Emma's blood burns hot with rage knowing that the entire house is scheming against them. She's simply playing the game to survive and that has ultimately placed a huge target on her back.

"It's bullshit."

"It is," Mulan wholeheartedly agrees, clinking her glass against Emma's water, "welcome to The Challenge!"

~~~~

Emma studies the other cast members from the back of the bus with curiosity and suspicion. Mary Margaret and David are cuddled up, whispering sweet nothings and giggling, both completely hammered by the looks of their flushed cheeks and glossy eyes. Sabine is literally sitting on Naveen's lap, shoving her tongue down his throat. Tink is nestled safely under Killian's arm, leaning her head on his shoulder as they talk about stars or astrology or something. Okay, they are kind of cute together and Emma is happy for them, considering she adores her new best friends.

Her eyes wander again, noting how Belle has her back flush against Ruby's front as they converse with Regina across the small aisle. Emma tilts her head to the side in consideration, the memory reel in her brain playing a slideshow of drunk and messy hookups of Regina when she first started this show and yet, she hasn't seen the woman touch a single person this time around. She finds it odd but mostly she thinks it's suspicious and not at all a coincidence. Actually, the last two seasons she has kept to herself, ever since her very public breakup with Killian.

Regina's rosy cheeks are squished as she tosses her head back and laughs with Belle and Ruby and for a brief moment, Emma highly considers if those three are in some kind of relationship. Ruby and Belle are very touchy-feely and Regina is secretly very protective over the two and is willing to bend over backwards to grant them their wishes.

Regina must sense her blatant staring because skeptical eyes slowly crawl in her direction, forcing them to make direct eye contact. A searing heat blazes from head to toe from being caught spying like a creepy stalker. However, Regina raises a teasing eyebrow and then turns back to her friends, maybe girlfriends, never vocally calling Emma out. Thank god for small miracles.

Emma averts her attention back to the midnight sky passing and listens to Killian explain how his dad taught him how to navigate by the stars.

"I can't even follow my GPS because I never know how far four hundred feet actually is," Tink admits, bringing a smile to Emma's sad face.

~~~~

The next morning brought an eerie sensation that slithered across her body constantly, warning her that something out of the normal was going to transpire. Dread weighed down her bones, making it rather difficult to workout as a warm up for the evening's competition. Graham offered some meditation routines and she couldn't be anymore relieved by the hopes of something calming her anxious nerves. However, nothing seemed to help and what really irked her soul all the more, was that Regina dodged her the entire day.

In fact, the first time Emma sees Regina is down in the Jungle. The woman even took a different bus to eliminations this evening and they usually ride the same one. Belle and Ruby were still on her bus and speaking to her as if they are all still friends so what the hell?

"Emma, Killian, come on down," she hears TJ announce and truthfully, she doesn't remember how she got to this moment.

Everything has been a blur since she stepped onto the bus, mindlessly trekking through her life and the fate that's about to send her ass home. All because it's Mulan. There is no way she can beat someone with the skill level and training like her. Although, if she has to lose to someone, she's so freaking glad it's such a talented Vet.

She tries her best to listen to TJ explain the rules because she doesn't want to be disqualified on a technicality but her mind is like a hyperactive puppy right now and she can't focus. She understands that she will be strapped to a rope and that she and Mulan will run in opposite directions, in the sand, to ring a bell. The tricky part is that once that short leash snaps, it will tighten and be almost damn near impossible to drag Mulan across the pit.

"Good luck," she hears just before Mulan steps forward and hugs her. Actually embraces her like a true friend with dignity and respect.

She pulls the woman in close out of mutual respect and whispers in her ear, "good luck to you, too!"

Her body breaks out in a sweat, involuntarily trembling because she knows the pain she will endure tonight and her mind, body, and soul knows she is not healed or in the right mind space to put her best effort forward this evening.

Elsa plops her personalized helmet on top of her head, sending a rush of confidence through her body. It's a small thing but this helmet has been with her through two intense eliminations and she sort of feels like it's her protective armor. Then a crew comes over to strap a harness across her chest, over her shoulders, and around her stomach, which will soon have the rope attached to her back. She slips on the small gloves offered to her and then she is standing with a camera in her face.

"Baron has a solid thirty pounds of muscle on me," Killian begins, "but I have a secret weapon that he doesn't, intellect," he smugly states and there's the cocky-ass she remembers from past challenges.

"Well, I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty evenly matched height and weight with Mulan but she has a hell of a lot more experience than I do. I'm going to give it my all but if I lose tonight to Mulan, it will be an honor," she humbly says which has Elsa and Kristoff immediately turning off the camera.

"Good luck," Elsa whispers before she walks away with a sad smile on her face like she is going to miss her.

Emma wants to puke from that pathetic face alone.

"Hey," Killian whispers, gathering her attention before he clasps onto her shoulders and looks her square in the eyes. "Listen to me, when you here that horn, run as hard and as fast as you can and then I want you to sink down to the ground and curl into a tight ball. Become an anchor, trust me. The rope is going to get really tight and she is going to feel really heavy, I want you to dig in the sand and anchor yourself. It will also help you to crawl toward the bell because I promise you, nobody is making it to the bell without a fight."

"Got it," she firmly says but her mind is a million miles away and she hates that she already feels like she lost.

"Two rounds, Swan. Dig deep, try your hardest, don't you dare give up, remember what you're fighting for," he cheers her on, playfully slapping her helmet before guiding her to the starting position.

Production tells her exactly where she needs to stand, while someone clips the rope to her back.

"Are your harnesses too tight?" A young guy asks, stepping in front of her and dipping down to meet her eyes.

"No."

"Double check, if they feel too tight now, I need to know, so I can adjust them because they are only going to get tighter," he sternly explains but she's already shaking her head while she hears someone else asking Mulan the same question.

"Alright ladies are we ready?" TJ hollers, thrusting his trusty horn into the sky. "Mulan, are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Emma, are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Go!"

The horn blares and her feet do all the work, taking off with super speed toward the bell directly in front of her. She's not entirely sure how much rope is left but she knows there can't be too much, so she dives down into the sand. She hunches over her legs, becoming the anchor like her partner guided her to do. And that's when she feels the slack on her harness and she knows without looking back that her force yanked Mulan backwards. The entire cast is screaming wildly in the back which fuels her drive.

"Yes! Swan! Let's go!" Killian shouts from the sideline, his figure pacing along the edge.

She rushes to crawl, her hands and knees moving in harmony about a foot before there is a strong pull on her back, forcing those thick straps to bite into her shoulders.

"Shit," she murmurs under her breath, squeezing her eyes closed from the searing pain shooting throughout her system.

She uses all her strength to crawl forward but she's not budging. Hell, she will take just leaning forward at this point but her body is completely molded to the spot she is in.

"Come on, Swan, crawl, you've got this. Fight!" Her partner calls to motivate her but her body is refusing to cooperate.

"Fuck," she hisses, attempting to rock back and forth at this point but her body will only allow a backwards movement.

How the hell is she supposed to do this, neither one of them is moving, they are locked into a complete standstill at this point? She peeks up at the bell and for fuck's sake, she's nowhere near the damn thing. She glances over her shoulder and she swears Mulan is stuck at the same distance away from her bell as well.

"Come on girls," TJ hollers, "nobody is moving."

"Swan," she hears Neal yell from the bridge, prompting her attention to find him, squatting down to speak to her. "Dig your feet into the sand, you can push off of it," he instructs.

Without much thought, her feet start kicking up sand, creating little barriers to not only push off from but keep her rooted in place from being yanked backwards. She even digs into the sand with her hands, desperately trying to use that as an anchor to push off from but her body is not going anywhere. And to top it all off, her shoulders and back are in excruciating pain from the damn harness. The nylon is rubbing against the rope burns on her shoulders from the last elimination and it's taking everything in her not to burst into tears.

She needs a moment to recuperate because she's fairly confident that she's only tiring herself out. So, she anchors down into the sand and all the grooves she created, places her helmet against the sand to hide her face and hopefully block out all the people screaming and cheering, so she can focus on herself and breathing.

That's when she feels Mulan tugging and pulling but thankfully, she isn't being yanked backwards, she's grounded to the sand. She breathes in deep, hopelessly trying to ignore the old wounds burning and new areas that will indefinitely be bruised and cut up tomorrow.

"Swan, come on, please don't give up," she hears Tink, inspiring a warm set of liquid to fill her eyes, so she keeps her head down and hides in shame.

"Mulan!" Robin hollers, annoyingly extra loud. "She's gassed out, you got this! Take her!"

Her chin wobbles but she refuses to cry.

"Stand up, Mulan, drag her ass to your side, you've got this!"

"Shut up, Robin!" Emma snaps, furious with his petty comments because nobody else is making digs at Mulan, they are only encouraging Emma in a respectful manner.

She hears Robin chuckle, breathing life and motivation back into her body. She cries out in agony but she pulls herself against the sand wall she molded and by some miracle, she gains an inch.

"Yes! Yes! Let's go, Swan!" Killian and Tink cheer in unison. 

Then comes an ear piercing shriek that sends a bitter cold chill down her spine. "This hurts so much," Mulan complains through a tightly wound jaw.

"Come on, Mulan, I've seen you do much more than this," Robin hollers.

And then everything becomes awfully quiet, she's not entirely sure how long she simply lies in the sand, anchoring herself and becoming one with the pit but minutes tick by. Each woman is locked into position and cannot possibly move from the amount of pain tormenting their shoulders, neck, and back.

"Thirty-five minutes," TJ announces, provoking Emma to hide her face again in the sand and bite back her tears.

The pit is too silent and she thinks that everyone is either ashamed of their performance or is pitying them. The only noise to be heard is Mulan crying in pain and little whimpers from herself. Every so many minutes, she tries to steal an inch but she receives nothing in return. She's at a loss at this point, she has no idea what to do and she already used all the strategies being offered to her. So, she stands her ground and refuses to give up, praying Mulan will cave first.

Neither one moves.

"Seventy-five minutes, ladies," TJ announces when she realizes she is soaked from head to toe in sweat. "Who wants it more?"

"Swan, come on, mate, you've got this. I promise you can do this!" Killian encourages but her body has fallen numb at this point and she is so fucking exhausted and frustrated.

God, so damn frustrated. How are they not moving at all?

Something must happen because everyone on the bridge begins jumping and hollering. She panics, full-blown cold sweat at the idea of Mulan figuring something out, causing her to lose, so she summons all her willpower and fights through the sand, earning herself an inch.

"Come on, Swan, fight!" Tink hysterically shouts.

Emma takes a quick glimpse over her shoulder to find that Mulan has flipped onto her back and is tugging the harness away from her shoulder. Her attention swings back to the bridge and that's when she realizes that Graham, Tink, Neal, Tamara, Naveen, David, and Mary Margaret are all screaming at her, filling her drained soul back up with determination and energy.

For some damn reason, her eyes find Regina in the crowd, she loathes herself for doing so but it happens. But that's not the strangest part, no, it's that Regina has her nail trapped between her teeth like she's a nervous-wreck over this fight. Then it happens, those dark eyes lock onto her, fierce, demanding, and Regina ever so subtly nods at her.

That is all the motivation Emma needs. She is sweating profusely causing the sand to stick to her, her back is torn up and bleeding once again and she wants nothing more than to give up but Regina believes in her, so she needs to prove that she is the Swan she has always hoped to be.

So, she stretches onto her tiptoes and begins rocking, until she gains another inch. Yet, she's still so fucking far from that bell but she refuses to lie back down at this point. And that's all because everyone is pleading with her to keep moving, keep fighting, keep pushing.

"Ninety-five minutes, ladies!" TJ bellows, this time his tone gives away how impressed he is by this battle.

"Mulan, don't let her take this from you, she's burned out!" Robin hollers but the poor woman just grunts in response and Emma knows she is in just as much pain as she is.

Emma pounds her fists into the sand, screaming through the pain as she steals one more inch.

"Let's go! Let's go!" Killian chants.

"Mulan, I can take him," Baron says for the entire pit to hear. "If you're in that much pain, save your energy in case there is another round."

"Hell no," Emma grits, she refuses to win this on a technicality because Mulan claims she gave up.

"I do not give up!" Mulan hisses, grabbing her rope and pulling like she is in a tug-of-war match.

Emma slowly slides back but the cries escaping Mulan's mouth is enough to know she doesn't have much left in her tank. Emma begins rocking again, fighting against the grains of sand and walls she has built. Everyone is chanting on the bridge and jumping up and down. Not once has Emma lied back down and that right there inspires her that she can keep going even though she literally can't feel her body anymore.

"Mulan, move!" Robin scolds.

"Shut the fuck up, Robin!" Emma yells on the top of her lungs and then slams her palm against the bell.

TJ blows his horn, provoking her body to collapse into a heap on the ground. Killian runs over and unclips her rope, then scoops her into his arms and holds her against his chest.

"You did it. I'm so bloody proud of you. I'm bringing this home for us, I won't let you down, I won't let you compete again!" He vows, plopping her down on the sidelines.

Mulan weakly crawls over to her while the men suit up for their turn and then she hugs her.

"You did amazing," Emma praises as Mulan cries into her shoulder.

"The fight in you, Swan, you're going to be somebody in this competition. You beat me fair and square, okay? I gave it my all," she vows, inspiring Emma to hold her even closer. "Now, I need a medic, something isn't right with my shoulder," she claims before she collapses into Emma's chest.

"Medic! Medic! We need a medic!" Emma frantically screams.

Chapter Text

Everything around her feels heightened, a frantic state of hysteria as medics and producers rush around them in the pit. Poor Mulan, there is still a camera crew in her face as Emma holds her from behind and someone offers her an oxygen mask while someone else checks her shoulder.

One medic rips her shirt to find the girl's shoulder completely out of the socket as her entire arm morphs into a bluish tint.

"Why is my arm blue? What the hell?" Mulan cries out, inspiring Emma to hold her closer around the waist to help soothe her worries.

"There's not enough blood supply moving through your arm right now," one medic quickly answers, moving efficiently to help another lift Mulan onto a stretcher. "You're going to be just fine though but I will need to pop your shoulder back into place."

"Fuck, Mulan, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry-"

"Hey, hey," Mulan softly coos, pulling the mask down from her face, "this is all part of the game. It is not your fault and don't you let anyone tell you otherwise. I put my heart into this elimination, you won fair and square, don't believe that you didn't earn this."

"But-"

"No, this is on me. I should have told them my harness was too tight. I should've taken the warning more seriously," her friend confesses while Emma takes her good hand into hers as she lies on the stretcher.

Out of nowhere, Ruby is suddenly off the bridge and in the pit behind them. "Mulan! I'm coming with you!"

"Lucas, you know you can't go with her to the hospital," one producer calmly explains but Ruby is in protective mode and all she sees is red.

"No, that's bullshit. She's my best friend, I should be allowed to go to the hospital with her and keep her company. She's probably so scared right now."

"Ruby, no," the producer firmly declines, "you know the rules. Nobody is allowed off the set premises. She is going to be just fine."

Ruby scoffs, violently wedging her way through the crowd to stand right behind Emma. "They won't let me go with you. I'm sorry-"

"It's alright, Ruby. I'm sure I'll see you tomorrow," she playfully winks, assuming that Baron can pull off two wins for them and stay in the game.

Ruby kisses the back of Mulan's hand and pats it before the medics carry the broken woman to an ambulance nearby.

"Rubes-"

"These things happen here, that's why it can always be anybody's game. Don't beat yourself up," Ruby says through a faint smile before TJ tells her to join the group on the bridge.

Emma sits on the sideline, drenched in sweat and shaking from either the adrenaline and nerves combined or maybe from exhaustion. Killian is ushered to the center of the arena with Baron and the entire night falls dead silent.

"Mulan is being taken to the hospital to get checked and we wish her a speedy recovery. Unfortunately, we still have a game to play and need a winner tonight, so Killian and Baron, are you guys ready?" TJ speaks in a very serious tone that sends a shiver down Emma's spine.

Crew members are double checking the harnesses on both men, whom are standing back to back with the rope between them. Once the team nods their approval toward TJ, the game begins despite everything that just happened. Emma is sure nobody is in the mood to watch this battle play out after what Mulan went through, not to mention, everyone has already been standing here for an hour and forty-five minutes watching Emma and Mulan struggle.

"Baron, are you ready?"

"Yes, sir."

"Killian, are you ready?"

And the thing is, Baron is jumping in place to psych himself up but Killian is simply standing there in the most serene and tranquil state with his hands calmly clasped in front of his waist like he isn't about to duke it out in elimination. Emma perks right up, knowing he must have some trick up his sleeve.

"Aye, Teej, I'm ready."

"Go!"

Baron takes off running straight but Killian makes a mad dash to the right and between the momentum and the sheer force, Baron is swept right off his feet. In fact, it looks like someone swiftly kicked his feet right out from under him and his ankles cave under the pressure from the opposite pull. He collapses to the sand with a ground shaking thump and then Killian drags him like he's a turtle stuck on his back.

He is about six inches from winning when Baron finally gathers his bearings and finds control on his hands and knees. Out of nowhere, Baron stands tall, pushing his chest out and stomping through the sand, forcing Emma's heart to drop all the way down to her gut. Killian is dragging through the sand backwards like a rag doll but it isn't for very long.

Emma swears she sees his thighs expand as he firmly plants himself back into the sand.

"Yes, Killian, go! You've got this. Don't you dare give up!" She hollers, stomping her fist into the ground.

"Who wants it more, boys?" Neal shouts from the bridge as everyone jumps up and down, finding their love for the game once more.

Killian glances back at Emma, determination etched all over his face. "I'm never gonna quit," he announces, taking a strong step forward that has Baron sliding back. "I'm going to live in your dreams, Baron," he says through a clenched jaw. "Forever!" He declares and then takes off running to his bell as if one-hundred and eighty pounds of muscle isn't strapped to his back.

"Look at this guy!" TJ laughs hysterically at the sight of Killian making a mad dash around the sand with Baron clawing at anything to stop the momentum.

Everyone is chanting and shouting from the stands and that's when Killian rings the bell. TJ blows the horn and her partner doesn't waste a single second unclipping his harness and rushing over to her. He picks her up with ease but it sends a violent rush of pain through her body and he immediately sets her back down.

"I'm sorry, Swan. Do you need to get checked out?"

"No, no, I'm good," she lies as TJ announces them the winners which has Baron bitterly throwing his helmet across the arena.

Elsa immediately is standing beside them with Kristoff pointing a camera in their face. She doesn't have to be told anymore what she's supposed to say in these interviews.

"That was definitely the hardest thing I have ever done and as grateful as I am to still be in the game, I'm just hoping everything goes well with Mulan and she will be okay," she earnestly states as Killian gently swings an arm around her shoulder and kisses her temple for support. "I just want to know how the hell you pulled that off so quickly? Why didn't you give me that same advice?" She teases, lightly swatting at his stomach.

He winces playfully and smirks. "I used Baron's weight against him. That would have never worked for you and Mulan, you were too evenly matched. You guys were going to be a standstill dogfight and Baron and I, well, his weight was either going to crush me or used to my benefit." He taps his temple, his grin stretching across his face and blooming into that cocky asshole she is starting to grow very fond of. "I worked smarter not harder. I told you I had bigger brains than his popcorn muscles."

Emma squeezes him around the torso and Elsa and Kristoff end the interview. As a united front, they stand to TJ's left as Baron takes his place to the host's right.

"Baron, this ends your time here in Thailand. We hope Mulan a healthy recovery and I'm sure we will see you again in the future," TJ politely says his spiel, then Baron walks away with everyone clapping courteously. Once the man is gone, TJ cackles. "You two killed it tonight. Damn Swan, I don't think we've ever had an elimination last that long and Killian, you destroyed him despite his advantage. Congratulations, you two, you deserve to be here more than anyone. Go rejoin the group!"

Everyone is hollering and cheering, it's like a stampede on the bridge when they climb back up to the top. Everyone is hugging and congratulating them and Emma has never felt more accomplished in anything before in her life.

TJ announces that everyone should get some rest and he will see them all soon and then the cast is guided back to the buses. Emma notices Regina climbing onto her bus unlike the way there but she doesn't say a word. She collapses onto the seat in the second row with Killian plopping down beside her. Tink sits behind her with Graham while Ruby, Belle, and Regina settle down in front of them.

"Swan, you sure you don't need medical?" Killian whispers into her side.

"Your shirt is soaked, are you bleeding?" Tink investigates very seriously.

"I-I think I might be..." she stammers, her body deflating from the mental and physical exhaustion of the entire game.

"Lift up the back of your shirt, so I can see," Tink orders and Emma is so tired that she listens to the command without another thought. Her friends all hiss in unison. "Girl, you need to see a medic."

Emma carefully drags her shirt back down, her head shaking in the negative. "I need a shower and then I'll be fine," she states with conviction but everyone around her are exchanging worried glances. "I swear, I'll be fine. It's just some rope burns and cuts."

"And nasty bruises from the harness already," Ruby grimaces.

"I'll be fine," she grumpily mumbles one last time before the bus quiets down for the whole trip back to the mansion.

~~~~

The moment she steps into the shower, she feels her body crumbling to the heavy weight she has been carrying around as of lately and she knows a breakdown is coming. She can feel the thick liquid filling and burning her eyes, the tingle in her nose warning her what's about to come and the way her chest quivers for a sob to be released.

Except, she isn't granted a moment of peace alone because someone is entering the bathroom. Honestly, Tink vowed that she could have the shower to herself and nobody would bother her so she could decompress and relax. Yet, the shower curtain is slowly sliding open, forcing her to face the wall because she's completely naked. She couldn't stand the straps of her bathing suit biting into her fresh wounds, so she opted for nothing at all, thinking the cast would leave her alone.

She should have known better.

It's silent for a moment, she simply closes her eyes and prays for the other person to just get the hell out of there. But then there's a tender voice, low and throaty, expressing a vulnerability she has never quite heard before.

"Are you alright?"

She squeezes her eyes closed, her chest tightening because no, she is not alright. She is anything but alright. And Regina standing behind her while she's naked and exposed, on the verge of a mental breakdown is the last thing she needs right now.

A gentle, cautious finger glides down her shoulder, careful not to touch any stinging wounds, generating a chilly shiver to trickle down her spine and calling goosebumps to pop along her flesh. She holds her breath, so damn unsure what the hell is happening. Maybe because she doesn't ask Regina to stop, that finger continues to create a path through her battle wounds, delicately soothing the pain.

"Wha-what are you doing?" She stammers, her voice dry and rough, hardly allowing the words into the universe.

"Comforting you," Regina whispers so quietly that if she wasn't standing directly behind her, Emma would have missed the confession.

And then Emma is taken by total surprise when two juicy, plump lips press softly into the curve of her neck. She expects her body to seize up, tense, become an anxious ball of nerves but no, her body betrays her, tilting her head to the side and practically begging for more attention.

None of this is making sense. They hate each other. Loathe each other, so why the hell is Regina here attempting to soothe her?

"Why would you comfort me?" She skeptically interrogates. "You hate me. You did this to me! You're the reason that I was thrown in, yet again!"

And then, much to Emma's horror, she explodes into tears, the heavy weight finally bursts at the seams and rushes out. She shudders from the thought of crying in front of anyone, she hasn't done that since she was seven but the slap she anticipates never comes. On the contrary, Regina actually slips her arms around Emma's waist and holds her close, embedding sweet kisses up and down her shoulder that are full of promise that she won't leave and that she will be the one to cry on if need be.

It's too much. She's never had someone hold her while she cries, at least not that she can remember. She never even cried in front of her ex. Yet, here she is, sobbing uncontrollably, against her enemy. This is literally her worst nightmare but she can't turn off the faucet now that it has burst. The constant worry of being eliminated and returning home to nothing, along with the physical exhaustion of competing, combined with the mental stress of politics and trying to figure out who is fake and who is a genuine friend here is just too much and she completely breaks.

"I-I don't cry, I don't know w-why I-I am crying," she stutters through heavy gasps and flowing tears of exhaustion.

"I did mention before that you will break from this house. Everyone does. It's only a matter of time," Regina softly explains, brushing Emma's sopping wet hair to one side so she can continue with her soothing kisses.

Emma chokes on a laugh. "Is that your way of saying, I told you so?"

"Yes," comes the smug little taunt followed by a firm kiss against her neck, just below her ear, and she can even feel the way those lips curl into a cocky smirk.

"You're the worst. I'm crying here."

Regina chuckles softly into her skin, that warm breath coating Emma's flesh to deliver another package of chills. Her heart suddenly becomes sluggish, slow, yet heavy as it pounds against her sternum, warning her that the atmosphere is growing thicker and the moment is intensifying.

Regina lightly trails her index finger down her shoulder blade while her lips never stop worshipping. Finally, Emma peeks over her shoulder, discovering the water trickling down Regina's face while her mouth is busy. A warmth pools in her gut while there's a very familiar flutter between her thighs. Is Regina really just comforting her or is she trying to seduce her for some ulterior motive?

She swallows thickly, analyzing those thick lashes as they sweep up to make direct eye contact. This close, she can distinctly see the shades of amber in those rich chestnut irises, it makes her heart swoon in a way she hasn't felt in such a very long time. The thought alone makes her feel off balanced but those intense eyes are holding her into place, so alluring and hypnotizing. Those captivating eyes are soft, silently questioning if all of this is okay?

She doesn't think, her lips simply drift closer but Regina is meeting her halfway for the softest kiss she thinks she has ever shared with another human. One simple kiss and it breathes life back into her, sends a rush of excitement and adrenaline that wakes her soul right back up. She abruptly spins around in Regina's embrace, cups both cheeks, pressing her thumbs into the satin skin like she needs confirmation that it's all real and kisses her even harder.

Regina hums, instantly opening her mouth as if Emma demanded it from her but Emma is the one that sneaks her way inside. Her tongue swirls swiftly around the velvety muscle waiting for her, provoking a deep groan to stir in the back of her throat. Everything about Regina is soft and made up of pure silk despite her hard exterior which only makes Emma want to burrow deep inside of her.

She rapidly spins Regina around, backs her up against the cold tile and kisses her even harder as if she needs to prove that she's not the whiny little girl Regina witnessed mere moments ago. Regina is right there with her, kissing her just as fiercely, borderline sloppy at this point like they simply can't get enough.

Regina sweeps her thumbs against Emma's sharp hipbones and moans, thrusting her body forward to slick against her warm skin. A desperate need to be closer swallows Emma whole, causing her brain to short circuit and for her body to completely take over. Both palms press firmly down on Regina's chest before she squeezes, eliciting a breathy gasp of desire from this maddening woman.

"Emma..."

Emma doesn't stop kissing her, can't seem to pry her lips away to find out what Regina is thinking. She brushes the flat of her tongue against Regina's and gropes her breasts even harder, provoking the woman's hips to jerk flush against her naked hip.

"Wait," Regina whimpers like it's physically killing her to pause, but Emma instantly stops. "If this happens, I need to make sure that you aren't going to tell a soul." A goofy grin glides across Emma's face before she dips down and sucks a good portion of Regina's neck between her teeth. "Emma, I mean it," she sternly says, swelling Emma's heart because she now realizes Regina is the only one left to call her by her first name.

"I won't. I don't kiss and tell," Emma rushes out to say, so she can resume sucking that satin flesh again.

"No, I mean it, Emma," she states with conviction, lightly tapping her hips to gain her full attention. "I don't need this getting out. I have worked very hard on keeping this part of my life very private."

Emma immediately halts, her eyes crawling up to meet those stern eyes staring back at her. "You are always so open about hookups on the show."

"Ah, so you did watch the show?" Regina teasingly sing-songs.

"Oh shut up," she growls, dipping down to nibble on the woman's strong collarbone.

Regina squirms, releasing the faintest giggle that she hopelessly attempts to swallow. She fails, miserably.

"I am open with my hookups with men," she informs, gathering Emma's attention again. "And I have my reasons why."

"So, all those men, were they just for the show..."

"No, I'm bisexual. I did have meaningful relationships with Robin and Killian and some fun with others."

"Oh," she doesn't know why her heart spasms for a moment at the mention of those assholes, so Emma steers the conversation. "I'm pansexual...uh, in case you were wondering. I know you saw me kiss Neal...and so...ummm, yeah."

Regina searches her eyes curiously, wanting to reach into her soul and unbury every dirty secret she has hidden. Emma swallows under the scrutiny and decides distraction is her best bet here, so she dives right in for another hard kiss.

"Emma," Regina murmurs against her lips, "I really need you to take this seriously."

Emma breathes in deeply, knowing she needs to say or do something that will convince Regina she is trustworthy here. "I wouldn't do that, besides, the last thing I need is for someone outside of the show to find out about us hooking up."

"Oh my god, you have someone waiting for you back at home?" Regina gasps in utter shock and humiliation.

"What, no! No! I promise," she vows, holding Regina a tad closer as if this whole moment might be ruined and this woman may flee. "I have a crazy ex who will lose her shit if she finds out I slept with someone right after."

"Just how long ago did you break up?"

"Well, I mean, I guess now it's been four weeks. We broke up a couple days before the flight here," she admits.

"Because you were coming on the show?"

"Hell no. I came on the show to start over." She falls silent for a moment; Regina is regarding her closely again and she is sure nobody has ever studied her so intently before. "So, are we going to keep talking or are we going to do this?"

Regina answers by slamming her lips roughly against Emma's, her tongue already setting up camp in her mouth and making itself cozy. Emma doesn't waste another second, unclipping Regina's skimpy bathing suit top, allowing the material to slip between her fingers and pool at their feet in the water. Emma swiftly sweeps down, capturing an erect nipple between her teeth while roughly palming the other breast, motivating Regina to grab a fistful of her hair and hold her closer. This incredible woman moans, her hips thrusting forward while her head tips back and thumps against the wall.

Emma peeks up through her lashes because the sounds escaping this sexy woman are such a turn on. She can't recall the last time she has ever felt this worked up before and she has a feeling that this woman has bewitched her. Her skin is on fire and tingling all at the same time, she can hardly catch her breath and she doesn't remember ever feeling her clit ache this much before.

Regina is breathtaking, drop-dead gorgeous and she has to remember to send a prayer to whomever for making this fantasy become a reality. Every inch of skin brushing against hers is so ridiculously silky and so beautifully tan thanks to her Latina heritage. She can't keep her hands to herself, she needs so much more, which leads to her yanking down the bathing suit bottoms and tossing them somewhere behind her.

"We have to hurry. Production will be curious why you are taking so long in the shower while I'm in here as well," Regina groans as Emma firmly places the heel of her palm against Regina's throbbing bundle of nerves.

"I can be fast," Emma mumbles into her neck and sucks a new patch of skin, so she won't leave a mark and out them.

"Someone's cocky."

"Confident, there's a difference," she scolds, noting how much wetter Regina is becoming.

"I'm glad you think so highly of yourself. Only a few more minutes before they bust down this door."

"Then shut up and enjoy yourself."

"Oh," Regina gasps as Emma slips her middle finger deep inside her tight walls. "I am."

"Yeah, seems like I found out your kink," she proudly declares, her knees almost buckling at the way Regina's walls are greedily sucking her finger.

"Kink?" And Regina's out of breath, panting heavily, so Emma squirms one more finger deep inside and curls her fingers against that sweet trigger inside.

"Fighting with me turns you on," she smugly says but Regina latches onto her bottom lip and bites down to keep her from spewing anymore truth.

Regina readjusts her thigh, pressing the strong muscle against Emma's soaked center, both women groan shamelessly. The air is sticky and hot; the bathroom filled with steam and their tiny gasps as they grind and move in sync with each other. Emma is slow with the rotation of her palm but pressing down firmly all while she thrusts hard against Regina's thigh, sending delicious signals throughout her body and inching toward her climax. The woman is putty in her hands, melting into her and thoroughly enjoying how well she's working her over.

"Oh my god, oh my god," Regina chokes on her words and the sound of her voice is so distorted and broken that it rockets through Emma's body like she's never felt before.

It's intense, sweaty, messy as fuck but she is sure she has never felt such raw passion before with sex. She shivers from Regina's moans of approval, her gut clenching while her body stiffens.

"Fuck," she cries out before a hand is slapped over her mouth to stifle her coming undone.

Regina bites down on the back of her own hand covering Emma's mouth, her eyes falling closed as she soaks Emma's fingers thoroughly. The bathroom is suddenly suffocatingly hot, and the room spins viciously but Regina is holding her into place.

"I should-" Regina doesn't finish her sentence because Emma brushes her lips ever so gently against hers and shuts her up. 

"Nothing happened," Emma says coolly, so nonchalant as if they didn't just fuck hard in the bathroom and stain each other with their essence.

Regina nods firmly but then she's wincing when two fingers are extracted from her body. She takes all of thirty seconds to wash her body and then she is slipping into her bathing suit and rushing out of the bathroom.

It's too hot, so Emma turns off the shower and that's when her heart drops.

"Nothing happened, Elsa," Regina coldly claims, her voice booming and Emma knows they are caught.

Chapter Text

"Nothing happened, Elsa."

"That's a load of crap and you know it," Elsa scoffs, sounding extra irritated this evening, so Emma rushes to dress herself and then leans heavily into the door to eavesdrop. "You know it's my job to catch every moment-"

"And you know what my contract states," Regina firmly demands, "I have given you plenty of moments throughout the years, you have me sliding naked out of a window after being with Robin, for crying out loud. Bathrooms are off limits for me now."

"And my job clearly states that if there is suspicious activity in the bathroom, I'm supposed to catch it," Elsa defends, agitated with Regina's snarky attitude.

"Nothing happened," Regina declares in a stern tone that leaves no room for argument but obviously Elsa isn't one to back down. "She had a very hard elimination and I simply checked on her. I know how mentally draining this can all be and she needed someone to look at her wounds."

"Oh cut the crap. I have been filming you for nine seasons, I know all your little noises by now." Emma's face scrunches in disgust and she actually flinches from the comment. "You two hooked up and you know I have to film you two sneaking out of the bathroom together."

"Absolutely not, I signed a contract stating that part of my life is to remain my privacy until I feel comfortable."

"Regina, I'm going to lose my job over this," Elsa pathetically whines and Emma wonders how many times these two have fought over scenes and how close they truly are to be having this kind of discussion?

"Oh stop being so melodramatic," Regina huffs. "If they honestly fire you over this, then I would have my father's lawyers sue the show and get you your job back," and as Regina speaks, her voice sounds like she is fading away.

Emma distinctly hears stomping and then the world on the other side of the door falls silent. She waits a few minutes and then cracks open the door to sneak a peek. The bedroom is empty, no signs of Regina, no Elsa ready to catch her in the act, and not one damn cameraman lingering. She sighs in relief and rushes to her bottom bunk.

She collapses on her stomach, curls her fingers through her blanket and passes out from exhaustion; not at all because her body is loose and relaxed for the first time in this house from a mind-blowing orgasm.

~~~~

She doesn't wake up until the next morning, alone in her bedroom once again. She can only imagine how late it is but when she makes her way downstairs, Graham is waiting for her with French Toast, bacon, and a full glass of orange juice.

"Hey, sleepyhead," he greets her, his smile brightening as she collapses into the seat beside him.

"Hi," she mumbles, stealing a fork and shoveling far too much food into her mouth.

He chuckles, slowly sipping his own juice. "How are you feeling?"

She nods slowly, rushing to finish chewing so she can speak. That's when Regina breezes into the kitchen in nothing but that skimpy black bathing suit. Emma tries, like really tries not to stare but her eyes swing toward the refrigerator where her secret hookup is creating mimosas. And dear god does she look hot, with her hair piled high in a sloppy bun and her cheeks and chest all flushed from the sun.

She swallows thickly and averts her eyes because there's a twitch between her thighs that is growing rather wet and forcing her to remember all those dirty moments from last night. "Umm, I feel better...my back is still sore and my muscles are a bit stiff but I'm feeling rested," she claims.

So maybe she sneaks another glance toward the sexy temptress but this woman is stone-cold, not giving a damn thing away and clearly pretending that Emma isn't even in the room. Her lips purse in disappointment but what was she expecting? It's not like Regina is going to be all buddy-buddy with her just because they had a quickie in the shower. Her enemy in this game distinctly told her that it's not to be brought up again.

"What do you say?" She hears Graham ask, startling her a little from being so deep in her own thoughts.

"Umm, huh?"

He laughs at her and then stands to clean up the dishes he left behind. "Obviously, you're still tired but I think some yoga this morning will be beneficial," he says, offering Regina a smile as they pass one another.

"Oh, sure. Yeah, soon as I'm done, I'll meet you in the gym."

"Great!"

~~~~

Not so great. She spent the afternoon stretching her tight muscles with Graham while Regina spent her day drinking by the pool. When Emma decided to lay out and soak up some sun, Regina had moved to the gym to run on the treadmill.

Maybe it was a good thing after all. She had been itching all day to see the brunette, just be near her and feel that same calmness she felt while next to her in the shower but Regina avoided her like the plague, not that she blamed her. If she wanted to keep her sexuality hidden from the public eye then it would be best not to engage with one another. Maybe some distance would be like a cold bucket of water on her raging hormones.

So, she doesn't see Regina the rest of the day. In fact, when it's time for bed, the only image she still has fresh in her mind of the woman, is Regina standing near the refrigerator from that morning.

She groans to nobody but herself and it's all because she had a lick of pleasure and her body is starving for so much more. She huffs in annoyance and flips onto her side, pleading with herself to fall asleep.

"Hey!" Tink's cheerful voice surprises her as the lights flick on.

Sabine is following right behind but yet again, Regina is missing.

"Hey."

"I think I might...umm, grab some things and maybe sleep next to Killian tonight," her friend awkwardly stutters, her cheeks instantly flaring up and selling her out.

"Sure, sleep next to," she teases, provoking a snort to escape Sabine.

"No, I mean it, he's rooming with Neal and Robin, I don't want to have sex with them in the room," she huffs, climbing onto her top bunk to snatch up her pajamas and pillow.

And then out of nowhere, the mattress from above caves in at the same time as the other bunk, sending Tink and Sabine to fall right through their bunks. Unfortunately, Emma is on her bed so the mattress, plus Tink's weight lands heavily on her while Sabine lands on just another mattress.

"What in the actual-" Sabine shouts.

"Oh my god, Swan!" Tink shrieks which makes enough ruckus to have most of the cast running into their room to see what happened. "Are you okay?"

"Umm, maybe just get off me!"

"Right!"

Sabine rushes over to help Tink lift the mattress off Emma as Robin, August, and Jeff double over from laughter. Once the mattress is removed, Emma notices that the slats above to keep the mattress in place have been removed.

"You guys are such assholes," Emma grumbles, rolling off the bed so she doesn't feel so vulnerable and small.

"Assholes?" Sabine scoffs. "More like immature douches."

"Hey!" Robin pouts. "It was just a little prank."

"Someone could've been hurt," Sabine fires right back, stepping into Robin's face.

"But nobody did, relax!"

"You're lucky nobody did," she shouts, stretching onto her tiptoes to gain the upper hand.

Robin tosses his hands up in the air, moving to walk away but Sabine steps closer. "Go get all the boards you took out and put them back, along with our mattresses!"

"Hey! Hey!" Killian rushes in a moment later. "What's going on in here?"

"Nothing!" Robin defends. "We played a little prank on the girls and now they are all pissy!"

Killian scans the room, frowning at the scene of the bunk beds in disarray. "Is there a reason why you picked on this room and nobody else's?"

"Oh come on, mate. Don't be dramatic like the girls."

Sabine marches forward, her fists clenched and ready to pop Robin in the face for his low blow but Killian swiftly picks her up with one arm around her waist and holds her back.

"Leave him, Sabine. He's clearly intimidated by my wins and decided to pick on my partner and the girl I'm with," Killian calmly announces for the entire cast to hear.

"That's ridiculous," Robin growls, folding his arms across his chest, expressing how uncomfortable he is. "I did it to Sabine and Regina's bed as well."

"Yeah, probably because Regina rejected you," Emma smugly chimes in which probably isn't the best idea because Robin's face flushes, he's practically blowing steam out of his ears.

He takes an assertive step forward but Neal steps in between this time and lightly shoves Robin back; not enough to inflict pain but enough of a warning to back down.

"What's going on?" Regina skeptically questions as she wedges her way through the cast and into her room.

"Your roommates are being poor sports about a little prank," Robin instantly defends.

Regina's eyes survey the room, ultimately landing on Emma in the end. She arches one eyebrow and Emma knows she's silently asking if she was on the bed when the mattress fell through. Emma subtly nods just once and then those dark eyes are gone.

"Aren't you a little old for pranks like this?" Regina scoffs in disgust. Robin opens his mouth to argue but she proceeds without ever glancing at him. "Put all the boards back and clean up this mess and I don't want you near our room again. Do you understand me? You've been nothing but a nuisance this season."

"Oh Regina, come on, you used to pull pranks-"

"When I was twenty," she harshly snaps, "you are thirty-two now. Grow the fuck up!"

Every set of eyes expand to their fullest potential but no other muscle moves as everyone gapes at the exes. Emma hopes the next season isn't battle of the exes because Robin and Regina will for sure be paired together from all their bickering this season. Production will probably set that into motion now just because of this fight right now.

Regina spins around on her heels and waltzes away with all the poise and composure of a true Queen. Everyone else slowly moves on but Killian stays to watch Robin, August, and Jeff clean up the mess.

"We didn't mean any harm," Jeff quietly says to Emma when he's lifting the mattress off her bed. "I didn't mean for you to get hurt."

"I know," she says because she doesn't think Tink's own partner would be out to sabotage her. "I know you and August were just messing around but with Robin..." she trails off, prompting Jeff to glance back at his partner in crime.

"I get it," is all Jeff says and continues to clean up without another word toward Robin.

~~~~

The following day, they are granted another break from a challenge but most of the group spends the day working out, knowing a daily is around the corner. However, when the evening comes, production loads them up in buses and drops them off at a club. She knows in her heart she shouldn't be drinking but Killian wants to take a celebratory shot with her and she can't say no to that.

And then Tink needs to take a shot to their new friendship, she can't possibly decline that. Sabine insists Emma takes another shot for being such a badass Rookie, okay, she can't be rude. All the girls, Rookies and Vets crowd around each other and take a shot together. Somehow, she has a sneaky suspicion it's Regina, but another glass ends up in her hand and now she's five shots deep and feeling all floaty and tingly.

The music is pulsating throughout every nerve in her body, there are hardly any lights on, and everything seems to be rushing by in a blur. Okay, so maybe she's drunk but hey, the entire cast is completely hammered and she's definitely not the worst of them.

Ruby...maybe it's Belle, one of them drags her out onto the dance floor, which is a cluster of sweaty humans grinding on each other. Everyone is out of their minds at this point and she's so damn confused by what she sees. Jeff is doing a body-shot off Merlin, Mary Margaret is dancing with Marian, David is arm wrestling Neal, and she's fairly confident she spots Zelena following Robin into a bathroom.

"Poor Graham, he never lets loose!" Ruby shouts in Emma's ear and she now realizes she is sandwiched between Ruby and Belle.

Not a bad place to be actually.

"He's very reserved," she says, leaning forward, so Ruby can hear her.

"He needs to get laid!"

"He likes Regina," and what the...did she say those words out loud? She must have by the way Ruby is grinning so mischievously at her. "I mean..." she wants to crawl in a hole and die from embarrassment.

Ruby abruptly spins Emma around so she's facing Belle and then she's gone, taking off like a wolf at the first sight of a full moon.

"Shit, I didn't mean to say that out loud," she yells directly in Belle's face but the brunette just laughs, her hips never faltering or missing a beat.

Emma watches from across the room as Ruby drags Graham out of his chair, through the wall of people and onto the dance floor. She quite literally shoves him between Regina and Mary Margaret and then proceeds to whisper in Regina's ear. Emma's heart sinks and then drowns in all the alcohol she consumed this evening.

She knows how these evenings go, she has seen every episode to know that nights in the club mean two things; making out and fighting. There are no other options, nothing in between, it's almost as if everyone signed contracts to agree to these terms whenever they are out. Emma never signed such a thing but it could be because she's a Rookie.

However, in The Challenge house, all is fair in love and war and everything occurs out of pure boredom. So when Regina's glossy eyes meet hers from a few feet away, she already knows what's going to happen. That look, she knows her too well already, Regina is staring at her, challenging her and silently wondering why she would confess to Ruby that Graham is crushing on her?

Emma's heart bangs against her chest, begging to be freed so it can run over and make things right before everything turns for the worse. It's too late though, Graham is latching onto Regina's cheeks and kissing her like he's about to be eliminated tonight. Her body erupts in a burning fiery rage of jealousy and so her inebriated brain does the worst possible thing it can do.

She grabs someone and kisses them just as hard to prove some point she doesn't even truly understand she's trying to make. And who is the lucky winner of Emma's lips against theirs? Ruby.

Crap. She's pretty sure Belle and Ruby are involved one way or another but then again Belle kissed Zelena. Maybe Ruby is just in love with Belle and the beauty doesn't know how to fully commit? She's talking in circles here, she's wasted, with her tongue deep inside another woman's mouth.

Yet, she feels Ruby's lips lifting into a broad smile and kissing her back as if this is no big deal. When Emma pulls away, Ruby is laughing and so is Belle.

"I didn't know you could be so fun!" Ruby giggles, spinning around and shaking her bottom against Emma's front.

"I'm shocked," Belle laughs. "I thought for sure you were as straight as an arrow."

"I-I need to use the restroom," she stammers, her stomach rolling from the alcohol and the horrible decision she just made.

Why the hell would she kiss someone like that just because she witnessed Regina kissing someone else? She and Regina never agreed to be exclusive, hell, they never discussed doing it again...they haven't even talked since. She has no right to feel this way and usually she is the master of indifference and not getting attached, she had to be with the girlfriend she had before but she has never acted or felt this way before. She's going to blame her irrational behavior on the alcohol, it's the only thing that makes sense here.

She stumbles into the bathroom, maybe she latches the lock into place, maybe not, but she hovers over the toilet and does her business. When she finishes, she notices a very familiar body standing directly in front of her, holding the door closed.

"What..." she trails off, the words tumbling around in her mind like a dryer, making it damn near impossible to formulate a sentence.

"Why would you pee with the door open?" Regina hisses, turning around abruptly.

"Why are you...in here?" She interrogates, squinting suspiciously or maybe the weight of alcohol is forcing her eyelids to droop.

"Because they can't film me in a stall," Regina whispers.

"Mmm," Emma hums, becoming very distracted with a set of full and juicy lips in her line of sight. Her scar is deeper this evening, more prominent if that's even possible but Emma finds it irresistible. "You're really beautiful."

"And you're an idiot."

"Ugh, but you're a bitch."

"How intoxicated are you?"

"Enough to risk hooking up in a bathroom, not enough to wipe the memory of you kissing Graham."

She's too drunk to register Regina's reaction, she thinks she sees hurt or betrayal but she also kind of sees smoke coming out of her ears.

"You need to go before you start vomiting," and maybe it's her imagination but this stoic woman actually sounds concerned for her.

She sneaks a step forward, their chests just barely grazing one another as their breaths become shallow. "Or we can hide away in this bathroom and pretend that I'm already throwing up."

"And what do you suggest we do in here?" Regina questions with nothing but teasing and a hint of cockiness.

"I can think of plenty of things," she whispers hotly against Regina's swollen lips.

"That was a one-time thing," Regina firmly demands but not once does she back away from their intimate bubble.

"Because you hate me so much?" Emma mocks, her eyebrows pinching together as her lips pucker dramatically.

Regina's strong jaw juts out while those inquisitive eyes inspect every inch of Emma's face. "I loathe you," she slowly punctuates her words, "you would love nothing more than to destroy me."

Emma smirks, she doesn't mean to, but her face moves all on its own from the alarm bells going off in her head and informing her that Regina is blatantly lying. "Liar."

"What?"

"You're lying," she husks, drifting just a tad closer until the tip of her nose skims Regina's. "You want to hate me, but you can't."

"Oh do shut up, you have no idea what you're talking about," Regina sasses like a brat, turning her face away but Emma is quick to pinch her chin between her thumb and index finger.

She gently guides that stupidly gorgeous face back to hers and latches on to those shimmering eyes. "That's why you came to me, right? To comfort me, to soothe me, to kiss me, because you hate me so much."

"I was bored."

Emma laughs in her face, never releasing the woman's chin from her clutches. She leans forward, never gifting a kiss but simply brushing her nose against Regina's again in a teasing manner.

"Bored and I was able to make you come undone like that? I wonder how you would react if you were actually into me?" She snarks, knowing damn well she would never speak this way if she wasn't so drunk.

"Too bad you will never find out," Regina argues, jerking her chin away and then storming right out of the stall.

Emma scrubs her blurry eyes, thinking she must be hallucinating, then heads back to the dance floor where Ruby and Belle welcome her back with open arms. She doesn't remember much after that and she knows if they have a daily challenge tomorrow, she's going to hate herself far more than Regina does.

Chapter Text

Nobody could have prepared for a day like today. It doesn't matter how long contestants have been on the show, how hard these people have trained for, or how mentally prepared they truly are. There is no possible way to train for something quite like this and The Challenge gods are not playing nice this evening.

Production had taken them to a remote location, an old abandon warehouse that she was sure she was going to get a staph infection just by walking around. The walls were made up of scrap metal, but what really sent a chill down her spine was the lack of windows. Not one shred of light was seeping through and all that they were working with were the lights from production to film.

In the center of the room is a giant pit filled with water while to their right there is a large area blocked off with makeshift walls to hide away whatever they are trying to keep a secret.

"Welcome to today's Challenge," TJ begins, "Cold War. Now, for today's challenge, you will pick one other team to work with. Which means two pairs will be safe from elimination tonight. However, the winning four will choose only one pair from the losing team to go into elimination while the rest of the house will pick another team for them to go against. It's a big day today, you want to win this and be safe from elimination." He pauses, a sly smirk slipping into place which has Emma's heart forgetting how to beat. "I'm going to let you pick your teams now without telling you how to play," he says through a deep chuckle, provoking everyone to groan.

Killian immediately turns to Emma and holds up his hand to block the words about to come from his mouth. "We need Regina and Naveen. They are the only consistent winners and if we lose, we are going back into elimination."

She nods, wholeheartedly agreeing but how the hell is he going to convince Regina to play nice with them? Sabine is already turning to Regina and so is Mary Margaret.

"Regina," Killian says in a rush, "you know we are your best bet to win this. We have been on your heels almost every daily. Don't let this be the day we finally beat you, all because you didn't team up with us."

"Regina," Sabine says, glaring through her lashes to have a silent conversation with her eyes alone.

"Killian and Emma," Naveen whispers into Regina's side.

Those irises almost appear black in this poor lighting, yet they still latch onto Emma and hold her hostage. "Very well," is all this woman says which has all the other teams tossing their arms up in surrender.

Everyone talks amongst themselves, deciding who should be paired off with whom while Killian and Emma are instructed to stand beside Regina and Naveen. Emma stands quietly next to Regina, not even risking a chance to glance at her while their partners stand tall behind them. She wants to ask if Regina is as hungover as she is, if she remembers all the bullshit Emma spat in her liquid courage phase but she remains silent, patiently waiting for instructions.

She can't help but notice it's abnormally chilly in the warehouse, especially since they are standing in their bathing suits, about to dive into water. The women are in the tiny spandex shorts with their names across their bottoms, accompanied by a sports bra and the men are just in the spandex shorts that leave nothing to the imagination from how defined everything is. Production straps waterproof cameras to their chests and then hands over their helmets with their names on the side, along with goggles.

Something feels off, everyone is painfully silent and she doesn't like the way this entire challenge looks.

"Now that you have been paired into teams, this is how the challenge is going to go. All four members of the team must dive into the water and collect puzzle pieces at the bottom. Do not rip the carabiners or you will be disqualified, you must unlatch them. Once all pieces have been collected, you will climb out of the water and finish the puzzle. The team that does this the fastest wins." Everyone claps along like they are told to do but TJ's grin sets Emma's skin on fire. "Oh, by the way, did I mention the water is only sixty degrees?"

"Oh for fuck's sake," Neal groans.

"That can't be safe," Mary Margaret complains.

"This is messed up," Robin mutters under his breath.

"Alright, Sabine, Merlin with Mary Margaret and David, you guys are up first!"

Emma peeks over at Regina, easily reading the worry and concern all over her face, provoking her heart to leap up to her throat and tremble in fear.

She places her hand over her mouth, attempting to be discreet when she whispers. "How long before hypothermia kicks in?"

Regina scratches her nose, covering her mouth as she speaks. "Less than ten minutes."

Emma inhales sharply, her body breaking out in goosebumps from the fear of her body slipping into hypothermia and maybe into a state of shock. She hates the cold, despises winter, so she can only imagine how much this is going to hurt.

The splashing of four contestants gathers her attention, causing her to shiver from how they all gasp in shock. Her brows furrow in worry as she pouts, so terrified for the others.

"I-I-it's so cold," Mary Margaret's teeth chatter as she hugs herself extra tight.

"You have to keep moving, don't let your body freeze up," David gently explains, pulling her into the water. "Let's dive down together and get a piece."

She nods along, her lips already blue but she follows him underwater anyway. Merlin is already pulling one piece out of the water, taking Emma by surprise by how massive it is but Sabine is struggling with hers.

"My fingers are numb already," she hisses.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Merlin vows, rushing to her side and helping her unclip the carabiner. Once they work together to push their puzzle piece out of the water, Merlin takes her hands and blows his hot breath onto them. "Come with me, we need another piece."

Sabine nods along, diving underwater with him just as David and Mary Margaret push another piece out. Emma's so nervous, Mary Margaret does not look good at this point, subconsciously, she starts nibbling on her thumbnail.

"I don't like the way Mary Margaret looks," she says behind her fist. 

"She's only been in five minutes, she's got some time," Regina assures her with conviction and it does help settle Emma's nerves just the slightest.

Three minutes later, David and Merlin are pushing the girls out of the water and carrying their pieces behind the wall, so nobody can cheat and see how to solve the puzzle. Sabine wraps her arms around Mary Margaret and holds her from behind because they all know she is the best at puzzles and they need her brain to warm back up and work.

She can hear Mary Margaret's chattering teeth as she tells Merlin and David to flip pieces around. It takes about six minutes for them to solve the puzzle and Emma knows if Mary Margaret wasn't on the cusp of hypothermia, it would have been solved immediately.

Neal, Tamara, Robin, and Marian are next. Neal and Robin are the ones that dive down and release the puzzles while the girls swim the giant pieces to the edge and push them out of the water. They are remarkably fast but they end up losing a lot of time trying to solve the puzzle.

The next group is Jeff, Tink, August, and Zelena and as much as Emma can't stand Zelena, she can't wish them bad luck when her best friend is on that team. Tink hisses the moment she jumps into the water, her body involuntarily shivering as she locks up. Jeff and August jump right in while Zelena encourages Tink to swim. The guys unclip their first puzzle pieces but the women seem to be turning blue rather quickly.

"Move, Z," Regina sternly orders, taking everyone by surprise that she's actually trying to help her sister and not wish her any harm.

"It's s-so cold."

"Swim," Regina demands, motivating her older sister to dive down into the water.

Zelena comes up gasping while Tink attempts to push a puzzle piece toward the edge but her fingers aren't cooperating.

"Man, my fingers, I can't unclasp this," August says, so Jeff swims to his aid and together they try to unclip the piece but nothing is working. "I can't feel a damn thing."

Then August lifts his ghostly white hand out of the water and everybody gasps and cringes. His entire hand is trembling but what's even scarier, is how there isn't a drop of blood flowing through the appendage.

"It's alright, we got this," Jeff vows, still struggling with the same damn clip but the words spewing from his blue lips aren't helping.

"I-I can't breathe," Tink chokes out.

"Get out," Regina demands, scurrying over to the edge of the pool and kneeling down before the other team. "You've been in there too long," she says, holding her arms out to help.

Emma rushes to her side but Killian and Naveen are right behind them. Zelena is shivering and so very weak, yet, she uses all her strength to push Tink out of the water. Killian scoops his girl into his arms and runs her over to the medic. Emma and Regina help pull Zelena out of the water while the men stay inside and try to finish retrieving their pieces.

"We can f-finish," Jeff stammers but August has this dazed look in his eyes and Emma is positive that he's no longer with them.

"They've been in too long," Regina vocalizes yet again, glaring at TJ to end this madness. "It's too much."

The production team nods to TJ, so he blows his horn, ending the round. "Come on boys, you've been in too long."

Neal, Robin, and Naveen help August and Jeff out but as they move to guide them to the medics, August's whole body seizes up. Every limb stiffens like a pile of wood and he goes down. Luckily, Naveen and Neal scoop him up before he hits the ground and drag him over to medical.

All four team members are wrapped up tightly with the aluminum blankets made for hypothermia. Tink already is having her temperature checked while Killian strokes her head and kisses her temple. He must sense Emma's concern because he locks eyes with her.

"Don't let this psych you out, Swan," Killian kindly assures her. "They were just in too long," he promises.

"I want all four taken to the hospital," the producer commands.

Her stomach doubles over, she immediately rushes to Tink's side and she's vaguely aware that Regina is comforting her sister as well.

"I've n-never f-felt a pain like this," Tink stutters, her entire body convulsing.

"You're gonna be okay, alright? As soon as the blood flows through you again, you'll be just fine, I promise," she vows even though she hasn't the slightest clue if that's how this all works.

"Alright, while the last team heads to the hospital, let's get the next team setup," TJ announces but his voice is wavering like he doesn't want any of this to continue.

"Are you freaking serious right now?" She bristles, angrily spinning around and ready to fight.

"The show must go on," Regina bitterly snarks.

Killian kisses Tink softly on the lips and promises to be waiting for her back at the house when she returns. "Come Swan, let's get this over with."

She's in a blurry haze of rage and fear when she steps to the line. Her body moves on autopilot, settling her goggles into place and plugging her nose. When the horn blows, she leaps into the water and it feels like a thousand needles jabbing into her skin over and over again. The air is sucked from her lungs, her chest immediately tightens and everything she ever thought she knew about being cold is abolished from her mind. Nothing compares to these frigid temperatures and she is sure it's a hell of a lot colder than they were originally told.

When she pops up from the frozen waters of death, she gasps, desperately searching to fill her lungs that feel like they are being wrung out. Her teeth instantly begin to chatter as her mind grows a little fuzzy.

"Swim," Regina instructs, so Emma dives right down and thanks the challenge gods for the puzzle piece right in her face.

She can't waste a single second in this water and risk hypothermia, so she holds her breath and works hard on unclasping the carabiner. Thank god Killian has been practicing swimming and diving with her every day. When she emerges, all three of her teammates are swimming pieces to the edge, which means there is only one left.

Killian is by her, taking her piece and tossing it out of the water. "We need one more," he informs her.

She nods, mindlessly pulling her fingers out of the water to find that they are as white as snow, no blood left circulating.

"Fuck, it hurts," she hisses.

"How much would you hate me if I peed right now?"

"What?" She breathlessly mumbles, maybe she even chuckles a little, revealing how loopy she is.

"It will keep us warm, we don't have to tell anybody," Killian insists.

"Yeah, but I will know that I'm covered in your pee."

"Too late," he muses, his eyebrows dancing in delight while his one hand works beneath the water to release the last puzzle.

"Swan, Killian, let's go! We need to get out," Regina bellows.

"Fuck it," she mutters, reaching to help Killian with the last carabiner and sure enough, she feels the warm water spreading around her and she's not even mad about it. Not even a little because she will take his warm urine rather than her body going into hypothermic shock. "There, got it."

"Team player," Killian laughs, taking the puzzle from her grasp, so she can swim to the edge.

She moves quickly because there's a pressure around her ribcage as if someone is trying to squeeze the life out of her. Regina is right there, helping her climb out of the water while Naveen takes the last piece from Killian. Each one snatches up a puzzle piece and rushes behind the wall. There is one giant wall, spray painted black with an outline in white, creating a pyramid.

"I've seen this before," Regina insists, dropping her piece and stealing Emma's to lie on the ground as their base.

Emma picks up another piece and holds it up for Regina but she quickly takes Killian's piece next. One by one she molds the puzzle perfectly into place while the rest of them stand like idiots and watch her.

"Check! Check!" Regina frantically calls, not wanting to waste a single second.

TJ blows the horn and Emma thinks about scooping Regina up, hugging her close and telling her what a beautiful genius she is but she knows that will only push Regina further away from her. So, she jumps in Killian's arms instead and shudders from how fucking cold she is.

"Aye! We need blankets now!" Killian screams, motivating a team to rush over to warm them all up.

Ruby and Belle decide that it wouldn't be fair for the team headed to the hospital to be automatically thrown into elimination based on medical reasoning, so they jump into the water and forfeit after two minutes. This allows the house to vote for anybody this evening besides the winners which will make things fair since the challenge was absolutely absurd.

"What a sick challenge," TJ says, lacking his usual enthusiasm considering he sent four people to the hospital. "We hope a speedy recovery to our fellow cast mates. Now, two teams didn't complete the challenge, so we don't have a losing team today. However, we do have a winner by a whopping three minutes! Congratulations...Regina, Naveen, Emma, and Killian, you guys killed this challenge."

They settle for a group hug to keep up with the façade of the girls hating each other. The rest of the cast claps along, all wrapped in blankets with beanies on their heads to keep the heat in their bodies but nobody is in the celebrating mood with how frozen they all are.

Production cuts the scene rather quickly and escorts the challengers to a private area where they strip away their icy bathing suits and dress in heavy sweatpants and hoodies. Everyone is ushered onto the buses with their special blankets and thankfully,  the heat is blasting.

Emma hides in the back against a window, still shivering and praying for her teeth to stop chattering. She has on her beanie that says The Challenge across her forehead and she even pulls the hood from her sweatshirt up. She's expecting Killian to sit down beside her but someone else has other plans.

"Extra socks?"

Emma blinks, thinking that maybe she has slipped into a coma from the lack of heat inside of her because why else would Regina be talking to her?

"T-thanks," she stammers, accepting the gift and immediately slipping them over the other ones production gave her.

"Ruby and Belle don't need them," Regina answers like she knows Emma is suspicious.

She nods along mindlessly, pleading with her body to calm the fuck down. She has the aluminum blanket wrapped around her shoulders but she swears it's not working. She peeks up at Regina, noting that she is dressed exactly the same with the blanket around her shoulders too.

"Girls, you still cold?" Killian sweetly asks, huddled into his own blanket as well. They both nod along frantically. "Can we get more blankets back here?" He shouts, motivating the team to jump into action.

Someone places a blanket over Emma, tucking one end under her chin while another team member does the same for Regina. Another blanket, extra thick and made of wool is draped across both of them and all Emma can do is burrow in deep and pray her body relaxes.

She's still fucking shivering, she swears she can feel the icy waters jabbing repeatedly into her skin. She nudges the blankets away from her chin just a little bit and blows on her numb hands but nothing is working.

"Fuck, it hurts," she whines and she thinks maybe Regina peeks over at her but it could just be her imagination.

The bus slowly rocks as they start heading home, the lights dim and the chatter on the bus drops to a soft humming sound. Everyone is subdued from the dangerous challenge and exhaustion, maybe it wouldn't be the worst idea to take a small nap.

She slips her hands beneath the blankets again but the delicate graze of another set of chilly fingers takes her by surprise. Green eyes expand from curiosity but she doesn't make a damn sound as Regina gently takes her hands into hers and guides them closer to her body. She swallows, so damn confused as to what the hell she is doing, but then Regina places Emma's hands upon her thigh and covers them with her other thigh.

Emma's hands are sandwiched between Regina's thighs and even though the woman is still so ridiculously cold, she can feel a low simmer of heat start to build.

When Emma was little, she noticed how mothers would take their children's hands and blow on them or place them beneath their armpits to warm them up. She always admired those kids, wished someone loved her enough to warm her frozen fingers back up and here's Regina, someone who swears up and down that she hates her. Yet, she's taking Emma's cold body against her own and doing whatever she can to relieve some of her pain.

Damn her emotions. She could cry right now from the tenderness and care she isn't accustomed to.

Little by little the blood starts to flow through her veins again but it's painful, like a thousand needles pricking her over and over again. Maybe it's just their body heat working together but she can feel a thick warmth radiating from between Regina's thighs now. And all she wants to do is burrow down deep inside and never come back up for air.

She dips below the blanket to cover her mouth and whispers into the scratchy fabric so the cameras and microphones won't pick up on their words.

"I'm still freezing," she quietly murmurs which prompts Regina to reach across the seat and slowly rub up and down Emma's thigh.

And yes, the logical reason is to create friction and spark some heat, but what Regina is sparking is something entirely different. She panics, her eyes leaping toward the front of the bus but everyone is engaged in their own private conversations and not paying any attention to what's going on between the enemies on the back of the bus. She glances down at the blanket, petrified that she might be able to see something but with two blankets, she can't see Regina's movements at all.

Suddenly, Regina's palm stops rubbing and instead, her thumb gently sweeps along the inside of her thigh. She can instantly feel the fiery passion of lust rushing through her veins and thawing her frozen blood. Heat, so much sweltering heat erupts, causing her to shiver from the immense contrast of temperatures. Regina never falters though, her thumb slowly grazing a particularly sensitive spot that has her bundle of nerves fluttering for attention.

All the moisture in her body drips down between her thighs and suddenly her mouth is extremely dry. Her pulse quickens and she hates her body for being so easily affected by one touch from this temptress. Without truly processing her actions, she sinks a little further down in the seat and it's totally not her fault that Regina's thumb slips a little closer to where she is needed the most.

She sneaks a quick glance to her right to discover Regina pretending to be asleep or at least resting with her eyes fully closed. She wants to laugh but she manages to keep a straight face. Slowly, she wiggles her hands, causing Regina to open her legs back up and free Emma from her prison. Except, she doesn't go very far, instead, she squeezes Regina's thigh and then slowly caresses the strong muscle. To return the favor and warm her back up, of course.

A sneaky thumb is still methodically stroking, turning Emma on more and more with each passing swipe. God, she wants this teasing devil so bad, her body buzzing with excitement while her mind paints vivid images of their secret shower experience. She dreams about the dirty little noises Regina produced, persuading her hips to thrust forward again.

Regina doesn't give her what she wants though, so clearly only interested in teasing her, working her up until she combusts. Okay, so maybe they are on a bus, surrounded by people but nobody can see them or even gives a damn about them right now.

She decides the best option here is to make a move herself, so she gently glides her hand up Regina's thigh, light and so obviously teasing. When she nears a sharp hipbone, Regina subtly arches into her hand. Emma has to bite the inside of her lip to refrain from smirking.

Her heart takes off racing, pumping a rush of adrenaline through her system and boiling her blood. All too quickly, she's warm all over and she must say, Regina is a damn genius.

Very slowly, to maintain their discretion, Emma's hand wanders toward the stifling heat coming from Regina's center. She presses two fingers down firmly, drawing tight little circles that has Regina swallowing thickly. She can hear the strain in her dry throat but other than that, this woman is as quiet as a mouse. It somehow turns Emma on all the more and all she wants to do is sink down between those thighs and make Regina scream her name.

Just to make sure that they are on the same page and Regina actually wants this, she slowly retracts. Although, she doesn't get very far because Regina snatches her wrist and presses her hand back against the heat. It takes everything in Emma not to groan.

Sneaky fingers dance up Emma's thigh but again, this infuriating woman doesn't gift her what she needs. A thumb tenderly caresses her hip before gliding across the hem of Emma's sweatpants, so teasing and malicious. Goosebumps pop to life along Emma's stomach, all the way down until her clit is throbbing for attention.

Emma halts her delicious circles, silently challenging Regina and stating that she won't continue if she's going to be such a tease. Of course, the Queen waits as well, not ready to cave so easily, so Emma thinks about tempting her. She slides her hand over just the slightest and strokes the inside of her thigh, inspiring Regina to shift for the attention back but Emma doesn't give in.

She can practically feel the way Regina rolls her eyes behind those closed lids but the brunette slips beneath the waistband of Emma's sweatpants. She doesn't even have to touch her, that alone causes a flood between her thighs. Then Regina's finger is sliding down the front of her underwear and she can't stop the way her breathing becomes labored.

"I call hot tub when we get back!" Sabine shouts, halting all movements under the piles of blankets and scaring the crap out of Emma.

"Good, I call the shower," Regina so casually says, as if Emma's fingers aren't pressing against her clit and bringing her to ecstasy.

She really is a damn Queen.

"Well, I need that shower," Emma pipes up, needing an excuse as to why she and Regina are going to race toward the showers together.

"Or party in the hot tub!" Naveen cheers.

"No," Emma grumbles, glaring at the back of Killian's head, "we need to shower first, Killian peed in the tank."

"What?" Everyone on the bus shrieks but Emma loses focus when Regina's middle finger slides through her folds, too bad it's on the outside of her underwear.

"Hey! I didn't want my partner to get frostbite!" Killian defends. "I'd do it again too!"

That's when the bus comes to a screeching halt and the lights flicker back on. Regina's hand instantly vanishes from Emma's pants and then the woman is up and out of the bus before Emma can even catch her next breath.

She frowns, unsure if Regina is going to want to continue what they started or if she's going to leave her hanging like the evil bitch that she is?

Chapter Text

The cast and crew all rushed inside, some taking off toward the hot tub, others venturing toward other bathrooms in the house to warm back up. Emma took the stairs two at a time and it wasn't because she needed the scalding water or the steam to melt away the last of her chills, it was because she was so turned on it was becoming painful.

Regina or not, she is determined to satisfy the demanding throb between her legs.

However, by the time she is stripped from her sweats branded in The Challenge, the door to the bathroom is opening. She smirks to herself, slipping beneath the soothing waters and completely relaxes for the first time since that ice bath.

"You're going to get us caught," Regina chastises, yanking open the curtain before she crosses her arms over her chest and removes her hoodie like she's putting on a striptease for Emma.

"Me? You started it," she rebuttals, not giving a damn that she's stark naked.

Regina scoffs, shoving her pants down her thighs and kicking them aside. "I was simply trying to warm your hands up. You're the one that took it too far."

"Oh please, like you didn't know what you were doing with that thumb stroke. You were practically begging for me to make a move."

"Begging you?" Regina mocks, swiftly removing her sports bra and tossing it to the ground. Emma quickly shuts her eyes to remain in control and pretends to wet her hair under the shower head. "Now I know you're delusional. I don't beg, dear."

"Could have fooled me with your legs spread so far apart."

"Oh shut up, you were the one already panting for more," Regina sasses, removing the last article of clothing, her underwear.

Emma's eyes flutter open just in time to admire the figure of a Greek goddess. Her attention falls to the perky breasts, so perfectly round, waiting to be caressed and from the hungry look in Emma's eyes, those dusky nipples stand to attention and all of Emma's blood rushes to her clit.

"Are you going to stand there all day or are you going to get your cute self in here?" Emma questions, creating a twinkle in Regina's eye as she lifts an eyebrow.

"Cute?" She spits with such disdain but Emma thinks her enemy is actually amused.

She stalks forward, pressing her wet body flush against Regina's as one corner of her mouth twitches. "Cute," she repeats, then swiftly lifts Regina up from beneath her bottom and pulls her into the shower.

Regina reaches behind Emma to yank the curtain back into place but she's being shoved up against a tile wall. Emma doesn't waste a single second, fully understanding that they are pressed for time and crashes her mouth against that smart mouth. A velvety tongue is already waiting for her, meeting her and welcoming her back after too many nights apart. Every nerve fizzles and sparks from just one kiss and it makes her a little dizzy to know Regina already has this hold on her.

So she kisses Regina harder, rougher, in an attempt to keep her grounded and not completely spin out of control. She's still worked up from all the teasing on the bus, her center slick with desire that only Regina can seem to seduce from her.

"We don't have-"

"I know," Emma mumbles into the kiss, already hating the reminder that she can't stay here all night and worship this sexy figure.

Two long and slender fingers slip down her slippery slope, spreading her arousal all around, before thrusting deep inside of her. She shudders from the intensity of being so deliciously filled, persuading a deep moan to rattle in the back of her throat. She completely forgets what she was doing, except for keeping Regina pinned to the wall. Her head droops down, basking in the glorious pleasure swimming through her blood and abandoning Regina's lips for a moment.

"Fuck," she exhales through a shaky breath while this phenomenal woman palms her bundle of nerves with ownership.

And then everything happens in a rush and what can only be described as a rough, quick fuck that is so animalistic and dirty, Emma is sure she's going straight to hell.

Regina pumps those talented fingers hard and fast, and so wonderfully deep inside of Emma's tight walls. And Emma loses her mind, the pleasure too intense and so delicious all at once and she can't stop her body from rocking desperately into the feeling. The rough movement has Regina sliding up and down the tile wall and with each thrust, the back of her own hand rubs her aching gem in all the right ways. Their slick skin is gliding so effortlessly against one another and dammit, Emma can't seem to focus on anything but Regina's full breasts bouncing in her face.

Nails scratch ruthlessly against her scalp before stealing a fistful of locks to cling to and that only turns Emma on all the more. But what really tips her over the edge and has her gut clenching while she trembles through an euphoric state of heavenly bliss is when Regina bites down on her shoulder to stifle the sexiest moan as she comes violently.

Regina is still gasping with a shoulder wedged between her teeth when she runs her mouth again. "Warm, yet?"

Green eyes roll in annoyance, yet, her stupid mouth is peppering Regina's neck with delicate kisses as if she actually likes this woman. "Yeah, I think that finally did the trick."

"Well, whatever I can do to ensure the safety of a fellow cast mate," this woman says with an air of indifference.

Since Emma is quite literally holding her hostage against the wall, she decides squeezing her sides and hoping this woman is ticklish is her best revenge. Regina yelps, her eyes blowing wide in surprise which has Emma's eyes doing the same, completely amazed by this creature.

"Ticklish-"

"Don't you dare," Regina fiercely scolds. "Unless you want to spend the rest of your time here uncomfortably turned on without any release."

"Is this your way of asking me to be your bang-buddy while we are here?" She inquires, tilting her head to the side like a little puppy.

"Who the hell says bang?" Regina huffs, sliding right out of her arms to shower properly.

Emma is sure she is going to stomp across to the other shower head but she stays under Emma's spray and begins shampooing her hair. She doesn't know why her heart sprouts wings and flutters so merrily along or why her mouth curls into a shy smile but she ignores it all.

"I can't believe we won today's challenge," she casually says, moving in sync with Regina to clean herself up. "I hope Tink is alright."

"She'll be just fine," Regina flippantly says and considering she's been through this plenty of times before, Emma trusts in her words and relaxes. "I need to get down to the hot tub before they send a search party."

"Oh, right."

She should have expected this, she knows they aren't anywhere near friendly but for some reason the vanishing act stings her heart a little bit. There's an urge creeping up inside of her, encouraging her to push Regina back against the wall and fuck her again until her mind only knows Emma's name.

That's just the irrational part of her brain talking and, in the end, she watches Regina slip from the bathroom once again and continue on like she doesn't know the way that woman tastes.

~~~~

It's past midnight and most of the house is fast asleep, accept Emma because she's wide-awake worrying about Tink and the rest of her group who still isn't back yet. She's not sure where Regina is, she hasn't seen her since their naughty adventures in the bathroom but Sabine is keeping her company.

"I initially started the show because growing up, it was just my mama and me and we never had any money," Sabine confesses, her hands tucked under her pillow as she leans over the edge of the top bunk while Emma listens to every word carefully. "Okay, so we were dirt poor," she laughs, inspiring a tiny smile to crack along Emma's lips.

"I get that," she quietly reveals, still so uncertain about sharing too much about herself.

"Mama didn't want me to go but we needed money, fast and I just felt like I needed to do something." Emma nods along, her heart twisting in that familiar feeling of hopelessness when it comes to poverty. "So, I came here and made it to the final my first season. Didn't win but still, it was enough money to get us by. Then I realized if I could just keep doing that every season, I could dig us out of the hole we were in."

"And here you are eight seasons later."

"Eight seasons later and I bought my mama her own restaurant," Sabine proudly announces. "She's a fantastic cook and deserves her own place, don't get me wrong."

"I bet she is."

"The place is always hoppin' and if I quit the show tomorrow, I know my mama's gonna be taken care of and that's because of me."

"That's amazing. I bet your mom is really freaking proud of you."

Sabine sighs, a peaceful grin gracing her face that expresses how content she is with life right now. "She tells me every day."

"We're back, bitches!" Emma hears Zelena shouting from downstairs, forcing Emma and Sabine's eyes to blow wide.

Both girls leap from their beds and take off running down the stairs where the people who are up, are already hugging the four contestants that were hospitalized. Killian is kissing Tink, long and deep, so Emma averts her eyes just to find Regina asking Zelena how everything went.

"We are all much better," August vows, slinging an arm around Jeff's neck. "This one gave us quite a scare."

"Me? You're the one that collapsed like a falling tree," Jeff teases. "Timber!" He mocks, cupping his hands around his mouth to create an echo.

"So," Zelena seriously begins, "are we all going into elimination for not finishing?"

"No," Regina replies, her face as stoic as ever, flipping right back into spiteful sister and not the loving doting one that everyone witnessed earlier. "Belle and Ruby threw the challenge so there wasn't a losing team."

"But there was a winner..." Tink cautiously begins.

"That would be us, love!" Killian smugly gloats, pressing a sloppy kiss to her cheek but Tink grins wildly at him and hugs him especially close.

"Congratulations, you guys," Tink says, squeezing Emma's forearm and smiling brightly at her, so deeply sincere and reassuring Emma that she can trust her.

"Thanks."

"Did you guys vote already?" Zelena accuses, her eyes shifting daggers at her baby sister.

"No," Regina lowly declines but there is a hint of a threat in her tone. "That wouldn't be fair. We will vote tomorrow when everyone is here."

"Wonderful."

Then both sisters exit in the opposite direction leaving everyone so damn flabbergasted by their hot and cold behavior toward one another.

~~~~

Of course, it was Robin's idea but not one person in the house protested because every single person, Vet or Rookie, understands that it's tradition to have some sort of costume party once a season. So that's how they all ended up wearing sheets and drapes from around the house for their Toga Party.

If she ever felt like she missed out on those wild and crazy Frat parties in college, well, she definitely doesn't feel that way anymore.

Bottles of every alcohol imaginable are lined up on the counter with every chaser and mixer a bartender could dream of. Every contestant has a red solo cup in hand and not one person is anywhere near sober. And she is having the time of her life. She's twenty-two and has never experienced anything like this, so she is going to fully indulge.

Production is blasting music for them, since radios, iPods or any other devices are considered contraband. The lights are dimmed low and not one person tonight has a guilty conscience about anything. Belle and Ruby are doing some three-way kiss with Graham and Marian is gifting Robin a lap dance, she hasn't even seen Mary Margaret and David so it's safe to assume they snuck off to fool around. Naveen is all over Sabine and Killian is just as touchy-feely with Tink. Everyone is clearly bored and the only thing to keep them entertained is sex, not that Emma is any better.

However, her secret hookup has been avoiding her all night, she's fairly certain they haven't even been in the same room throughout the party.

She pours herself another drink from Killian's special rum, almost spilling in the process when Graham tumbles into her side. She smirks at the dopey grin slapped across his face accompanied by the scarlet red stain smeared across his lips.

"Okay, okay, this place can be a lot of fun," he laughs, plopping his chin upon her shoulder and all she can do is shake her head and chuckle along with him. "Ruby is wild."

Emma has her suspicions that that's not entirely true and it's all a defense mechanism but she keeps that information to herself.

"From what I recall, she's a great kisser."

Graham snorts before a full belly laugh explodes from his mouth. She kindly takes his cup and refills his drink for him.

"I forgot you kissed her too." He shakes his head, obviously amused. "That was the night I got a kiss from Regina," he proudly states, a silly grin consuming his entire face and it takes everything in Emma to remain impassive.

"Oh yeah," she plays dumb as if the entire situation didn't drive her mad with jealousy, forcing her to kiss Ruby in the end. "Where is that woman by the way? I haven't seen her all night."

"I saw her not too long ago with Jeff," he trails off, scrubbing his blurry eyes as he releases a groan of agony. "You don't think she would hookup with him again, do you?"

Emma's not sure which has her stomach flipping in disgust, the idea of Regina with Jeff or the fact that Emma has secretly had sex with Regina twice, knowing Graham, a really good friend of hers has a crush on her? She immediately lifts her red solo cup to her lips and downs half of her drink to settle the uneasiness in her gut.

A commotion just outside by the pool distracts them from further conversation about Regina. Emma leads the way, scurrying out onto the patio where Will is trying to fight Killian. Well, to be fair, Will is obliterated with his fists up, his eyes barely open and Killian is simply laughing at him. As fun and lighthearted as this all may be, she can't afford for drunken minds to blur the lines of reality and risk an actual fight that will lead to them being disqualified.

"Come on, mate, let's see what you got?" Will instigates, waving his fists around like the drunken idiot he is.

Killian just laughs in his face because how can this guy be taken seriously when they are all wrapped up in sheets that resemble dresses.

"You need a nap."

"Or," Emma interrupts in hopes to defuse the situation, "pool party!"

"No, I wanna see what this guy's got!" Will slurs, staggering on his feet before he charges Killian like a damn bull.

Emma curses, her breath hitching but Killian proceeds to laugh and easily maneuvers Will into some sort of headlock.

"I think you need to cool off, lad," her partner chuckles, dragging Will toward the pool, wrestling him until he shoves the guy into the cool waters.

Will pops right back up, furious and Emma knows she needs to distract this drunk toddler from the anger festering within.

"Skinny dipping, great idea!" Zelena cackles from out of nowhere.

Before Emma can blink through her confusion, Zelena has discarded her curtain toga and is jumping into the pool. The second the water settles, Emma realizes that Will lost his toga along the way and is completely naked. Emma blinks, so puzzled by what is actually happening. Technically, she went skinny dipping once but her ex made her do it and to be fair, it was just the two of them. She couldn't imagine stripping down right now in front of all these people.

Yet, one by one, she observes as Tamara, Robin, Marian, Jeff and soon enough Graham, all strip down and swim happily naked in the pool.

"Swan!" The entire group calls to her but no way in hell is she getting in there with all those dirty parts flying around so freely.

"I need a refill," she shouts over the screaming and laughter, then sneaks away.

Besides, she really really has to pee. The closest bathroom is the one off the kitchen, so she makes a mad dash, almost colliding with the closed door. Her knuckles rapidly knock just in case someone is inside. The last thing she expects is to see Regina opening the door, it takes her by surprise, especially since she's looking so smoking hot in nothing but a white sheet that contrasts so beautifully against her tan skin. None of this matters though because Emma is stunned into submission when Mary Margaret follows Regina out of the bathroom.

Why on Earth would Mary Margaret be in the bathroom with Regina? Emma's skin instantly burns hot, jealousy breathing fire at the idea of Regina having secret bathroom moments with anyone else. That's their thing.

"Oh, excuse me," Regina croaks out, appearing guilty but she also sounds abnormally soft and Emma's heart sags the slightest bit.

Emma doesn't move though, she just stands there, blocking the doorway while Mary Margaret looks baffled. Regina's eyes appear gentle as they search Emma's face in confusion.

"Can I just..." Mary Margaret awkwardly laughs as she attempts to squeeze between them, "David is waiting for me..." she trails off but Emma's eyes are solely focused on a set of glossy brown eyes staring right back at her.

Without ever breaking eye contact with Regina, Emma pivots, allowing Mary Margaret to skate on by. As much as she wants to shake the woman for sneaking off with Regina, she is too fired up with the Queen at the moment. The minute Mary Margaret scurries away, Regina's eyes shift all around behind Emma and she just now realizes that all the cameramen are out at the naked pool party and they are alone.

She presses her fingers into Regina's shoulders and gives her a little shove until her feet stumble back into the bathroom. She's drunk, blinded with rage and jealousy, so she doesn't truly comprehend the consequences when she slams Regina against the wall and delivers a punishing kiss.

Regina is quick to shut the door behind them, even as she's pinned against a wall. She's half expecting this demanding woman to question her motives or even scold her for the risk and inappropriate behavior but no complaint comes. In fact, Regina slides her fingers through Emma's hair in the most sensual way and holds her especially close while her tongue happily follows Emma's lead.

"How many other secret bathroom buddies do you have?" She scolds in a tone that comes out all bitter and not as smooth as her mind leads her to believe.

Regina instantly stops kissing her and reels back, her face clouding over with a storm Emma is not prepared to be caught in tonight.

"Excuse me?" Comes the low grumble like a deep thunder, warning her what's about to come.

"Oh come on, I just walked in on you and Mary Margaret," she accuses, provoking Regina to physically wince before her face morphs into pure disgust.

"Are you serious right now?"

Emma's lips curl into a deep frown because her brain did see them together in the bathroom but now she's second guessing how drunk she is because Regina looks livid.

"Well...and you kissed Graham," she blurts out like a whiny toddler, instantly regretting her words by the way Regina scowls at her.

"That was a simple pity kiss and need I remind you that we are nothing and I don't have to ask your permission for anything that I do."

"Oh, I'm well aware that we are nothing," she spits in disgust, releasing her death grip around the dainty waist and taking a step back. "But as someone you keep fucking in the shower, I have every right to know if you are hooking up with anyone else," she firmly demands, even though their voices are low and quiet so the camera crew doesn't overhear them.

"You're an idiot."

Emma tosses her arms up in defeat. "Fine, enjoy sharing Mary Margaret," she seethes before she yanks open the door and storms out.

Maybe a dip in the pool doesn't sound so bad after all.

~~~~

She didn't end up in the pool; in fact, she made an even worse decision and drank away her problems and irrational fears. Well, technically, with her past, these ideas floating around in her head, taunting her, aren't really irrational and more triggering is all. But she refuses to dwell on that and truly believes the alcohol will wash away her haunting thoughts.

Mary Margaret, of all people, leads her back to her bedroom where Regina and Sabine are dancing around and in a fit of intoxicated giggles.

"I can walk," she darkly growls, yanking her arm away from the tiny woman attempting to guide her.

"Of course you can," the woman patronizes before she rushes forward, taking one of Regina's hands and one of Sabine's to dance along with them.

Emma rolls her eyes, hazardously plopping down on the bottom bunk.

"Swan," Sabine hysterically laughs, "that's not your bed."

"And Regina is really picky about allowing people in her bed," Mary Margaret chimes in and that's when Elsa and Kristoff squeeze their way into the room as if they were summoned by magic.

"I would never disrupt her majesty's bed," Emma mumbles into her pillow, her fingers subconsciously searching for her blanket but she comes up empty-handed.

She pops her head right up in search of her security blanket.

"That's my bed," Regina huffs but she doesn't sound as mad as Emma anticipates.

Her bleary gaze sweeps across the bedroom once more, completely forgets what they were discussing and drops her head back down on the comfy pillow again. She hears snorting and chuckling but she ignores it all and wiggles against the cozy bed.

"You know," Mary Margaret begins, "we should check on our boys and make sure they aren't skinny dipping."

"Oh my god, I will murder him," Sabine aggressively declares, stomping out of the bedroom with Mary Margaret rushing behind with enough flourish and promise of drama that Kristoff and Elsa follow behind.

It's awfully quiet and Emma assumes Regina tagged along, that is until she feels a hand upon her back. "Come on, Emma, you're in my bed," she softly says, encouraging green eyes to flutter back to life to discover that someone turned off the lights.

"Mmkay," she hums, clambering off the mattress just to stand directly in front of Regina.

Regina, in nothing but a sheet tied especially tight around that trim physique. Regina, with her rosy cheeks from the drinks and shimmering cocoa irises silently pleading for something out of her.

"How can you make this look sexy?" Emma mindlessly interrogates, tugging lightly on the material near Regina's hip.

Regina's eyes flick toward something in the corner of the room for a split second before she meets Emma's leering gaze head on.

"I can't wait to take it off and put on my sweats," Regina announces rather loudly, puzzling Emma's foggy brain for half a second. "It's time for bed," she says in a manner that sounds like she is reading from a script.

Emma blinks, utterly bewildered and that's when Regina tugs the Toga from her body and then tosses it with an extra flair about her. Regina's eyes flick back to that one spot in the corner of the room again but Emma is too enticed by all the nakedness in front of her to comprehend what is going on around her.

Besides, Regina is stalking closer, a devilish smirk creeping along her gorgeous face. She doesn't kiss her, doesn't touch her but her lips ghost over the shell of Emma's ear, generating a deep chill to rocket through her body.

"I see now that your little stunt earlier was out of jealousy," she husks, prompting Emma to swallow the dryness in her throat. "If you can't control your emotions then it's best if we stop before we even start."

Emma scoffs, she can't help the way her body reacts so strongly to this creature. "I have been perfectly in control, you spend all damn day ignoring me and not once have I said a word."

Regina slowly pulls back, a mischievous grin taking over her face as she peers up into Emma's lustful eyes. Her words are hushed, a delicate whisper, a calculated move to ensure that nobody will hear them.

"Challenge accepted," she demands before she gradually brushes her lips against Emma's in the most teasing manner, never truly committing to a kiss.

Regina stops before anything can escalate and peeks over her shoulder. Emma follows her gaze, somewhat confused when she finds nothing in the corner but the sheet she stripped from her body moments ago. She doesn't have time to analyze or speculate because Regina's mouth comes brutally crashing into hers.

Her hands are in Regina's hair immediately, tugging her closer, the momentum causing them to stumble back and collide with the bunk bed. Regina peels Emma's lips apart, her tongue prodding, ready to dominate like they are still arguing. Yet, she tastes so sweet, the tang of margarita and tequila still on her tongue.

"Don't make a sound," Regina whispers into the kiss, puzzling Emma's mind because did she make a sound? Did she whimper or groan and isn't aware?

Then Regina is yanking her off the side of the bunk and shoving her onto the bottom mattress that is very much Emma's this time. She's already panting from the rush and intensity of everything but when Regina's naked form crawls onto her body, she can't possibly suppress the moan that quakes in her throat.

Regina instantly slaps a hand over her mouth and punishes her by sucking her neck like it's the damn lime she chased with her shots earlier. "I said be quiet or they'll hear us."

Emma nods along mindlessly, her body simply obeying the command in search of a reward. Sensually, she glides her hands up Regina's tight back and bucks into her heat. Very slowly, the hand slips away from her mouth and is replaced by eager lips. She swallows her whimpers and focuses on the feel of plump, juicy lips meshing so perfectly with her own. Her stomach drops as if she just fell from the top of a roller coaster and she knows her body is a slave to Regina now. There's no turning back, this woman is just too sexy to ever say no to.

She cups one of Regina's cheeks, pulling her in even closer and deepening the feverish kiss. Regina squirms from the touch, then moves quickly to tear away the sheet that's keeping their bodies apart.

"Hopefully, Regina was able to get Emma into her own bed!" Emma hears Mary Margaret shouting from down the hall.

Regina is up and off Emma within three seconds flat. She rushes to her bed, tosses on a hoodie from the floor and burrows under her covers like she's fast asleep. Emma blinks, so fucking baffled by what just happened but she instinctively pulls the sheet to cover up her body.

She has her answer when Kristoff and Elsa barge into their room with Sabine and Mary Margaret in tow.

"Oh, looks like they are done partying for the night," Sabine announces very loudly, a little too loud for everyone being with in a foot of each other. "I think I'm gonna call it a night too."

"Goodnight!" Mary Margaret chirps and then bounces out the door with Elsa and the camera.

"Thanks," Regina whispers from under her blanket.

"Of course, babe," Sabine says, climbing onto her top bunk. "Night."

"Goodnight," Regina whispers, then curls onto her other side, facing away from Emma.

All while Emma's alcohol soaked brain tries to piece together what the hell just happened.

Chapter Text

Everyone is slow to move the next day, herself included. The whole cast is hungover, tired, irritable, and she's not in the mood to face everyone. It's like her foster days, when a new group would enter a home and everyone is cranky from being shoved off to a new home. So, she sneaks off to the gym to find peace and quiet and maybe sweat out some of the toxins still in her body. When she gets there though, she discovers Graham already there....spotting Regina.

She swallows thickly, her body burning hot from the sight of Regina in skin-tight yoga pants and a sports bra. She's straddling a bench, pulling the bar down behind her back and dear, sweet baby Jesus, she didn't know this woman was so ripped. Her back and shoulders clench deliciously tight which has Emma staggering on her way to the treadmill.

"Hey, Swan," Graham cheerfully greets her, running to her side and abandoning Regina. "Wanna try those leg exercises we were talking about?"

"Oh, yeah, sure," she stammers, her eyes subconsciously, flicking toward Regina's back and that tight little bottom decorated in spandex.

"So, they have these boards we can stand on," Graham excitedly begins explaining as he places them on the ground. "They are a bit slick, so we step on these discs and we slide one foot, forward and backward, essentially doing a squat."

Emma nods along, placing one foot on the disc and the other steady on the board. She places her hands upon her hips to keep herself grounded and steady, then she follows Graham's lead, sliding the disc all the way back, her knee never touching the ground though and then slides right back up again. One, just one and she already feels the stretch in her thighs and glutes.

She completes one rep of twenty and then switches legs even though she's feeling a little shaky. Once they are all through, Graham pats her on the back and excuses himself to refill his water. Emma decides to stretch her stiff muscles, settling on the ground and reaching for her toes. Out of her peripheral, she tracks how Regina stands from the machine she was working on and sashays over to the treadmill with an extra swing in her step.

God, who allowed this woman to be so hot?

Regina gingerly climbs onto the machine and begins running, not jogging, which ultimately leads to her full bottom bouncing directly in Emma's line of sight. This is stupid. She feels like she's not even in control of her own body anymore. It's like she's bewitched, clearly Regina put her under some spell that has her craving her touch. And Emma never has been the one who needs physical attention.

She feels this urgency to say something, she needs to at least engage with the witch who cast a spell on her but her mind is blank. Truthfully, she wants to apologize for her outburst and jealousy she projected last night in the bathroom but she has a feeling Regina will murder her in her sleep for revealing too much.

"Hey," she lamely begins instead.

"Hey," Regina dryly answers, never glancing in her direction.

Green eyes roll automatically as she sighs. "Uh, I just wanted to say...sorry...for being drunk last night and uh...collapsing onto your bed," she settles on saying, knowing it's safe and hoping Regina will pick up on the sincerity in her tone and know she is apologizing for much more than that.

"People drink and do stupid stuff, nothing new," Regina flippantly replies, never gifting Emma the satisfaction of seeing her face.

"Right," she breathes out a heavy sigh and switches to the butterfly position with her legs. "Still, I'm sorry," she sincerely urges once again but she receives nothing in response.

Thankfully, Graham comes breezing back and fills the silence between them.

~~~~

She has no clue if Regina really hates her at this point and is just using her for sex or if it's all an act to keep her sexuality hidden. It's so confusing and making her brain hurt but a small part of her, like the tiniest portion tucked in the back of her mind, has a glimmer of hope that Regina does like her. Why else would she constantly be seeking Emma out when she's alone and away from the cameras?

The cast is exhausted this evening and production has yet to tell them when they will be voting or when the next elimination is, so everyone is lounging around the house in pajamas. Dinner was served an hour ago and now everyone is bored out of their minds. Most people who have paired off, have left to go make out in their rooms or simply cuddle and take a nap.

Emma has found herself in the common room with Graham, Belle, Ruby, August, Robin, Neal, Tamara and Regina. Not much conversation is being had and the camera crew looks half asleep from how bored they are. The girls are playing cards and Emma wishes she could join but she doesn't feel like talking about how she never had anyone to teach her a single game of cards. She tugs the hood from her sweatshirt on her head and contemplates taking a nap against the side of the couch.

Regina is lying down on her side on the same couch Emma is on but at the other end. However, when she stretches toward the floor to take her next turn, her foot slides onto Emma's lap. Green eyes drop down immediately to that sock covered foot, waiting for it to retract quickly in disgust but it lingers. Emma watches as Regina finishes her turn and never removes her foot from her personal space. It's kind of comforting which makes her heart skip a beat because again, she never finds a soothing comfort in physical contact.

Her thoughts are shattered like a wrecking ball bulldozing through a building when a chair sails across the living room and crashes violently against the floor.

"You filthy, no-good, son of a bitch!" Marian screams on the top of her lungs, forcing every set of eyes to bulge out of their heads.

Robin smiles innocently or maybe he's that clueless, either way, he peers up at her from the floor, ready to charm her. "Hey, hey, what's going on?"

"You're gonna die!" She seethes, her face burning red, motivating Robin to skid backwards on the floor as she lunges for him. However, Ruby leaps up and wraps her arms around Marian, tugging her backwards. "I'm gonna kill you!"

"What the hell is going on?" Neal very seriously inquires, quickly standing between the two.

The room is suddenly overcrowded with cameras and producers and all kinds of staff for the show. Subconsciously, Emma's attention drifts down to that foot on her lap again but Regina doesn't budge, so she doesn't move a muscle either. If Regina thought it would be revealing, she would move her foot...right?

"He's a two-timing, rotten, son of a bitch!"

"Hey, hey, I never said we were exclusive," Robin calmly defends but this only seems to set Marian on fire.

She lunges for him again but Ruby lifts her off the ground and drags her back while Neal stands in front of Robin.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Neal hisses over his shoulder.

"What? So we hooked up a few times, this is The Challenge house," Robin stresses, "it doesn't mean anything!"

"That's not what you said," Marian angrily growls, "not when you were in my bed every night!"

Robin scoffs, rolling his eyes like he is the one who has the right to be annoyed here. "I still don't know why you are so upset and calling me a cheater, which I am not because we've established that we were not exclusive."

Marian's face turns almost purple from the rage swallowing her whole. "Mary Margaret told me that she saw you sneaking into Zelena's bed last night!"

"Always such a tattletale," Regina mumbles under her breath.

This is when Zelena decides to make her debut, carefully holding a steaming mug of tea as she enters from the kitchen.

"How dare you!" Marian spits in nothing but hatred, squirming to break free from Ruby's tight hold once again.

"What did I miss?" Zelena feigns innocence, unfazed by all the screaming and flying furniture.

"You slept with Robin knowing that we were a thing!"

"Sorry?" Zelena sardonically quips, provoking Marian to thrash and claw all over again at Ruby to tear Zelena limb from limb.

"Hey, hey!" Robin shouts, standing between the two women. "You've got to calm down, Marian, I'm with her now."

Ruby chooses this exact moment to release Marian and fully allow her to step up to him and smack him roughly across the face. Everyone winces, except for Regina who smirks to herself, utterly satisfied with the turn of events.

"Go ahead, have him," Marian shouts in disdain, "take your sister's sloppy seconds."

Regina's upper lip and nose twitch in disgust but she doesn't comment. Emma feels this itching sensation to stand up and defend Regina, remind everyone they dated over ten years ago and Regina was an eighteen-year-old kid back then but she remembers her place, remembers how Regina said they are nothing and so she keeps her mouth shut.

Zelena shrugs as if none of this effects her while Marian stomps away. Robin takes Zelena's face into his hands and searches her eyes for any signs of hurt.

"Are you alright? I'm sorry you had to deal with that."

"I'm fine."

"I'm going to turn in for the night," Regina whispers to Belle, handing over her cards before she lifts off the couch, off the comfort of Emma and disappears into the night.

Emma doesn't say a word but she slyly steals another deck of cards from the table and sneaks away to her room. When she enters, she finds that there isn't a camera crew in sight as Regina lies on her bed, staring blankly at the bottom of Sabine's mattress. Subconsciously, green eyes flick to the corner of the room where the sheet from last night still hangs.

She wonders why Regina hasn't pulled it down now?

"Um, hi."

"Hey," Regina vacantly answers.

She wants to ask if she's okay? If there is anything she can do? Although, she knows that they aren't friendly and they are nowhere near opening up and discussing stupid feelings. So, the next best thing in Emma's opinion is distraction.

"So...that game you were playing downstairs with the girls...um, do you think maybe you could teach me? It looked kinda fun and it's so freaking boring around here on off days."

"You don't know how to play Gin-Rummy?"

Emma stuffs her hands into the pocket of her hoodie as her eyes self-consciously wander away. "No," she quietly confesses, too ashamed to meet Regina's eyes and witness her reaction.

"Very well," is all Regina says.

Emma is expecting her to sit up but instead she turns on her side and slides back, allowing Emma the chance to sit at the edge. Tentatively, she climbs onto the mattress, folds her legs like a kindergartener near Regina's waist and hands over the deck of cards.

"So, you know how in Go Fish you are aiming for three of a kind," Regina begins, provoking a sweltering heat to run wildly through Emma's cheeks in embarrassment.

"Um...no."

"What do you mean, no?" Regina harshly investigates and she's probably still agitated from her sister and this has nothing to do with Emma but she feels like a lost girl all over again who is nothing but a nuisance to the adults around her.

She anxiously fiddles with her hands hidden in the pocket of her hoodie. "Uh, I don't know how to play that either."

Regina's stern eyes flick up to meet nervous emeralds. "You don't know how to play Go Fish?" Emma bites down hard on the corner of her bottom lip and shakes her head in shame. "How is that possible?"

"Probably has to do with the fact that I never had parents, so nobody ever cared enough to teach me."

"That's the second time you've said that," she quietly says.

"Did you think I was lying the first time? I grew up in the foster system and was bounced between homes a lot," she reveals, growing rather irritated by having to explain her pathetic past.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize..." Regina trails off, sounding more ashamed by her behavior and why does it make Emma soften?

"It's fine, it's...whatever, so are you going to teach me?"

Regina nods firmly, her hands shuffling the cards as she leans on one elbow. "Let's start with Go Fish first."

Emma studies her hands closely and listens intently as she explains the rules thoroughly. Emma picks up her seven cards and begins arranging them, placing the pairs next to each other like Regina instructed her to do. It's not a hard concept and by the time her turn is over she completely understands the game.

"Do you have any Kings?" Regina asks.

"Go Fish."

Regina selects a card from the pile and Emma takes her turn. "Do you have any Queens?" Regina's lip snarls as she reluctantly hands over two cards. "Thanks. So, after this will you teach me the other game?" She sheepishly asks.

"Of course." Regina pauses, her eyes darting up to meet Emma's sparkling eyes. "I can teach you others as well...so you don't find yourself in this predicament again."

"I would like that," Emma admits, flashing an award winning smile that has Regina's lips curling into a satisfied smirk.

Quietly, she and Regina play the game, never truly engaging in small talk. After the game is over and Regina beats Emma by only ten points, she believes she has that game down and they can move on to the next. Regina shuffles, respectfully asks Emma to cut the deck and then proceeds to explain the rules of Gin-Rummy. It takes Emma a few rounds to remember to discard but after that she understands the concept.

She thinks they are still awfully quiet and she hates the deafening silence between them and even if it goes against everything she feels comfortable with, she decides to speak up.

"Hey, are you okay?" She timidly asks as Regina moves to take her next turn.

Regina doesn't bother meeting her eyes, she pretends to be laser focused on the cards in her hand.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" She plainly questions, still refusing to glance up at her and that only makes Emma desperate for attention.

"I don't know...maybe because your sister is screwing your ex..."

Regina's full lips press firmly into a straight line. "That relationship is almost a decade stale, I assure you, I don't care what he does or should I say who he does."

"I know but I'm sure it still stings a little," Emma replies as she takes her next turn. "You can cut the cold-hearted bitch act and be honest, nobody is here to judge you. It's just me."

"They are always listening," Regina insists, rolling her eyes but there isn't a cameraman in sight. "I was very young and naïve back then, maybe if I was still that same person I would feel differently but I've grown so much since then. She can have him. He's already showed her his true colors. It's only a matter of time before he grows bored of her and moves on."

Emma's curious eyes flick over to Regina as she ends her turn. "Is that what happened between you two?"

Regina sighs. "We started dating when I was eighteen and he was twenty. It was my first season and I was...impressionable. We moved in together after only a year of dating but that only lasted six months before he betrayed me on The Island and chose his friend to be in his boat and kicked me out. And yes, it's part of the game but we were building a life together outside of the show. I don't doubt that he cheated or had a wandering eye but our problems were deeper than that."

"You would think he would have grown up by now," she exasperates as Regina gestures for her to take her turn.

"He's very manipulative," Regina continues, "and he's very good at bending situations to appear like he's the good guy on a technicality. He's all about spewing honor and code, yet, he never truly lives by those words."

"Yeah...I can see that. I never really liked the guy," she fully admits, generating a satisfied smirk across Regina's face.

"I had a feeling," Regina sings and Emma knows she is thinking about the time Emma almost punched Robin in the nose. "Gin-Rummy," she announces, placing all her cards down.

"Crap."

Regina grins from ear to ear, a broad genuine smile that has Emma believing that maybe they could be friends one day. "Have you heard of the game Kings in the Corner?" She investigates, shuffling the cards in a flashy way, molding a bridge with the cards as she does so.

"Nope, can't say that I have."

"This one is fairly simple," Regina promises as she begins passing out the cards.

It creates a sensation in her chest that Emma isn't really too familiar with but she believes that maybe this is what it feels like to have fun. She can't recall having fun as a child, everything was always dark and gloomy, full of depressing moves and uncomfortable days. There was a time in her life when she was a stupid teen and she thought she was finally happy but, in the end, it was all a façade.

This feels real. It feels solid and warm in her chest and yes, being a reality television star isn't the dream but maybe for her, this is where she finds herself. This is where she can build a home and a life she always wanted.

"This is fun," Emma blurts out before she can process how silly she sounds.

Chestnut irises flick up to meet her head on, expressing curiosity yet, there is also a twinkle of something that feels like adoration. She wouldn't really know, nobody has ever truly cared for her.

Regina offers a shy smile, curling a chunk of hair behind her ear. "It is, isn't it?"

And even though they don't say much, they continue to play, enjoying one another's company in the peace and quiet.

Chapter Text

They were only able to play another hand before Sabine and Tink entered the room and were ready for bed. When she laid her head down that night, she found herself studying the shadowy figure in the night across from her. Maybe Regina wasn't as cold as she lead others to believe? Maybe their dynamic was slowly shifting and progressing toward something that could be considered friendship?

That night she slept soundly, dreaming of showers and a stunning woman that stole her breath away.

When she woke up the next morning, she was well rested and ready to take on the day. It was strictly coincidental that she bumped into Regina at the gym and even though they didn't speak, they ran side by side on the treadmills. Their workout was cut short when production summoned them to the common room, informing them that TJ had arrived.

She's glistening in a sheen of sweat when she plops down on the sofa and Killian sits on the floor in front of her. She chugs the cold water from her bottle and does her best to ignore the cute way Regina's hair is curling at her temples from sweat.

"Well, now that everyone is back in the house," TJ announces, "and recovered from the last challenge, it's time for everyone to vote. Regina, Naveen, Emma, and Killian, you four have to come together to make a decision on who you would like to see in elimination."

Dammit. They never discussed the game. They have been so wrapped up in their cast mates going to the hospital and then a party to celebrate the return, and then everyone being extremely hungover mixed with the drama last night, no game play was actually discussed.

"Regina and Naveen, we will have you guys start off?"

Regina quickly snaps her neck from left to right and Emma has a sneaky suspicion that she's apprehensive about voting this afternoon.

"Well," Regina slowly begins, hesitating for a brief moment. "Our numbers and options for voting are starting to dwindle. Today, we are going to nominate Zelena and August."

"What?" Her sister shrieks in an ear-piercing tone that clearly expresses how blindsided she is. "Are you serious right now?"

Emma's green eyes expand, she thought for sure Regina would use her sister to follow her vote until the end.

"It's time for you to go in and earn your spot here," Regina calmly says, her voice neutral with a blank face to go with it.

"There are plenty of other people to throw in," Zelena exclaims, gesturing around wildly. "What happened to if it's not broke, why fix it?"

"You know I can't throw in Killian, he won," Regina deadpans.

"I knew the minute you had the opportunity you would toss me in," Zelena repugnantly scoffs.

"Hey, it is not my job to carry your ass to the final. If you want it so bad, go in there and fight for your place there."

Zelena slams her hands down on the coffee table and stands to her full height, provoking Emma's spine to tense and straighten. "I am your bloody sister and you're still acting like the spoiled little brat you have always been just because of our past that I had no control over. I was a child."

"It doesn't matter," Regina flippantly says, "you made your bed, now lie in it. You're the one that left and couldn't stand the fact that our mother left your father. I was an innocent bystander in all of it and you still took it out on me. And you wonder why I won't forgive you?" She huffs, folding her arms across her chest as her eyes wander away from the group in shame.

"No," Zelena stalks closer, even if there is a table between her and her sister, stepping right in front of Emma's view. "That's not why you're really mad, you're pissed that I couldn't save you."

"Save me," Regina mutters under her breath. "Why are you really here, Zelena? How much of a hole did your father dig you into with his gambling and drinking? It's not my fault or my father's fault that our mother left him for his behavior."

"At least my daddy loves me."

"Excuse me," Regina's voice is abnormally low and spine-tingling calm as she stands up from the couch and glares murderously at her older sister.

"Your father is nothing but a coward," Zelena cruelly spits. "He was pressed under Cora's thumb so hard that he still can't find the strength to stand on his own two feet and she's been dead for two years! You want to be mad at someone? Be mad at Henry for forcing you to be someone you're not because of his run in office!"

"Shut up, Zelena," Regina steadily says, a warning, a dangerous threat but never showing off her temper. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I know exactly what I'm talking about, baby sis and that's why you hate me so much."

"We are done here," Regina demands, moving to step away but Zelena jumps in front of her, pushing her nose into Regina's scowling face.

"We are far from done."

"What do you want from me?" Regina finally raises her voice. "You're the one that resented me and my father. You're the one the chose to go live with your father. Nobody made you leave."

"I may not have grownup with everything handed to me on a silver platter like you," Zelena snarls, morphing Regina's angry expression into utterly baffled. "But at least my daddy loves me and accepts me-"

"I said shut up," Regina demands again with all the threat of an evil villain ready to burn down a village.

"Or what?" Her sister mocks, stepping closer. "We are cut from the same cloth, all that fight you have in you from Cora, is in me too."

Regina rolls her eyes as she abruptly spins around. "Go ahead, throw your tantrum, it doesn't change the fact that my vote is for you," she spits over her shoulder.

It irks her older sister down to her very core and she lunges for Regina, ready to tackle her to the ground but something flares hot in Emma and before she can contemplate how she wants to react, she already has one arm around Zelena's waist, yanking her back and away from Regina.

"Let it go," Emma firmly orders. "She's walking away, it's over," she states with conviction, convincing Regina to peek over her shoulder to discover Emma holding the redhead back.

Regina appears surprised for about three seconds before she slips on her mask of indifference. "My vote is the same, I'm done here," she declares, then storms out of the room and upstairs to hide away.

Zelena shrugs away Emma with all the rage of an overgrown man-child on steroids, then stomps up to where TJ is standing, looking incredibly annoyed.

"Well, I can only assume Regina's ex and new roommate are going to follow her lead."

Half of Killian's mouth lifts into a guilty looking grin. "Sorry, our vote is for you Zelena," he admits, prompting August to sigh and meet his partner at the front of the room.

"Now, the rest of the house will vote for who they would like to see in elimination against August and Zelena," TJ instructs, clasping his hands behind his back.

Emma is an anxious ball of nerves as she sits back down and maybe that has to do with the fact that for once, she doesn't know what the house is thinking but she suspects a lot of that nervous energy stems from the need to want to check on Regina. She dutifully ignores that idea. She quickly glances around the room but everyone appears cool and collected, as if maybe they had some secret meeting and know exactly who they want to throw in.

"I'll start," Mary Margaret begins. "After last night, it seems there is some toxic energy in the house and the root has been because of one couple. I'm sorry to do this to you, Marian, but your partner has been stirring the pot and we think it's time for you to go in. I wish you the best of luck."

We? Emma thinks to herself, of course the woman is paired with David but he never has a real thought of his own. Who is this we Mary Margaret is referring to?

"Are you serious right now?" Robin bristles. "You're going to throw me in against my girlfriend?"

"I second that vote," Sabine quickly chimes in.

Much to Emma's surprise, the entire house follows suit and she's left a little stunned. Obviously people have been conversing and planning but when did all of this take place? Maybe when she was playing cards last night with Regina? Or this morning when they were working out? Although, this has Regina's fingerprints all over it and she just knows the woman masterminded the entire scheme.

The moment TJ announces who will battle it out in the Jungle, Robin flies off the handle, ripping everyone a new one, and ready to attack every cast member in his path, so Emma takes this opportunity to sneak away. She tiptoes out of the room and heads straight upstairs to her shared room. With all the chaos exploding downstairs, she knows she and Regina will have time to speak in private.

When she enters her room, she finds it empty but the sound of the shower running from the bathroom reveals where Regina is hiding. She cracks open the door just a tad and slips into the minimal space.

"Uh, Regina?" She tentatively begins because she doesn't want to push the woman if she needs a moment of privacy.

"Emma," and it's not at all a question, it's a declaration as though she knew Emma would follow her in there.

"Hey, are you..." the words die out on her tongue because she feels like maybe they are heading toward a territory she is not familiar with. "Do you need a minute?" She ends up asking which sounds ridiculous since she just barged her way in.

"Join me," again it is not a request but a clear order.

And really, who is Emma to deny such a beautiful woman her desires. In a haste, she's peeling away her yoga pants and fighting against her own body to rip away her sports bra. She tugs the curtain and rushes inside to find an image that makes her heart sink.

Regina is standing under the hot spray, most likely burning her flesh to feel anything other than the pain inflicted on her moments ago from someone who should always have her back. Her head is dipped low, standing under the pelting water as if she's fully accepting a punishment. Embarrassment is radiating from her body and Emma reacts without truly thinking. She steps forward, wraps her arms protectively around Regina's trim waist, pulling her safely into her arms.

"I'm sorry," she shyly whispers, pressing her lips to Regina's shoulder, her eyes fluttering closed because she's not sure how Regina will react to the intimacy. She knows herself though and if the roles were reversed, she would shrug Regina off. "She should have never brought up such personal issues."

Regina subtly wipes at her face, attempting to hide her tears before she abruptly spins around in her arms. "It's fine," she vacantly claims but alarms of deceit ring loudly in Emma's head.

"It's really...not," she sighs loudly, motivating Regina's wet eyes to drift up and meet her worried gaze head on.

Those inquisitive eyes are searching every inch of her face and Emma feels like she needs to get this woman to talk about her feelings but Regina's voice is the one whispering under the disguise of the running waters.

"I-I've never had someone stick up for me like that," she quietly confesses, provoking Emma's mouth to pop open and answer but she rushes on, "and that's the second time now."

Emma watches with great interest as the tendons in Regina's neck flex as she swallows thickly and for a split second, she's unguarded, vulnerable. However, she must think better of something so intimate and instantly shifts her tact.

"Regina-"

"I believe I owe you for defending my honor, my Savior," she flirts, trailing a teasing finger over Emma's collarbone and down the valley of her breasts.

"Regina, please, you don't have to...we could just talk."

"Well, maybe I could use the distraction," she husks, pressing her breasts firmly into Emma's and guiding her back against the wall.

And because Emma has never been good with talking about feelings and great at closing herself off, she understands exactly where Regina is coming from. Although, there's a thrumming in her body that is urging her to be delicate, to express her concern and above all, make sure Regina knows that Emma is there for her.

Tenderly, she cups Regina's jawline, presses her thumbs firmly into her cheeks and kisses her with a passion that hopefully reveals how much she is starting to like her. Except, Regina is the one who turns the tenderness into something that screams lust. Regina is the one that becomes aggressive and rough. Regina is the one who sinks down to her knees with every intention of repaying Emma for sticking up for her.

"Regina," and she isn't quite sure if she is pleading with her again to tear down those walls and expose her truth or if she's begging for this sex goddess to ravish her.

Regina doesn't answer, she's too busy pressing her face into Emma's smooth center, her tongue preoccupied with licking a path through her soaked folds. Blinding white hot desire possesses every fiber of her being, encouraging her to rake her nails through Regina's dark locks and guide her closer.

Two strong hands latch onto her thighs before slowly traveling up to pin her hips against the wall. She can't stop her attention from drifting down, she needs to memorize this moment and maybe use it again for her highlight reel when she's all alone at night. The sight of Regina on her knees so willingly awakens parts of Emma she didn't even know were in hibernation.

Her blood tingles, rushing violently through her veins and increasing her core temperature. Her gut tightens, sparking a kind of desire she never knew lived inside of her. So many dirty images flash before her very eyes and she's not prude by any means but she's starting to think that maybe she craves so much more than she ever thought imaginable.

Regina's short nails sink into her flesh, scratching angry lines of ownership down her thighs, forcing her hips to thrust and grind deliciously against Regina's talented tongue.

"Fuck," she breathes out, her body already trembling and pleading desperately for an orgasm right this very instant. She can't wait for the sweet release and she's not even embarrassed for taking what she wants so badly. "Regina."

Regina hums, thoroughly enjoying breaking Emma so easily, then guides a marked thigh up and over her shoulder. The new angle allows Emma to open up, pushing that hot tongue closer to her aching bundle of nerves. A fingertip sensually glides through her slick folds and between Regina's mouth to ensure how wet it is before thrusting deep inside of her.

"Oh god, yes," she groans in the back of her throat, barely remembering that she's supposed to be quiet as she forces this woman closer and rubs herself all over a sassy mouth. "Fuck, yes, yes..."

Regina actually nips at her vagina, like she's biting out of an apple. "Be quiet, Emma," she scolds, her nails sinking deep into her skin as punishment.

It's not really a punishment though, not when Emma's blood boils and she breaks out in a cold sweat and she only wants more and is painfully turned on. She bucks off the wall, needing her sweet release right this very second. The tip of Regina's tongue flicks so expertly over her clit and all Emma can see are blinding white lights of ecstasy. She bites down hard on her bottom lip, hard enough to draw blood and chokes back her scream.

"Ugh, I can't," she whines pathetically. "It feels too fucking good not to moan," she confesses through a deep groan, her fingers clutching Regina's hair even tighter and fucking her mouth harder. "Oh my god," she chokes, "right there, don't stop," she grits out through her clenched teeth.

The orgasm that rips through her body is violent, threatening to tear her apart as she releases all over Regina's tongue. Her head swims, her body sagging and for a brief moment, she is convinced her soul leaves its vessel. Regina is busy biting her way up Emma's abdomen, it's obvious she is refusing kisses because that might be too intimate.

She's panting, searching for air but the shower has made the bathroom thick and steamy once again. She observes as Regina devours one breast while roughly groping her other and Emma feels her desire spike once again. She doesn't think, she is too overwhelmed with lust and besides, her soul still hasn't returned, so her better judgement is benched and she moves strictly on what her body wants.

She is fast like a cat when she grabs Regina by her biceps and spins them around. Her secret lover ends up with her face against the slick tile and Emma uses her hot body to cover every inch of Regina's backside. The position alone works up her libido and drive all over again.

"Is this what you want?" Emma taunts, skimming a finger down Regina's luscious bottom, demanding the goosebumps to rise to the occasion.

Regina shivers, her body subtly pressing further into Emma's, silently begging for her fingers. Her other hand reaches around a ribcage expanding and searching for oxygen before palming a perfect breast with every intention stating that it now belongs to her. Regina groans, backing her bottom into her front again, persuading Emma to grind down roughly against her firm ass.

Her thumb sweeps against a pebbling nipple while her wandering finger reaches beneath Regina's bottom, spreading her thick arousal all around. Slowly, somewhat in a teasing manner, she glides one finger into Regina's tight pussy, shivering at the way Regina mewls in pleasure. It's so damn sexy that she has to bite down on Regina's shoulder to keep from spewing all kinds of ridiculous babble in the heat of the moment.

Deftly, she adds another finger, engrossed with the way Regina's walls suck her pumping digits. She pinches her tight peak again while she roughly fucks Regina from behind. Too many gasps and moans fill the air, but Emma doesn't give a damn, she would proudly own up to making Regina crumble in such a way if the other woman wasn't so opposed to it.

"Emma," comes the distorted voice, all whiny and so unlike Regina and she knows this goddess is dancing on the edge of euphoria.

She nuzzles against Regina's ear and groans, her hot breath causing this beautiful creature to tremble in her arms again. "Touch yourself," she orders, low and strong.

"What?"

"I know you need it and my hands are a little busy at the moment, so do it," she commands, thrusting into her again and pinning her more firmly against the wall. "I want to see you touch yourself," she demands, brushing her nose against the shell of Regina's ear before she licks it like it's her new favorite ice cream flavor.

Regina produces an audible gulp, but she does as she's told, roughly gliding two fingers against her swollen clit. "Oh my god," she whimpers when the pleasure rockets through her like a space shuttle launching toward the moon.

"You're so hot," she groans, her speed picking up to match Regina's tempo.

And that sweet little confession tips Regina over the edge and sends her spiraling into two orgasms that leave her breathless and violently quaking against the wall. Thankfully, Emma holds her upright, she doesn't kiss her because she feels like that would be too personal, so she just holds her tight and hopes that is enough.

Unexpectedly, Regina pounds a fist against the wall, startling Emma and confusing the hell out of her. "I hate her. God, I hate her so much!" She yells, slamming her clenched fist against the tile once more.

Emma doesn't make a peep, but her grip tightens around a quivering waist and holds her especially close. She doesn't know what to say, what advice could she possibly give when she doesn't have a family, never understood the dynamics of one and what it all means? So, she remains quiet.

"I know she was baiting me; she was clearly trying to out me!" Regina seethes, slapping both hands fiercely against the tile and Emma just knows the action has caused her palms to sting.

"I'm sorry," is all that spews pathetically from Emma's mouth as support.

"How dare she," Regina cries out. "She was never there for me. She was never around; the only time we saw her was on holidays and she was such a bitch to me!"

Emma cannot scrounge her mind for anything helpful to say, so she places a kiss to the woman's shoulder, and it must be a trigger because Regina collapses. She becomes putty in her hands and melts down to the shower floor, taking Emma down with her. Unexpectedly, the cold hard exterior shatters and out pours the tears Regina keeps so expertly locked away. Emma moves quickly, not a thought in her brain on how to console, she just scoops Regina up into her arms and holds her close. She leans with her back against the wall and Regina moves all on her own, straddling her hips and burying her face in her chest.

"I'm sorry I'm not better at this," Emma meekly says, "I'm not very good with emotions."

Regina chuckles through her tears, shaking her head against Emma's naked chest. "I'm sorry. I never cry."

"I had a feeling," she lightly muses, holding this fragile woman closer.

"It's just...she makes me so mad." She pops her head up, revealing red-rimmed and swollen eyes with flushed cheeks. Emma finds her fingers moving all on their own to curl wet strands behind Regina's ear. "I told her how I felt when I was sixteen, I confided in her about how my parents couldn't accept my relationship with my girlfriend, Daniella. They put me in therapy and told me I was confused and she sat there and did nothing. Nothing! She said having a crush on a girl was nothing compared to the trauma she went through with her father's gambling and alcohol addiction. But she chose that life. She hated me and my father so much that she picked living with her father. She could have had it better, not great by any means, but better."

"That's so shitty, I'm so sorry," Emma whispers, rubbing soothing circles up and down Regina's back to settle her cries. "Has she ever apologized?"

"Never," she growls in disdain, "she just needs my name now to carry her to the end."

Emma nods, her mind a little distracted by the fact that they are still naked in the shower, Regina on her lap, talking. That's the scariest part, they are talking. She has never felt so unguarded and open before, even with her ex. She sort of felt like she was always holding back, always holding her breath, so terrified her ex might not fully accept her and end up rejecting her completely. It didn't really matter though considering how things ended anyways.

"I'm sorry your mom passed away," she quietly says as if she doesn't have any right to bring up something so delicate. "I didn't know."

"It's alright," Regina shrugs, swiping at her leaky nose, persuading a smile to break across Emma's lips from seeing this woman not so perfect. "She had a heart attack, probably from stressing so much over my father's image in the public eye."

"What does he do?"

"He's the mayor of the small town I grew up in, in Maine."

"So... that's why you keep your sexuality hidden from the show?"

Regina's bloodshot eyes slowly crawl to latch onto Emma's. She swallows, reluctantly nodding along in defeat. "When I was eighteen, I ran away from them, I was so tired of the mind games. They cut me off and I didn't have a dime and nowhere to go, so I auditioned for the Real World. It drove my parents mad and I loved sticking it to them." Emma's mouth blooms into a proud smile, maybe they do have something in common after all. "They made me an offer though, if I didn't come out to the public, they would keep me in their will, and I would inherit every penny once they die."

"And that's worth it to you?"

"Oh yes," roughly rasps from Regina's quivering voice. "They are admitting defeat. I could easily slander his campaign but I'm not and in exchange all their hard work and money will go straight into their bisexual daughter's pocket even though they don't believe in that and despise her for it. They will spend their dead days rolling over in their graves knowing I have everything that once belonged to them."

"That's dark."

"That's what they deserve for how they mistreated me."

Emma cracks a smile, curling her hand around the back of Regina's neck and pulling her in close for a kiss. "I can help you get back at your mom again," she quips against the feel of warm lips.

Regina laughs, a full belly laugh as she tips her head back and slicks back her hair. "We should get out."

"Shit, we have been in here a while," Emma admits as they scramble off the ground. Regina turns off the water as Emma retrieves two towels. "Hopefully, Robin is still throwing a temper tantrum and production is distracted."

"Ah, so the house did throw him in against Zelena?" Regina sing-songs in a much too perky tone for someone left out of the loop.

"You masterminded that plan, didn't you?" She playfully accuses as Regina steps out of the shower, showing off the extra kick in her step as she winks over her shoulder. "You little brat," Emma laughs, snapping her towel at Regina's naked bottom and chasing her out of the bathroom.

Chapter Text

Regina decided it would be best if Emma went down to see what happened with Robin while she remained upstairs and very far away from her sister. When Emma entered the common room, there were multiple security guards standing between Robin and Neal. Now, Emma knows Neal has turned over a new leaf and wouldn't risk the chance of being disqualified over punching someone (old Neal would have Robin's face caved in and needing surgery by now). She does know that he would gladly take a hit if that means someone else will be eliminated from instigating.

"Hey," she whispers, sneaking up behind Killian. "What happened?"

"Robin was running his mouth at everyone in the house, so Neal put him in his place," her partner chuckles, very amused as his eyes slide over his shoulder. "Is your...hair wet?"

She absentmindedly touches her drenched locks, provoking a burning heat to sizzle against her cheeks and reveal how embarrassed she is. "Uh...well, yeah, I was all sweaty from working out," she lies and she knows that he knows she's lying by the devilish smirk slapped across his face.

"Aye," he mumbles, then directs his attention back toward the cluster of people.

"Anyone get hit?"

"Nah, security stepped in just before Robin could throw a punch." She hums in response, ready to sneak back up and steal another few moments alone with Regina but her partner has other plans. "Hey, why don't you get your suit and we can do some laps and practice diving. You were good on the last challenge but not that good," he muses with a shit-eating grin plastered across his face.

"Well...I just took a shower..."

"See, your hair is already wet." She glares at him, unamused. "Come on, Swan. You got lucky that those puzzle pieces weren't that far down. We need to practice."

"Yeah, you're right," she grudgingly concedes. "Alright, just give me a minute to go change."

"Aye. I'll see you out back in five minutes."

She nods, faking a smile until she spins on her tiptoes and scurries back upstairs. When she enters the shared room, she finds Regina curled into a tight little ball on her bottom bunk, resting her eyes. As soon as the other woman hears her, those big brown eyes spring back to life.

"Hey, was there a fight? Is Robin kicked out?" She hopefully inquires, encouraging a bubbly laugh to tumble from Emma's lips.

"No, no," she declines, shaking her head as she rummages her bag for her bathing suit. "He just ran his mouth, then Neal jumped in to put him in his place and from what I can tell, it was a pissing contest."

Regina hums thoughtfully as Emma removes her tank top to slide into her suit. "Going somewhere?" She practically purrs, her voice oozing sex appeal while her eyes take their time drinking in the sight of Emma's plentiful breasts on display like an exhibit at a museum.

"Why?" She muses, halting all her movements just to entice Regina a little more. "Can I help you with something?"

"Oh no dear, I'm perfectly fine admiring all on my own," Regina sasses with mirth twinkling in her eyes.

Emma's head falls back from her laughter just before she dives down onto the bottom bunk and tackles Regina into the mattress. In the process, she plants a rough kiss to those dazzling lips while Regina's hands sneak between their bodies to grope both breasts with vigor.

"So, I guess boobs are your kryptonite?" Emma teases into the searing kiss that lights her whole body on fire.

"I have always been one to appreciate the art of beautiful breasts," she declares, emphasizing her words by squeezing both mounds with vigor.

Emma moans, thrusting provocatively against Regina's warm center but wait...are they really doing this? Are they just openly flirting now and freely touching one another as if there's some formal contract granting permission?

"Weren't you going somewhere?" Regina mocks, jerking Emma right back to reality.

She clambers awkwardly off the woman and swiftly slips into her bathing suit top. Regina doesn't protest, she simply rolls onto her stomach and stuffs her hands beneath her pillow to watch Emma dress.

"Yeah, Killian suggested we do some laps and practice diving," she says, sliding on her bottoms.

"Good, you need it."

"Hey! I did great on our last challenge and I didn't doggy-paddle."

"Thank god for small miracles," this little brat pokes fun again, rolling her eyes but there seems to be a glint of joy highlighting them.

Emma dives forward, smacking Regina's bottom with an echoing sting. This gorgeous specimen doesn't even yelp, she just purses her lips in a failed attempt to hide her smile.

"I've always been an ass-girl myself," she announces, then breezes right out the door.

She has no freaking idea when they shifted from enemies to...well, not so much friends, but flirty playful banter on their way to friends maybe? It probably has to do with the fact that they both had meltdowns now in front of each other from the stress of the show and competition and that will remain their little shared secret. She just isn't sure how to proceed with Regina.

She knows Regina can't expose her truth and run the risk of losing her inheritance, so are they just going to keep fucking in the shower and pretend nothing happens? Not that Emma's necessarily opposed to the idea. Frankly, it's probably her best option because she just got out of a six year relationship and she is not in the right head space to be jumping into anything. The mere thought of trusting someone again makes her want to vomit but a no strings attached whatever with Regina sounds fun. She is fairly confident the older woman isn't looking for anything serious either.

"Swan!" Killian bellows as she shuffles out onto the patio. "Jump in, the water is great."

Emma flashes a small smile, mostly because of Tink hanging off his back like a little monkey as she attacks his neck with tiny kisses. She jumps right into the cool waters and pops up right in front of the couple.

"Hey!"

"Hey," she says through a smile. "So what, you're no longer my roommate?" She teases, slicking back her hair. "I don't know the last time you slept in our room."

Tink blushes but she's grinning like a madwoman and Killian's expression is just as giddy. "I know," she shyly admits, "but Killian is so....cozy."

Emma's face reacts all on its own, scrunching up in bewilderment and jerking back in what appears to be revulsion. "Cozy?" She repeats because she has never in her life found anyone to be cozy. She never even cuddled with her ex, because the woman was always a hot sleeper and needed space and air to breathe.

"Yeah, he's just...warm and comfy and I sleep better."

Emma breathes out a dry chuckle. "Okay, if you say."

"Don't worry, you're still my number one in here," Tink reassures her, knowing how important and how much weight that statement holds in The Challenge house.

"I better be," she playfully quips, splashing some water into Tink's face.

"Alright, let's do some laps to warm up," Killian sternly requests, "and then we will practice holding our breaths and diving under water."

Emma grumbles like she's fully annoyed but deep down her heart is fluttering with joy knowing she finally found such amazing friends that are actually trying to help her. So, she spends the afternoon under the sun with her two ride or dies and focuses on everything they try and teach her. And she isn't at all disappointed when Regina avoids her all day again.

~~~~

The following evening, Emma found herself on the bridge in the arena of The Jungle for once since the first week of filming. It's such a different energy up there, knowing that she's completely safe from elimination and it makes her want to work harder in the game, so she doesn't find herself in that sandpit again.

She's standing with Killian, Tink and Graham but without her permission, her eyes wander down the bridge to where Regina is resting against wooden rail, waiting for the games to begin. She didn't expect Regina to be anywhere near her, not when the Queen has been actively avoiding her all day but still, it stings a little after everything that's transpired lately.

She doesn't dwell on that too much though because TJ is explaining the rules and Emma is too pumped to witness this elimination firsthand. It's an old classic, Balls In, which is pretty self-explanatory, put the balls in the basket. Except this game has a twist, there is a large basket in the center of a circle. One person is playing offense, their goal being to place the ball in the basket, the other person who is playing defense has to do whatever need be to block the other player, which includes, tackling and wrestling. If the ball is knocked out of the person's hands or rolls out of the circle, the players will switch playing offense and defense.

The game is intense and she once saw Mary Margaret break her wrist while trying to get the ball in the basket and she still played through. She would never wish any harm upon anyone but she also kind of wants Zelena to be disqualified before the bloodshed even begins, even if she can't stand Robin. The thing is that Robin's elimination record is fifteen wins and eleven losses, so she is banking that he's got this one which will give Regina a little peace of mind back at the house.

"Alright Marian, are you ready?" TJ hollers with his horn thrust into the air.

Marian nods in her helmet, licking the mouth guard protecting her teeth. She has the ball tucked under her arm, beneath the bulky shoulder pads and she looks so tiny in all the protective gear.

"Zelena, are you ready?"

"Yeah," Zelena growls, standing directly in front of Marian, ready to tackle her to the ground.

Emma swallows, she didn't take into consideration that the women have to play one on one against each other. They are both Rookie women, meaning it's anyone's game and they won't know until that horn blows who the stronger competitor is.

"Go!" TJ screams, blowing his horn and motivating Marian to stumble forward.

It's obvious she doesn't have a game plan, nothing more than getting that ball in the basket because she appears almost frozen. Zelena on the other hand, looks like she is ready to handle whatever comes her way. Her arms are wide open, ready to block Marian from any direction with a mean snarl curling at her lips.

Marian takes a leap of faith, jerking to the right and making a mad dash for the basket but Zelena crouches down low and gut checks her. She wraps her arms around Marian's waist and plows into her causing the entire cast to hiss as if they are the ones being tackled. Zelena slams Marian onto her back before shoving her over the rope boundary, effectively knocking the ball out of bounds.

TJ's horn rings loudly into the night, motivating Zelena to climb right off Marian and snatch the ball from under her arm. Nobody says a word but out of Emma's peripheral, she sees Regina leaning further over the railing. She wonders if Regina is worried that her sister might win and return to the house just to cause her more heartache and drama or if she's actually concerned for her sister's wellbeing despite everything?

"Alright girls, let's switch it up," TJ announces. "The score is still zero to zero. Zelena, you are on offense, you want to be the first to score for your team. Marian, you're on defense, you need to block her," he instructs while the girls take their positions and nod along.

After the host asks if the girls are ready, he blows the horn and Zelena takes off running, straight into Marian without any fears or reservations. Marian tries to cling to her opponent but the sheer force has her feet stumbling back. Marian collapses back into the basket, allowing Zelena to use her weight to crush the smaller woman between herself and the basket. Marian attempts to fight for the ball but Zelena easily places the ball in behind Marian's head.

Another horn is blown and TJ announces that Zelena and August have the first point which means it's the men who are up next. Robin has the ball first and he wastes no time, faking left, dashing right, and ducking out of August's range to slam the ball in the basket. Emma glances around the group standing on the bridge, noticing that everyone is eerily quiet and she's sure this cast is torn on who they actually want to return.

August is up next, standing behind the rope with the ball tucked into his side like a football. He adjusts his mouth guard while Robin practically foams at the mouth for this win. When the horn echoes in the night, August attempts to sidestep Robin but this man tackles August to the ground with a sickening thump. August is gasping for air, wiggling beneath Robin and trying so desperately to escape but Robin shows no mercy, pushing and shoving until August is out of bounds.

Emma peeks over at Regina, studying the blank expression on her face but the way her fingers tap against her bicep reveals just how nervous she is. The girls quickly set up and take their places while TJ informs everyone that the score is one to one.

Marian is up first again, her eyes laser focused on the basket but Zelena is shuffling in front of the woman like a bear ready to attack its prey. This time Marian fakes right but dodges left and Zelena misreads the situation. Marian has her moment, running toward the basket until Zelena latches onto her ankle and jerks her backwards. Marian is so damn close to the basket, so she tosses the ball in hopes she can make it before she collapses to the ground. The ball soars through the air, everyone holding their breath and believing it's about to sink into the basket. That is until it bounces off the edge and rolls down the side of the basket and out of bounds. Marian whines, pressing her helmet into the sand in defeat while Zelena jumps to her feet and snatches up the ball for the next round.

Unfortunately, Zelena bulldozes through Marian again, knocks her to her butt and effortlessly places the ball into the basket. The score is officially two to one, Zelena and August in the lead and only needing one more point.

Robin is up first and to be fair, August puts up a hell of a fight, clawing and dragging Robin away from the basket but after much wrestling, Robin sinks a basket, tying the score. When August steps up to the line with the ball in his arms, he's struggling to breathe. He's completely gassed out from wrestling Robin and yet, Robin appears ready for another ten more rounds. The girls are on the sidelines, screaming at their teammates but the rest of the cast is dead silent, clearly neither team is wanted back.

TJ blows his horn, encouraging August to step to his left, then he swiftly shuffles to his right but Robin is on his every move, anticipating what's to come. August looks utterly defeated and so worn out and Emma is sure he can't handle another blow or two from Robin. Unexpectedly, August throws his arms up and tosses the ball up and over Robin's head like he's throwing a damn free-throw on a basketball court. The entire cast and production holds their breath, watching in shock as Robin follows the ball soar through the air with his eyes only.

The ball sinks perfectly into the basket, sounding the horn and ending the game.

"Alright that's game, Zelena and August win," TJ bellows, motivating Zelena to run across the pit and tackle August to the ground.

August, her partner. Not Robin her supposed boyfriend. Emma immediately turns her attention to Regina but the woman is standing there, politely clapping for her sister, showing her sportsmanship even if she's dying on the inside.

Robin chucks his helmet like a giant toddler while Marian begins removing her protective gear as if she's relieved that she doesn't have to go back to the house with Robin as her partner. TJ lines the two teams up, standing between them.

"What a great battle tonight, you all showed how much you wanted this," the host begins. "Unfortunately, Robin and Marian, you just couldn't get it done tonight. So this is your time here in Thailand, I'm sure we will see you guys soon," he states.

"You guys are a bunch of assholes," Robin bitterly screams at everyone on the bridge before he grabs Zelena's chin and kisses her like he owns the woman and is threatening every person in the house to stay away from what is his. "I'm going to miss you," he tells her. "Call me as soon as you're home."

Zelena nods. "It's going to be a while. I'm winning this," she states with conviction, persuading Robin to plant one more disgusting kiss to her lips again.

The losing team is then ushered away, followed by TJ sending the winning team back to the bridge with the rest of the house.

"Alright guys, five teams are gone now. I suggest you guys go back to the house and get some rest." TJ pauses, a sick grin sliding maliciously across his face. "You're gonna need it," he cryptically says.

Emma's stomach plummets and she thinks she might be sick. She knows TJ well enough to know that he is warning them, offering just a tidbit of a clue for what's to come in their next daily challenge.

And she knows whatever lies ahead is going to exhaust her in more ways than one.

Chapter Text

She is bored out of her mind. Some people are going for an evening dip in the pool, some are working out and others are just lying around the couches, talking and being lazy. They were instructed not to drink tonight because they have an important daily challenge that will occur at six in the morning, so everyone is very chill.

She enters her bedroom thinking she will just turn in early for the night but she finds Regina playing solitaire on her bunk bed.

"Hey."

"Hey," Regina volleys back, focusing on her game and ignoring Emma yet again.

All of a sudden she doesn't want to sleep and she wants all of this woman's attention.

"You wanna maybe play some cards?" She hesitantly asks, perching herself at the edge of her own bed.

"Sure, once I finish this game."

"Yeah, no problem-" her words are drowned out by the blaring sound of a siren throughout the house. "What the hell is that?" She screams over the ear piercing squeal just as Kristoff and Elsa rush into their room.

Regina's head jerks up, a skeptical eyebrow slithering up her forehead. "A challenge."

"What?"

"This is how they used to inform us that we were heading to a daily challenge."

"It's nighttime," Emma deadpans as the camera zooms in on her face.

"I'm very aware," Regina sighs in exasperation, climbing to her feet and tossing down her cards.

"We don't do daily challenges at night, only during the day."

"Not today," Regina quips, crossing her arms over her chest to remove her shirt, exposing a sports bra beneath. Emma averts her eyes, knowing the camera is analyzing her every move. Through her lashes, she sees her roommate gathering her uniform. "Get dressed, we only have fifteen minutes," she informs her and then disappears into the bathroom.

Emma closes her eyes and breathes through her frustrations because honestly, she wasn't up for cards. All she wants is to crawl into her bed and sleep for about twelve hours but apparently, it's time to go to work.

~~~~

When they arrive, she finds herself in a deserted area that very much feels like the middle of a jungle. They are lead through the trees, in the dark with nothing but flashlights guiding their way. The air is muggy this evening and she can already see some of the men starting to sweat (Regina's hair is beginning to curl near her temple but she is actively ignoring that).

Suddenly, it's bright, blinding white lights shining down on a open pit from production which will only make them sweat even more during whatever challenge lies ahead. She quickly glances around, noting how there are nine rows of boxes and each row has three sets of different size boxes. Her eyes frantically search her fellow competitors for answers but everyone is just as confused as she is.

Production lines up the cast, the men standing behind their female partners just as TJ enters from the left.

"I'm sure you are all wondering why you were dragged from the house at night," TJ smugly begins and Emma already knows she's going to fucking hate this challenge. "Welcome to your next challenge," he smirks mischievously, "Up All Night," and he has the audacity to laugh while everyone groans. "You and your partner are going to start off by standing on the larger box on the top level. Your goal, do not fall off. You have to stand on these boxes all night long, sharing the minimal space. No sitting! When you hear an air horn, that is your signal to step down to the next box which will be significantly smaller and then to the last which hardly has any room for two people."

And usually, TJ will ask if there are any questions or if they are ready but this guy just waltzes away, laughing. A few of the OG contestants call to him but he ignores everyone and disappears into the jungle. Production immediately steps in, demanding that they stand on the larger boxes. Surprisingly, a producer calls them one by one, instructing which team to stand where and skipping over interviews about the upcoming challenge. Emma ends up on the box between Regina and Ruby and she suspects that maybe they believe that Emma and Regina are still enemies and are hoping for some drama. Especially, since Zelena is standing on the other side of Regina. 

Killian stands beside her, scrubbing his hand down his face already and appearing more exhausted than a mom who has been up all night with her colicky newborn.

"Please tell me you slept last night," Emma whines.

"I did," he defends, "between some rounds with Tink."

"Ugh, you jerk," she gripes, folding her arms bitterly across her chest.

"So...we just...stand here all night?" Naveen asks like there is a catch he just isn't quite understanding.

"Oh, I'm sure Teej has something up his sleeve," Neal chimes in, already stretching his thighs in preparation for a strenuous night ahead.

Mary Margaret instantly turns around to David and whispers something in his ear that has his eyebrows skyrocketing to his hairline. Ruby begins twisting and turning her back before reaching for her toes. Belle is calm, her arms folded across her chest while her eyes sweep all around the area for some clue. Sabine is appearing as bored as ever and Zelena is glaring murderously at her sister.

"And we are just expected not to eat or drink water for...however many hours we stand here?" Tink incredulously inquires, appearing so puzzled by all of this, just like the rest of the Rookies.

The Vets don't even seem phased by any of this.

"What time did we get down here?" Naveen asks.

"We left the house around nine-thirty and drove for about a half an hour or so," Regina begins. "I'm assuming they started the clock between ten-fifteen, ten-thirty."

"God I hope TJ ends this at six a.m," Merlin groans, plopping his fists upon his hips in annoyance.

"That jerk is going to show up at like noon," Jeff scoffs, tenting his fingers like TJ does and raises one eyebrow in the most uncanny way. "He's going to walk up while we are all dying from sleep deprivation and ask if we are all rested up for another challenge."

Everyone chuckles at the impressive impersonation.

"We are all going to lose our minds," Merlin very seriously states.

"It's going to feel like we're drunk after so many hours," David chimes in.

"Did anyone nap today?" Ruby inquires but the whole cast shakes their heads in the negative.

"This is going to be a long night," Belle sighs.

~~~~

"It's gotta be an hour, right?" Tink inquires, her fingers digging into her lower back as she dips backwards to stretch the muscles.

"Definitely," Jeff confidently agrees.

"Nah," August interrupts. "I bet it's only been forty-five minutes. Time is going to drag on these damn things."

"Alright," Neal announces like he has some brilliant plan, "we need to distract ourselves. I'm thinking of a superhero character. You guys all ask me questions to figure out who it is."

"Oh," Mary Margaret squeals in delight. "Are you female?"

"No."

"Are you from DC?" David joins in.

"No."

"Are you from Marvel?" Sabine investigates.

"Yes!"

"Iron Man," Emma claims as if she's bored of the game.

"Swan," Neal whines pathetically.

"Wait, what?" Killian laughs in disbelief. "She got it?"

"Yes," Neal huffs, bitterly folding his arms across his chest.

The contestants begin heckling each other while also fighting about who is going to go next but Emma's eye catches a man walking a little too close to their boxes to be someone in production working behind the scenes. Yet, he struts closer as if he is supposed to be there and knows exactly what he is doing. Off to Emma's left, after Regina, is Zelena at the end and that's where this man ventures to.

Emma certainly didn't notice it before but there is a very tall structure that resembles a tower made up of metal. Without thinking, she backhands Killian in the gut and nods to where this man is climbing a ladder. Regina is already inspecting the man as well but the oofff Killian breathes out from her fist snags everyone's attention.

"Hey!" Neal shouts from the other end of the arena. "You lost? I don't think production will like you in the frame!"

Everyone laughs but Emma notices how quickly Mary Margaret turns to David and whispers something in his ear. Something feels off about the entire situation, especially when this man climbs to the top of the tower and then swings to the other side. Unexpectedly, there's an obnoxious ruckus and this man seems to have knocked a few boards down from the tower.

"Jeez, dude, what the hell you doing?" Will scoffs, clearly agitated by the situation, so he turns his back to the man.

Emma leans into Killian and whispers, "why does his shirt have a radio station on the back?"

Killian's brows furrow in concentration as he assesses the man climbing down the tower. "Good question. If he was from production he would be wearing The Challenge logo."

Emma nods in agreement and leans in even closer to his ear. "I think we should memorize everything that's happening. I bet TJ will question us in the morning like trivia or something."

"Aye! Good, Swan, good. His shirt is blue and it says 87.5 on the back."

"He's leaving," she murmurs, nodding to where the man just walks away without a single word and exits near Zelena's box at the end.

And then out of nowhere, all cameras are shutting down and one of the producers, Ashley, steps dead center and stops all the hushed whispers and chit chat.

"Every two hours you will rotate taking bathroom breaks," Ashley announces. "You will have three minutes, if you take longer, you will be penalized at the end of this challenge. Do not take advantage. I will call you down one by one," she states as another member of the team begins placing water bottles on the edge of the boxes for them.

"Oh thank god because I'm about to pee my pants," Ruby complains as she does a little potty jig.

Every single cast member takes their bathroom break and after fifteen minutes, everyone is back on their boxes, ready for the next two hours to begin. Ashley signals for the cameras to start rolling again and for some reason, the idea of standing on these boxes again seems even more daunting and miserable.

~~~~

Maybe an hour has gone by, maybe only thirty minutes, either way her legs feel like she's been planted to these boxes for a full twenty-four hours. There's a little twinge aching in her lower back and surprisingly, her shoulders are starting to tense.

"Will Farrell, Paul Rudd, and Sandra Bullock, go!"

She blinks back to reality to find all sets of sleepy eyes on her. What was the question? Something about Sandra Bullock? Maybe she should just say Miss Congeniality, but then Killian is elbowing her and whispering the three names all over again.

Right, they were playing that ridiculous game.

"What a random selection," she mumbles, sliding her nose against her palm to alleviate an itch. "Uh, marry Paul Rudd, sleep with Sandra Bullock and kill Will Farrell," she mindlessly rambles off but the collective gasps from around the arena are like a sonic boom that almost knocks her right off her box.

"How dare you!"

"What? Kill Will?"

"Have you no soul?"

"What?" She shrugs carelessly. "I hate that guy," she scoffs, evoking more groans of disapproval and chants for her head.

"That's not possible," Tamara firmly states. "Nobody hates him."

"I do."

"Booo, push her off the box!" August teases, encouraging Killian to grip her by the shoulders and pretend to toss her overboard.

The conversation is officially ended when the sound of music echoes through the trees. The contestants turn their attention to the left to find a Mariachi band entering the sandpit, never faltering on their song. August takes Zelena's hand and begins dancing to the music but Emma is focused on how many men make up the band and what color their jackets are. She tries to memorize the different instruments as well and whatever else she can cram into her brain.

When the song ends, everyone politely claps for the band and compliments them but their words are drowned out by the song starting up all over again. Everyone sighs but she thinks this is a perfect opportunity to continue memorizing everything and anything about this entire situation.

Two minutes later, the song ends once again and everyone seems relieved...until the band starts up the same song once more. Emma peeks over to her left, noticing how Regina has her hands folded behind her back. Actually, the woman has three fingers up and Emma knows immediately that Regina has the same idea of memorizing these little scenes and the Mariachi band is on their third time playing the song.

By the time the song repeats itself five times, her competitors are groaning and growing agitated from the lack of sleep. Zelena and August have turned around, thinking if the band is out of sight, they will be out of mind as well. Tink is starting to rub her temples like a painful headache is developing. However, Mary Margaret and David are dancing together like it's their first date night at a salsa class.

When the band finally leaves after seven times playing the same damn song, Emma's head is pounding in retaliation. She finally swoops down for the water bottle that was left behind and steals a small sip to make sure she doesn't overflow her bladder. However, the cool liquid does very little to settle the throbbing in her head and she knows it's only going to grow more intense as the night continues without sleep.

~~~~

If she had to guess, it's somewhere around one-thirty in the morning. They had their one bathroom break about an hour ago, so she's feeling fairly confident that three hours have been ticked off their task. Her eyelids feel as if they are carrying around cement blocks, actually, her entire body is feeling weighted and made up of concrete.

Her exhaustion must be showing because Killian places his hand upon her shoulder and gently squeezes some life back into her. Honestly, she thinks her body is asleep at this point but just one firm touch and blood is starting to flow again.

"You, alright?" He whispers into her ear and she's so tired and mentally drained, her body shivers in response.

Suddenly, she's cold all over despite the warm and muggy air around her.

"Yeah," her dry voice croaks out as she snaps her neck from left to right to crack away the tension in her shoulders. "I'm...I'll...be good," she incoherently rambles but Killian is so tired and slap-happy, he ends up busting a gut laughing.

And she has no clue why he is laughing so uncontrollably but her mouth is lifting into a smile and a fit of giggles randomly explodes from her mouth.

"What's so funny?" Zelena snarks. "Share with the class."

Emma snorts, exposing a rough chuckle that scrapes the back of her throat and only makes Killian laugh even harder.

"Oh no," Ruby giggles under her breath. "They're slap-happy and they have a bad case of the giggles."

"Ut-oh," Mary Margaret says through a tiny chuckle, "the giggles are contagious too."

About half the cast breaks out in laughter while the other half expresses their misery through rolling eyes and deep exhales of frustration. Except, all the laughter is drowned out by a roaring engine from a dirt bike that comes peeling through the arena.

"Oh shush," Emma hisses, backhanding Killian in the gut again as the man on the bike draws a massive circle in front of them.

Her sleepy eyes scan the dirt bike, noting that it's cherry red with the number ninety-three near the exhaust. Killian leans heavily into her side while her eyes continue to memorize the pattern on the driver's jumpsuit.

"He drove in a circle four times," he whispers.

"Number ninety-three on the bike," she reveals through very tight lips.

And then the man drives off and she is left with the weight of her exhaustion and misery all over again.

~~~~

Around hour four, which should be somewhere near two-thirty in the morning, the players are called for another bathroom break. She's so tired and her legs are so fucking numb that she actually has a hard time even walking to the bathroom. She's like Bambi, a very drunk Bambi with legs made up of Jell-O.

When she stands back on her box, Regina has one skeptical eyebrow up her forehead, obviously inquiring if she is alright. She knows Regina doesn't want anyone to know that they are enemies with benefits, so she simply shrugs one shoulder and looks away. Besides, she has a pounding headache from the lack of sleep and the last thing she wants to do right now is stir up any drama between speculating cast members or Regina.

"Remember those little scooters in gym class that always ran over your fingers?" Neal questions which has all the original contestants nodding along and groaning.

"Wait," Regina pipes up, "remember the rainbow tarp thing that we would all have to lift in the air?"

"What are you guys talking about?" Emma very seriously questions.

Killian laughs, wrapping his arms around her neck from behind. "I always forget that you're such a baby."

"I'm not a baby!"

"You're so young!" Neal groans. "It really makes us feel our age."

"Are you the youngest here?" Mary Margaret innocently asks.

"I mean...."

"How old are you?" Sabine questions without any malicious intent in her tone.

"Uh...twenty-two," she meekly answers, earning herself a collective moaning and groaning from the OG's.

"Baby!" Ruby hollers.

"I'm not that young!" She defends before her face falls and she glances around the pit. "Wait, am I seriously the youngest? Tink?"

"Twenty-five, babe."

Emma groans, slapping a heavy hand down her face as Killian rests his head against her shoulder and laughs even harder. "You all suck."

The obnoxious sound of circus music echoes through the arena and snaps every mouth shut. They all turn their heads to the left, ready to glare at whatever comes their way. Out comes a very lanky man with a red painted nose while he juggles bowling pins. His legs are so damn long that he almost appears to be walking on stilts. For some reason, what really snags Emma's attention are the vibrant red sneakers decorating this man's feet. Maybe it's because she has always been partial to the color or maybe because they kind of remind her of her favorite red leather jacket, either way, she pockets that information for a later date.

There's nothing special or ironic about this scene, just a man juggling. It's all very anticlimactic and truthfully, she was kind of hoping he would bust out some knives or swallow fire or anything really to keep her attention but no such luck. After five minutes or so, the juggler walks away.

Unexpectedly, an air horn blares but there is no sign of TJ. Emma can't even stop the whimper that escapes her lips from the thought of standing on an even smaller box with less room but more importantly, being left to stand there again without a distraction.

~~~~

Hour five is when things take a turn for the better and it's all because of a donkey wearing a green poncho, pulling a cart behind him. There's a giant sign that says Fernando's, all escorted by a Latino man also wearing a poncho and a sombrero. Right there in front of their very eyes, he begins cooking meat, sending the aroma to waft through the air and remind them just how hungry they truly are.

"Okay, this is a special brand of torture," Tamara complains while the cast groans and hugs their empty stomachs.

"I don't even care right now if that's cow brains," Neal states with conviction. "I am so freaking hungry I'll eat it."

"Umm, excuse me, Señor," Will calls to the man who is completely ignoring them. "How much for a taco?"

"Because we have cash on us," Belle sarcastically quips.

"How many tacos do you think I could get if I flash him?"

"Ruby!" Belle scolds, her face scrunching in pure disgust as the rest of the competitors laugh.

Señor Fernando seems very hard at work, scooping the meat onto tortillas and happily topping them with onions, lettuce, cheese, and cilantro. Emma's stomach growls loudly but she's not the least bit embarrassed because everyone else is producing the same noises. She whimpers, resting her forehead against Killian's back to hide away from the scene playing in front of her.

"Oh my god!" Emma hears the shock in Zelena's tone, convincing her to lift her heavy head and investigate. "Are you serious?"

Fernando hands a plate to August with four tacos piled high with scrumptious ingredients. Her mouth salivates at the prospect of tacos filling her stomach. Everyone is observing them closely, waiting with bated breath for August's verdict on the tacos. He doesn't even take a modest bite, he shoves half the taco into his mouth and moans erotically.

"So good," he mumbles with a mouthful, encouraging Zelena to take her first bite.

As she moans her approval too, everyone becomes antsy waiting for their meals. One by one they are served, each person granted two tacos to refuel their tanks and keep them going through the night.

"There was something in the air that night," Sabine sings as she eats her taco and shakes her butt in a little happy jig.

"The stars were bright, Fernando!" Mary Margaret continues to sing as Sabine swallows her bite.

And then everyone chimes in, singing the ABBA hit as they dance and eat their lovely tacos, except for Emma. She proceeds to stuff her face and enjoy the small entertainment.

"You're not singing," Killian points out.

She shrugs carelessly. "I don't know this song," she confesses, licking the grease from her thumb as it glides toward her hand.

Fuck these tacos are good.

"You don't know, Fernando?" Regina asks, leaning just a smidge on her box to hear Emma over the shouting...not so much singing.

"Nope!"

"You really are a child," Regina huffs, taking another dainty bite to savor the flavor or maybe make the food last longer.

Emma's too exhausted and too happy from the tacos dancing around her mouth to argue. So, she sticks out her tongue at the woman in the most childish manner (since everyone insists on calling her one) but Regina just rolls her eyes and goes back to ignoring her.

~~~~

Okay, so maybe something psychedelic was slipped into those tacos.

Why else would she be seeing two grown-ass men running around in wrestling masks while chasing each other with chainsaws?

Sleep deprivation could have something to do with it also but she knows this is just another crazy scenario thanks to their lovely host, TJ Lavin.

"The names," Killian mutters under his breath and behind his hand, motivating her eyes to jump to the names written across their backs.

Hernandez and Diaz.

Hernandez is the one that gets a little too bold for her liking and runs too close for comfort near her box with a screaming chainsaw in the air. On pure instinct, she ducks and hides behind Killian, not like she can really go anywhere else. The second box is too small to stand side by side now, so she's standing behind her partner, leaning heavily into his back for support.

"Have you been going over the order in your head, like which scene was first?" She questions into his sweaty shirt and normally she would cringe but she's too tired to feel much of anything.

"Yeah, ladder guy, mariachi band, dirt bike, juggler, tacos, chainsaws."

"Good, that's how I remember it."

~~~~

And then life seemed to drag by like a slug in quicksand. Holy bloody hell does time not move.

Hour seven brings a man who drags a barrel to the center of the arena. He bangs on the barrel three times, coaxing another man to join him out of nowhere and then the second man is lit on fire by the first guy. What the actual fuck is going on? She hasn't a clue. She would normally be very concerned but she's just assuming that production has this all figured out.

Another bathroom break is allowed, followed by the last horn blowing to inform them to stand on their smallest box. The midnight sky is starting to brighten up at this point and everyone is starting to become really excited, expecting to see TJ within the next hour or so.

However, when six-thirty a.m rolls around and the sun is stretching toward the sky, another surprise occurs instead of their host.

A guy comes out carrying an Iguana. The man starts with Tamara and Neal, (she's squealing in disgust) so he takes the iguana and holds him, begging her to at least pet the animal. Finally, she relents and then the man takes a picture and moves onto the next box.

When the iguana makes his way toward Emma, she happily takes the creature into her arms and holds him close. She notices that he's wearing a gold chain around his neck that says, Alberto, so she makes sure to remember that small detail. She takes her picture with Killian and then watches in amazement as Regina gently takes the reptile into her arms and speaks so softly to him.

Emma might melt a little inside from the cuteness.

~~~~

She's asleep. She doesn't care if her eyes are still open, she is convinced her entire body has shut down and she has passed out. The bags under her eyes feel weighted at this point and she doesn't think she can last any longer.

The sun is roasting them, it's been up and out for at least two hours now, so where the hell is TJ? She is fairly confident it's around eight-thirty in the morning and they have officially been standing outside for ten hours without sleep. All partners are now gifting each other massages to alleviate the tension and knots building or maybe it's to keep each other awake.

She's so freaking tired, her chest is burning and she's queasy and at this point, she rather jump off the box and take her chances in the Jungle to stop this madness.

That's when TJ makes his debut, looking all well rested and smug. "Morning! You all feel fresh and rested?" He mocks, earning himself deep groans of disapproval because he knows at this point they are all sweaty, have nasty breath, and in dire need of showers. "Well congratulations, you've completed the first part of the Up All Night Challenge. Now, you are going to receive puzzle pieces. I hope you were all paying attention last night because you will need to put the events that took place in order of appearance while also answering questions about each scenario. The team that comes in last will be automatically sent into elimination. Good luck."

"Why did I sign up for this show again?" Emma grumbles just before production shuts off the cameras and leads them to their stations to begin the next part.

Chapter Text

The sun is melting the flesh right off her bones and the suffocating heat is frying her brains which is only causing her stomach to become nauseous. She's dizzy and overtired and now TJ wants her to recall the events from the night before and put together a puzzle?

He's insane is what he is.

Yet, there she is, swearing profusely as the host blows his horn and begins the race. Killian dumps out all the pieces while she begins flipping the boards over. Her limbs feel heavy and everything around her is fuzzy and she swears she's in some sort of dreamland but she needs to push all those feelings aside and end this so she can sleep.

All the boards have a question on them pertaining to each event from the night before. So she decides the best way to even begin, is to place the questions in order of when they first appeared. She scans the questions and finds the one that has to do with the man on the ladder. She finds the question asking what was the name of the radio station on the back of his shirt and places that one at the top of her list.

The other half of this challenge will be to find the answers on circular pieces that need to be placed on a pole to build a tower. Instead of having to take apart the tower if one of the answers is incorrect, they will be able to spin the pieces to line up the correct answer and have all the answers facing forward.

Without even speaking, Killian understands what she is doing and so he finds the pieces that answer the questions and begins stacking, starting with the last event to stack that piece on the bottom. This way the events will read first to last aligning from the top of the pole to the bottom.

"Iguana's name," Emma informs him.

Killian immediately finds Alberto without saying a word, so the other teams don't hear them and places the piece onto the pole. While her partner does that, she is already searching for the piece with the number three on it because that was the amount of times the man hit the barrel before lighting the other guy on fire. She hands the piece to Killian for him to stack on top and she quickly rushes to the next piece.

"The guy with the chainsaw," she mutters to herself, her eyes bouncing over all the pieces until she finds Hernandez and hands it over to Killian.

The next question asks what color the donkey's poncho was that served them tacos and Killian is already snatching up the piece that says green. She definitely remembers the juggler's shoes were red, so she is already handing that one over to Killian.

Unfortunately...

"Check! Check!" Mary Margaret and David holler in unison and her heart just sinks.

"How the hell did they finish so quickly?" She whines. "We are moving so fast."

"This is Mary Margaret's specialty," Killian whispers into her side. "I'm sure she didn't even look at the questions, she just stacked them by the answers."

"Fuck."

"It's fine, Swan. We've got this, just keep going," he sweetly encourages, snagging the next piece that has the number ninety-three for the dirt bike.

"Yeah, you're right," she says, even if she is sulking a little bit. She reads the next question and easily finds the number seven that indicates how many times the Mariachi band played their song.

"Check!" She hears Belle screaming and there goes another bit of confidence, along with another drop of energy.

"What the hell," she scoffs, handing over the last piece that answers what radio station was on the back of the guy's shirt who climbed the ladder.

"Check!" Regina's voice booms from across the arena and Emma feels this burning urge to kick down her tower in a fit of irrational, sleep-deprived rage.

"Check!" She screams next as Killian places his hand upon her shoulder and squeezes to calm the irritation festering within.

"Emma, Killian, unfortunately that's incorrect," TJ informs them and dear god does she want to burst into tears.

"What? How?" She exclaims, taking a step back to analyze the tower, starting from the bottom and checking her answers once again.

"Check!" Neal yells and it's only a few seconds later when TJ tells them they are wrong as well.

"The only one I don't feel confident with is the radio station," Killian states, already stepping forward to spin the puzzle piece to a different answer.

"I honestly thought that was right. I'm not sure anymore. Everything is so fuzzy and I'm starting to feel delirious."

"Hey, Swan, relax, we can just spin this one until we get it right," he assures her just as she hears someone vomiting profusely. "The heat is starting to get to all of us. Check!" He bellows but TJ is busy checking in Ruby and Graham and telling them that they have completed the task.

"I don't think I can handle being in the bottom again. Another elimination?" She pouts like a toddler in the middle of a temper tantrum.

TJ waltzes over with a care of indifference and she contemplates pushing him down for being so well rested and put together this morning. He checks over their answers and nods.

"Killian, Emma, you guys are done."

"Oh thank god," she breathes in relief, wrapping her arms around her partner's neck as a thank you for fixing her mistake and remaining so calm. "Thanks."

"Hey, you did amazing. You got the order correct and only missed one small detail. That's great," he kindly praises once again, reminding her how lucky she is to have such a supportive partner.

Mary Margaret is there when they step away from the cameras and onto the sidelines. She offers a cold bottle of water and a fruit cup provided by production for all the contestants once they complete the challenge.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome," she kindly says. "You did really well."

"Really? Because it certainly doesn't feel like it. We came in fifth."

"And yet some of the best competitors are still working," she declares, nodding to where Sabine is struggling and Neal is vomiting from the heat. "Don't beat yourself up, you're doing great."

Crap. She doesn't even know if she wants to do great anymore because it always seems to put a giant red target on her back.

~~~~

Unfortunately for Emma, Tink and Jeff come in dead last. Tink is the only person she trusts wholeheartedly in this competition, and she can't afford to lose her. She still has Graham but he's tied to Ruby and whatever she says clearly goes and so she can't truly depend on him in a crisis.

She sulks the whole way back to the mansion. She's exhausted, mentally drained, feels sticky and absolutely disgusting and all she wants to do is climb into bed and sleep for three days straight. Everyone must be feeling the same way because the bus is dead silent on the way back.

Even when they arrive to the house, half the contestants carry their heavy feet to the showers and the other half wander to the kitchen. Once the first group of people are done showering, the second group hops in and the others take their turn stuffing their faces.

Emma collapses on her bed, face straight into her pillow with her hands sneaking beneath for her blanket. The moment she curls her fingers into the soft yarn, she passes out.

The tears are thick globs of heartache glistening in her mommy's eyes but she doesn't know why. She's never seen her mommy cry, at least she doesn't think she has but she's only three and time and events are all a little fuzzy.

Mommy bends down so Emma crouches down as well, always wanting to be just like her mommy. And finally, blue eyes sparkle as she releases a genuine chuckle.

"You be a good girl, okay?" Mommy cries, one sad teardrop after another tumble down her cheeks and Emma is so confused and so terribly sad for her mommy.

So, she reaches up and wipes away her mommy's tears. "Don't cry, mommy."

Well this only seems to make her cry even more which ends with Emma in her mother's loving embrace, squeezing her especially close and sobbing into her neck. It almost hurts from how hard her mommy is squeezing her but she loves her and doesn't want to see her cry, so she just hugs her back and hopes it will settle the tears.

"It's time for us to go," her daddy says in his angry voice, tugging mommy back by her shoulder.

"I-I just need..."

"You don't need anything," his rough voice growls back at mommy. "You're gonna have your own now. Enough is enough. She's not ours."

Mommy holds her face tight, brushing back Emma's curls and staring so hard into her eyes. "I love you, Emma. I need you to be a good girl now for Mrs. Rodriquez, she's going to find you a mommy and daddy."

Emma's little brows furrow, utterly confused because why would she need a new mommy and daddy, she already has parents. She doesn't know anyone else and even though she has only lived with them for a year, her little brain can't comprehend that they were only her adoptive parents. She doesn't have any recollection of the four foster families beforehand.

"Mommy, I-I don't wanna go. I stay wif you."

"I know, baby, but it's okay. You'll be okay," mommy says but by the way she's crying even harder, Emma knows not to trust her words. "Go with Mrs. Rodriquez."

Emma blinks up at the woman and even though she has kind eyes, Emma panics. She clings to her mommy's hand while her bottom lip begins to tremble.

"Peas, mommy. I'm sowee. I'll be good. Peas, don't leave me!"

And then daddy takes mommy's hand and rips her away from Emma while Mrs. Rodriquez scoops Emma into her arms and tries to sooth her tears. Except, Emma is terrified beyond belief and has no idea what is actually happening, so she kicks and screams, and wails on the top of her lungs.

"Emma."

"Emma."

"Emma, sshhhh, please wake up."

She violently jerks awake, thrashing in the sheets tangled around her body, dripping wet from the icy sweat. She blinks, gasping for her next breath as her brain registers a shadow before her. Her body moves all on its own from the fear still fresh in her mind of another nightmare, scrambling backwards and away from anyone about to double cross her.

"Emma, it's me, it's Regina. I'm here, you're okay," she softly promises and because she has never heard this woman speak so gently before, she decides to trust in her words. "Here," she whispers, crouched down in front of the bed, offering Emma's baby blanket that must have fallen on the floor.

Emma snatches it back without a second thought, intertwining her fingers through the soft yarn and hugs it close to her chest. Her eyes unexpectedly fill with warm tears and she doesn't know if she's crying from the nightmare still fresh in her mind or because Regina is seeing her so weak and vulnerable, needing a stupid baby blanket.

"You're soaking wet," Regina says so matter of fact before she steals Emma's duffel bag for a clean shirt. "You don't have any clothes in here."

"I need to do laundry," Emma admits, her voice distorted and broken from heartache.

Regina sighs heavily as if this is such an inconvenience for her and she will be the one to handle Emma's laundry from now on. Emma clenches her jaw, biting back her tears and fear while she watches Regina crawl back to her side of the room and snag one of her own shirts.

Maybe she's running low on clothes herself or maybe she just really wants to see Emma wearing one of her old jerseys but Regina hands over an old Challenge shirt that has her name across the chest and Rookies vs. Vets on the back. A shirt from her first win ever.

Emma swallows.

"Put it on," Regina orders but she is paralyzed in the moment, still haunted by her mommy leaving her behind and never coming back for her. Regina sighs. "I'm going to help you change, okay?" Emma doesn't nod, doesn't shake her head in the negative, she just stares back at wholesome brown eyes pleading for her to trust in her.

Regina tentatively places her hands upon Emma's hips, scrunching the wet fabric into her fists. She pauses, worried eyes drifting up to silently ask permission once more and Emma's not sure how she finds the strength but she offers the tiniest head nod. Delicately, Regina drags the shirt up and over Emma's head, generating goosebumps to slither across her skin and leave a deep chill in their wake. Regina moves quickly to tug her shirt over Emma's head and then gestures for her to lie back down.

Emma swallows.

She can't recall the last time someone took care of her after a nightmare and Regina did it with such compassion, nothing like Emma's mind remembers.

"Emma, lie down," Regina softly whispers, hanging the wet shirt off the edge of the top bunk that Tink no longer uses.

Green eyes blink up at her roommate curiously, so utterly confused on what is transpiring between them. Regina sighs, settling down on the bed before she lies down and opens her arms. Emma's eyebrows pinch together in bewilderment while her eyes jump to where Sabine's bunk is.

"She's sleeping in Naveen's room. Now, come here."

"What are you doing?"

"Well if you don't know, then I must be fucking horrible at comforting someone," Regina sardonically quips with her arms still wide open, never taking back her offer.

"Or I don't know what comfort looks like," Emma mumbles under her breath as she stiffly settles back down onto the mattress.

"I thought you said you had a girlfriend before this?"

"I did."

"I don't mean to pry," Regina begins as she turns onto her side to face Emma, considering she chose not to cuddle into the woman. "But for how often you seem to have these night terrors, I can only assume your ex has seen them as well..."

"Yeah...well, she's just as terrible with connecting and comfort as I am."

"I don't know..." Regina hums thoughtfully, brushing her delicate fingers through the damp locks near her temple, "you seemed perfectly capable when I was breaking down."

"No, I was awful at it. I was just trying to follow my instincts."

Regina gently brushes her nose against hers and then gifts a small kiss to the tip. "I would want you in my next dire moment of need." Her bottom lip puckers from the admission and just as she's about to reply, Regina breezes on. "Is that why you and your ex didn't make it?"

"No, more like she's a selfish asshole who I should have left years ago," she grumpily answers but Regina doesn't seem to mind her attitude, in fact, she flashes a faint smirk.

"Can I ask what happened?"

"What didn't happen is the more appropriate question."

"That bad, huh?"

She exhales the biggest sigh and maybe she's just looking for a distraction, so she decides to open up and tell her story; the truth about how she ended up here and on the show. Besides, Regina was so vulnerable and shared so much with her about her own family drama, it's only fair, right?

"Lily...is toxic. Always has been but we were fifteen when we first met. I had just runaway from a foster home and I was starving and sleeping on a park bench, so I was at a really low point. She helped me steal some pop-tarts and then we snuck into a summer home, which I thought was abandoned. She told me she was a foster kid too but come to find out, she had been adopted, she just hated her parents. The summer place we snuck into was her parents'."

Emma pauses, wiping away the last of her leaky nose as her body settles more comfortably into the mattress. The nightmare is starting to fade to the back of her mind and she's finally starting to feel more like herself again. So, when Regina sneaks her hand beneath her shirt, so her nails can drag soothingly down her back, Emma doesn't stiffen.

"After a week we got caught, I was sent back to another foster home and she went back home."

"And you stayed in touch?"

"No, I was so mad at her for lying and pretending to be an orphan like me. I thought we would never see each other again. But one year later, I'm in a new town with a new family and we bump into each other. She tells me she ran away for good this time and she had a fake ID and was working and living with some older kids."

"You followed her?" Regina investigates, sounding surprised as if Emma is too stubborn and pigheaded to cave so easily.

"Not...at first. We dated for like six months and during that time, I was constantly getting into trouble with my foster family for curfew and my poor grades. Lily convinced me that I didn't need them and I could go live with her. Stupidest decision I have ever made."

"Then why did you go?" And it's not in a judgmental tone but oh so tender like she actually cares for her.

"Lily was the first person who I ever felt connected to and maybe connected isn't the right term now that I'm looking back but she made me feel like she understood what I felt and was going through the same loneliness as well. I didn't feel so alone when she was around. She was the first person who acted like they cared about me and because I was so deprived of love and affection, I grabbed onto that and ran with it."

"So, you've been on your own since you were sixteen?" Regina cautiously asks, the tendons in her neck flexing as she realizes they have a lot more in common than she initially thought.

"Yeah, I've been working since I was seventeen. When we were eighteen I became a cocktail waitress in some shitty-ass strip joint and Lily...danced. When I turned twenty-one, the owner promoted me to bartender and Lily became their top dancer," she pauses, remembering all too well that it's just not her life anymore. "Well, I just quit before I came here."

"So you two have been living together for the past six years?"

Emma's heart sinks just thinking about the last six years she wasted on Lily and all her toxic bullshit.

"Unfortunately, yeah. When we were eighteen we moved out and got our own place. God, I felt so fucking proud and accomplished, earning my very own house. Even if it was a piece of shit, one-bedroom apartment, it still meant so much to me, you know?"

"I do," Regina says through a smile that shows off her perfect pearly whites and Emma just knows she was fortunate enough to have braces as a kid. "I remember feeling that same way when I got my first place without my parents' money." Emma smiles back, just as radiant and proud as she subconsciously scoots closer to this stunning woman. "So, what officially tore you two apart?"

"I was blinded by love. I didn't see everything that she was doing was a problem. I just wanted to be loved and have a family so badly, I clung to whatever showed me a fraction of what I deserve."

Regina nods, listening wholeheartedly as her nails continue to draw random patterns all over Emma's back. And she knows for a fact, nobody has ever paid this much attention to her. It makes her want to cower away and hide in embarrassment, yet, she kind of wants to burrow in deep and soak up as much attention as possible.

"Lily was...promiscuous-"

"She cheated on you."

"Not...technically," she sheepishly admits, provoking an accusing and stern eyebrow to arch back at her. "She didn't want to cheat, so she suggested threesomes, so she could have her cake and eat it too."

"And you didn't want to?"

"I don't know, at first I was really young and stupid and thought it would be fun but after a couple of times, I just found that it wasn't for me. But I went along with it because I was so terrified of her leaving me like everyone else in my miserable life. And soon our apartment became the party place and I hated it. I told her all the time and she would swear we would cut back on the partying but she always had an excuse for one more. And I just kept letting her walk all over me because the thought of being alone was too damn scary."

"But you did eventually leave her," Regina whispers, pressing her fingers more firmly into Emma and urging her closer.

Emma goes willingly, loving the warmth and comfort that oozes from this woman and settles her tormented heart.

"I did, the last straw was the last time she got into trouble. I mean, there was always some kind of drama following Lily around. But there was this customer that kept coming in and getting lap dances from her and I knew something was off with him. Anyways, he somehow convinced her to sell drugs for him and when I found out, I lost it. I punched him in the face, in the middle of his lap dance, quit my job, went home, packed my bags and left."

"Jesus, Emma."

"I know. I didn't want anything to do with that and he was shady, it would only be a matter of time before somehow I was sucked in or blamed for missing money, just no."

"I'm glad you left."

"Me, too. I'm glad my luck started to turn around and this show gave me an opportunity, otherwise, I'd be sleeping on another park bench right now."

"I owe this show so much," Regina confesses, tracing her fingertips around the outline of Emma's face like she's in awe that she's even real. "I'm sure I would be locked away somewhere if it wasn't for this show."

"And then Mary Margaret would be the Queen," she says with a straight face, earning herself a nice little slap to her bottom.

"Take that back."

"Or what? You'll punish me?" She muses, pressing her nose right up against Regina's for a challenge.

This woman moves swiftly, rolling onto Emma and pinning her hands above her head but Emma just beams up at her. "I am the Queen for a reason, nobody could run this place quite like me."

Emma giggles, actually tips her head back and laughs, but that only seems to inspire Regina to dive down and suck on the most sensitive part of her neck that makes her squirm. This woman doesn't attack for very long before she hovers directly over Emma's face and stares her down.

"I am the Queen."

Emma is still grinning from ear to ear when she whispers, "you're the Queen."

This earns her a soft kiss that produces electrical chills to spark through her veins and has her toes curling in delight. But after everything she's been through in the past hour or so, she doesn't push for anything more. And neither does Regina.

~~~~

She's not sure how long she slept for before the nightmare found her and she definitely is clueless as to what time it is now but she knows she's been lying awake, unable to fall back asleep. Regina on the other hand, has been dozing off, in and out of consciousness while Emma smiles at her cute little face.

"You need to sleep," Regina mumbles, half asleep with her hands tucked beneath her face.

How can someone be so beautiful when they sleep?

"I can't."

"Are you still thinking about your nightmare?"

Emma struggles to swallow down her fears and emotions lodged in the back of her throat. "Kinda."

Regina's eyes flutter back to life, blinking a few times in an attempt to keep herself awake. Without much thought or hesitation, this woman reaches between them and rakes her fingers through tangled golden locks. The touch is light at first, gentle, calming and then she reaches the base of Emma's neck and begins massaging as she tugs her closer. Emma's not sure what compels her, most likely because those fingers feel like magic on her sore muscles but she follows the silent request.

Their bodies move all on their own, as if this is a regular occurrence for them and Emma finds herself molding perfectly with Regina's body. Her face ends up flush against Regina's cleavage while their legs tangle together and not once do Regina's talented fingers stop their massage. Her body actually sinks into the comfort and her first thought is...cozy.

God, is she serious right now?

Regina feels so damn cozy.

"Maybe if you talk about them, they won't seem so scary anymore and you can sleep," Regina's groggy voice suggests.

Emma doesn't tense or become all awkward like she normally does when asked to speak about her past or the nightmares that plague her. She just chalks it up to being so utterly exhausted and sleep deprived that her body no longer has a care in the world.

"Please tell me what they are about," Regina gently pleads, digging into the tense knots corrupting her neck.

Emma inhales sharply, breathing in Regina's familiar scent. "When I was born, I was abandoned at a fire station, left behind with nothing but this baby blanket."

"It has your name on it," Regina curiously inquires, gently pulling the blanket between them to inspect the details closer. "Your birth mother named you?"

"Yeah, see that part always confuses me. Why name me, why go through the trouble of having this blanket made just to abandon me, not even give me up for adoption?"

"Maybe there's more to the story?" Regina whispers, her fingers moving from massaging to lightly scratching against her scalp. "Is that what your nightmares are of?"

"No," she confesses, her voice cracking from the emotions swelling and taking over every inch of her. She hates this part so damn much and she is sure she hasn't spoken about it since she first met Lily. "I was adopted when I was three, to be honest, I didn't even know I was adopted. I had been with them for one year and I could only ever remember them as my parents until one day they decided to give me back."

"What?" Regina breathlessly gasps.

"Yeah," she shamefully admits, burying her face deeper into the safety and comfort of this woman's chest. "All I know is that they were having their own baby and so they gave me back," she finally admits out loud for once and it feels like the weight that has been crushing her chest for years has been lifted. "I-I've never told anyone that before, it's...really embarrassing that I was so unlovable as a child that nobody kept me, so please, please don't-"

"Ssshhhhh," Regina coos, pulling her closer against her chest and squeezing so much affection into their embrace. "You are not unlovable. Unfortunately, it seems you have had some horrible luck when it comes to people in your life. I'm so sorry, Emma, but I promise you, you are anything but unlovable," and then much to Emma's surprise, Regina presses a firm kiss to her forehead.

Emma breaks down, tears leaking from her face like a broken faucet. "I....whenever I'm in a new home or I'm stressed, I dream of my mom. It feels so real, I-I remember how hard she was crying and how her husband didn't want me, didn't even say goodbye but she...she was heartbroken. I remember crying and feeling my hand ripped from hers as they pulled me away."

"Emma, I'm so sorry. That's so cruel and just downright wrong," she whispers, pressing another kiss to the crown of Emma's head.

"I think about her a lot. I wonder how she is and if she ever dreams about me too?" Another firm kiss is planted to her forehead and Emma just melts into the comfort.

"I'm sure she dreams of you as well. I'm sure your bright blonde hair and blue-green eyes haunt her at night. I guarantee she thinks about a crooked smile and adorable freckles-"

"Wait, you know what color my eyes are?"

"I've spent enough time face to face as we fuck in the shower to know what color your eyes are," Regina deadpans which has Emma sniffling away her tears and chuckling.

"Most people think they are green."

"And they are sometimes, like when you're furious, they are almost an olive green with angry little flecks of amber. When you're outside beneath the sun, they sparkle a vibrant ocean blue. When you are just about to orgasm, they shine like little emeralds. And in any given moment of the mundane day, they are mostly green with waves of blue and specs of gold."

Emma freezes, she is positive nobody has ever noticed how her eyes change color depending on mood or what she's wearing. Either Regina is really focused on her enemy to stay true to that mantra of keeping friends close and your enemies closer or this woman might be developing actual feelings for her. And the latter might not be so far off now when Emma's finding the woman to be cozy.

She thinks saying thank you would sound rather silly, so she tilts her head back and kisses Regina firmly on the mouth. She hopes her gratitude is portrayed through the passion she's pouring into this one kiss and that Regina understands that she's really bad at words.

Regina slowly breaks the kiss but there's a small shy smile playing at her lips. She guides Emma's head back to her chest and begins massaging her neck all over again.

And this time, Emma passes out and for the first time in The Challenge house, she sleeps soundly, peacefully without any nightmares chasing her.

Chapter Text

She woke up alone, which was to be expected because she knows Regina would never run the risk of production or a camera crew finding them in the same bed together. Yet, it still stung to wake up alone after such an intense night spent together. She didn't think much of how sharing and being so open could affect how she views Regina but now she's starting to second guess herself.

She feels it in the way her heart rapidly flutters like a hummingbird's wings whenever Regina enters a room. She feels the way her stomach does a backflip with excitement and how she is just looking for an excuse to talk to the woman. And she knows they will never amount to anything and above all, she doesn't want them to. It's going to take her a long time before she's over Lily and is ready to run the risk of damaging her heart again. She just knows that enemy isn't an appropriate description of their relationship anymore. Friends with benefits seems more fitting and she can confidently say that (in secret) they are becoming friends after all they have shared privately.

And she's going to need a new female friend on her side considering Tink and Jefferson are going against Zelena and August in the Jungle.

The house vote was Zelena and August and Emma is praying that Zelena is eliminated because not only will that save Tink but she also fears for Regina's life. Her sister hasn't stopped glaring at her all damn day and night and it's only a matter of time before she explodes and does something rash.

However, as she stands on the makeshift bridge, nowhere near Regina, she is starting to lose all hope. In this battle, the women are tethered to a pulley where the men have to tug on the thick rope to lift their partners into the air. The women have to grab one puzzle piece at a time that has a country's name on it, then the men have to lift them up so they can stick the puzzle piece on a board that is a giant world map.

Zelena is quite literally flying through this challenge, appearing confident as ever and never faltering while Tink and Jefferson argue about every single country. August isn't even putting his two cents in on the puzzle, he's just really good at pulling his rope and easily lifting Zelena into the air.

"Come on, Tink," she screams from the stands. "Focus!"

She is so unbelievably thankful that she doesn't have to do this challenge because geography is not her thing. She's a high school dropout, she would definitely fail this pop quiz much like her school career.

"Check, check!" Zelena hollers, provoking Emma's heart to sink down to her toes because Tink still has half of her board empty.

And much to Emma's horror, TJ blows his horn which has Zelena and August leaping into the air as they dance around like idiots. Emma peeks over at Regina for a split second to find her face falling in utter defeat. She feels so horrible because she knows how much Regina needs for her sister to go home already, if not for her physical safety but her sanity as well.

With a raging heart, she observes as Jefferson hugs Tink close while her friend wipes away her tears of frustration and failure. She's sick to her stomach, all she wants to do is reverse the clock and somehow save her friend from this fate but there isn't a damn thing she could have done. So, she claps obnoxiously loud, motivating the entire cast to do the same as a proper farewell and praise for the losing pair.

Tink chuckles awkwardly, her cheeks blushing as thick tears dribble down her face. "Kick some ass, Swan, I'm rooting for you!" She beams with pride, waving goodbye and god, Emma wishes she could run down there and hug her one last time but it's against the rules while the camera is still rolling.

Although, just as the remaining challengers are ushered to the buses, Emma spots Jefferson and Tink filming their exit interview. She and Killian scurry away from their fellow cast mates and sneak off to say goodbye. She wraps her arms around Tink's waist from behind and squeezes.

"I'm gonna miss my ride or die," she pouts as her friend squeals from the squeeze.

Tink abruptly spins around in the embrace and curls her arms tightly around Emma's neck. "Ugh, I'm gonna miss you! You better call me as soon as you're back to the states."

"I don't have a phone," she laughs, fighting against the swell in her heart and the warm liquid filling her eyes.

"You'll have to get one, Swan," Killian chimes in beside them. "It's part of our contract to promote the show on social media during the season."

"Crap. I don't have any of those either," she grumbles, slowly releasing Tink from her clutches and maybe out of the corner of her eye she catches Regina analyzing them with a pout on her lips. "You have a safe trip back, okay?"

"Of course," her friend agrees through a wet smile.

"I'll leave you two alone," Emma playfully teases with a dramatic wink before she dashes back to the buses; a smile playing at her lips from the way Killian scoops Tink into his arms and holds her close.

She quickly jumps inside her bus and makes her way to the back where she usually sits. Unexpectedly, Regina spins around in her seat and lowers her voice, even though Kenny, the cameraman, is in their face.

"You'll see her again, there's always the reunion episode."

"Shit, I forgot about that."

~~~~

After elimination she was a little down about losing a true friend, so she retired to bed rather early. She was sure she was somewhere floating on the Milky Way toward dreamland when she was startled back awake by a warm body pressing on top of her back.

"Jeez," she gasps into her pillow and she doesn't have to be fully awake to know Regina is smiling behind her.

"You're in my shirt, Emma," Regina accuses, that voice rich with authority and seduction, laced with a hint of amusement. It's an instant turn on.

She can't help but smile back. "Mmhmmm."

"That's my lucky shirt, I wore it all through the final and when I crossed the finish line."

"I figured," she mumbles, still half asleep, "I need some good luck and I'm hoping it will rub off on me."

Boney fingers dig ruthlessly into her ribs but Regina's weight upon her back keeps her locked into place. "You are not stealing my winning shirt," she declares, brutally tickling Emma's sides as she squirms and tries to fight this woman away.

"Don't you have like...two others?"

"Ah, you even know how many seasons I have won."

"Lucky guess," she chokes out between her clenched jaw to keep from squealing or laughing out loud while she's being pinned down and tickled.

"I call bullshit," Regina husks directly in her ear, causing Emma to wiggle all the more from the torture.

"How are you this freakishly strong, you look so dainty?"

Regina scoffs, offended by such a claim against her reputation. "I am not-" her words are cut off when Emma rolls her off her back and sends her crashing into the wall.

Emma is quick like a cat, scrambling on top of Regina and gathering her wrists to pin them to the mattress. "Ha, dainty," she mocks, earning herself a mean scowl and if looks could kill, Emma would be dead on the floor right now.

"Take it back," this woman growls as if she has the upper hand and isn't being pinned down against her will.

"Or what?" She taunts, dipping down to suck just below a sharp jawline. She pulls the soft flesh between her teeth and nibbles, persuading Regina's hips to lift off the bed, silently begging for attention. "I'm sorry," she murmurs into the wet neck, then lightly swirls her tongue around the reddening area, "I didn't quite get that. What will you do if I don't take it back?" She proceeds to tease, diving right back in to suck on a thumping pulse.

"Shut up."

"You shut up," she fires back, absolutely amused by this beautiful creature.

"Not until I get my lucky shirt back," Regina whines like a spoiled toddler even though her hips are swaying, wordlessly pleading for friction. 

"You're right, you did win this fair and square," she muses, just barely lifting off the woman so she can swiftly remove the shirt.

Which ends up leaving her bear and exposed for Regina's greedy eyes. "Better," Regina pants, crashing their lips together for a bruising kiss while her hands roughly cup both naked breasts.

Emma moans from the electrical sparks of lust shooting through her veins and kick starting her heart. Her hand sneaks beneath inky tresses and latches onto this woman's neck so she can pour every ounce of passion into this one kiss. Maybe it's that initial tension that was created between them when they first met but kissing Regina is so damn powerful and addicting. It feels like the first time she ever stole from a store and got away with it, so fucking exhilarating, just pumping her soul with adrenaline.

Especially when Regina lightly skims her thumbs over her pebbled nipples. She does this thing too where she slowly traces around the peak, as if she's memorizing how silky soft she is and it makes Emma's toes curl in delight. She needs so much more of her, so she opens Regina's mouth with her own lips and dives right in like she owns the damn thing. And being claimed must really turn Regina on because she is groaning into her mouth and groping her breasts in a more desperate manner.

God, her entire body is on fire and she's completely soaked through her leggings. How does this woman have the ability to turn her on so much? She's never felt so alive and so animalistic when it comes to sex before. And dammit, now all she can think about is fucking Regina with her strap...wait...

"What time is it?" Emma suddenly gasps, abruptly ending the kiss.

Regina squeezes her chest again, bucking back into her while she bites down on the corner of her lip and Emma's brain short circuits. Fuck, she's too hot.

"It's one in the morning," her raspy voice whispers into the minimal space between them but Emma's a little distracted by the way their chests are heaving together. "Everyone turned in early. Sabine is in Naveen's room, we are in the clear," she vows, stretching forward to capture her mouth once again.

"Thank the sex gods," she mumbles into the kiss before deepening it to something more desperate and needy.

Regina palms her chest with vigor, her short nails biting into Emma's pale flesh and easily marking her for the moment. The action alone makes her head spin, making her feel all woozy and delirious which only persuades her to grind down harder. The little noise that escapes this gorgeous woman is a mix between a moan and a whimper, sending chills up Emma's spine until it tickles the base of her neck. She needs more of her and she can feel how desperate she's becoming, almost frantic for her quick release.

She roughly shoves her tongue further into Regina's mouth, licking that velvety muscle already waiting for her, provoking Regina's back to arch and press more firmly into her damp core. The air around them is thick, the atmosphere sparking with lust and becoming impossible to breathe which has them panting and gasping but that never stops their mouths from kissing.

Come to think of it, she doesn't think she has ever kissed someone so thoroughly before. Yes, she's kissed plenty of people but this just feels different, like she's addicted and can't seem to stop and it's only turning her on all the more.

She sneaks one hand beneath Regina's shirt, her fingertips crawling up those ribs expanding and searching for air. She sweeps her thumb below her breast and then covers the entire mound with her hand. She groans, her body trembling from the thought of Regina's breast fitting so perfectly into her hand and maybe this woman feels the same because she is grinding against her harder and mewling at her mercy.

Her skin prickles, breaking out in a sweat as she meets Regina's tempo, frantically gliding against one another as they devour each other's mouths. It's messy, desperate and fuck if it doesn't make her want to explode right here and now. She should probably pause for a moment and remove the rest of their clothes so she can fuck Regina right into this mattress.

Except, right as she's about to pull away, Regina abandons her breasts and latches onto her face with determination. "Don't stop," she chokes out, her eyes screwing shut as she focuses on the immense pleasure.

"Fuck, you're so hot," she murmurs directly into her ear and then nuzzles a slick neck before sucking the salty flesh between her teeth again. And this is the trigger because Regina pulls Emma's face closer to her body as she moans like a damn pornstar. Her body stiffens for a brief second before she begins trembling beneath Emma's sweaty body. "Did you just finish?" She muses, running her nose along a slick neck and she can feel the way Regina swallows roughly.

"Shut up."

"Never," she chuckles, "that's actually really hot. I just got you off and I didn't even get in your pants."

"T-that's never happened before," Regina groans in embarrassment, slapping her hand down to cover her face. "Shut up," she growls again but Emma just laughs and kisses her neck once more.

"I can't. I wanna do it again."

Regina abruptly sits up, convincing Emma's heart to pound faster in fear that this woman is about to run away. Her face falls, panic striking her gut but then Regina crosses her arms over her chest and rips away her shirt. Emma quite literally breathes a sigh of relief.

"Strip," Regina clips in a demanding tone.

And Emma obediently does as she's told so they can spend the rest of the night fucking like two dogs in heat.

~~~~

She wakes up alone again. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't. She understands the rules and even appreciates them because she doesn't want anything more but after last night, she was kind of hoping to feel the warmth of Regina as her stiff muscles stretch good morning. She swears it doesn't bother her.

However, she is a little confused by a firmer, heavier body pressing up against her.

"Swan...time to get up and face the day," Killian chirps in an over enthusiastic tone that makes her want to stuff her head beneath the pillow and drown him out.

"I'm sleeping," she grumpily grumbles.

"I see that but we should get a jump start on working out and the pool is waiting for you," he sing-songs, pulling her flush against his body while she claws like a terrified cat for her bed back.

She wants nothing more than to punch Kenny and his stupid camera for being in her face.

"Killian!" She protests, flailing about while he chuckles like an idiot.

"Oh come on, Swan. We need to train," he urges, settling her back down onto the sheet that definitely smells like sex.

Shit, can he tell?

"Can't I at least brush my teeth, change, and maybe have some breakfast?"

"Graham concocted some weird smoothies but they don't taste half bad. It's a great way to start your day before a workout and swimming especially!"

"God, one night without Tink and you're like a lost puppy searching for attention," she snarks, punching her pillow and readjusting her head upon it again.

"Hey, I have hooked up with my fair share of women in this house," he huffs, standing tall from her bottom bunk. "I don't get attached."

"Sure," she shrugs, closing her eyes once more because a certain sex goddess kept her up all night and she's wrecked.

"Swan!" It's not his shrieking voice that startles her, it's the firm slap to her bottom. "Up! Time to greet the beautiful day."

"I hate you," she groans, clambering off the bed and then stretching out her tight lower back. "Just let me brush my teeth and hair."

"Fine, I'll give you ten minutes and then I'm coming back to annoy you."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," she deadpans, moseying on toward the bathroom where she slams the door in Kenny's face.

She brushes her teeth, slips into her bathing suit and then washes her face to help wake her the fuck up. She glances down at all the products littering the vanity, the only item that's hers is the toothbrush. For some reason her attention locks onto some moisturizer and she's not one to use beauty products but it smells delicious and intrigues her.

Two weeks ago, she would have listened to Regina's warning and stayed very far away from her stuff. Today, she snatches the bottle and squirts some onto her fingertip and begins massaging the liquid into her cheeks. She is positive Regina won't mind sharing, not when her fingers and tongue have been deep inside the woman.

Five minutes later, she's hopping down the stairs and entering the kitchen where Graham is shirtless, working a blender for all his cast mates. She smiles proudly that he is finally starting to open up more and make some friends. She jumps next to him, winning herself a radiant grin that expresses how much he truly cares for her.

"Smoothies?"

"Açaí, just for you."

"Ac..I-what?"

"Just try it you big baby," he laughs, thrusting a glass into her hands.

She grimaces, she can't even hide the expression after Killian said these drinks were rather weird. She examines the large glass, inspecting the deep mulberry color with black spots.

"What's in it?"

"Non-fat yogurt, strawberries, blueberries, bananas and açaí, the super fruit," he proudly states, flashing an award winning grin that convinces her to try just the tiniest bit.

And it's...refreshing. Her eyebrows skyrocket from the fruit flavors exploding upon her tongue. "Hey, not bad," she muses, pressing a quick peck to his cheek as gratitude.

"You're welcome," he says through a smug little smirk.

He proceeds to prepare more drinks while Emma stands beside him, sipping her delicious drink and she can practically feel the apprehension buzzing from his body.

"What?" She skeptically interrogates into her glass.

His finger falls from the blender to rub anxiously at the back of his neck. "Uh, well, you see...now that um, Robin and Jefferson are officially gone...do you think...I mean you room with her, uh, have you heard Regina say any names...you know, like someone who might interest her?"

She almost chokes on the thick liquid but somehow she manages to keep a straight face since a camera, well Kristoff, is zooming in on her. Even after all this time, her eyes flick to Elsa for a split second before jumping back to Graham. And she knows they will have to edit that out.

But she's panicking and her mind is replaying all kinds of naughty images from last night. Especially the one where her face was buried between two tan legs and Regina was moaning her name over and over again. So yeah, Regina had definitely mentioned a name.

"Uhhhh...Regina and I aren't like...friends."

"Yeah okay but you room with them, maybe you overheard her say something to Sabine about maybe being interested in someone?"

"I can honestly say I haven't heard her tell Sabine anything," she cryptically divulges before rushing to shut her mouth up with more smoothie.

"Alright, well maybe she hasn't said anything but that doesn't completely write me off just yet. Maybe she just needs to be presented with the idea." Emma's eyes blow comically wide from the dread of what he might ask her to do. "Can you talk to her for me, kinda feel her out?"

She has definitely felt every inch of Regina...ugh, she needs to get her mind out of the gutter before her blushing cheeks sell her out.

"I-I don't know...like I said, we aren't friends."

"I know," he sighs, nervously rubbing the back of his neck once again. "But we are, so please?"

She frowns from the adorable pout he's projecting to convince her, all because her heart is constricting from guilt. Honestly, if Regina could be out, Emma would flat out tell him that she's already keeping her bed warm at night but she would never reveal something so personal and ruin Regina's life.

"Uh, yeah, alright. I'll try."

"Thanks! You're the best," he practically squeals, tugging her into his side and pressing a kiss on top of her head.

She accepts the hug for all of two seconds before she sees Regina sweeping through the kitchen with one curious eyebrow slinking up her forehead, creating the little vein to pop.

~~~~

She doesn't hesitate, she just runs across the deck and jumps into the pool, directly in front of Killian, thoroughly soaking him. When she pops back up, her partner is smiling back at her but she can see the force behind his eyes.

"Alright Swan, let's start with some laps."

She slicks back her hair and wipes the water from her eyes once more to truly focus on him. "Or we can talk."

"We really should be training," he vacantly answers, his tone encouraging her to swim closer and offer her undivided attention.

"You really miss her, huh?" She softly whispers so the rest of the cast doesn't hear them but stupid Kristoff is in her face, invading their privacy once again.

"Hey, I'm used to hooking up and it not meaning anything, I'm fine," he says, playing aloof but she sees right through him.

"Yeah see, I kinda have this superpower where I know when people are lying and you really suck at it," she chuckles, playfully thrusting water into his face.

He wipes away the cool liquid and sinks below the water so only his head is bobbing on the surface. "I don't know, mate, this feels different." He sighs, dipping even lower into the water to blow bubbles like a small child and she actually kind of finds him endearing this way. "Belle's first season, we hooked up almost every night and the moment she was eliminated, that was it, our tryst was over and we never talked about it again. With Regina, yeah, we had a real relationship but that happened after our season together, off camera. The following season we were still together and everything but I don't know how to explain it, this feels even more intense than that."

Emma nods along thoughtfully because she wants to be a good friend and be there for him but her mouth has a mind of its own and spews the first thought that comes to mind. "What happened between you and Regina?"

The corner of Killian's mouth curls just the slightest in amusement. "I think you know."

"I really don't."

He breathes out a pathetic laugh through his nose but Emma holds his gaze so she doesn't appear frazzled. "We were just in two different places in our lives. I love her, adore her, and have all the respect for her but we are just friends. Nothing more." She nods along mindlessly, still tripping on the fact that he might know something is transpiring secretly between them. "Anyways, I really fucking miss Tink," he exhales, sinking even further until he's completely submerged under water.

Without truly thinking, she swims closer and hugs him the second he pops his head out of the water.

Maybe she is getting better at this whole comforting thing.

~~~~

She doesn't know why Regina is struggling to keep quiet tonight but as she drives her fingers deeper, pinning this gorgeous woman against the shower wall, she has to slap her free hand over plump parted lips moaning her name in the most filthy way. She rests her forehead against Regina's, holding her gaze as she locks her hand firmly around her mouth.

"You always tell me to shut up but you're the one that's gonna get us caught," she murmurs against the back of her own hand, which persuades Regina to fall apart in her arms.

Hot liquid soaks her fingers, dripping down her hand and fuck she needs to release again. Regina just went down on her no more than five minutes ago and she's already all worked up again and needing another orgasm from just being so deep in the moment with this stunning woman.

Gently, she eases her fingers from Regina's tight walls, glancing down to observe the cute way Regina twitches whenever she's pulling out. She immediately sees the deep shade of red coating her fingers, so she lifts her hand between them.

"Is this why you were so wild? Does sex on your period feel better for you?" She curiously questions but Regina turns almost purple from how hard she blushes.

In a haste, her roommate slaps her hand away and guides those dirty fingers under the hot spray to rinse them off. "I-I'm so sorry-"

"Why the hell are you apologizing?"

"If I would have known, I wouldn't have followed you in here-"

"Regina stop," she forcefully demands, gripping the woman's quivering chin and looking her square in the eyes. "You're a woman, don't apologize for that. I'm a woman too, this is natural. Jesus, you really haven't been in a real relationship with a woman, have you?"

"I have," Regina lamely defends, her eyes cast down in shame.

"How long ago?"

Big brown eyes filled with sorrow crawl up to meet Emma's inquisitive gaze. "Seven years," she shyly confesses, persuading Emma to dip forward and brush a gentle kiss to her mouth.

"You don't have to feel ashamed. It's completely natural."

"I know that," Regina scoffs, flipping right back into her usual confident self. "It just makes me feel uncomfortable because we barely know each other," she huffs, feigning annoyance as she abruptly spins around and begins washing her body.

Emma smiles, she's finding that she may have a soft spot for Regina's bratty attitude and mood swings. She slips her arms around a slender waist and nuzzles behind her secret lover's ear, relishing in the way her heart picks up speed.

"I think we know each other pretty well by now." Regina scoffs again. "I know you like it rough and hard at first but you really need agonizingly slow and steady to finish."

"Shut up."

Emma giggles into her neck, causing Regina to squirm because she's ticklish right there. Not that Emma pays attention and knows where all her sensitive spots are.

"I completely forgot about bringing tampons. I should be getting mine any day now too. Do you have extras?"

"Production stocks them for us considering we aren't allowed to leave and we are here for almost three months," Regina plainly answers, her hands coasting over her body to build a nice soapy lather.

"That's probably the nicest thing they do," she deadpans, finally earning herself a little chuckle from the cranky brunette.

"Hey, so I was meaning to ask you but you were very distracted earlier..."

"Have you seen you? It's impossible not to when you're all sexy and naked and all I can think about is how good we are at sex together."

Regina slowly spins around in her arms, blinking up at her so curiously, like she can't figure out why Emma is here to begin with. "What were you and Graham talking about earlier? It seemed rather serious, is he scheming?"

A burst of laughter erupts from Emma's mouth. "God no, not at all. I don't talk game with anyone."

"I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing."

Emma shrugs noncommittally and pulls Regina closer in her arms. "I almost forgot actually. Uh, he wants to know if you're interested in anyone?" Regina's brows furrow as if she can't comprehend the words coming from Emma's mouth. She sighs heavily from the weight of guilt. "He really likes you, like a lot a lot. And he wants you to check the little box, yes or no?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"He wanted me to talk to you, maybe put a good word in for him and ask how you feel about it all?" She sheepishly reveals, her stomach rolling around like heavy boulders down a mountain top, ready to crush her.

Regina breathes out a heavy sigh. "He's so sweet."

Emma's erratic organ leaps to her throat in fear and gets stuck up there. "Wait, are you considering it? Just to keep up the façade of being straight?"

"What? I would never lead someone on like that," Regina quickly fires back with much more heat and aggravation than Emma has seen before when they are this close and spilling secrets.

"I'm sorry, you just sound like you're...interested."

"No, he's sweet but he deserves someone better. He's too good for me."

"Hey, are you saying I'm shitty, so it's okay-"

"All I'm saying," Regina stresses, quickly demolishing that train of thought, "is that I'm not looking for a relationship and neither are you. You can handle a casual hookup, he cannot." Emma's shoulders collapse in relief. "Just please tell him that it's nothing personal but I'm not looking to start anything right now."

"I will but I just wish I could tell him the truth. I feel guilty that we are hooking up when he has such a crush on you and I'm his friend."

"Do you want to stop?" Regina sternly investigates.

"Not that guilty," she shamelessly admits, diving back in for a hungry kiss.

Chapter Text

She's so flipping queasy and it has nothing to do with the one hundred feet suspension she's about to be dangling from and everything to do with today's challenge. Her biggest fear. Her greatest nemesis. Trivia. A classic and TJ's personal favorite and Emma can picture him now, cackling away after one of her dumbass answers because she's a high school dropout.

Killian slings an arm around her as Elsa motions for them to begin their interview. "I know this is Mary Margaret, Belle, and Neal's specialty so we really have to buckle down and think about our answers before we just blurt out something stupid."

"I can't make any promises," Emma mumbles under her breath but Killian tosses his head back in laughter and pulls her closer into his embrace.

Kristoff stops filming just then so production can escort them to the platform that will lift one hundred feet above the water. Where she will be standing on a platform that could drop out from under her and send her crashing into the waters if she doesn't answer enough questions right.

Fuck.

"I am so fucked," she whispers into Killian's side, clinging to her own life jacket to trick her mind into thinking she's safe.

"Ah, it won't be so bad. We've all said stupid things under pressure and in the moment. No worries, just enjoy TJ's laugh."

She groans, usually when she watches this show, Trivia Day is her favorite because TJ's laugh is contagious but now she thinks she might vomit and pretend to be sick just so she doesn't have to embarrass herself.

"Everyone ready?" TJ hollers from his secure location on the fucking ground.

The whole cast screams their approval and excitement but Emma freezes up, her nails digging deeper and deeper into her jacket.

"Belle, you're up first."

"Okay, Teej!"

"In Ancient Egyptian society, who is the person that had the highest rank?"

"Pharaoh!" Belle screams like her life hangs in the balance and well...it kind of does.

"That's correct," TJ proudly declares. "Who would you like to sabotage?"

Emma holds her breath, terrified Belle might come after her and Killian because three strikes and they are plummeting to the waters below.

"Zelena."

"Alright, that's one mark against you, Zelena," TJ informs the group as he slams his hand down on a button that has Zelena's platform sinking down just a tad so everyone can see how many marks each individual has.

"Fuck you!" Zelena spits in disgust, eliciting a tiny chuckle from Emma. They will definitely have to bleep that out of the show.

TJ explodes with laughter as he flips to the next card of questions in his hand. "Okay, David, what is the capital of Italy?"

"Rome."

"Correct, who would you like to sabotage?"

Crap, Emma knows for a fact she would have missed both questions already and most likely be closer to her death. How the hell is she going to make it through this challenge and not appear like the total idiot she is.

"August."

TJ aggressively slams his palm down on the button and lowers August. "I better get to August before his team sinks. So August, what is the official language spoken in Australia?"

"Dutch!"

"Dutch?" Neal repeats in disgust as TJ keels over from a full belly laugh.

"Are you joking?" Belle exclaims, her tongue heavy with her adorable Australian accent.

"I-I panicked!"

TJ dramatically throws himself over the podium he's standing at and cackles hysterically as he hits the button, sending August one step closer to his demise.

"Bloody hell, you idiot!" Zelena scolds while the entire cast laughs at his expense.

"Graham, who was the princess that pricked her finger on a spinning wheel?"

"Aurora," Graham hollers, holding his body close in fright.

TJ laughs like a damn hyena. "Aurora, damn you even know her real name. Sleeping beauty would have worked too," he teases through his laughter. "Alright, who are you sabotaging?"

"We all freaking know it's me," August groans just before Graham screams his name and the platform opens up and drops August into the waters below.

Zelena is cursing to herself but Emma is way too focused on her trembling knees and the bitter acid lingering in the back of her throat.

"Swan!"

"For fuck's sake."

"Who was Katy Perry's first husband?"

Holy shit, it's not an academic question. Thank god for Lily and her stupid obsession with celebrity gossip and magazines.

"Russell Brand."

"Wow, that's correct. Who would you like to take down a peg?"

"Zelena."

"One more and you're going for a swim," TJ announces as Zelena shifts down lower. "Sabine?"

"Lay it on me, Teej!"

"Spell exacerbated."

"Really?" She deadpans with a huff. "E-x..a-c-er-b-a-t-ed."

"Beautiful. Shall I send Zelena for a dip?"

"Hit her Teej!"

"Fuck you all!" Zelena yells all the way down until she is submerged under water.

And TJ giggles like someone accidentally left the laughing gas on for far too long.

Question after question, Emma listens intently, Regina answering correctly but Naveen fumbling on his. Neal for once messes up but Tamara saves face, unfortunately, with Zelena and August out, everyone switches to target Neal and Tamara. They are the next eliminated before Ruby and Graham end up screwing themselves over with enough wrong answers.

"Swan!"

"No?"

TJ laughs, shaking his head in amusement. "How many continents has this show been filmed in?"

Continents. Continents. Why is she tripping on that word. Not countries, he didn't say countries. How many continents are there again? Dammit.

"Uh...seven?"

The damn host snorts. "No, we have not filmed in Antarctica," he mocks, sending her platform down a level.

A scorching heat burns her chest, tingling a path all the way up until the tips of her ears bleed hot with embarrassment. For some peculiar reason, her eyes leap to Regina, anticipating the worst. She's probably going to stop having sex with her so she doesn't contract Emma's dumbness. Even though Regina's face is blank, her eyes are big and vulnerable, soft, expressing concern. Emma swallows from the thick emotions and quickly averts her eyes before she becomes too attached.

"Will, in 2010 Hugh Hefner announced he would be engaged to which Playboy bunny?"

"Ah, Bob Marley..."

"What?" Killian exclaims. "Mate, did you even listen to the question. Playboy bunny!"

TJ drops to his knees with laughter but the entire cast is cackling and heaving just as hard.

"Bob Marley?" Regina gasps, wiping the tears of joy below her eyes. "You do know who he is, right?"

"Oh for crying out loud!" Neal chuckles. "I swear we get dumber every year."

"Bye! You deserve to fall after that," the host heaves through his laughter as he pushes the button.

"Mary Margaret."

"Yes, sir!"

"There are twenty-three numbers that make up Pi, true or false?"

"False! And I'm so sorry but I'm running out of people here, Swan."

"Damn, she didn't even wait to hear if she was correct," Emma complains as her deck drops another few feet.

"Merlin, who is the founder of Facebook?"

"Ummm...ummm, Tom."

"No, no that is not correct," TJ gleams with amusement. "Everyone say it with me..."

The whole cast says Mark Zuckerberg at the same time, well all except for Emma who agrees that Tom is a solid answer.

"Tamara, how many stripes are there on the American Flag?"

"Thirteen."

"Wonderful!" TJ praises.

"You can send Swan for a dive," Tamara smugly declares, sending Emma flailing about as she rushes through the air and loses her stomach before she smacks brutally into the water.

"Oh my god," she gasps, struggling to catch her breath because she absolutely had the wind knocked out of her.

And now she has to swim to the shore, out of breath and a complete and utter loser.

~~~~

"What a great game today. Man, you guys really know how to keep me entertained," TJ teases, happily rubbing his hands together. "Now, our losing team for today was Zelena and August, seems the whole house was against you. Looks like you guys have made some enemies." Zelena rolls her eyes but August shrugs as if none of this bothers him. "As for our winning team today, Mary Margaret, David, congratulations on the win. Everyone can head back to the house and prepare for deliberation to decide who you want to go against August and Zelena in the Jungle."

The sun is just starting to set over the horizon when they climb back onto the bus. Emma sets up camp in the back like she does every time, curling up next to the window. She has a sinking sensation in her gut that she and Killian will be the house vote this evening. Running over all the challengers left in her head, she knows the girls are all thick as thieves, except for herself and Tamara but all the Vets are BFF with Neal, so it only makes sense that she will be tossed in.

"Hey," Killian whispers, sliding up beside her. "What's wrong?"

"I think we are going to be the house vote," she whispers, provoking his bright eyes to shift frantically all around her face.

"Who told you that?"

"My brain."

"Nah, I think everyone is leaning toward Neal and Tamara-"

"What?" She whisper-shouts, diving into his personal space. "Why the hell do you think that? When would you have had time to talk to anyone about voting?"

"Relax. I've played this game a few times," he says with a carefree air about him as he settles his head back against the seat and shuts his eyes as if he has a written contract guaranteeing his safety.

She, on the other hand, knows better than to assume the house would ever vote against Neal.

~~~~

"That was...rough," Sabine exhales in defeat, plopping down face first into her pillow.

"Can someone please explain what just happened?" Emma asks, her bottom collapsing onto her own mattress in utter disbelief and confusion.

Regina sighs, angrily ripping open her drawer to find some clothes for after her shower. "We played the game," she coldly snaps, convincing Emma's attention to jump back up to Sabine for guidance. "I'm in need of a shower after that disgusting water."

Emma's concerned eyes tear away from Sabine to watch Regina's stiff body retreat from their room to slam the bathroom door behind herself.

"What's up with her?" She investigates, standing from her bottom bunk to peek over Sabine's railing.

"Neal was kinda the first person to accept Regina as a true athlete. It's very rare for her to throw him into elimination. Nobody ever acknowledges it but we all know they have an unspoken truce between each other. They are usually distant on the show but outside of the game, they are really good friends."

"Then why the hell would she throw him in if he's a real friend?"

"Because she needs Zelena to go home and she trusts that Neal is the only one to get rid of her," Sabine sadly reveals. "Neal knows it, he gets it, even if it's a huge risk to his game. He would never hold it against her but she's beating herself up for it."

Green eyes crawl back to the closed door, her heart feeling this unexpected tug to follow Regina and comfort the one person who has been there for her emotionally, wiping away her tears and soothing her emotions. Yet, there's a certain cameraman and producer waiting to catch her in the act. Even Sabine's eyes are wordlessly telling her not to go in there and stir up drama. Although, she's not sure if Sabine is suggesting Regina simply needs space or if Sabine knows and she doesn't want them to get caught.

"I'm gonna go make a sandwich," Emma decides, her eyes catching one last glimpse of the bathroom door calling to her before she exits their shared room.

~~~~

Regina hasn't said a single word to her in two days. Once and a while, when the world feels too quiet, Emma will lift her head and find big beautiful brown eyes studying her closely. Now, Emma's not one to ever blame crankiness on hormones thanks to a woman's period but damn, Regina is acting completely off.

Yes, she understands that Regina has been drowning in guilt the past few days for voting Neal in but she's still speaking to Sabine and Mary Margaret, so why hasn't she snuck into her bed late at night?

She glances down the bridge to discover Regina appearing so small with her thumbnail trapped between her clenched teeth. Emma's bottom lip automatically puckers in sympathy. Maybe Regina has been waiting for Emma to climb into her bed and console her. Crap. Now, she feels like an asshole and is almost certain Regina is waiting for her.

As if a homing device goes off in Regina's head and warns her of spies, she slowly lifts her gaze and locks eyes with Emma. Her heart beats faster, excited that her friend is showing her any sort of attention, so she acts fast. She lifts her hand to scratch her temple and hide her face as she mouths the words I'm sorry, but Regina tilts her head to the side, obviously puzzled before she redirects her attention back to the arena.

Huh, maybe she's not mad at her and is just in her own head from the guilt?

Emma shakes her head and turns her attention back to the battle in the sandpit. For the past fifteen minutes the two teams have been doing their best to climb a giant dome with metal poles all around, (truthfully, the contraption reminds Emma of something she used to climb at recess in elementary school) intricately weaving a heavy rope in and out to create a tangled mess. Then the other team will have to try and untangle all the knots and then drag the rope over the finish line.

Each player is already dripping in sweat, gassed out, and heaving for their next breath and they are only halfway through the process. Emma has seen this game before. Neal is a legend at knotting the rope and confusing the other team but she has a sneaky suspicion that Zelena is quite crafty as well and it could be anyone's game.

The players are strapped to each other's rope now, lining up at their starting points and her stomach curls in on itself. She really needs Neal to pull this one off for Regina's sanity.

The horn blows extremely long and hard as TJ screams for them to begin. All four players take off running, Neal already instructing Tamara where to go and lifting her bottom to climb the outside of the dome.

"Go, go, go!" Neal rushes out, lifting one part of the rope for his partner to squeeze through and jump back down inside of the dome.

"Let's move!" Zelena seethes while August takes his time to wipe sweat away from his brow.

"My arms are on fire," August complains. "This rope is so stupidly heavy."

"We don't have time for your whining. Let's go!"

Emma's attention slides back over to Neal, watching as he climbs to the top for the third time. He has his palm open, waiting for Tamara but she's exerted all her energy.

"Come on! Give me your hand, I'll pull you up!"

"I can't-I can't breathe."

"Yes, you can. You've got this. There is no, I can't. Only, I can. Let's hustle," he motivates, taking her hand and lifting her as if she weighs nothing. He sets her down on the top of the dome and ducks down to meet her gaze. "I know you can do this. Give me ten more minutes of everything you got and then I'll leave you alone for the rest of the night, okay?"

Tamara nods along numbly, Emma's not even sure if she's hearing him right now. Neal tugs the heavy rope all the way up the dome and then over Tamara's head, releasing one more knot along the way. He motions for her to jump down between the two ropes and she does as she's told.

"I can't carry this bloody rope all by myself!" Zelena violently screams, utilizing every muscle in her body to pull the rope out of the dome.

"Just give me a minute," August gasps before spitting next to the structure like he's about to throw up.

"We don't have a bloody minute. I'll give you a minute when this game is over!"

"Yelling at me isn't going to make me move faster!"

Emma drags her attention away from the shit-show that is Zelena and August because Neal and Tamara are awfully quiet. That's when she discovers Tamara collapsing over the finish line while Neal works by himself to drag the heavy rope across the pit through the sand. The whole cast begins chanting his name as they jump up and down with excitement.

Neal looks utterly defeated, pouring sweat from every inch of his body but he keeps moving, yanking the rope along with him. Once he nears the finish line, Tamara attempts to help him pull the rope over but she looks wrecked as if her limbs are too heavy for her own body.

At this point, August just gives up, leaping down from the dome and unclipping his rope while Zelena screams violently at him. Emma starts to suspect that August just doesn't want to continue with her as his partner.

It isn't long before TJ blows his horn, Zelena and August are kicked out of the game and the cast cheers and celebrates Neal's victory. Emma peeks one last time at Regina and she swears she can see tears of relief filling her warm chestnut eyes.

~~~~

"Stop beating yourself up. It's the game, you know it, I know it," Neal reassures Regina as Emma waltzes into her room.

Neal is on Regina's bed, leaning on his elbow with his hand upon her thigh for comfort. Regina is sitting with her legs folded like a pretzel, appearing so small and helpless. She didn't mean to interrupt, honestly, she had no idea that she would find them having a deep conversation on Regina's bed.

Regina's head is dipped low, hiding away the guilt and shame on her face. So, Emma makes herself busy, gathering her pajamas for the night and wandering into the bathroom to offer them privacy.

She moves slowly, brushing her teeth and washing her face, trying to buy them as much time as possible. When she's all done, she can still hear them conversing, so she hops onto the vanity and waits.

It's only a few minutes later when Regina slips into the bathroom, appearing much more confident.

"Hey," Emma beams, offering her best smile.

"Hey."

"Do you feel better after your talk with Neal?" She hopefully inquires as Regina slips between her legs, running her hands up Emma's thighs.

"Much," she husks with an undertone of flirtation.

Emma smiles back, sliding her fingers through those thick locks and scratching her scalp. "Hey look, I'm sorry that I didn't come to you and like comfort you. I told you, I'm not really good at that."

"Emma, you don't have to apologize. Sometimes I just get in my own head when I get this deep into the game. We aren't dating, it's not your responsibility to comfort me when I'm down."

Emma frowns, unsure why those words feel like a stab right to her beating heart. "I know but I think we are...friends now? And a friend should be there when another friend is down."

Regina jerks back, eyes slowly crawling to meet Emma's worried gaze. "You thought we were friends?" And she says it with a straight face but there's amusement twinkling in her eyes and the corner of her lip twitches from restraining a smile.

"You're so funny," Emma deadpans.

Regina hums, resting her forehead against Emma's chest. "Want to take a shower?" She asks but she sounds so exhausted and truthfully Emma feels the weight of the game as well.

"Eh, I got my period today and I'm feeling bloated and have horrible cramps."

"Ah," Regina murmurs, slowly pulling away from the comfort of Emma's chest and why does it feel like she's trying to distance herself again?

"Rain check?" She hopefully asks.

"Of course," Regina quietly says as Emma hops down from the counter, feeling so out of place after two days of tension and distance between them.

"I think I'm going to turn in for the night." Regina nods, averting her gaze to the floor like it's whispering the winning lottery numbers. "See you out there."

She only receives a stiff nod in return before she exits the bathroom, contemplating what she has gotten herself into. Hooking up in The Challenge house always leads to disaster. 

~~~~

She can't sleep. It's somewhere around one in the morning and the house is dead silent except for Merlin's snoring from down the hall but her eyelids won't cooperate. Her mind is stuck on repeat, wondering if Regina is still seeking comfort from the stress of the game and having to throw in her friend or if she truly doesn't care if Emma is around when she needs emotional support?

She strains her tired eyes, attempting to make out the silhouette hidden in the night. She takes in Regina's peaceful face, her chest rhythmically rising and falling to the light sounds of her breathing. She's stunning, absolutely breathtaking, honestly, how did she ever manage to trick this woman into sleeping with her?

Her body starts humming, twitching, and urging her to get up and find relief in that beautiful woman. She's up before she can think twice about her actions, tiptoeing the few steps until she's at Regina's bunk. She knows Sabine is sleeping with Naveen again, so she kneels on the bed and slips behind Regina's tiny frame. Tentatively, she loops one arm around a curvy waist and sneaks her hand between two swollen breasts.

Regina hums, subconsciously recognizing Emma's body and scoots further into her embrace. And Emma doesn't mean to, her lips simply move all on their own, spreading into a giddy grin while her heart happily leaps around inside of her chest. It's soothing to have Regina in her arms, relaxing and utterly tranquil but it's slightly terrifying.

She nuzzles against the back of her neck, burrowing in inky tresses rich with a lavender aroma. She breathes in the calming scent and wiggles against a firm bottom.

"I'm sorry," she whispers.

"Stop apologizing, you didn't do anything wrong," Regina mumbles in her sleep, her voice extra thick with rasp.

"But-"

Regina takes Emma's hand and places it upon her full breast, still so swollen from her period. Instinctively, Emma squeezes, her hips involuntarily bucking forward.

"Just because I'm wrapped up in the game and in my own head, doesn't mean that you have to blame yourself. God, what did Lily do to you?"

Emma freezes, her lips curling down into a pitiful pout. Is Lily really to blame here? Did she condition Emma to believe that every time her mood is off, Emma is the one to blame? Or is she just so irreplaceably damaged from being abandoned and left behind so many times that she constantly blames herself and is seeking approval?

Unexpectedly, Regina takes the hand upon her breast and lightly brushes her plump lips to Emma's knuckles. A wave of overwhelming emotions washes through Emma's chest, and the feeling is so foreign that she hasn't a clue how to react. Then, Regina places the hand back on her breast and snuggles further against her.

It's only a few moments later when Emma realizes Regina's breathing has evened out. Maybe it's just her period, maybe her hormones are all over the place, but she feels this urgent need to cry and hold this woman even closer. God, she wants to bury deep inside of Regina's warmth and hide away forever in her.

Instead, she snuggles in close, holds Regina especially tight and falls fast asleep for one night before they have to wake up and pretend to hate each other all over again.

Chapter Text

Emma was woken up at six in the morning by pointy fingers jabbing into her shoulder while frantic whispers told her to get back to her bed before they got caught. She groaned, half asleep and grouchy at the prospect of leaving Regina's cozy body but she did as she was told.

She wasn't able to sleep much after that, so she went on with her daily routine that she has on off days; eating a healthy breakfast made especially by Graham, working out, a swim with Killian, and then lounging around the rest of the day.

Tonight though, was another night out where they would be driven to some bar where they were expected to get completely hammered and act a fool for the audience's entertainment. And Emma falls right into the trap.

"Another round, on me!" Mary Margaret exclaims, passing a shot glass over to Emma as she leans heavily into her side. "Cheers!"

Emma's smile is a little sloppy as she thrusts her glass against Mary Margaret's, they may even spill a little before they tap the glass back onto the table and then down the harsh liquid in one swallow. Mary Margaret insists on taking shots like this every time otherwise it's bad luck in the game. Emma has never been one for superstitions but her brain is too fuzzy to argue.

When she slams her empty glass back down, her eyes crawl back toward the dance floor for a certain brunette that has wormed her way into her mind. She spots her almost immediately, it's impossible not to when she's wearing such a tight red dress that screams scandalous. She's glistening from the thin sheen of sweat due to her swaying hips and crowded dance floor. And somewhere during the night, Regina has tossed her hair into a high and messy ponytail which is tickling at Emma's lower gut.

"We should dance!" Mary Margaret screams in delight over the thumping music which just so happens to contort Emma's face into bewilderment. "You're making it rather obvious that you want to."

"Me? What?" Emma slurs as Mary Margaret slides off her stool.

"Oh come on."

Emma hesitantly slips off her stool, eyeing the woman who is just buzzing with excitement. "Why do I get the feeling that you have an ulterior motive?" She yells, even though she's leaning heavily into her friend's side.

"Me? What?" Mary Margaret tosses her words right back in her face, feigning innocence.

"Okay, see, right there. I feel like you are subtly trying to tell me something without actually having to say it and end up in trouble."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," her friend dismissively says, forcefully snatching up Emma's hand and dragging her out into the dance floor, brushing right by Kristoff and Elsa.

"I think you're a Nosy Nancy."

Mary Margaret comes to a screeching halt, whipping around as she gasps in shock. "Emma," she scolds in a tone that makes Emma feel like she's actually this woman's daughter, "bite your tongue. I am not nosy. It's not my fault if my friends know that I am loyal."

And then she whirls back around on her heels and yanks Emma's arm almost right out of its socket until they are sliding up next to Regina, Ruby, and Belle. Sabine is there as well but she's pretty occupied with her tongue so deep down Naveen's throat as they grind on each other.

"Swan!" Ruby and Belle chant in perfect harmony, prompting Regina to turn around and face her head on.

"Swan," Regina purrs and yes, it's sexy as fuck but Emma's mind is tripping on the fact that her roomie just called her Swan.

She is sure Regina has never called her that before and maybe she's just trying to blend in with her cast mates but she is so used to hearing the voice call her name over and over again. Em, Em, Em-ma...

She blushes from the naughty images filling her head but luckily, everyone around her is just as flushed from dancing all night.

"So nice of you to finally join us," Ruby shamelessly flirts, wiggling her body right up against Emma's side.

Except, her attention is trapped under a hypnotizing spell at the moment. Regina. God, this woman is captivating. Those dark eyes are hungry this evening, drinking in every inch of Emma with a need that makes Emma's entire body vibrate. Yet, this infuriating woman doesn't come any closer. She remains rooted to her place next to Belle, swaying seductively from side to side.

A bitter chill runs rampant through her blood.

"Dance," Mary Margaret insists, taking her hand and lifting it up just so she can spin herself.

Very slowly, she crumbles, it's hard to ignore four pretty women dancing all around her. So, she begins bobbing her head to the rhythm, her hips slowly swinging all on their own. Mary Margaret is still right behind her but this is when David sneaks up and steals all her attention.

It's fine. There are still four of them dancing in a circle and from an outsider's perspective she is sure it looks like best friends dancing and having a blast. Although, she's fairly confident two of the four women are in a serious relationship and she knows for a fact the other two are fuck-buddies. Still, she continues, Ruby to her left and Belle on her right which means that Regina is directly across from her.

And not once do those hungry eyes wander away.

She doesn't recognize the song thumping in the background but she can feel the beat rattling the clothes on her body. The air is suffocatingly hot but nobody makes a move to leave the dance floor. Little by little she's inching closer and it's not her fault in any way, it's just what happens when a person dances. The only problem is that she can distinctly feel the way the air is growing thicker around them, how everything suddenly feels like the world is in slow motion as she sways closer and Regina's body is perfectly in sync with hers.

Their are eyes are locked, challenging and wanting in a new way just because it's so forbidden. She can feel the reverberations of her pounding heart in her throat. It's becoming almost impossible to breathe when Regina looks at her like that. She knows that look, she knows her now and Regina is craving her like a wolf in heat.

If she's not mistaken, Regina leans in dangerously close but...

"You're so hammered," Belle unexpectedly shouts a little too loudly and if Emma's being honest here, a little on the fake side.

"Oh honey," Ruby coos, pouting at Regina as she curls some fly-aways behind Regina's ear, "you won't remember a thing tomorrow."

"Definitely not," Regina shrugs carelessly, slowly pulling back from their tight knit circle, causing Emma's heart to beat heavily against her chest in concern. "I should probably use the restroom!" Regina yells into Ruby's ear but everyone within five feet heard her loud and clear.

"You shouldn't go alone," Belle demands. "Take Swan with you," and maybe Emma's a little intoxicated but she swears this woman's accent is growing thicker.

"If I must," Regina exhales in annoyance, rolling her eyes and all as she squeezes through a wall of humans.

Emma rushes to follow, choosing to ignore the way Ruby and Belle's eyes light up with amusement. She does make a mental note that before she's even six inches away, Belle and Ruby enclose the gap between them and grind against each other like they had been waiting all night. That's when Emma also comes to the realization that those two aren't being filmed anymore because Kristoff and Elsa are hot on her heels.

Regina doesn't wait for her, she slams her palm against the bathroom door and disappears inside. Something in Emma causes her to pause for a brief moment before following behind. She quickly spins around and pointedly glares at Elsa.

"Aren't you not suppose to film her in the bathroom?" She inquisitively investigates despite her heavy eyelids and dopey grin from all the alcohol.

"We are not in the bathroom, are we?" Elsa snottily answers.

"But you're hovering."

"Tell me," Elsa hums in a condescending tone, "why do you need to follow her inside? You were a good person and escorted your drunk...roommate to the bathroom. Why would you need to go inside as well?"

"To make sure she's alright," she firmly fires back with all the confidence in the world. "She might vomit or pass out and could potentially hit her head on the toilet." She cracks a cocky little smirk, placing her hand on the door just before she peeks over her shoulder. "That's why I'm following her inside."

And with that, Emma shoves the door open and struts right into that bathroom. She finds Regina at the bathroom sink, washing her hands and appearing a lot more sober than a few minutes ago.

"Took you long enough," Regina snarks, examining her wild hair in the mirror through pinched eyebrows which has that cute little vein in her forehead popping again.

"Elsa is outside," she replies, stalking closer with an ecstatic heart leaping all around in her chest because she knows exactly where this is going to lead.

Regina hums, both falling silent as they watch two women leave the restroom together. And then this teasing woman tilts her head to the side, nodding toward the very last stall and Emma's feet move all on their own to the silent request.

She barely has any time to step inside before Regina is shoving her against a brick wall and slamming her mouth against hers. "Wait, wait," she mumbles against domineering lips that have only one thing on their mind. "The lock..."

Regina huffs her annoyance but quickly fumbles for the lock and then she's colliding into Emma again and thrusting her tongue deep inside of her mouth, claiming ownership. Emma starts to glide her hands around those sexy curves when she feels two palms roughly groping her breasts.

"Fuck," she gasps, chasing Regina's mouth once again, hopelessly trying to keep up with the needy woman.

"I love the way your hands feel on my hips," Regina incoherently babbles as she rocks against Emma's entire torso.

"Huh?"

"It's so sexy," she proceeds between persistent kisses, "with your long fingers taking up every inch," she whispers through a deep shudder while Emma's fingers curl even tighter into her hips like she needs to demonstrate. "It's...safe, like you're going to protect me from anything and yet, also like you're owning me."

Emma's heart explodes right then and there, her blood tingling with pride as she swells from the ego boost. Without truly thinking, she digs her fingertips even deeper into Regina's hips and tugs her closer, even though it's impossible to be any closer. She opens her mouth, dominating that sassy tongue and for once, Regina allows her to.

"How drunk are you?" She gasps into the sloppy kiss. "I've never heard you talk so much." Regina hums like she wants to answer but her lips and tongue are hard at work. "I mean sure, sometimes you're loud in bed but never chatty."

"You're one to talk, Swan," Regina growls, ripping her mouth away but Emma can tell she's trying very hard not to smile, especially since those dark eyes are practically glowing in amusement.

"And since when do you call me, Swan, I like it when you call me, Emma," she moans, grabbing two hands full of this woman's thick bottom and thrusting her flush against her body.

"It would be suspicious if I called you Emma when the whole house calls you Swan. Now, are we going to fuck or keep chatting because it's only a matter of time before Elsa sends someone in."

"Say fuck again," she muses, her eyebrows dancing in delight.

"Shut-" Regina doesn't have the chance to finish her scolding because Emma shuts her up with a fierce kiss that is thrumming with desperation.

"I'll never shut up," she proceeds, earning herself a heavy sigh against her mouth. "I have a sneaky suspicion that you have a kink for fighting with me."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Emma smirks against Regina's luscious lips and roughly tugs that little red dress up and over Regina's hips. Her fingers move swiftly, shifting a lacy garment to the side, so she can swim through the arousal coating Regina's silky folds. She groans as her gut clenches from the evidence of how much she is turning this woman on.

"See, you love fighting with me," she retorts in the most cocky tone.

"Keep talking your shit, Emma and see how fast I take away my body from you."

Emma grazes her nose against a sharp jaw all the way until she is breathing heavily against Regina's ear. "You'll be punishing yourself as well," she declares, gently circling two fingers around a soaked clit.

Regina shivers, her body trembling from the touch yet she still finds the courage to talk back. "You have three minutes to get the job done or I'm walking."

Emma wants to call her bluff but she also doesn't want to push her luck, so she vacates her spot between Regina's legs and right when that sassy mouth is about to argue, Emma abruptly spins her around and pins her to the wall. She covers this woman, draping her body against Regina's back as her mouth goes to work, peppering the warm skin with featherlight kisses.

"Thanks for the extra minute," her smart mouth moans into Regina's ear as she spreads the thick arousal all around her smooth center.

She knows this woman has something clever to say but she chokes on her words when Emma deftly thrusts two fingers into her needy pussy from behind. A deep moan stirs in the back of Regina's throat, sounding like a whimper as she pushes back, wanting so much more. Emma can't stop herself from thrusting into Regina's bottom, pinning her harder to the wall.

"Oh god," Regina groans, struggling to keep her mouth shut. She slams her fist against the wall and bites down from crying out and the image alone has Emma shivering in delight. "Uh, Emma," she moans in a high pitch Emma is sure this woman has never reached before.

Everything about this moment is dirty and erotic and she wants nothing more than to rub herself hard and fast against that plump bottom. Before she can think twice, her free palm is smacking hard against a bouncing cheek. Regina bites even harder into her own fist and mewls from the pleasure that is rocketing through her body.

"Are you ready to cum?" She mocks directly in Regina's ear as her hand snakes around her waist to press her palm flat against an aching clit. "My time is almost up."

"I-god, yes, I-"

Emma distinctly hears the door fling open but Regina is grinding roughly against her palm, while those tight walls suck her eager fingers. A searing wave of embarrassment drowns her, rushing from head to toe because she knows someone walked in but she also knows Regina is mid-orgasm.

"Hey," Ruby's voice hisses in a hushed whisper outside of the stall. "You two done? Elsa made me come in to check if Regina is vomiting."

"Uh...." Emma stammers as a beautiful woman quakes in her arms from the aftershocks of her orgasm.

"Oh god, I didn't just walk in...did I?" Her friend whimpers pathetically.

"Shut up, Ruby," Regina breathlessly gasps, resting her forehead against her fist.

Emma peeks down to watch her fingers slip from Regina's soaked center. She smiles to herself, swooning over the way Regina winces from the intrusion.

"You're gonna have to fake sick."

"I'm well aware," Regina growls as Emma rips some toilet paper and gently wipes away the mess between Regina's legs. The way Regina violently whips around in confusion scares the living daylights out of Emma. "What are you doing?"

"Helping you clean up."

"What? Why? What?"

"Awe Swan, I didn't know you were such a gentlewoman," Ruby gushes, provoking Emma's cheeks to run hot.

"Shut up, Ruby!" Emma and Regina snap in unison.

"Okay, okay. Just hurry up, I'll stall Elsa for a few more minutes."

Once the door swings closed, Emma tosses the wet toilet paper into the toilet and flushes. In a haste, Regina shoves her dress back into place and moves quickly to unlock the door.

"Hey," Emma softly speaks, cautious not to spook her as she gently curls her fingers around Regina's forearm. "I was just...trying to be nice, I didn't mean to make you upset."

Big brown eyes frantically shift all around Emma's face, analyzing, suspecting, searching for intel. "No, I just...nobody has ever done that before and it caught me off guard."

Emma frowns, cupping a flushed cheek and sweeping her thumb against the heated flesh. "If it makes you feel uncomfortable you can tell me. I won't do it again."

Regina blinks. She blinks again. Then she blinks three, four, five times. Emma can see the wheels turning in her head yet, no sounds are being produced. Emma holds her attention, staring deep into her eyes until she is ready. She finds it odd how in this moment, she knows she would wait forever for this woman.

"It...was nice-thoughtful," Regina amends, convincing Emma that all is well between them and she should gift this woman a delicate kiss. "Come on, we should get back."

Regina seems utterly confused, flabbergasted really as they step out of the stall, but she doesn't say a word. In fact, she doesn't speak again, and she fakes sick for production, which means she leaves the bar early that night, but Emma, Ruby, and Belle pretend that they need to follow her to ensure her safety. (Emma is convinced Belle and Ruby want privacy away from the other cast mates and that's why they tag along.) However, Regina doesn't say a word the whole way back and Emma is on edge all over again, wondering what she did wrong once more?

~~~~

Regina doesn't speak again until they are alone in their room.

Scratch that, she still isn't speaking.

So, Emma takes a tentative step forward, wanting to wrap this woman up in her arms and save her from whatever demons are tormenting her brain at the moment. Big brown eyes meet hers before darting toward the corner of the room, just like they always do, as if she's expecting someone to be lurking in the shadows.

"Son of a bitch."

Ah, she speaks.

"What?" She gently asks, moving in for a hug but before she can make any real contact, Regina is out of arm's reach, stomping toward her bed and ripping the sheet off in a fit of rage.

Emma's forehead actually hurts from how hard her brows are pinched together in bewilderment.

"Nothing, someone must have played a cruel prank and wet my sheets," Regina says in the weird tone that sounds like she's trying to be loud and fake for the cameras.

But there is not a single camera in sight, and those sheets are definitely dry.

"Huh?"

Regina scoffs, tugging at the sheet until it's free. "It needs to dry," her roommate claims, hanging it back in the corner again.

And that's when Emma finally notices a tiny camera in the corner of the room. "Good idea," her voice croaks out from embarrassment because now every naughty moment between the sheets comes barreling into her like a linebacker. "I need to pee!" She suddenly announces uncharacteristically loud because she can't control how awkward she feels in the moment.

She rushes to the bathroom and hides inside, pacing back and forth as she nervously bites down on her thumbnail. God, all the times she freely changed in front of that camera. All the times she did so many dirty things to Regina. Shit, how many times have they fallen asleep next to one another?

The door barely opens enough for Regina's frame to slip through the crack. Her wild eyes spring to the concern etched all over this Regina's face.

"Hey," Regina softly begins, "are you alright?"

"I-why didn't you tell me there was a camera in our room!" She desperately implores, coming off way whinier than stern like she had planned in her head.

"What?" Her roommate genuinely seems puzzled. "I thought you knew. You've watched the show enough to know how many times I've won, then you most certainly know that they always show scenes in the dark of people sneaking into each other's beds. This is nothing new, Emma."

"I-I...." She sags in defeat because Regina is right, she should have known better. She knows everything about this show and how it's filmed. "I guess actually being here is different."

Regina steps closer like she's terrified to spook her. Gently, she runs her palms up Emma's biceps and squeezes some reassurance into her. "That's why I tossed my sheet up there a while ago. They have enough footage of me in the past; they don't need any more of my hookups."

A faint smirk toys at the corner of Emma's mouth just as Regina leans in for a soft kiss. "So wait," she mumbles, ending the sweet kiss. "Who took down the sheet?"

Regina sighs her frustrations. "I'm sure it was Elsa. Nobody is watching those surveillance cameras twenty-four-seven, usually at the end of filming, a team will scan them for juicy details. Every once and a while someone will check in to make sure they are still filming though and I'm sure they noticed ours and reported to Elsa."

"Will we get in trouble?" She nervously investigates because even though she made it a lot further than she anticipated, she would still like to stay in the game and keep collecting that thousand-dollar paycheck each week.

"Nah. I know someone from the past who would do this all the time and was never reprimanded. We will be fine."

"I hope. I can't afford being kicked off. I need this money, Regina," she exclaims, the fear in her tone shocking not only Regina but herself as well because she is still not accustomed to being so vulnerable with another human.

Regina's face softens instantly, her feet shuffling closer on instinct. "Hey, I promise, this won't affect your game, okay?"

And Emma doesn't have time to respond because the softest lips are molding so perfectly into hers, distracting her once again from any logical thinking.

Chapter Text

"Welcome everybody to your next challenge, X Marks the Spot!" TJ announces which has the cast clapping along just like they are instructed to do every time.

"For this challenge, you and your partner will be strapped together, suspended two hundred feet in the air. When I say go, you will be flung over the water, where there will be targets floating down below. Your goal is to release your partner at exactly the right moment and fall perfectly inside of the target. The white targets are worth ten points, the blue are worth twenty-five and the red target in the center is fifty points. You will each take a turn being the person to release your partner and also the one being dropped. Whichever team collects the most points at the end will be today's winner."

And then TJ pauses with a very serious expression on his face and Emma's heart shrivels up and cowers away in fear. She glances over her shoulder at Killian who immediately stiffens. Then her attention swings to Regina, clenching her fingers especially tight behind her back. Fuck. Something bad is about to happen.

"Now, today is a purge day. The loser of today's challenge will automatically be sent home, straight from here and lose out on their chance in the final. The team that comes in second to last will be going into elimination. You definitely don't want to be anywhere near the bottom when we are getting so close to the final."

Emma's heart jumps in fear, brutally slamming against her sternum and bruising her chest from within. She has two opportunities today to be eliminated from the game, two. What in the actual...

"Swan, come on, we have to do our interview," Killian gently reminds her, placing a kind hand upon her shoulder.

He guides her over to where Elsa and Kristoff are waiting but her mind is a fuzzy mess and she can't think of anything at all to say. Her tongues suddenly feels too heavy and her stomach won't stop producing backflips. She's going to be sick.

"Does this queasy sensation before a challenge ever go away?" She blurts out, taking her partner and crew members by surprise but they keep rolling.

Killian plasters on a fake smile, tossing his head back in laughter as he hooks an arm around her shoulders. "Nah, it doesn't." He suddenly becomes very serious. "It really doesn't."

Emma frowns up at him, her body trembling in fear before he starts laughing again and babbles on and on about a strategy she can't possibly pay any attention to. She's stuck in her own head, paralyzed by the possibility of returning home when she knows the final is in her reach. She's so close, she didn't come all this way and fight her way through three eliminations just to go home right before the final.

When she hears TJ blow his horn, her mind instantly sharpens, sweeping away the fog, so she can focus on the contestants before her. Okay, focus. All she has to do is watch when the person is being released and remember where they land in the water and use that information to help guide her. Sounds easy enough.

Graham is the first to release Ruby and by the angle from where Emma is standing, it appears that he is trying to aim for the white target. Maybe he is thinking that if he's a little too late, she will fly to the next target which would be red? However, Ruby flops way too soon into the water and completely misses all the targets.

Everyone sighs, expressing how sad they are for the team, but Emma is puzzled, wracking her brain and wondering how his timing could have been so off? The targets are set up in squares, so the person can sink right in between the shape floating in the water. From high above, the entire shape is a cross, four white targets, top, bottom, left and right. The following targets are blue, directly inside of the white and then there is only one red target in the middle. Which leaves plenty of opportunities to fall into at least one target. Except, she was nowhere near the bottom white target.

Okay, so maybe releasing later than expected is ideal?

Or maybe not, considering Ruby sends Graham way too late and he misses all the targets, which unfortunately, leaves their score at a whopping zero.

Dammit. She trusts Ruby and Graham, even if they aren't in her favor for numbers, she still knows that they are genuine people who she adores. She can't lose them. Besides, she much rather go against them in the final compared to literally anyone else left in this game.

Well, maybe there is one other team that she wouldn't mind running against in the final and that's Belle and Will. She knows in endurance and running, she can outshine the woman, however, puzzles and mind games Belle will blow her away, still she thinks they could be pretty evenly matched in a final.

"Belle, Will, are you ready?" TJ screams from his perfectly safe platform below the team dangling in the air over the water.

"Yeah!"

TJ blows his horn and sends Belle and Will swinging out over the open waters. Will is the first to release, sending a very stiff Belle plummeting down and for a split second, Emma is positive that they will hit the white target on the right but she ends up missing that one and sinks into the corner of the cross.

Everyone groans their frustrations, especially Ruby who begins frantically pacing and biting at her cuticles. As Belle is being dragged out of the water, Ruby stomps toward the edge of the platform, wrapped tightly in a towel.

"Release him sooner than you think. The perspective is way off from up there," Ruby shouts nervously, even though Belle nods along numbly.

Belle's quivering and Emma suspects she's not even listening. She could be shaking because she's cold, or maybe the shock of hitting the water from so high above, or maybe deep down, her body knows that one of them is going home?

Maybe Belle is too nervous about sending Ruby home if she accumulates any points but she completely fails and pulls Will's release far too early.

Another unsettling zero points.

Panic begins sizzling low in Emma's gut again because maybe this challenge is a hell of a lot harder than she anticipated? What if nobody scores? What if they have to compete over and over again until someone finally scores a point? What if this game is just pure dumb luck? Ugh, that will literally be the worst way to be eliminated right before a final, with no skill involved.

Neal and Tamara are the next team being strapped in and Emma notices how Regina shuffles a little closer, anxious about her dear friend.

"Let's go!" Neal happily screams from above, slapping Tamara's arms excitedly while she swats him away and scowls from how terrified she is from being up so high.

The minute TJ blows his horn, Neal's face morphs into hyper-focused, his eyes zoning in on the targets like he has some bionic eye. When he releases his partner, he begins chanting let's go, all the way until she crashes into a blue target, earning himself the first point of the day. And twenty-five at that.

The whole cast claps and cheers him on as he thrusts his fist into the air and wiggles around like he's dancing in the sky. Even though they have scored for their team, Tamara is miserable when she pops out of the water. Maybe her sour mood effects her game or maybe she's just that petrified of heights and water, either way, she's way off and releases Neal far too late.

Production calls Killian and Emma up next and to be honest, her mind completely blanks out. She doesn't remember walking to the platform that lifts them into the sky. She doesn't remember much about being strapped into place and she definitely blocks out the instructions on how to release your partner. She barely even recognizes the sound of TJ's foghorn.

"Get it, Swan."

"Wha-" and then she's being released and free falling through the warm air.

Her heart leaps out of her chest, her stomach chasing the damn organ like they are playing a game of tag. She can't scream, can't breathe, can't even see the targets below her. The water is rough and stings every inch of her body as she violently crashes into the sea. Her body moves all on its own, rushing to swim herself back to the surface. When she pops up, she is directly in the middle of a red target.

"No!" She yells up at Killian who is doing his own little happy jig in the sky.

"Hell yeah, Swan!" He screams just before she hears TJ announce that they earned fifty points for the middle bullseye.

She swims hard and fast toward the platform, finally awake and feeling excited for her turn. She peeks over at the other challengers and even though Ruby and Belle are pale from the idea of being sent home, they flash her a smile. Regina subtly nods in her direction and that alone sends a surge of adrenaline and excitement through Emma.

She rides the small platform up to the top again where she is then strapped to Killian once again.

"Wait, I'm sorry, I didn't hear the instructions on the release before," she meekly admits but the man in charge just smiles and explains that all she has to do is tug hard on the release cord.

"Swan, Killian, are you ready?" Damn, even TJ calls her Swan now. "Go!"

She abruptly swings out over the water and immediately drops her gaze to the targets below. And dammit, they are coming up way too fast and she has no time to process how the hell she is going to judge her aim.

"Now!" Killian shouts, motivating her hand to yank on the cord without any permission from her mind.

She holds her breath, watching as Killian turns himself into a human pencil as he slices through the air. He misses the red target but thankfully he crashes right through the blue target above the bullseye and she earns them another twenty-five points.

"Hell yeah!" She screams just as his tiny head pops out of the water. "That was all you, Killy!"

"First place, baby!" He yells back at her before he swims back to the platform.

Production pulls her back in and works quickly to unstrap her. The minute she's on solid ground, she jumps into his arms and he squeezes her like she's his long lost sister.

"We did it," she breathes in relief. "That was all you!"

"Let's just hope it's enough to keep us in first place. We can't go home, not now."

"I know."

~~~~

Sabine and Merlin follow and as much as Emma adores the woman, she is so damn relieved when they only score twenty points.

Regina and Naveen are up next which has Emma holding her breath. She wants Regina to succeed and she most certainly doesn't want her to go home but she knows if Regina outranks her, that will put Emma in jeopardy of being up for elimination. Not that she believes Regina would throw her in this late in the game after all their secret nights but still, she would rather just be safe. Yet, despite it all, she's still internally rooting for the Queen of the house.

Regina drops Naveen in the twenty-five marker and if Naveen could drop her in the bullseye, they would be tied for first. Unfortunately, Naveen is a tad too late with his release and Regina falls into a white target, giving them a grand total of thirty-five.

When Regina slinks up beside her, huddled deep in a towel, she covers her mouth and whispers into the fluff, "good job, Emma."

Emma smiles, her heart exploding with pride as her eyes remained locked onto Mary Margaret and David to keep up their façade of not being friendly. All she wants to do in this moment is swoop Regina into her arms and kiss her with everything she has from the excitement rushing through her veins but no, damn Kristoff is in her face.

Last up are Mary Margaret and David and Emma feels so utterly confident that she has this. They are going to be safe from elimination and she has a funny feeling deep in her gut that after the Jungle, TJ will announce that they are headed into the finals.

She's on cloud nine, buzzing with all sorts of ecstatic energy, she can hardly stand in one place. She watches with a dopey grin across her face as David releases the tiny little thing. Mary Margaret looks like a baby firefly falling through the air and she's actually quite amused until the woman smacks down right in the center of the bullseye.

All the air rushes out of her lungs and she can't possibly take a breath when Regina peeks over her shoulder with eyes made up of saucers. She swallows, attempting to kick start her organs again. She shakes her head, silently trying to convince Regina-and maybe herself- that it's alright. Everything is alright because there is no way Mary Margaret could possibly drop David into the center.

Killian wraps one arm around her shoulders and together they observe as Mary Margaret and David soar through the air again. Her partner tightens his grip around her and before Mary Margaret tugs on the cord, Emma has a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach that they are about to lose. And sure enough, David sails through the air and slips dead center in the red target, earning themselves a grand total of one-hundred points.

Bitter acid crawls up her throat but she forces herself to choke it all back down. She had the final at her fingertips and with a snap of the fingers, it's being torn away from her. Her vision blurs as her eyes snap to Regina but for some awful reason, those enchanting brown orbs refuse to look at her.

"Mary Margaret is astonishing in archery," Killian whispers into her side. "Her ability to hit targets is absolutely ridiculous."

"Fuck," Emma grumbles, backhanding him in the gut. "Why didn't you tell me? I was sure we won."

"Sorry, love. I thought you knew."

"No, no I didn't," she scoffs just as TJ lines the cast up again.

"What a gnarly challenge. Unfortunately, we have a tie for last place. Belle and Will and Ruby and Graham, you guys will have to go again to determine who will be eliminated from this game right now." Everyone gasps and the sound of shock that echoes off the waters, tells Emma that the whole cast knows a couple is being pinned against each other. "Belle, Will, you're up first."

Ruby snatches Belle's arm and tugs her back into her embrace and Emma can feel the heartache and torment between the two.

"Don't you dare hold back," Belle orders, muffled against her girlfriend's shoulder as Ruby burrows deep into her neck.

"I don't wanna do this. I can't go against you like this."

"Yes, you can. Please don't hold back, please don't throw this challenge. I can't be the reason you lose this season," Belle pleads, unexpectedly causing Emma's eyes to swell with tears.

"I can't be the one who sends you home," Ruby sniffles and it's surprising that production nor TJ hasn't broken this up just yet.

"Better you than anyone else," Belle says as she slowly pulls away from the embrace. "Good luck, Red," she says with a wink and god, Emma forgot all about that nickname Ruby had when she first started the games many years ago.

She wants to focus on the game but her attention keeps wandering back to Regina who is still burrowed deep in her towel and hiding away. Of course, she's watching her friends compete but she's still ignoring Emma. What is going on in that strategically chaotic brain of hers?

TJ's foghorn snaps her back to reality and redirects her attention back toward the sky. She watches as Belle soars through the air and misses the outermost white target by a hair, in fact, her leg grazes the outside of the inflatable tube. Will curses, violently swinging in the air while Ruby paces nervously across the platform.

"Belle-" Ruby hysterically cries as she chases her toward the lift.

"Ruby, stop," Belle firmly says, forcing her lover to halt dead in her tracks like a well trained puppy.

Neither one speaks again. Not when Belle releases Will and completely misses the targets. Not when Ruby and Graham are strapped in and geared up. Not when Graham releases Ruby and she lands perfectly in a blue target which automatically sends Belle and Will home.

Everyone in the cast is heartbroken, tears filling all eyes as TJ announces Belle and Will's termination in the game. But once those cameras turn off and the cast is being escorted back to the buses, Ruby makes a mad dash for Belle. She barrels right into her, knocking the wind straight from her lungs as she squeezes Belle impossibly close.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so so-"

"Stop, Ruby," Belle gently commands, petting her long hair to soothe her guilty conscience. "It's okay. We know how the game works."

"I know, I just-"

"I know, me too," Belle whispers then presses a long and firm kiss just below Ruby's jaw.

Emma sighs because damn, she couldn't imagine sending her girlfriend home or being sent home by her girlfriend. Either way, it's fucking awful and she's so glad she doesn't have to deal with that drama.

So, she climbs onto the bus and sets up camp in her usual spot in the very back. She's waiting for Regina to claim the seat in front of her, but she never comes. Instead, she settles down in the first seat and hides away in her towel, refusing to speak to anyone the rest of the trip.

And so, Emma tells herself over and over that Regina must be drowning in her own sorrows knowing that she will have to throw her best friend, Neal, in once again.

Chapter Text

Emma had woken up sometime in the middle of the night to find that Regina was fast asleep in her own bed. She understands now how stress can severely alter Regina's mood to the point where she shuts down on the outside and internally panics on the inside but she hates the distance between them. She's grown accustomed to Regina's body next to hers while she sleeps.

So, she crawled into Regina's bed, wrapped all her limbs around her and hoped that the pressure and comfort would be enough to settle the anxiety wreaking havoc from within. Regina immediately snuggled further into her and breathed out a content little sigh and Emma felt damn proud of herself for finally getting the hang of comforting another human.

However, when the morning came she found herself alone yet again. She wandered downstairs and searched the house until she found Regina zoned out on the treadmill, soaked in sweat. She tried talking to her but Regina was short, truthfully, it was as if she was answering on autopilot like a damn robot. So, Emma left her alone and decided Graham was the safest to hang out with.

It's around eight in the evening when TJ shows up and she knows it's deliberation time. They have to decide which pair will go against Ruby and Graham in what Emma hopes is the last elimination. Everyone is abnormally quiet as they all settle down on the couch in the common area. TJ stands at the front and begins his speech that has Ruby and Graham joining him.

"Alright, Mary Margaret and David, you killed X Marks the Spots, so you will start off the voting this evening."

Mary Margaret sighs, motivating David to wrap his arm around her and hold her especially close. "We are nearing the end of the game and there just aren't that many names to choose from. I just want to say that this is nothing personal and I have come to really enjoy this person but loyalty to my friends comes first, so I'm so sorry Swan and Killian, but our vote is for you."

Emma's stomach flips, her blood running cold because what the hell? She had no idea that her name would even be on the chopping block. She glares at the woman who is apologizing again but Emma can't seem to make her mouth function so she can ask why?

"Alright, that's one vote for Killian and Swan. Sabine and Merlin?"

"I love rooming with you, kiddo, you're great but unfortunately, we are down to the nitty-gritty, so our vote will also have to be for Swan and Killian."

"I-" Emma begins but her throat swells and she can't seem to produce any more sounds.

"That's two votes. Okay, Neal and Tamara who would you like to send down to the Jungle?" TJ proceeds with one eyebrow rising from how intrigued he is.

"Well," Neal sighs, "Killian is my guy, he's my number one in the game, so I can't say his name. And well, Regina has always been my number one girl, so I'm sorry but our vote is for Sabine and Merlin."

Sabine nods in understanding but they all fucking know that he just burned his vote. There is no way the votes will swing in her direction now.

"Okay, that's two votes for Killian and Emma and one vote for Sabine and Merlin. Killian and Emma, who is your vote for?"

"Clearly we aren't going to vote for ourselves," Killian laughs, somehow still in good spirits about everything and Emma wants to throttle his neck and wake him back up. "Our vote will also be for Sabine and Merlin."

"Alright, the votes are all tied up, which means Regina and Naveen will have the deciding vote."

Emma's attention instantly flicks to Regina, cool, poised, confident and she wants so desperately to believe that this woman has her back but the pile of rocks weighing down her gut is warning her of what's to come.

"Our vote is for Killian and Swan," she says as if she doesn't say Emma, it's a completely different person she's voting for.

There is no bullshit excuse, no reasoning like the rest of the cast had provided, just their names, plain and simple. Emma's veins boil, her blood sizzling as her vision distorts and all she sees is burning red. She knows TJ is talking and Killian is standing to take their position beside the host but she is fuming and her mind is funneling into tunnel vision.

How? Why? What the fuck just happened?

She's moving to take her place but she doesn't hear TJ's muffled words because everything sounds fuzzy. She just stares at Regina who is staring right back at her but that damn face is blank, not revealing one damn emotion.

When the cast begins clapping, she pivots on her tiptoes and storms out of the room. She can hear Kristoff chasing her but most importantly, she can feel the weight of Regina's attention searing a hole right through her back but she doesn't stop. She stomps like a bratty teen all the way upstairs and slams the door in the cameraman's face.

It's not even thirty seconds later when Killian opens the door with a pitiful pout on full display.

"You wanna talk, love?" He kindly asks and even though she's raging on the inside, she softens for him.

"It's bullshit," she seethes, hysterically pacing the bedroom with her fingernails clenching her biceps and digging into her bare skin.

"What is?" He inquires so innocently, tilting his head like he can't wrap his mind around what she's claiming.

"Regina-us being voted in!"

He sighs, plopping down on the edge of her bed and running his hand through his hair. "I know you are new here and you're young-"

"What the hell does that-"

"Listen to me, Swan, take it from someone who has been playing this game for twelve seasons," he urges, locking eyes with her to express how serious he is, "it's nothing personal."

"Bullshit!" She screams, tossing her hands up in defeat, provoking her partner to exhale once again like she's trying his patience. "That was such-why the hell not Neal and Tamara. They've only gone to the Jungle once, this will be our fourth time!"

"Because Neal doesn't lose eliminations," he calmly reasons. "All those girls are thick as thieves and Ruby is their girl. They just lost Belle, they don't want to lose another and they aren't sending themselves in. We are the only option to give Ruby her best chance coming back into this game."

"Oh yeah, really not fucking personal," she sardonically quips, rolling her eyes in annoyance as her feet continue to burn a path into the floor. "That's the dumbest thing I've heard in this house. Yeah, I maybe new but our track record should speak for itself. We've won three eliminations. The odds are not in Ruby's favor."

"No, they aren't but they won't be signing her death certificate as quickly as they would with Neal as the house vote."

"You're not making me feel any better here," she deadpans.

"I know, I'm sorry. But this is just how the game works, all is fair in love, war, and the challenge."

"It's not fair."

"The predictable unfairness of it all, is what makes it fair," he sighs just as her feet stop all the nervous pacing. She plants her hands on her hips and blankly stares at him but he can somehow read her thoughts. "I get it, I'm sorry but look at what Belle and Ruby had to go through today," he reminds her, his eyes sparkling and pleading with her to understand what he's saying without having to actually say it.

"I think I need some time alone," she meekly confesses.

Killian slaps his hand down on his thigh and stands tall. He wraps her up in a tight hug and presses a kiss to her temple just as Regina waltzes in the room. Those intense eyes lock onto Emma's immediately behind Killian's back but Emma is the one who averts her attention, not wanting to drown in this woman once again when she is so furious.

When Killian moves to squeeze past Kristoff, Elsa, and Regina, he leans into his ex's side. "Give her a minute, huh love?"

"This is between me and Swan," she growls under her breath.

"Well, it concerns me too because she's my partner in this game."

"Killian, I'm fine," Emma exhales in defeat because as much as she doesn't want to see Regina's stupid face right now, she also really wants to lay into her for double-crossing her like that.

Her partner shrugs his shoulders hopelessly and leaves the room without another word. Emma feels a desperate urge to start yelling but Elsa is right there just waiting to catch them in the act.

"I was just coming up here to shower," Regina stresses, big eyes imploring for Emma to play along.

"Well, I was going to shower first. After voting me in, it's the least you can do," she snarks, storming off toward the bathroom.

Elsa instantly taps Kristoff on the shoulder, silently ordering him to stop filming. "Alright, I have been patient and respectful but no Regina, you are not going to hide away in the bathroom and hash it out without the cameras. This is an important moment, clearly Emma is upset that you said her name and we need to film it."

"No."

"No?" Elsa balks, her crystal blue eyes doubling in size and almost falling right out of her head.

"I said no. You know exactly what will happen if you film us arguing about the vote."

"That's completely untrue," Elsa states with conviction. "Every season, without fail, there are friends who stab each other in the back which leads to screaming matches and tears being shed, so don't act like this will out you."

Emma's eyes widen this time, her throat struggling to swallow and sure she had an inkling that Elsa knew but she didn't think the woman would be so nonchalant about it all.

"Yes, friends, not two people who haven't spoken at all this season, except to make snarky remarks to one another."

"You're roommates."

"I don't give a damn, Elsa. This is a private conversation between me and Emma."

"Nothing is private on The Challenge!" Elsa screams through a humorless little chuckle.

"Fine, you want a show, turn the camera back on," Regina exasperates, hands flailing about from the anger festering inside.

Emma blinks, her eyes darting between both stubborn women and so damn confused on what is about to happen. She's frozen, like a deer caught in headlights when Kristoff flips the camera back on and begins rolling once again.

And Emma swears she watches right before her very eyes as Regina slips into a completely different persona, one she hasn't seen since the first two weeks of filming.

"Are you honestly pissed that I said your name? Or are you just scared about going into the Jungle so close to the final?" Regina hisses in disdain like she doesn't give a rat's ass about Emma and her feelings.

Emma swallows, her eyes sweeping toward Elsa in confusion because she's a little lost here and has no idea how to proceed. The camera is zooming in on her face and that's when Regina's eyes expand, silently asking her to play along. She clears her throat and musters up...something.

"Look, I get that we aren't BFF but we have been roommates now for two months, I guess I expected a little loyalty. I've already gone in three times when most people here haven't gone in once!"

"That's the way the game is played. We have all earned that right after so many seasons. You are a Rookie and if you want to skip out on eliminations then you need to prove yourself," Regina coldly dismisses, gathering her pajamas as if she doesn't care at all about their conversation.

"I have!"

Regina whirls around and pins Emma with a fierce glare. "No you haven't. One season does not make you a Champion or an expert on the game. People don't vote me in because my elimination record is thirteen wins and three losses. Sabine's track record is eight wins and two losses. Mary Margaret is ten and three. That is why we don't get voted in, not because we are Vets but because people don't want to go against us anymore and run the risk of losing and making our record better. You want people to fear you, dear," Regina lowly threatens and Emma actually flinches from the unfamiliar pet name, "then make your record four and zero," she snaps with finality as she sashays away into the bathroom and slams the door, officially ending their conversation.

Emma's blood boils all the more because even though her brain comprehends Regina is putting on an act for the cameras, her heart has been bruised too many times and she starts doubting what is real and what is fake.

Elsa taps Kristoff on the shoulder and then they wordlessly leave the bedroom. The second they are gone, Emma stomps toward the bathroom and yanks open the door with all her fury.

"Really?" Emma growls, slamming the door shut behind her, causing Regina to jump in her own skin. "Really? After all that we have been through, this is how you do me?"

"Emma," and god her voice is soft and tender, straining with heartache and guilt, nothing like the woman a few seconds ago. This is her Regina. This is the Regina she spends every night cuddling with. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't want to say your name but I didn't have a choice."

"There's always a choice!"

"What the hell did you expect me to do? Vote in my best friend? My number one in this game? Sabine has been my ride or die for ten seasons now, I'm sorry but she will always outrank whomever I'm sleeping with."

"Is that all I am? Someone you fuck when you're bored?"

Regina firmly presses her lips together as she rushes to the shower and angrily spins the handle to drown out their voices. "I thought we had an agreement, neither one of us wanted this to be anything. You said you understood the rules and wanted the same thing."

"God Regina, it has nothing to do with us sleeping together. This has to do with our friendship. I thought we were actually becoming really good friends here and now you're acting like I'm just some toy you play with and toss aside when I'm no longer needed."

Regina flinches, her face scrunching up, perplexed by the notion. "Emma, I never-"

"Save it," she coldly interrupts, "I knew better than to fuck around with you but I thought I was seeing someone completely different than what the camera usually shows. But you're still the Queen Bitch."

"Really?" Regina sarcastically retorts, sweeping right up into Emma's face. "God, I thought you were so mature compared to all the men I have messed around with on this show, despite your age but you're proving to be an immature child."

"I'm immature?" Emma dramatically questions.

"Yes! You don't see the bigger picture. Your little brain can't comprehend that I have actual relationships with some of these people outside of the game. I have known them for twelve years and I'm not going to toss my friendships down the drain because I started sleeping with someone and made a new friend. I've been down that road when I was eighteen and young and dumb. That's toxic and so unhealthy. My friends come first and that's the bottom line," she snaps with finality.

Emma swallows, a scorching heat of embarrassment sizzling in her chest and then crawling up her neck and face. This is not how she expected this conversation to go and to be honest, she's completely torn on how to feel or what to think at this point.

"If you can't see-"

"I'm sorry," she meekly whispers, hanging her head in shame because Regina is right, she shouldn't ruin her friendships for someone she just met.

Regina sighs, stepping into Emma's personal space but never touching her like she usually does and Emma aches all over from the distance she wedged between them.

"I understand this feels unfair and it hurts after all we have been sharing, I remember feeling the same way when I first started playing. After many, many seasons I finally understand how this game is played and I know not to take everything personally."

"Ugh, I know, you're right. I'm sorry, I'm really-"

Regina interrupts her pathetic rambling with a firm finger to her lips. "Are you actually sorry and understand or are you just apologizing because you're conditioned to apologize when you're scared of losing someone?"

Emma swallows thickly because nobody has ever seen her so clearly and called her out on her behavior. Her eyes instantly sting from the tears of regret. "No, I-I'm really sorry I lashed out and didn't take into consideration your point of view," she sheepishly says and for the first time she feels her age around Regina; feeling like a scolded child. She blushes profusely from her childish tantrum. "Ugh, Regina, I'm really sorry."

Regina nods, curling a wild lock behind Emma's ear as she peers deep into her eyes. "I do understand where you're coming from. I have been in your shoes plenty of times. I know how hurtful it can feel and I know we have been growing closer."

Emma melts into the hand against her face. "I've never shared so much with anyone before and I guess I panicked, thinking maybe this friendship was all fake. And I think...that would hurt the most."

A puffy bottom lip curls into the cutest pout as Regina toys with the ends of golden tresses. "No, this friendship is real."

"Good because I've never had a best friend before but I'm pretty sure you're claiming that title," she says through a hopeful grin that has Regina smiling back at her.

"I've never had a friend quite like you," Regina confesses, her eyes instantly growing softer and more vulnerable.

Those big brown eyes hold onto Emma's gaze, never faltering as they peer even deeper, searching for a missing piece of information. But if Regina would just ask her, she would happily spill her guts and tell her whatever it is she's looking for.

"Um...are we good?" Emma hesitantly inquires.

"You tell me."

"We are good," she states with confidence, claiming a step forward.

Regina nods, gently running her palms up Emma's chest before she locks her arms around her neck. The air is becoming awfully thick and Emma can distinctly feel the tension buzzing between them. For a brief second, the world stops and an intrusive little thought whispers that this is not a friendship, this is so much more but she abolishes that thought, refusing to ruin the progress they are making.

Emma dips forward, so unsure how to proceed but brushes a delicate kiss to Regina's lips.

"Umm, wanna play some cards?" She meekly questions. "I think I could use the distraction from thinking about going in."

Regina frowns but nods along. "Of course."

And then Regina turns off the shower and leads them back to the bedroom where they play cards and definitely don't discuss Emma's fate in the Jungle.

Chapter Text

She is drenched in sweat, huffing and puffing but she's fully proud of herself for running five miles this evening. She wobbles a little bit as she climbs off the treadmill and then collapses to the blue mat to stretch out her aching muscles. Graham plops down beside her, just as sweaty and beet red.

He chuckles, running his hands through his damp curls. "Welp, you and I are going head to head tomorrow."

"Yeah," she sighs, leaning heavily onto her right leg. "I hate it."

"I guess it's a little too late to ask if Regina is interested," he awkwardly says, and even though his cheeks are burning scarlet from exertion, she can tell he's blushing.

She clears her throat, trying to remain impassive as Kenny zones in on her face. "Yeah, about that...I spoke to her..."

"You did?" He hopefully inquires, perking right up.

"Uh-huh," she murmurs, switching to stretch her left leg. "Umm, she's not really looking for anything right now. I think she has a lot going on with her sister, you know? She said, it's nothing personal and you are so sweet but she's not in the right headspace to start something."

"Oh," he weakly mumbles, dropping his head to his lap as he mulls over her words. Then he shrugs like he really doesn't give a damn. "Well, at least she doesn't hate me and think I'm an idiot," he laughs lightly to cover up the sting. "That's not technically a no either. It's just a...not right now," he beams, falling onto his face to stretch out his back.

Emma swallows, mindlessly nodding along and staring aimlessly at the back of his head. God, she wants to tell him so badly that she's been screwing Regina every chance she gets but then again, just because they are hooking up, doesn't mean that she has any claim to the woman. Who knows? Maybe when this season is all over and they head back to their regular lives, Regina might call up Graham and give him a shot and completely abandon Emma?

"Em?"

"Huh?" She startles, rapidly blinking back to reality.

"Keep stretching, you ran a lot and you don't want to tighten up. Get your back," he kindly instructs, even if she is the enemy and he shouldn't be helping her at all.

Her mouth curls into a depressing pout. "No matter what happens tomorrow night, Graham, I hope we can still remain friends."

"Always," he easily concedes but unfortunately, he doesn't have all the information.

~~~~

She decided to turn in early and get a good night sleep, so she's well rested for elimination tomorrow. Except, her body is all jittery and buzzing with a lethal combination of anxiety and adrenaline. She huffs, annoyed with herself for not falling asleep just yet and turns onto her side to face the wall. She closes her eyes and begs for her body to surrender to the Sandman.

Not even a minute later, she feels her mattress dip behind her back. The comforter is lifting up, sending a rush of cool air into her cocoon right before warmth drapes across her back. A strong arm wraps around her midsection and squeezes her especially tight as a firm kiss presses behind her ear. She hums in appreciation and scoots further back into Regina's safety and security.

"You're going to kill it tomorrow," Regina husks, sending a strong aroma of margaritas to tickle Emma's nostrils.

"You're drunk," she deadpans, squirming against her pillow. "You really want Ruby to win."

Regina tugs her closer and thrusts against her backside and Emma hates her heart for hopping around in circles like an excited little puppy.

"I'm loyal to my friend and I wish her the best of luck but I know your strength and willpower. You've got this," she vows, licking the shell of her ear, generating a shiver that ripples through her blood from her toes all the way to the base of her skull. "How about a pre-celebratory gift?" She insinuates, bucking against Emma's tight little bottom.

And even though Emma's body is betraying her, so eager for an Earth-shattering orgasm from this sex goddess, her heart just isn't in it.

"I'm sorry but my mind is cluttered tonight," she sadly admits, peeking over her shoulder to find dark eyes watching her intently. "I feel like I'd be a thousand miles away and not really enjoying myself and you don't deserve that."

Regina smiles, stretching forward with her lips puckered, motivating Emma to drift closer and meet her halfway. "Thank you for being honest." Regina pecks her lips one last time and then settles behind her. "Mind if I stay or would you like some space tonight?"

Emma intertwines their fingers, kisses Regina's knuckles and tucks their hands between her breasts. "Stay."

Regina hums, snuggling into Emma's hair as she holds her closer. "You're going to come back to this house and we are going to celebrate all night."

"You don't know that. This might be our last night together."

"Well if you won't believe in yourself then I guess I'll just have to do it for you. I know you, Emma, you're not going to go down without a fight. Just know I'll be cheering for you on that bridge."

"Not out loud," she murmurs under her breath.

"No but if you look over at me, you'll know who is on my mind," Regina sweetly whispers, pressing a firm kiss to the back of Emma's head. "Now sleep. You need your rest."

"Okay."

In the comfort of Regina's embrace, she falls fast asleep and doesn't wake until the morning.

Alone.

Again.

~~~~

Her heart has been heavy all day, and she really can't decipher if it's because she woke up alone or if it's due to the fact that she's about to go against a really good friend of hers in elimination. Thanks to her sour mood, she spends the day avoiding everyone. She engages in a light workout by herself, takes a few laps in the pool and eats when nobody else is around.

Regina does wander into their room around four o'clock, flashing a deck of cards and hoping to lighten her up a little but Emma declines and rolls onto her side to face the wall. What really kills Emma, is that Regina lies down on the bed beside her, never touching her of course since it's broad daylight, but simply lies there beside her like she knows her presence alone will calm the anxiety twitching inside of her.

Somewhere around seven o'clock, they are ushered back onto the buses and headed straight for the Jungle. She's never felt more queasy in all the time she has spent on The Challenge. There's just something in the air tonight, dark and ominous, so thick she could probably reach out and touch it and she knows something out of the ordinary is about to happen.

"Welcome everybody to tonight's elimination," TJ begins with an amused grin slapped across his face, "Milk and Cookies." He laughs, sending Emma's stomach plummeting down to her intestines and probably right out of her body. "One partner will be standing on a box with their hands tied above their heads while their partner will try and eat as many milk and cookies before their arms drop. Whoever can eat the most milk and cookies before their partner drops their arms and ultimately drowns themselves in slime, will win tonight's elimination and stay in the game."

Elsa calls over Emma and Killian while Ashley and Kenny speak to Ruby and Graham.

"I think Emma has a much stronger mindset and can stand on that box for as long as I need to eat all those cookies and drink that milk."

"I have a sneaky feeling that they aren't going to be just plain old milk and cookies. It's TJ, he definitely did something to them," Emma exasperates, rolling her eyes as Killian nods along.

"I'm pretty damn good at eating challenges though. I once had to drink goat's blood, so milk and cookies, bring it on!"

Emma wraps her arms around his torso and squeezes him extra hard. She knows that during this interview she should be talking about not losing right before a final but her heart isn't in it and her brain can't seem to formulate the right words. So, Elsa stops filming and gestures for them to go get ready.

Production leads her over to a tiny box that really only has enough room for her feet while Killian is instructed to stand in front of a massive table that has ten glasses of milk filled to the top, along with ten plates of cookies, with three cookies on each plate. She definitely doesn't want to be in his position right now. She rather hold her arms up in the air than eat that disgusting amount of food.

When Ruby is done with her interview, she hugs Emma and Killian shakes Graham's hand before they begin. She is instructed to step on the box at the same time as Ruby and face a wall, so their backs are to their partners and they can't see what is going on. Then her arms are being stretched above her head and tied with a thick rope, attached to a bucket that will dump on her if she drops her arms.

"Killian, are you ready?"

"Aye!"

"Graham, are you ready?"

"Let's go!"

"Girls, are you ready?"

"Yes," they both calmly say in unison, motivating TJ to blow his horn.

The cast starts screaming and chanting for the boys but that's pretty much all Emma can hear. She tries to strain her ears to hear for Killian's voice but everything is a little chaotic at the moment. She glances up at her tied hands and for some reason it makes her ache all over, so she closes her eyes and tries her best to relax despite the uncomfortable position.

"Oh god," she hears Killian around a mouthful as Graham begins gagging.

She winces, the sounds of Graham dry heaving and gagging make her cringe but what could possibly be so bad? Then she hears the cast all gasping and groaning about how disgusting everything is and Emma knows something is up with their milk and cookies.

"Just a..." Graham whines in the most pathetic tone, "...chunky milkshake. Just a milkshake with lumps."

"That has been sitting out for three days," Killian chokes out just before the most horrific sounds of vomiting fill the air.

"I can't," Tamara screams from the bridge. "I can't even look at them. It's so nasty."

"The chunks are all over their mouths and shirts..." Mary Margaret whines, sounding like she may vomit at any moment.

What is in that milk? Did they actually leave milk out to go sour and curdle specifically for this challenge? What the hell are they drinking?

"Wash it down with the cookies!" Neal hollers from the sidelines but all Emma can hear is the violent vomiting.

She can tell by where the sounds are coming from behind her, when Graham is throwing up or when it's Killian. Right now, they are both heaving and emptying their stomachs in rapid succession.

"Aye, I feel much better," Killian says before he shoves all three cookies into his mouth. "Cheers, mate!" He mumbles around the warm chocolate chip cookies that are in fact, really delicious.

Emma can hear the glasses clink together and then more heaving and gagging before another round of bone-chilling vomiting.

"Don't you worry, Ruby, I'm going to finish every bite. Just keep holding on for me," Graham implores while stuffing cookies into his mouth.

Their fellow cast mates are groaning and heaving now from how disgusting this elimination is and Emma can only imagine how much Killian is covered in curdled milk and vomit. She shivers from the thought alone. Okay, maybe she would much rather be standing in this uncomfortable situation rather than what her partner is being tormented with right now.

"What if I just tickle Ruby?" Killian playfully says.

"Shut up and eat," Emma growls, resting her head against her strained arm.

"No worries, love. I'm two plates ahead of Graham."

"Dude!" Ruby bellows. "Pick up the pace! This is really freaking painful."

Emma isn't entirely sure how much longer she stands there for but she knows Killian throws up seven more times and Graham is either on eight or nine times. There was one moment that his gagging and the cringy sound of bile hitting the floor lasted so long, she isn't sure if that counts as once or twice. Honestly, she doesn't understand how either of those men are still standing? They have to be so weak and shaking now from all that vomiting.

"Done! Done!" Killian yells, opening his mouth and sticking out his tongue to prove he completed the task. "Hang on, Swan! You've got this!"

She inhales sharply, bouncing just a little on her toes to coax her blood into flowing again. Her muscles are stiffening and her limbs are starting to go numb. It's just pure torture.

"Check. Check," Graham incoherently babbles, shoving his tongue out of his mouth to prove he completed his portion as well.

"Alright," TJ suddenly announces, "Killian and Graham ate all the milk and cookies we have here in Thailand, now the competition will rely on you ladies, whoever can stand there the longest will win tonight's elimination and stay in the game. Loser sends themselves and their teammate packing."

"Ate the milk is an appropriate statement," Graham deadpans and he sounds so much closer this time.

Emma peeks open her eyes to find Killian and Graham standing on the sidelines near them, watching intently. She almost pukes from just the sight of them. Their mouths and shirts are covered in thick white chunks mixed with vomit. Her stomach turns and so she quickly averts her eyes, so she doesn't screw this up.

"You've got this, Swan!" Killian encourages.

"Ruby, hang on, please!" Graham desperately pleads.

"Let's go, girls!" Neal screams, slamming his hand down on the railing in front of the bridge.

"Who wants it more?" David fiercely yells but Emma and Ruby don't react.

Hell, they don't even move a muscle. Both women stand perfectly still as if they are damn mannequins, hardly even breathing.

~~~~

"It's been one-hour ladies!" TJ finally announces. "Very impressive."

She slowly cranes her neck from left to right but that doesn't alleviate the tension knotting in her shoulders and right below her shoulder blades. Fuck, that's where it hurts the most. Even her lower back has a kink in it but she breathes slowly, trying to abolish all those negative thoughts from her mind.

"You're looking great, Swan," Killian assures her.

"Ruby, just breathe and block out the pain," Graham instructs.

"Damn," Sabine says from the bridge, "an hour? They can't last much longer, can they?"

~~~~

"Wow ladies," TJ says through a chuckle of disbelief and pride. "Two hours. So sick!"

Emma's arms are tingling from completely falling asleep. Not to mention, her calves are starting to tense from standing in one position and not being able to move. She begins slowly pushing one foot onto her tiptoe, just to stretch out her foot and her calf and then repeating the process with her other foot. The different movement feels great for all of two minutes before her body feels utterly exhausted once again.

"It's starting to get cold," Mary Margaret says through chattering teeth but Emma doesn't feel cold.

She doesn't feel much of anything but pain to be honest. Is it cold? Or is she sweating from being in such a strenuous position for so long? Either way, she's hoping Ruby is about to cave because she knows she can't take much longer of this.

"This is incredible," Sabine says, "I can't believe they are still going."

"Arm-a-gettin'-tired," Tamara teases, eliciting laughter from everyone except for Emma and Ruby.

~~~~

Fuck. She's never felt excruciating pain quite like this before. Her lower back and shoulders feel like rubber bands being stretched to their maximum potential while simultaneously carrying around four times her weight. Her bladder is heavy, needing to be released and all she wants to do is cave.

"Three hours, damn ladies. We have never had an elimination last this long." TJ cackles and usually she adores his laugh but right now it's taking everything in her not to punch him.

Or cry.

She feels like she could burst into tears at any moment.

"Block out everything, keep going," Graham shouts at Ruby.

"Swan, you're so strong," Killian vows. "You've been through a hell of a lot worse than this. You are killing it!"

Off in the distance, she hears ruffling around and a lot of movement. She decides opening her eyes and taking a peek around might restart her mind. She glances over at the bridge and finds production handing out beanies that have The Challenge logo, along with heavy blankets.

How cold is it? Is she really this numb?

She closes her eyes again, rests her temple against her bicep and prays Ruby is ready to quit.

~~~~

Everyone is eerily quiet which irritates Emma down to the core. Why is everyone so silent? Are they tired of watching two girls stand on a box and being stretched for god knows how many hours now? Or do they feel awful for this entire situation, and nobody knows what the hell to say anymore?

"Impressive ladies, truly impressive," TJ compliments. "You two are such badasses and have definitely earned my respect. It's been four hours. You two just keep breaking records."

"Ruby, Emma is starting to shake," Graham divulges in hopes this will fuel his partner's fire.

"Shut up, Graham!" Emma hisses in pure disdain, even though she's not mad at him for supporting his partner and wanting to win.

She's just in a sickening amount of pain and exhaustion. She peeks one eye open and discovers the men in the exact same spot from hours ago, still coated in their disgusting mess and she knows they are standing to mentally support them as well. It wouldn't be fair for them to sit down and watch like the rest of the cast. This alone inspires her to hang on; her partner is still trying to stand by her side.

"You're almost done. Just hang on a little while longer," Killian sweetly says before she hangs her head and blocks out the world again.

~~~~

"Okay ladies," TJ suddenly announces and for some odd reason, the sound of his voice makes her want to burst into tears and sob hysterically. She just wants to go home, she can't take this pain any longer. "It's been five hours, and we have to move this elimination along, it's almost one in the morning."

Everyone starts clapping and cheering them on again and it wakes her back up. Their excitement fuels her fire and breathes life right back into her and she is sure she can hang on to whatever TJ tosses her way.

"We are going to slowly turn you ladies around. This will tug on your restraints and make it harder for you to stay standing. Okay, ladies, here we go!"

Emma opens her eyes to find someone from production standing beside her, guiding her as she pivots on the tiny box while on her tiptoes. The rope is already tugging at her wrists and digging deeper into her flesh. Whatever pain she thought she was in before doesn't compare to the way her shoulders and back are being stretched and tortured now.

"Fuck," she hisses, slamming her eyes shut once again.

"Shit. Shit," Ruby complains as well which does make Emma feel a little better to know she's not the only one feeling this pain.

"Okay ladies, here we go. The first one to drop will end this epic battle tonight."

Emma starts wiggling in place because this is impossible, the pain is shooting throughout every inch of her body. She can't possibly last another hour, let alone another five minutes.

"Ruby, hang on," Graham implores, provoking his partner to cry out in pain.

"Swan, listen to me, Ruby is squirming like you are, just hold on. We can do this. Let's make it to a final!"

"Killian..." Emma gasps, peeling her eyes apart, so she can say she's sorry because she can't hold on any longer. She just can't.

"Let's go!" Emma hears Regina scream from the bridge, forcing her attention to swing over at her secret booty-call.

Regina is standing up on the bridge while everyone around her is sitting down. She has this crazy fierce look in her eye and Emma knows this woman is cheering for her, not Ruby. Regina slams her hands down on the railing and never breaks eye contact with Emma.

"Let's go!" Regina screams once again just before a bucket falls.

Chapter Text

She's so utterly exhausted, her body screaming in agony that she is too dazed to comprehend what is happening. The cast is screaming and she feels her heart sinking to the pit of her stomach. Killian is suddenly in her face, telling her how proud he is and how well she did but her mind can't follow his words or the fact that he's untying her hands.

She knows a bucket fell, she knows she gave up. She failed him, she fucking failed him.

The next thing she knows, Killian is cradling her in his arms and carrying her away from the tiny box she spent five hours standing on. She rests her forehead against his shoulder, provoking warm tears to fill her eyes.

"You did it! You fucking did that, Swan," he exclaims, pressing a grateful kiss to her temple.

"What?" She sobs, her body trembling from the aftershocks her muscles were tormented through.

"We won! We are still in the game," he vows, squeezing her nice and close to help the involuntary shivering.

"I-we...what?"

"We won! Four and zero, love! Our record this season is 4-0!"

"Wait, wait, I..." she stammers, tumbling out of his arms. Her legs tremble violently but she pushes herself forward, dashing across the arena and colliding brutally into Ruby. "That was...I'm so...you were amazing," she cries into the woman's neck.

Ruby wraps her up or at least she tries to but her arms are weak and she ends up laughing awkwardly. "My arms are shot."

"I know."

"Congratulations, Swan. I can't wait to see you killing it in the final. You're a rare gem in this game, don't you forget that," Ruby sternly tells her like Emma needs to hear her and remember this moment.

"I-we don't know that I'm going to the final," she chuckles, sniffling against her friend's shoulder.

"I have a feeling. I've played this game enough times."

Ruby presses a firm kiss to her cheek and then is swept up by Killian. Emma pivots, finding Graham right behind her with a small pout around his mouth.

"I'm...you guys did amazing," she says, lunging forward into his open arms.

"You killed it."

"We both did. Ruby was fucking crazy," she laughs, attempting to hug him closer but her arms just aren't cooperating.

"She was the perfect partner for me. I couldn't have asked for anyone better."

"Yeah, I get that," Emma says as she watches Killian swing Ruby around and around.

Production starts signaling for them to stand beside TJ again and he proceeds with his usual spiel; telling Ruby and Graham how great they did and how he will see them soon, to congratulating Emma and Killian on another stellar performance and reminding them of their record this season.

Regina is the only female competitor to have ever won four eliminations in a season and now Emma is tied with the Queen. And she has never felt prouder than in this very moment.

Killian sweeps Emma off her feet and carries her back to the bridge where everyone takes a turn hugging them and congratulating them.

"Congrats, Swan," Regina stiffly says, offering a side hug to keep up with the façade but Emma doesn't care.

She grins from ear to ear and hugs this woman like she owes her this win and maybe she does because she knows Regina's support kept her hanging on for those few extra seconds.

"Well, I guess we only have five teams left..." TJ trails off, rubbing his hands together to help thicken the plot. Everyone leans forward on the railing, waiting on pins and needles for him to just say it.

"Come on, Teej!!!" Neal exclaims, jumping up and down and inspiring the rest of the cast to hop along with him.

TJ smirks and claps his hands together. "You all better get some rest...because I'm about to make all your nightmares come true in this final."

Every single contestant left starts screaming their heads off. One more excited than the next as they continue to leap for joy and hug one another, whispering congratulations to each other. This time Regina hugs her, a real embrace that has Emma Swan swooning like a preteen crushing for the first time.

"You did it," Regina breathes into her hair, inspiring Emma to lift her right off the ground and squeeze her even harder.

"I am so freaking excited!"

"You really shouldn't be," Regina laughs as Emma gently sets her back down on solid ground. "This is going to be the worst moment of your life, by far."

~~~~

She releases a quivering breath, her back arching into the pleasure as she rakes her nails roughly down Regina's scalp and forces her closer. She bites down hard on her lip to keep from screaming but it's damn near impossible when Regina's tongue works over her clit so expertly.

"God," she breathlessly gasps, rolling her hips and grinding so deliciously against that talented mouth. "Regina, fuck."

Regina moans, all raspy and muffled between her legs and Emma can't take it anymore. Her blood is rushing through her veins, boiling hot and prickly while her gut clenches. She peeks down her naked body, past her own breasts to the wild mane decorating her lower half. Her thighs are resting heavily on Regina's shoulders and this woman is a savage between her legs. It's filthy and every groan from Regina is erotic and she wants to memorize every second.

She shivers from the scene playing out before her, especially when Regina palms her breast and gropes her with such animalistic lust. The noise that escapes Emma's throat is a high pitch mewl that would be embarrassing if she wasn't tipping over the edge and spiraling down the most sensational orgasm of her life. Maybe it's because she was already on a high from her win but she has a feeling it's because of who is rooted between her legs at the moment.

"Fuck, Regina, god yes, don't stop," she hopelessly begs, her body completely possessed and signing away its rights to this woman. "Fuck, fuck."

Bright vibrant colors of heavenly bliss explode behind her eyes as her orgasm rips through her system. Her skin is burning hot but her pleasure is so intense, she ends up shivering from it all. Regina places the softest kiss imaginable against her lower lips and then paints her bikini line and hips with her wet mouth.

Emma's heaving and desperately attempting to suck in air and replenish her lungs but she needs this creature now. "Come here," she whines, tugging on two strong biceps until Regina crawls up her body and covers her naked flesh. "Okay, maybe I am gonna get us caught."

Regina softly laughs and then moves to bite the most sensitive part of Emma's neck that produces an obnoxious squeal. "We are going to the final!" She gleefully sighs in relief, wiggling on top of her.

Emma giggles, actually giggles but she can't help how giddy she is. "I can't believe it. Pinch me-ow! I was just kidding! It's an expression," she scolds even though her face won't quit smiling as she snatches up Regina's hand.

She playfully bites those naughty fingers and rolls this beautiful woman onto her back. "Hey, seriously though, thank you for cheering me on. It kept me going," she reveals, brushing long waves away from Regina's temple.

"After four elimination wins, you deserve to be here, Emma," she sincerely states, cupping Emma's warm cheek and pulling her into a slow and sexy kiss.

Right there in her chest, there's a bubble expanding and making her feel all warm and gooey on the inside. She knows the sensation feels familiar but she has to remind herself that after this final, they will part ways and carry on with their own lives. So she quickly ends the kiss and offers a small smile.

"Any guesses on what will be in the final?" She hopefully asks, peering down into those alluring eyes that are begging to go another round or two.

Still, Regina sobers up and answers. "You can expect running many many miles. We will most certainly have to eat something horrid. And I can assure you there will be enough puzzles to make your head spin."

"And like...what happens if you have to go to the bathroom?" She shyly inquires, blushing profusely but this is something she had always wondered about.

"You stop what you're doing, find a tree and go."

"Shut up, seriously?!"

"Yes, what did you think happened? We just didn't have to go to the bathroom at all? Some of these finals are days long."

"They don't like...have porta-potties set up?" She interrogates, rather gobsmacked by the notion.

"No," Regina sternly clips. "You will see all kinds of things out there in the wild during a final."

"But like, they will give us toilet paper, right?"

"Absolutely not. Ursula and Mal once had food poisoning the night before the final and production didn't push back the final for them. Those two were vomiting as we swam and suffered through miserable diarrhea in the forest. It was the most disturbing thing I have ever seen. Their teams fell so far behind because of them but they never quit."

Emma grimaces. "Remind me to watch what I eat the night before."

"Oh, I believe you will be on a very strict diet," Regina flirts, a menacing eyebrow scaling high as she glides a teasing finger down Emma's breasts.

"Is that right?" She plays along. "Are you on the menu?"

Regina hums. "Just me," she husks, capturing Emma's mouth once again and starting the next round of fun between the sheets.

~~~~

She's asleep or she's teetering on the edge, but her head is fuzzy, and her limbs are extra heavy. This time, she feels Regina slinking away from her arms.

"No," her scratchy throat complains as she attempts to pull Regina back against her but there's a shooting pain through her biceps that has her hissing.

Regina abruptly spins around, concerned etched all over her beautiful face. Seriously, it's unfair to wake up so gorgeous. "Emma, what's wrong?"

"My arms hurt so freaking bad," she whines, dropping the limbs like dead weight against the mattress.

"I knew you would feel it this morning," she sighs, taking one of Emma's arms into her hands.

Her thumbs expertly press down into the tender muscles, just enough to relieve the tension but not enough to cause pain. Emma groans from the odd mix of pleasure and agony but Regina proceeds, up and down her biceps.

"How many days until the final?" She sleepily asks, closing her eyes and melting from this woman's magical touch.

"It depends. Sometimes it has been immediately after an elimination, other times we wait a few days. There are even times where they make us hop a plane to a different location."

"God, I hope it's not today. I'm in too much pain."

"I think production knows that and I'm sure Killian is suffering this morning from whatever the hell they made him drink last night. They will most likely give you a day or two to recover."

"So, can we just stay in bed all day?"

"Emma," she chastises, "you know Elsa will be up here soon. Besides, I need to get a good run in to help prepare my mind for the final."

Emma hums, scooting closer to this fascinating woman. "Do you have any superstitions or routines you like to do before a final?"

Regina switches to massage her other arm as she contemplates revealing her secrets. "I don't know if I would call it a superstition but I do have some things I like to do to help get me in the right mindset."

"Tell me," she whispers, already feeling the pull of exhaustion once again.

"Well, I force myself to run five miles knowing that there will be more than that in the final. I make sure every night before bed, I calm my mind and body with yoga and meditation. I drink plenty of water to flush out any toxins and ensure that I am hydrated and I don't drink any alcohol from the moment TJ announces the final until I have crossed the finish line."

"Mmmm and plenty of sleep, right? Come back to bed," she incoherently mumbles because she's being dragged back to dreamland.

"I wish I could," is the last thing she hears Regina say even though her mind is vaguely aware of those fingers rubbing out her sore muscles.

And it's just too bad that she misses Regina asking, "what the hell are you doing to me?"

~~~~

"Okay, okay," she sputters, head popping out of the cool waters as she swipes away the liquid clinging to her face. "I think...that's enough," she gasps for air, folding her arms on the hot concrete and resting her head.

"I'm telling you, Swan. In a final, it's never enough," Killian declares, combing his fingers through his wet hair. "You think you're tired now, just wait. TJ is fucking brutal out there-"

"I know, I know," she exasperates, pressing her face to her forearms. "I have seen the show before. I know how intense these finals are."

"You have no idea until you're halfway through and you want to either sob like a bloody toddler or quit. It's all mental, love. Mind over matter."

"Killian, I promise you, I won't quit. I have never given up and I refuse now. We've gotten this far."

"Listen to me," he urges, placing a hand upon her shoulder, convincing her to lift her heavy head and meet his bright eyes. "We will be going head to head with some of the top Challengers, ever."

"I know-"

"Neal, seven, seven champions. The most wins ever. Let's not forget Regina who has three wins, the highest for any female competitor, and the only woman to ever win a solo challenge and take out men. Along with Sabine and Mary Margaret following behind with a close second. This final is going to be a dog fight and I promise you, none of them are going to go easy at any given moment. They are sick, all adrenaline junkies, myself included."

"Killian, I am going to give this one-hundred and ten percent, I promise you. My arms are just shot from last night. That's all."

"Okay, we'll take five minutes," he offers, encouraging Kristoff and Elsa to come closer and listen intently to their words. "Let's talk game."

"Game? We haven't talked game once this season, why now?" She scoffs through a teasing chuckle but he is not laughing and suddenly she remembers what a prick he was when he first started on the show.

"You were new, I knew you would go along with whatever I said. I have been busting my ass with politics and talking game every day with my allies."

"Wha-"

"Yeah, trust that game talk has been happening every single day. Now, we need to have options and plans set into place. Sometimes during finals, there are mini challenges and TJ will ask us to sabotage or help someone, I know it will depend on how the final is going but we need to be on the same page here."

"Alright...well, I know Neal is your number one-"

"It's the final, there are no number ones anymore. All of that is wiped clean and it's a fight for your survival. Neal and I both know that if push comes to shove in a final, we will always pick our own game over each other."

"Oh."

"Right. So, I'm thinking any sabotage that has to do with puzzles, we toss it at M and M and David."

"Ummm...right," she answers, feeling the weight of the camera in her face, causing her stomach to turn because she genuinely likes these people and she really doesn't want to fuck any of them over.

"If it's something right out the gate and we aren't sure what's to come, we are throwing Regina and Naveen under the bus."

She struggles to swallow the guilt swelling in her throat. "Killy, I-"

"No, I get it but this is a final, Swan."

"Why not Neal? The guy never freaking loses in a final, so why not sabotage him?"

"Because Neal has Tamara as an anchor." Her head jerks back as her face scrunches in confusion because what she has seen, that woman has been a great competitor. "I'm not saying that she's horrible but Naveen is way better in the inexperienced aspect, so Neal and Tamara will be slower than Regina and Naveen in almost anything."

"What about Sabine? She's a beast."

"She is, honestly, if she was by herself I would probably sabotage her but she has Merlin and he hasn't been outshining any other newbies here."

"Soooo, should I expect sabotages thrown our way?"

"One hundred percent. There is no doubt in my mind. I have four wins under my belt and you're Barbie Beast."

"I'm, what?" She shrieks.

"Barbie Beast. You're hot like Barbie but a beast in competition."

"Oh god, is that my nickname here?" She investigates, slightly appalled being compared to a damn Barbie doll.

"Damn right."

"Oh god," she groans, burying her face into her folded arms once again. 

"Now, anything with eating, that's when we take a shot at Neal."

"My brain hurts."

"Okay, then let's go, another fifty laps," he enthusiastically encourages while she groans and he has to physically pry her off the edge of the pool wall.

~~~~

"To another epic season and making it to another final," Neal bellows with his glass of champagne thrust toward the sky.

"To the final!" Everyone cheers together in unison, clinking all their glasses together before downing the alcohol.

Except, Emma took Regina's advice and decided on filling her glass with Sprite instead. She wants to feel her best and have a clear mind when she enters this final because she doesn't want to look back and have any regrets.

"Whew-hoo, let's go!" Killian screams on the top of his lungs. Then he slams his palm down on the table and begins chanting. "Final, final, final!"

The whole cast joins him, even Regina which seems so beneath her, but Emma suspects she's running on a high at the moment. Neal fills everyone's glasses once more and they down more champagne.

"We taking bets on what TJ has up his sleeve?" Neal playfully questions, a dopey grin smeared across his face from excitement.

"A puzzle that's going to make us want to rip out our hair," Mary Margaret huffs from the safety of her boyfriend's arms.

"I know that asshole is gonna make us swim in a river or something ridiculous," Sabine laughs, snatching up the bottle and refilling her glass.

"What do you guys think?" Killian very seriously questions. "Multiple day final?"

Regina scoffs. "My back is aching just thinking about sleeping on the side of a mountain."

"Nothing will ever compare to sleeping in an ice cave," Neal grumbles, "while freezing cold water drips on you, might I add, with no blankets or pillows."

Emma winces. Yeah, the heat might be horrendous, but she rather be sweating than shivering all night from ice cold water. Screw that.

"This all sounds awful," Tamara whines, stealing the bottle of champagne from Sabine, only to realize it's empty. She pouts, handing the bottle over to Neal who gladly pops another for everyone.

"I'm excited," Emma begins, "but I also feel like I swallowed a bunch of rocks and kinda wanna shit myself."

All the vets laugh and nod along eagerly. "Yeah, baby girl, that feeling never really goes away," Sabine cackles as Mary Margaret taps their glasses together.

"I'm just praying we don't have to drink blood," Mary Margaret complains, cringing at the thought. "Give me all the cow testicles you want, just no more goat blood."

And Emma knows she has never been picky with food when she has gone plenty of times starving for any kind of scraps but she's not so confident on her ability to swallow testicles and blood.

~~~~

She's trying to relax and soak up this moment under the hot shower cascading down her body and loosening her tight muscles. She sighs, contentment washing over her knowing that she made it this far and she's so utterly proud of herself. Her blissful thoughts are ejecting from her mind though when a pointy finger jabs between her butt cheeks.

She yelps, whirling around and covering up her bottom to discover Regina grinning wildly at her.

"Why?"

Regina laughs even harder. "I don't know why, I just felt this urge and I had to do it," she proceeds to chuckle, and Emma is about to reprimand her, but puffy lips are pressing so deliciously against her mouth.

Emma's hand moves all on its own, cupping a strong jaw while her thumb presses into a warm cheek, pulling her closer. "You're so...giddy," she murmurs into the kiss.

"I'm so excited. I can't believe I made it to another final. I've had a perfect game, never seeing an elimination, I've won majority of the dailies. And," she husks, coiling her arms possessively around Emma's neck, "I'm going into the final with you."

Emma shakes her head in amusement, her lips stretching all the way to her ears but that doesn't stop her from kissing Regina harder. She pulls this naked woman flush against her body and lifts her right off the ground.

"Why do you want me there?" She investigates, never truly ending their insistent kisses.

Those full lips spread even wider against her own. Regina pecks her lips once more and then peers down into her eyes. "I've grown accustomed to having you around," she sincerely whispers. "You just feel...safe."

Emma smirks, diving right back in for another kiss as she slowly settles Regina back onto the ground. "Are you still nervous after all this time?"

"Absolutely. I don't think I will ever not feel nervous before a challenge, an elimination, or a final. But it's a good kind of nervous now. I know halfway through I'm going to hate myself and question why I keep putting myself through it but once I cross that finish line..." she trails off, a dopey smile reaching her eyes as she sighs. "There is no other feeling in the world. You are going to be so proud."

"I'm petrified but I am excited."

Regina hums, spinning around to wash her hair when unexpectedly, there's a peculiar sensation swooping around Emma's heart. An overwhelming feeling of needing to burst into tears swallows her whole and she just can't understand why?

"We..." her voice is hoarse, so she clears her throat and tries again. "We had fun, right?"

Regina spins around, a flirty eyebrow arching high upon her gorgeous face. "Absolutely," her raspy voice vows as her thick lips drift closer.

"Do you think we will see each other again?" She nervously asks because she can't imagine losing such a wonderful woman from her shitty life.

"We have the reunion and I'm sure production is going to call you back for another season. You were too amazing not to be. Would you do another season?"

"Ummm, I haven't really thought about it to be honest," she says while Regina searches every inch of her face as if she's trying to memorize her one last time. "I've been so busy focusing on making it week to week that I never really thought this far in advanced."

"Well, now that you are here, would you want to do another season?"

"I think so," she confesses, a smile dancing across her lips at the idea. "What about you? Will you be back?"

"I've been thinking about that a lot lately. I think if I win this season, I will take a break for a little bit. I'm not sure how I will feel if I lose. I might want to come back or maybe I will still want a break. I think my mental health could use it. This game is so stressful."

"I couldn't imagine a season without you," she whispers, even though her brain is truly saying, I couldn't imagine being here without you.

Regina offers a bashful smile before she connects their lips for a tender kiss and for the first time ever, they actually shower and spend the whole time kissing and touching but never having sex.

Chapter Text

Something feels off. Every stroke of delicate fingers running over her warm skin feels heightened like they are packed with extra intent that Emma can't possibly analyze. It's not a quick fuck before Elsa bursts into the door and starts their day, it's slow and sensual, their bodies in sync so exquisitely like they are in perfect harmony.

Suddenly, her heart aches because this feels like making love but not falling into eternal love and realizing no other human will ever mold so perfectly into her heart but more like Regina is saying, I love you...goodbye.

Goodbye because this is the end of their time here on The Challenge. Goodbye because this was just supposed to be meaningless sex between two people who needed a distraction from a very stressful situation. Goodbye because not once have they discussed seeing one another outside of the show.

"Oh my god, Emma," Regina moans into her mouth when Emma curls her fingers deep inside and hits a sensitive spot that always has Regina's toes curling and her body twitching in delight.

Emma smiles into their kiss, pumping extra slow into her soaked canal as Regina grinds roughly against her palm. She marvels at how tight Regina's pussy squeezes her fingers just before this woman begins to tremble. In a haste, she palms a bouncing breast in her face and then roughly gropes, knowing that's exactly what Regina needs to tumble right into euphoric bliss.

"Emma," she breathlessly gasps, "fuck yes, don't stop," she shamelessly begs, trembling violently as she shuts herself up by slamming her mouth against Emma's.

"Never," Emma mutters into the desperate kiss just before she unexpectedly spirals into another orgasm from the glorious way Regina is grinding on top of her.

Regina collapses like dead weight, nuzzling her face into the crook of Emma's neck as she gasps to refill her deprived lungs. Playfully, Emma wiggles her fingers, eliciting a deep groan.

"Hold on," she whispers against Regina's ear which motivates Regina's sleepy body to lift up just the slightest so Emma's fingers can be freed.

Regina winces and god why does Emma find it so adorable? She quickly wraps her arms around this beautiful specimen and holds her extra close. She hates the way her chest constricts, sending a wave of emotions to flood her body because she knows something definitely feels off.

"We should get up. I want to shower before the final because who knows when the next time we will be granted the opportunity," Regina scoffs, moving to roll away but Emma is feeling extra clingy this morning.

So, she holds on tight and pulls her frenemy back into her embrace. "Two more minutes, then we can shower."

Regina's playful eyes morph into something far more intense and concerning. She searches every inch of Emma's face and this time, Emma doesn't shrink or blush under her scrutiny and she knows spending two months sleeping with this woman and spilling secrets has turned this into something so much more than she ever thought imaginable.

"Okay, two more minutes, who knows when we will see a bed next," she sighs, snuggling right up against Emma's face.

Emma breathes out a sigh of relief and closes her eyes when Regina's body melts against hers. She loves how close and how comfortable she is around this woman, she's never felt so relaxed and so free to be herself around another human but it's a little too bittersweet. Yet again, she's setting herself up for failure and the unrealistic idea of actually finding happiness. She should have just stayed away. She should have never been so weak and caved so easily because now she's stuck between a rock and a hard place, knowing Regina doesn't want a relationship with a woman...doesn't want her.

"Okay, two minutes is up," Regina announces, forcing a deep groan of disapproval to rumble from Emma's throat.

"Nooooo..."

"We have to start getting ready but come shower with me one last time," she flirts in a raspy growl that sets Emma's skin on fire.

Emma groans once more at the mere thought of never showering with this stunning body again but she still clambers out of bed and obediently follows behind.

Regina turns on the water for them while Emma hastily strips away her tank top. Regina is much more elegant, slipping her shirt off like she's putting on a striptease. When the cami hits the floor, Regina sashays into Emma's personal space, her fingertips trailing down Emma's collarbone. Emma's flesh breaks out in goosebumps, bringing a cocky smile to Regina's lips just before she encloses the gap and captures her mouth.

Emma slithers her hands around Regina's waist and pulls her in closer as the kiss deepens. Regina slides her palms down the front of Emma's chest and hungrily squeezes two full mounds.

Emma moans hotly into the kiss. "Another quickie?" She hopefully inquires, causing Regina to chuckle softly against her mouth.

"We don't have time," she claims, taking Emma's hand and dragging her into the shower.

"Okay," she sadly pouts and then they move in sync around each other to shower.

Regina instructs her to shave closely because it could be days before she has a chance and Emma really doesn't care about her legs but under her arms makes her a little self-conscious.

"So, if this one is an overnight final, will they let us brush our teeth?" Emma questions, rinsing the soap from her body.

"The first two overnight finals, they didn't. But now, usually, they do allow us to brush in the mornings. However, they don't give us anything to wash our face or brush our hair. Mary Margaret, Sabine and I usually braid our hair, so it somewhat stays maintainable."

"I-I'm starting to get nervous," she quietly admits.

"I know but everyone is just as nervous, even if we have done this ten times, it doesn't make it easier. We still don't know what lies ahead or what to expect." Regina steps closer, draping her arms over Emma's shoulders. "Watch everyone before we leave, every contestant will disappear at least twice, in an attempt to hide sneaking off to the bathroom."

"Nervous poops?"

Regina's nose scrunches in disgust but Emma is sure it's the cutest thing she has ever seen. "Emma," she scolds but she doesn't follow up with anything else, so Emma dips forward and gifts her one last slow and sensual kiss.

Regina is the first to sway away but she doesn't go very far. "Emma, I..." she trails off, so Emma waits patiently for her to continue but sadly, she never does.

Instead, Regina slips out of her embrace, pops their intimate bubble, and then exits the shower. Emma sighs, turning off the water and trailing behind in silence.

Side by side, they dress in the uniforms provided for the final; Emma in a red Under Armour tank top with the Challenge logo across her chest and her name across the back, and Regina's is exactly the same except in purple, so the audience can distinguish between the teams. They were provided the new shirt colors last night; Sabine and Merlin will be in military green, Snow and David are royal blue, and Tamara and Neal are in gold. She's ecstatic with her team color because it reminds her of her favorite red leather jacket that always feels like her protective armor.

Beside each other, they quietly brush their teeth and then move onto their hair.

"Hey, uh...could you maybe French braid my hair?" Emma sheepishly asks with her brush already outstretched toward Regina.

Regina blinks, as if she is utterly bewildered by the request, like maybe Emma's speaking a completely different language. She stares blankly at the brush between them for a solid twenty seconds before she nods curtly and snatches the brush.

"Can you sit on the toilet?" Regina asks but for some reason, the atmosphere feels extra heavy.

She nods, settling down on the lid and facing the wall while Regina steps behind her. In silence, Regina's fingers glide effortlessly through her wet locks and begin braiding. Something between them has shifted and she has no clue why or what happened but she hates this awkward tension between them. They didn't even have this much awkwardness after the first time they fucked in the shower. So what the hell is going on in Regina's head?

She doesn't ask, she's too insecure and terrified of losing Regina to take the risk. So, she sits in silence and waits for Regina to finish braiding her hair. Once the final snap of her hair-tie is securely locked into place, she jumps up from the toilet and plans to make her escape because she cannot take one more moment of unbearable silence.

"Emma, wait," Regina weakly says just as she's about to reach the door. Emma spins around but doesn't say a damn word because she knows she's about to be kicked to the curb just like every other time a foster family had enough of her. "I just...I want..." and she's never heard Regina stammer like this before. "Emma, this is a game for one million dollars, we don't both win here."

Emma swallows thickly. "I know that," she hardly whispers loud enough for the world.

"There are five teams and only the top three win money. Two teams will be eliminated in the middle of the final."

"Regina-"

"I need you to understand that once we step in front of TJ, it's game time. I really hope you don't take anything personal out on that course. We have to play to win but that doesn't..." Regina sighs heavily, "I really enjoyed getting to know you, Emma," she sadly whispers but the impact behind those words feel like a punch to her gut.

Emma releases a shaky breath, her eyes never wandering away from Regina's glistening irises. Maybe Regina is hurting just as much as she is? Or maybe this really is goodbye because it's all too much now? Either way, Regina doesn't grant her enough time to respond.

"Good luck, Emma," Regina quietly whispers, presses a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth, and then exits the bathroom.

And Emma highly contemplates if she can keep the girl if she quits the race now?

~~~~

The cast was eerily quiet all morning. Everyone had very light breakfasts, the women braided each other's hair, and everyone went to the bathroom at least two times each, just like Regina warned her. By eight a.m they were picked up by a bus and hauled off to some unknown destination in Thailand. By nine o'clock, they were ushered onto a speedboat. By nine-fifteen, they were standing in front of TJ, rocking on a boat in the middle of some body of water and despite the ungodly heat, she was shaking from how nervous she was.

"Welcome to the final for Fresh Meat!" TJ happily announces while everyone politely claps along, nobody sincerely enthusiastic from the fear festering inside of what's to come. "This season you Vets were paired up with random civilians off the street and I have five badass teams standing in front of me today." Everyone cheers once again, a little more pep this time from the praise. "Now, you must fight in the longest, most grueling final we have had yet for your chance at one million dollars. That's right, this is a three day challenge."

Every single face drops, everyone turning a ghostly shade of white because three days in this sweltering heat, it's going to be near impossible to stay hydrated.

"There will be a series of events and checkpoints that you will have to accomplish, at the end we will add up all the times over three days and the team that completes each section with the fastest score will be our new champions of The Challenge!"

Everyone applauds again but Emma is struggling not to shit her pants or vomit at this point. Her entire body is quivering involuntarily and her stomach won't stop flipping. She wants to quit before she has even started and she has a feeling the next three days are going to be far worse than anything she's ever endured before.

"So, to start us off, you and your partner are going to swim to that island over there," TJ begins explaining, pointing to a tiny island so far off in the distance, Emma panics if she's strong enough of a swimmer yet to accomplish this. "There will be a puzzle that you will have to solve. Once you solve the puzzle, you will be awarded a key to unlock your kayak. From there, you will kayak ten miles to the next location, where I will be waiting for you." 

He didn't even tell them where to kayak. How the hell will they know-in this open body of water-which direction they are supposed to head in?

"Do you have any questions?" TJ asks and hell yes, she has quite a few but everyone screams no and production is thrusting life jackets into their faces. "Okay, are you ready?" All the competitors scramble to the edge of the boat, clipping their vests into place. "Go!" And then TJ blows his stupid horn and everyone dives into the water.

Fuck, she will have to ask Killian when they reach the island, how will they know where to go throughout this final?

She hits the water a little too rough from all the adrenaline pumping through her veins but she doesn't care, Killian is already calling to her and trying to motivate her to move faster. So, she puts her swimming lessons to use; long strokes, cupping the water and tilting her head from left to right. The first few strokes she is so nervous she actually forgets to breathe but she isn't the one who realizes.

"Breathe, Swan," Killian instructs beside her. "If there is one thing you need to remember in this final, it's to keep breathing no matter what."

"Okay," she says, inhaling sharply and pushing herself harder because fuck, Regina and Mary Margaret are already so freaking far ahead of her.

"Don't look at anyone else," Killian demands, swimming at her pace to be the supportive teammate he is. "We are just beginning. Only focus on us, alright? Anyone's game until that horn blows and puzzles are too unpredictable. We have plenty of time to catch up."

"Okay," she mutters again, feeling a bit more confident as she follows his lead.

"You're doing great, we are about half way," he sweetly encourages which motivates her to swim even faster. "There you go, Swan! Let's go!" He happily cheers, picking up his pace in hopes she will want to keep up.

She can hear Neal trying to encourage Tamara and she thinks it sounds like they are behind her but she can't be too sure with how open these waters are. She definitely sees blue and purple figures approaching land and Sabine is only a few feet behind them. She tries to block out all the noise and shouting, she should be used to it by now from her days in the foster system but it's so damn hard with this amount of pressure on her shoulders.

"Fuck, I hate swimming! Why couldn't we be running for five miles," she heaves, struggling to catch her breath.

"Don't worry, we will get to that eventually," he grumbles, quite literally grabbing her by the life vest and dragging her toward the beach. "We can stand here, run!"

She takes off running, only now realizing that they all jumped in the water with their running shoes on. Her heart is racing and she's struggling to regulate her breathing but she makes a mad dash through the sand to the red station which she assumes is theirs. Besides, Mary Margaret and David are already halfway through assembling their puzzle while Regina and Naveen tear theirs down. Sabine and Merlin are still reading the instructions.

Emma's heart plummets to her feet when she sees how massive these 3D blocks are. Each piece is the size of her but luckily they are made up of foam and really aren't that heavy. Killian reads the instructions with super-speed and then begins explaining that they need to form a cube with all the pieces. The blocks remind her of Tetris pieces and she isn't too confident that they will be able to form a cube without random edges hanging out.

"Alright, the best thing to do is dive in and start tossing pieces down. We need to create a base," Killian begins.

Emma nods, snatching up a random piece that looks like an uppercase T, and places it on the ground. Killian flashes her a nasty look but doesn't say a word and she thinks that cocky asshole from so many years ago is about to be unleashed.

"Listen to me," she hears Regina snapping at Naveen in the most condescending tone.

"No, nothing freaking works!" He shouts, kicking a piece off the platform they are supposed to build on.

Emma peeks up to spy on the team arguing but Killian is quick to squash that. "Emma, stay focused! Forget about them!"

"Sorry," she mutters, grabbing another piece and placing it awkwardly on top. "Sorry, I don't know what the hell I'm doing here!"

"None of us do, except maybe Mary Margaret."

Emma sighs, hanging her head in shame and off to snag another piece, and that's when Neal and Tamara come jogging up to their station. They might be behind but Emma knows Neal is a freaking genius when it comes to figuring out crazy puzzles.

"Something isn't right here," Sabine complains, "this isn't working," she exasperates and it's impossible for Emma not to notice that she's starting over.

Merlin doesn't seemed phased though. "We just need to stay calm," he assures his partner and Emma reminds herself that she needs to support Killian and encourage him even though she knows he's capable.

She lifts another piece and brings it over but Killian is staring completely dumbfounded at what he's created so far. "Hey, something is wrong," she whispers, nodding to where no remaining puzzle pieces could possibly fit in such an awkward arrangement.

"My brain literally hurts. This puzzle is stupid," he complains, removing a zig-zag piece and tossing it back into the sand. He wipes his forehead against his sleeve and stares some more at the puzzle. "I don't even know where to begin again."

"I think this is going to be pure dumb luck," she states, placing her piece on the platform and trying to push another piece to link up with it.

"Check! Check!" Mary Margaret squeals in delight and not one Vet looks up from their puzzle knowing that this is all standard.

A wave of nausea crashes over Emma like a tidal wave when she spots David running full force to unlock his kayak. Regina's screaming is what steals Emma's attention away and distracts her once again.

"Will you please stop acting like a child and just listen to me?"

"Check! Check!"

Emma's head snaps to her left so fast she thinks she pulls a muscle from Neal's shouting. How the hell? They just got there and he's already done with his puzzle? All while she and Killian are starting over from scratch.

"Emma! Focus! Forget them!"

"I know, I'm sorry."

"I don't need you to be sorry, I need you to be present," he exhales loudly to express his frustrations, sending a hot wave of embarrassment to flush her system.

She doesn't mutter a word, she simply examines the puzzle and tries her hardest to not cry when she sees Neal and Tamara running toward their kayak. She swallows hard because there is a giant boulder of panic swelling in her throat as she places another piece down where she believes it belongs.

"That...that works," Killian stutters in disbelief. "Okay, okay, let's keep moving!"

She sets down another piece that she hopes could only work right there and waits for Killian's approval.

"This is absolutely ridiculous," Naveen scoffs. "I want to punt these stupid blocks!"

"Ah, champ of all the daily's is finally struggling," Merlin plainly says as if he hasn't a care in the world.

"Shut up!" Naveen roars, prompting Regina to step in front of him and try to calm him back down.

Sabine scolds Merlin for his childish behavior but Emma tries her best to ignore her competition and stay focused. There are only two pieces left and for some reason her mind is whispering all kinds of negative thoughts, forcing her to believe that they messed up this 3D model, yet again.

"Wait, wait," Killian rushes out, taking a step back. "Flip it! Oh my god, yes, flip it!"

Emma flips and flips until he nods eagerly and she places the piece down to have it mold so easily where it belongs. Killian darts forward, placing the very last piece and just like that, the cube is complete.

"Oh my-"

"Check! Check!" Killian shouts, ready to make a mad dash through the sand.

Production nods at them and points to the kayaks and together they bolt out of there. She may or may not hear someone angrily throwing a block down but she keeps pushing herself forward. They need to catch up to David and Mary Margaret or Neal and Tamara if they managed to pass the other team.

"What about the key?" Emma asks but Killian is already unlocking the kayak.

She's confused for all of five seconds before she figures out that the key was there the entire time and nobody would be stupid enough to run directly to the kayaks and start their ten miles without completing the puzzle first. Nobody is willing to cheat and end up disqualified.

She quickly puts on the helmet with her name on it, just sitting there waiting for her in the kayak. The top is decorated with a little camera for the audience to see their point of view and hear their conversations as well.

"Aye, get in the front," Killian orders, nodding to where he wants her.

Emma snatches up her oar and leaps to the front of this plastic, cheap-ass kayak all while Killian shoves the damn thing through the water. She begins rowing, even if Killian is still pushing her out further into the water. Then the boat begins to wobble and she tries her best to remain steady, so her partner can climb aboard.

Emma's never rowed before, not once in her life but she has seen this show plenty of times and she understands the gist. Rule number one, and most important, stay in sync with your partner. She proceeds to row but she notices that she doesn't really get too far.

"Hey, Killy, you want to count us out..." He's quiet, way too quiet for his loud mouth, so she peeks over her shoulder to find him struggling with his grip on the oar. "Hey, you need a minute to figure out how you want-"

"No, no, just...keep going, I'll catch up."

"Okay..." she trails off because she doesn't want to add any more pressure for him or draw attention to his disability.

So, she pushes her oar hard into the water and scoops the water behind before quickly lifting the paddle out to row on the other side. After five or so strokes, she finds herself swaying far too much like her rhythm is off.

"Swan!"

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to count our strokes, so we can row at the same time."

"Let's go!" She happily cheers him on and stays in sync with his rhythm. "Hey umm, Killian, how do we know where to go?"

"Look out to your right!" He shouts. "See the arrow?"

"Oh yeah!" She excitedly shrieks when she notices the signs guiding their directions.

And she knows they have only just begun but she does feel a little better knowing that there is some kind of structure and they won't be hung out to dry, so to speak, in the middle of nowhere.

"If you need to pee, do it now," Killian states. "Who knows what we will have to do next or where we will be."

"You want me to pee in our kayak?" She incredulously squawks like a damn parakeet.

"It's fine, there is plenty of water by us to wash it away."

"Oh god, are you peeing now?"

"Nah, I already did before I hopped in."

"That's why it was taking you so long to climb aboard," she chuckles, perfectly in sync with his rowing.

"Tamara! Fucking listen to me, I will tell you when to paddle!" She hears Neal seething mad but she doesn't really see him out in the open waters.

She can see a smudge of blue off in the distance but gold is nowhere to be found.

"Aye!" Killian yells. "Need a captain for your vessel, mate?"

"Fuck off!" Neal scoffs as Tamara swats at some vines and leaves dangling in her face.

Somehow they veered off course and wound up stuck in some water-bush-tree like thing. Despite wanting to be a good sport about everything, Emma smiles inwardly as they pass Neal and Tamara right on by. However, much to Emma's horror, she hears Regina's strong voice shouting commands down the river. Emma whips around so fast they almost tumble right out of their kayak.

"Easy, mate!"

"Sorry, it's just...how the hell did they catch up so fast?"

"Have you seen Naveen's arms?" Killian deadpans.

"We need to hurry," she exclaims in sheer panic of falling behind and allowing those two of all people to pass them.

"We need to keep up with this steady pace. Ten miles, Swan. We don't want to burn ourselves out."

She sighs, taking one look at his hand and relaxes. "You're right, we are doing fantastic anyway."

"Hell yeah we are!"

~~~~

Her arms are on fire, her shoulders tense and all tied up in knots and she's baking under the burning sun. Sweat is covering every inch of her body and she is sure she has never been so overheated before.

"How much longer you think?" She tiredly asks, knowing her strokes are becoming lazy and not as strong and steady as they were when they started this race down the river.

"Aye, not much, look ahead!"

She blinks against the blinding sun to find production waiting to help them out of their kayaks with TJ standing in the front. And well fuck, Mary Margaret and David are already sitting down and relaxing while Regina and Naveen are flipping over puzzle pieces. Looks like the royal blues are ahead and have completed the puzzle already.

This drives her motivation, pumping fresh new energetic waves of adrenaline through her blood. She paddles harder and faster until they are at the edge of the river and production comes to pull their kayak out of the water. She takes off running to a massive podium with puzzle pieces, Killian right behind her.

Together, they begin flipping puzzle pieces and Killian points to the logo on his shirt and she understands that he's trying to tell her that The Challenge is what they will have to create with the pieces. She nods along, scrambling to fill in all the edge pieces first while Killian snaps the logo right into place.

"Check!" She hears Regina scream but she stays focused, knowing they really aren't that far behind.

"Great job, Tamara, let's move now," Neal says somewhere from behind them and it's only seconds later when Sabine and Merlin pull up.

Before Regina and Naveen even sit down beside Mary Margaret and David, Killian is screaming for a check on their puzzle.

"Alright, great job, Emma and Killian, your time is stopped for now," TJ announces.

Killian curls his arm around her neck and pulls her in close to press a kiss to her sweaty temple. And even though she knows they aren't even done for today, she feels a weight lifted from her shoulders. She finished the first leg of the final and she feels so damn accomplished and proud that it makes her feel like she can do anything. She skips merrily over to the other teams and sits down beside them in the grass.

"Great job!" Mary Margaret joyfully congratulates them and it brings a giddy grin to her face.

"Thanks! You guys did amazing."

"I just got lucky the first two heats were puzzles."

Emma smiles along and she wants, needs, to say something to Regina and praise her for catching up and passing them in the end but she feels the heavy weight of curious cameras, so she remains silent. Regina does make direct eye contact though and flashes a very quick but very adorable smile her way that ends up making Emma blush.

Ashley from production soon walks by with tiny backpacks that are filled with cold water, usually used for hiking purposes. Each bag has their name on it, along with the challenge logo and they are instructed to keep these with them for the rest of the final. Emma immediately starts sipping away from the small hose attached but Killian warns her to save it.

It's only about a five minute break before all teams have completed the puzzle.

"Great job, guys. That was an excellent way to warm up, right?" TJ teases them while each person groans in agony and exhaustion. "Alright, why don't I show you all where you're going to sleep tonight?"

The cast begins clapping at the mere thought of sleep but Emma and everyone else around her knows damn well that TJ is not bringing them there to just sleep. The sun is still up and there is plenty of time for more torture.

~~~~

Production ushers them onto the same boat they first started on. And all Emma can do is savor the moment. She closes her eyes, enjoys the wind in her hair and the cool air whipping around her and even though it's a short break, she is so thankful and appreciative of it.

It's over within ten minutes and soon they are stepping onto a creepy island that delivers an unsettling feeling in her gut. Everything looks dark and gloomy despite the sun shining down at ninety-five degrees.

"Welcome to the Shelter!" TJ happily announces, clasping his hands together. "This will be your home for the next two nights for your three day final."

"This is what nightmares are made of," Sabine sighs heavily from beside her.

"This looks like the ending to a horror movie," Neal grumbles, scrubbing his hands down his face and he isn't wrong.

The "house" isn't even a house, just a very long wooden deck with sleeping bags and nets hanging down from above to keep pesky bugs away while they sleep. There is an open fire pit in the middle and logs all around for them to sit on. She doesn't see a shower, she doesn't see a bathroom. Perfect.

"Now, before you move in, how about an early bird dinner special?"

Emma is already grimacing because she knows whatever TJ is about to offer, they will all end up puking their guts out. The host leads them down the beach to where five tables are set up, each with two chairs. Emma notices that each table has six plates and unfortunately, six drinks lined up. Her stomach is already rolling in protest from those nasty drinks baking under the hot sun. It's some brown liquid and it kind of looks chunky and her stomach is so queasy.

"And did I mention, every plate and drink must be finished before you go to bed tonight?"

Chapter Text

"You want to finish as quickly as possible because however long it takes you to complete this check point, will be added to your time. And there will not be a time maxed out after so long. So, if you take five hours, that's five hours added to your total time at the end. Get this done quick and efficiently," TJ firmly demands as all the contestants take their seats. "You may begin."

Emma quickly pulls the top off one plate to discover a mound of crickets that already has her gagging. She peeks over at Killian to find that he has a plate of pond snails and she much rather shove crickets down her throat than snails that look like they were just scooped out of a dirty river. She closes her eyes, grabs a handful and stuffs them into her mouth. And yes, her eyes are closed and she's thinking about Cheetos but her mind knows damn well what she's consuming.

She gags again, but she forces herself to chew which only makes matters worse because it's a horrible combination of crunchy and gooey from their bodies exploding in her mouth. Swallow, swallow, swallow, she repeats over and over in her mind but her throat refuses to allow such nastiness into her stomach.

Not even a full two minutes into this challenge and someone is violently vomiting. She squeezes her eyes closed, painfully tight and pleads with herself to ignore the noises and just fucking swallow.

"Mate, you're still on your first bite, just swallow it down and move on," Killian encourages just before he shoves another snail into his mouth.

"I'm trying," she whines as someone else begins throwing up.

And then it's like a damn train, one by one, everyone seems to be puking their guts out and they have only just begun.

"Oh god," Neal groans, his voice trembling, "what the hell is in here?"

Emma snaps to attention and while she observes Neal, her throat finally cooperates and she swallows the crickets. Without ever looking back at the plate, she snatches another fistful and shoves them down her throat. Except, she watches as Neal pulls the drink from his lips and there is a damn fish skeleton hanging from the corner of his mouth.

Neal reacts instantly, doubling over and grabbing his bucket but he's vomiting so much that most of his bile sprays outside of the bucket. Emma doesn't even have time to reach her bucket, she just leans to her right and projectile vomits all over her shoes.

"Shake it off, Swan. You've got this," Killian encourages but the last thing she wants to do right now is put another fucking thing in her mouth.

She peeks through her lashes, down the row of tables to where Regina is. She looks so focused and so damn determined. She's not even sitting down, she's standing behind her table, bouncing around on her tiptoes as a distraction as she pounds down handfuls of crickets. What the hell?

A burning desire to keep up with Regina ignites in Emma's soul. She quickly stands as well, stares aimlessly up at the sky and stuffs more crickets down her throat.

"That's it! Let's go!" Killian cheers, leaping to his feet as well and slamming his one complete plate over. He swiftly snatches up a nasty drink and then pauses. "Be a dear, Swan, and plug my nose?"

Emma laughs, grabbing another handful of crickets and pushing them into her mouth before she pinches her partner's nose to help dull the taste. She catches a glimpse of Regina out of her peripheral flipping one plate over and that fuels Emma's fire.

"I can't. I-please, David," Mary Margaret cries, "please eat these for me."

"Babe, I can't eat everything."

"Please!"

Emma flips over her empty plate and quickly checks on the royal blue team. David's eyes are bloodshot from puking so much and Mary Margaret's are wet from not wanting to eat. This is where they can make up time and catch up to them, because she knows the blue team are in first place right now.

Emma quickly moves onto her next plate, ripping off the lid and finding silk worms. "Oh god," she chokes back the toxic bile slithering up her throat, "are they...moving?" She grimaces, covering her mouth with her forearm.

"Hey, you didn't drink. Eat one plate then drink, you don't want to save all the liquid for last."

Emma nods, still wincing because either option is absolutely disgusting. She plugs her nose before she even picks up the bottle because she doesn't even want to risk knowing what it smells like. It's thick and dirty, lake-water brown and just...nope.

"Chocolate milkshake, chocolate milkshake," Tamara stresses as she and Emma attempt to chug the drink.

Emma closes her eyes and keeps chanting in her mind that it is just a chocolate milkshake. And that's all fine and dandy until a chunk of something, most likely a fish, tickles her tongue and she instantly doubles over and pukes.

"Aye, making more room in your stomach, lass. Good job!" Killian praises as she wipes her mouth across her forearm and glares up at him.

"How are you not throwing up yet?" She whines, only somewhat comprehending that he's eating the very much alive worms for her.

"I will be soon, it's coming," he says as he clears his throat because he's not chewing these creatures, he's swallowing them whole.

"You're my hero," and she truly means it as a compliment but after throwing up twice now, she lacks enthusiasm.

He still winks and flashes a dashing smirk but then he's reaching for his bucket and dropping to his knees to release the still wiggling worms.

"Come on, boy, keep up!" Emma hears Sabine shout at her partner who is barely able to sit upright on his chair after how much he has puked.

Sabine is working on her second plate and has one glass done but her partner hasn't even finished his first plate yet.

"Yes, keep going," Regina sternly encourages Naveen as she swallows worms whole just like Killian was moments ago.

Emma knows she needs to focus and just get this drink down, so she plugs her nose again and refuses to stop chugging until the damn thing is empty. She does an excellent job, even when the fish bones catch on her lip, she simply shivers in disgust and slams the empty bottle back down.

Onto her second plate.

Her second plate...which is...

"What the hell is this?" She investigates, cringing at the yellow pile of foam that looks like insulation if she's being honest.

"Durian," Killian informs her and then moves onto his next drink.

She leans heavily into his side and lowers her voice, "what is durian? And why does it smell like Neal's sweat socks?"

"It's a fruit, mate. Less talking, more eating," he scolds as he doubles over and throws up the tiny bit of fish soup that he drank.

Her nose curls from the nasty smell of this little yellow fruit. How could a fruit have such a pungent scent? She is kind of reminded of rotten eggs mixed with cheese that has been left out in the hot sun for far too long. So, she plugs her nose and assures herself that whatever this fruit tastes like has to be better than the insects piled on these plates.

It's disgusting, maybe it's the texture or maybe she still has that awful scent clouding her senses but she is not a fan. It's definitely better than the crickets and the fish guts soup, by far, but this is just so strong against her tastebuds.

"It tastes like biting into an onion or garlic...maybe rotten cheese," she gags but she forces herself to swallow more because she needs to catch up to Regina and Naveen.

Regina is done with three plates now and two drinks and she knows she needs to pick up her pace. She glances to her left just in time to see the woman sweeping up her bucket and finally releasing all the horrid stuff she's been inhaling. There's a desperation deep inside of Emma's sour gut that is urging her to run over and hold Regina close, rub her back, and help ease the pain but she knows her place. So, she proceeds eating with a new kind of ache in her heart.

Killian moves onto squid and truthfully, he doesn't seemed that phased by it. Thankfully, Emma completes the durian in what she hopes is great time but she has her second drink to take on and her stomach is already turning, begging her not to take another sip. She pinches her nose, squeezes her eyes closed and chugs and chugs, until she is hunched over her bucket, throwing up once more.

"Check!" Regina implores, sounding so small and so defeated but TJ tells them they are done.

"Great job," TJ praises, "head down the beach to your next check point," he casually says.

Emma's heart is racing, begging for her to hurry the hell up and chase after Regina and Naveen who take off running down the beach while production stands off to the side and directs them where they need to go. She groans, slamming her empty glass down and moving onto her last and final plate.

And sure...why not?

Ghost peppers.

"Killian," she whimpers, picking up a ruby red pepper and slowly bringing it to her lips.

"Aye, we are gonna be shitting fire tonight." She groans, hesitantly taking the tiniest nibble off the end. "It's going to be hot no matter what, might as well just bite the whole thing in one go."

She nods along, her mouth already heating up and forcing her eyes to water. She steels her nerves, sinking her teeth into the rest of the pepper and holy hell, she has never experienced anything so hot. Did she just lick a burning flame? What the hell is going on with her mouth? She quickly scoops up her last drink in hopes that it will settle the scorching heat blazing across her tongue. It doesn't alleviate the pain, although, her mouth is on fire so much right now that she thinks she just burned away her tastebuds. She is able to chug the entire drink but there are more peppers on her plate.

How the hell did Regina eat these so damn fast?

"Killy," she pathetically whines again.

"I'll help you," he vows, even though he already ate his fair share of the three plates and downed his drinks.

His teeth snap into a crisp pepper, his eyes immediately watering but he keeps chewing. The tiny hairs in her nose are tingling and she can feel herself start to sweat all the more. Her eyes are starting to burn and just as she lifts her hand, Killian smacks it away.

"Don't you dare touch your eyes, you'll be in so much pain," he scolds, angrily snatching up another pepper and eating it like he isn't flushed and crying.

She squeezes her eyes tightly and forces another pepper into her mouth which has her immediately vomiting once more. It's like a chorus of people puking their guts out, one after another and she doesn't understand how any of them are going to be able to function after this.

"Swallow!" Emma obediently follows the cruel command, swallowing down her second pepper even though she's crying and every part of her body from the neck up is melting and in an extreme pain. "Check, check!" Killian screams, swallowing the last of the third pepper.

"Okay, Emma and Killian, you're good to go," TJ exclaims.

"Let's move, Swan!" Her partner encourages, making a mad dash down the beach.

She can't comprehend how he's moving so quickly because her legs are quaking and she's sweating profusely while crying from the heat tormenting her mouth. All she wants to do is jump into that body of water beside her but she knows she can't waste a single second.

"Killian," she gasps, completely gassed out and aching all over from how much she just vomited.

"Drink some water from your bag," he commands. "Come on, we can't stop moving, love!"

"I know," she whines, fumbling for the tube attached to her backpack. She quickly sucks down the icy waters but it's not helping the inferno wreaking havoc inside her mouth. She can feel the water running down her throat, spreading throughout her chest until it tickles her stomach and only makes her queasy once more. "Kill-I-I..." she trails off when her feet stop running and she keels over and starts throwing up violently again.

"It's alright, get it out now. You'll feel better," he sweetly says, rushing back to her side to rub her back.

She swipes her arm across her mouth, her vision all blurred and somewhat foggy. "I still don't feel well."

"I know but we have to keep walking."

She nods along and does her very best to at least jog but she doesn't even think her pace can be described as anything but walking.

~~~~

"God, how long is this run?" She groans, sipping from her backpack once again. "I feel like my gut is weighted with rocks."

"You probably need to shit."

"Why are you so gross?" She complains, dripping in sweat, her face pulsating from the heat still and her brain a little too fuzzy for her liking.

"It's probably a two mile hike down the beach," he says, ignoring her comment or maybe trying to distract her mind as they run under the blazing sun down the beach.

Sand is not ideal to run on after throwing up for thirty minutes.

"I think we've run more than that," she gasps.

"I think the heat is getting to your head, drink up," he sternly orders and she has no fight in her to argue. "There we go, I see..."

Killian's voice withers away and is swept up by the wind, motivating her to lift her tired head and see what has spooked him. Her stomach plummets and well, shit, she could probably use a bathroom right now from how much she is dreading what she sees ahead. There before her very eyes, she observes as a shirtless Naveen and a sports-bra wearing Regina are side by side, dripping buckets of sweat as they pedal on stationary exercise bikes.

"Fuck me," Killian gripes as they come up to a board with instructions written out.

"Twenty-five miles on the bike," Naveen informs them as Killian reads over the rules closely.

"Seriously," she whines, hanging her backpack off one of the handlebars, the one next to Regina, not that it matters or anything.

"He's not lying, love," Killian sighs, taking off his bag as well, along with his shirt. "Twenty-five miles each for us and then we have to run back to the shelter."

"Another two miles after that," she whimpers, her weak legs barely able to climb onto the bike. "I feel like I'm going to pass out already."

"Stay hydrated," Killian reminds her, his legs already spinning at an obnoxious speed.

She glances to her right, her feet pedaling but she swears she's numb from the hips down. Regina locks eyes with her, a minuscule smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth before she leans forward on the bike, grabs the handle bars and picks up speed. All Emma wants to do right now is hold that sweaty woman in her arms and sleep for a month straight.

She focuses on keeping her legs moving but she's feeling awfully defeated and woozy and she loathes the way Killian is already two miles ahead of her. This is supposed to be her thing, the running and biking, she's great at endurance but her body is completely spent and praying for death after everything she puked up, come to think of it, she probably lost some organs along the way.

Little by little, other cast members join them. Sabine and Merlin are next, followed by Neal and Tamara and it's shocking to Emma that Team Charming are the last to arrive. She knew puzzles were Mary Margaret's strength but she had no idea that eating was her kryptonite.

When Emma hits ten miles, everyone is pedaling beside her, not really saying too much and she knows it's because they are all still sick to their stomachs and just trying to survive and not quit at this point.

When she hits fifteen miles, production informs Regina and Naveen that they are done and they can move along to the next checkpoint. Regina runs like a bat out of hell down the beach and stupid Naveen is right there beside her like he just popped out of bed and ready for a brisk morning jog. Meanwhile, her chest is about to cave in, she's never been more drenched in her own sweat and she thinks she might either puke again or crap her pants. She rather vomit off the side of the bike but she has a sneaky suspicion that her body wants other things at the moment.

When she hits her twenty-five mile mark, Killian has been done for over ten minutes now and has had a chance to rest. Unfortunately, she hasn't had a moment to breathe but Killian pushes her to keep moving.

"Killian, I really, really, need to go to the bathroom."

"Please, just keep pushing through. As soon as we get to the Shelter, I promise you, we will have a break and you can go in the jungle," he implores, running backwards to speak with her as she heaves and gasps for air.

"I'm so..."

"I know, come on, we can do this!"

She nods along, stuffing the tube in her mouth and sucking as much water as humanly possible but she's out. She has never felt a more powerful urge to cry in all her life.

"I'm out of water," she groans.

"Here, take mine-"

"No, no, I couldn't-"

"I insist," he vows, placing his tube into her mouth and lightly jogging beside her as she sucks down that icy water. God, has water always been this fucking delicious? "How is your mouth?"

"I think I burned every tastebud, but it doesn't hurt as much anymore."

"Great to hear! You're doing amazing by the way," he compliments, flashing her his most devilishly handsome smile. "I'm really proud of you."

"Thanks," she heavily breathes. "I really need a bathroom."

He chuckles, tossing his soaked hair back with dramatic flair. "Yeah, my arse is begging me for one too."

Twenty minutes later, they are very slowly jogging up to TJ, her attention already zoning in on Regina and Naveen sitting side by side on a log bench. As soon as they cross through the two orange cones, the host is congratulating them.

"What a great first day, you two," he praises and this is when Emma notices how the sun is beginning to set over the calm waters.

"Thanks, Teej," she gasps, completely out of breath, her entire body trembling uncontrollably.

Killian smiles brightly and oh so proud at the host as he takes a spot beside Naveen. Ashley comes over immediately and asks for Emma's bag, so she can refill it and Emma has never been more grateful in her life. Well, maybe she's exaggerating, she's so damn grateful for this opportunity and more so for Regina falling into her life.

She plops down beside Killian and rests her head upon his soaking wet shoulder. She doesn't even care though from how exhausted she feels. Even her teeth hurt at this point. It's painfully quiet and she suspects everyone is just as drained as she is.

"Ummm, I really, really need a bathroom," she whispers into his ear. He gestures toward the mess of trees and dirt, provoking her face to grimace. "Seriously?"

"Might as well before more people get here," Regina chimes in, motivating her sleepy heart to wake up and jump around with excitement all because Regina spoke to her.

It honestly feels like it's been three days since they woke up in each other's arms, so comfy and relaxed.

"Yeah, okay," she grumbles and forces herself to her feet.

She almost collapses, her head rushing with blood but none of that matters because she's about to have a very embarrassing accident if she doesn't get to those trees.

~~~~

It's a solid hour before everyone has returned and Emma's almost asleep on Killian's shoulder by this time. She is ready. Ready for TJ to call it a night and she can lie down on a wooden plank and sleep before she has to get up and do this all over again.

Boy, is she so utterly wrong.

"Everyone did a great job today, seriously," TJ compliments, motivating everyone to clap along. "Unfortunately, there can only be three teams who cross that finish line in the end." Emma's skin prickles with a bone-chilling tremor that rockets through her body, especially since everyone becomes dead silent. "So, right here, right now, we are going to have an elimination."

"Wha-" she chokes on her own words and the angry tears stinging her eyes.

"What?" The rest of the cast gasps as TJ claps his hands together.

"That's right. We have added up all your times for the day and the team in last place right now is," he pauses for dramatic effect and Emma contemplates marching right up to him and punching him square in the nose. "Neal and Tamara. Come on over here," he sadly says and Emma knows how much TJ adores Neal for how far he has come, and he hates to send him home.

"I'm sorry, I'm trying," Tamara cries, so absolutely distraught from the day they have endured.

"I know. I know and that's all that I can ask from you. We have a sick group of competitors here," Neal sweetly reminds her, hugging her close against his side.

"Now, it's time to vote," TJ sternly divulges and it's like a punch straight to Emma's gut.

She panics, whipping around to her partner for guidance but he's looking rather ghostly white as if he is torn about who to call out. She glances over at Regina, her heart pounding fiercely in her chest because Regina already warned her, begged her not to take anything personal in the game.

All is fair in love, war, and the challenge.

"Mary Margaret and David," TJ announces, "let's start with you."

"We have to think strategically here, TJ and I have to think about our game. So... Regina and Naveen, our vote is for you because I know you're ahead of us right now."

Emma's eyes expand to their fullest potential because she thought for damn sure, everyone was going to say her name. Her eyes swing to Regina, just in time to witness her jaw twitch as she bites down rather aggressively.

"One vote for Regina and Naveen," TJ declares. "Sabine and Merlin, who would you like to see in the elimination tonight against Neal and Tamara?"

Sabine sighs, swaying from left to right from the anxiety rippling through her body. Those big brown eyes sweep from Mary Margaret to Emma and then back to Regina as she tries to figure out what the hell she should do. Merlin leans into her side and whispers into her ear and surprisingly, Emma can't hear a damn thing.

"I'm sorry but we have to think about our game as well and I believe Killian and Emma are leading with Regina and Naveen, so we are voting for Killian and Emma this evening."

"Alright, one vote for Regina and Naveen and one vote for Killian and Emma." TJ turns to look at Killian. "Emma, Killian, who will you be voting for tonight?"

Emma leans into Killian's side but he's already turning and cupping her ear to block his face as he says, "Regina."

"No," she lowly growls.

"Yes, Swan, it's our best bet here, they are beating us."

"No," she coldly states again, then blocks her mouth as she whispers into his ear, "Mary Margaret and David are right on our heels."

"No," he rebuttals, "if it's a puzzle she will take Neal out."

"Oh, so you are protecting him," she snaps in a hushed whisper.

"You're protecting her," he defends.

"Fine, our vote is for Sabine and Merlin, sorry guys," she firmly demands, folding her arms across her chest.

"Swan, what did you just do?" Killian groans, wiping his hand down his face in exasperation.

"Looks like we have a three-way tie, so Regina and Naveen will get the deciding vote of who will go into elimination."

"You just fucked us so hard," Killian hisses under his breath. "Sabine and Mary Margaret are her best friends," he exclaims but she just shrugs carelessly.

"We were never going to agree on a team anyways."

"Alright, Regina and Naveen," TJ excitedly calls out, "who is it going to be? Sabine-Merlin, Mary Margaret-David, or Swan-Killian?"

Regina runs her antsy fingers through her hair only to realize it's in a tight French braid. She exhales, long and hard like she is about to burst into tears.

"We need an answer..."

"I know," she bitterly snaps, grabbing the back of her neck and swaying anxiously from side to side. "Our vote is for..."

Chapter Text

This is it. This is the moment Regina warned her about, where she's about to sabotage her, throw her to the wolves and risk her chance at one million dollars in this final. After it's all said and done, she will still want to be friends. Emma closes her eyes painfully tight and mentally prepares for the blow she knows will be something she will struggle to get over.

"Our vote is for...Mary Margaret and David, I'm just going to toss the vote right back to you since you said our name," Regina snottily replies and as shocked as Emma is, the rest of the competitors seem just as gobsmacked that Regina didn't think about the game as a whole and just went straight for revenge.

Mary Margaret nods though as if she understands and steps forward with David to stand on the other side of TJ. Emma's wide eyes are wild, shifting to Killian who looks just as baffled. Regina folds her arms across her chest and appears as if she's holding back from throwing up once more. Emma's mind is obsessing over the debate of whether Regina called Mary Margaret out for saying her name or if it was all a ploy to protect Emma.

"Tonight's elimination will be three stages of puzzles, whichever team completes all three puzzles will stay in the final and continue their chances at one million dollars. The losing team will be sent straight home from here."

"Damn," Sabine exhales through a shaky breath. "Neal vs. Mary Margaret in puzzles? It's their specialties, I honestly don't know if one is better than the other."

Regina nervously bites on her thumbnail and begins swaying from side to side, provoking every muscle in Emma's body to yearn for her. She just wants to wrap her arms around the woman and hold her close to defuse the anxiety from within. Will she ever be able to openly do that with Regina or will she always just be a giant secret?

Production moves quickly to set up three podiums for each team and even though Emma has nothing to do with this elimination, her stomach begins to turn. This is great for her game and is giving her better odds in the end but she genuinely likes Neal and Mary Margaret and she hates to see one of them leave tonight after everything they went through today.

A few minutes later, both teams are standing at podiums a few feet apart looking determined and focused. TJ blows his horn and the contestants take off, pulling a board off and tossing it behind themselves to reveal the first puzzle.

Neal is reading out loud while Mary Margaret and David are painfully quiet.

"Count all the triangles, then add them all up to get your answer. When you have your answer, divide it by three, then multiply that answer by nine to receive the combination for your lock to unlock your next set of puzzle pieces."

Oh thank sweet baby Jesus for not tossing Emma into this elimination because she would have failed miserably with all the math problems. Maybe Killian is good with numbers but she would have been completely useless in this game.

She observes as Mary Margaret traces the puzzle with her index finger, most likely drawing triangles and counting in her head. She peeks to the right to see Tamara doing the same thing. Unexpectedly, Mary Margaret closes her eyes like she's trying very hard to block out the world and meditate.

"What is she..." she begins to whisper but her words die on her tongue when she witnesses the woman's fingers moving at rapid speed to line up the numbers on the combination to unlock the next puzzle.

Nobody claps like they normally do in eliminations and Emma thinks it's because everyone is unsure of who they want to win. Either way, Mary Margaret and David are dashing to the next podium with a key and unlocking their next puzzle. She lifts the next cover board off while David snatches up a bag hanging off the podium and dumps out purple pieces all shaped differently.

"Better move M and M," Neal teases. "You know Tangram puzzles are my jam." She doesn't respond, she remains focused, her hands moving at lightning speed. "Go, go, go!" Neal urges, pushing Tamara to the next podium.

"This isn't working," Mary Margaret sighs, quickly pulling pieces away while David looks completely out of his element.

Emma snaps her attention back to Neal and my god is he moving fast. The only sounds to be heard are the pieces being shuffled around but other than that, everyone is silent. Neal and Tamara are at the second podium for all of five minutes before production tells them they have completed the puzzle and can move on.

"Just..." David pauses his girlfriend's shaky hands and for once in this game, he takes control.

"Place the numbers so every row, column, and diagonal line adds up to fifteen," Neal murmurs to Tamara.

"So it's like Sudoku," she states.

"Kind of," he mumbles, already arranging the numbers and hyper-focused.

By some miracle, David figures out the Tangram and production is telling them they can move onto the last puzzle. It's neck and neck, really anybody's game and Emma has seen both of these competitors destroy people in puzzles. She really doesn't know who is going to win this one.

On some level, she wants Mary Margaret to win because if Neal makes it to a final, he wins. Then again, if today was the only eating challenge for the rest of the final, then she wants Mary Margaret eliminated because she and David are a fierce combination and she thinks they might actually win this season.

In the end, at least one of the two strongest puzzle players in this game will be going home.

"Check! Check!" Neal frantically yells.

Production scans his answers but shakes their head.

"I'm sorry, that isn't correct, keep working," TJ sadly says.

"What the...it's right. I swear," he grumbles, double checking his answers once again.

"Check!" Mary Margaret calmly says, her eyes still sweeping across her board with complete and utter concentration.

"Mary Margaret, David...congratulations, you're staying in the game," TJ announces. "I'm sorry Neal and Tamara, you are eliminated."

Neal slams both of his palms against his face and sighs while Tamara bursts into tears. He scrubs his face roughly and then plasters on his brave face. He moves quickly, shaking David's hand and then picking up Mary Margaret and holding her close.

"Congratulations."

"You did so well," she praises, squeezing him extra tight.

TJ even shakes Neal's hand and praises him before the gold team is escorted to a speed boat and are removed from the game completely. Regina isn't granted the opportunity to say goodbye and maybe nobody else can tell but Emma can see the woman trying to hold back her tears. He really is one of her best friends.

Everyone congratulates the winning team and Mary Margaret takes the time to tell Sabine and Regina that there are no hard feelings.

"Alright everyone, get some rest, you have a long day ahead of you," TJ cruelly announces before he too is taken away by boat.

~~~~

"It's too freaking hot for a fire," Emma complains as Killian and Naveen work hard on assembling firewood properly.

"Hopefully the smoke will keep the bugs away," her partner answers from over his shoulder.

"I feel so disgusting," she groans.

"Every inch of me is grimy," Sabine grimaces as she pulls off her shirt. "Regina, let's tie this rope between two trees and we can all hang up our shirts for the night and let them dry."

Regina quietly walks over to her friend and lends a helping hand but Emma knows that woman is drowning in negative thoughts and inner turmoil. She wishes she could have a moment alone with her but there are two camera crews that refuse to leave.

Once the rope is up like a clothesline, all the contestants hang their shirts to dry for the evening. Quietly, they gather around the fire, not too close because it's so warm out and production offers them a piece of bread to eat and a can of spam. Her stomach lurches from the idea of eating again but she forces a piece of bread down her throat.

"I can't take this," Mary Margaret whines, "I feel so sticky and gross."

"There's an ocean right there," Emma reminds them.

"David, come with me!"

"Of course," he sweetly agrees, taking her hand and leading her in the dark toward the ocean.

Emma doesn't mean to but her eyes flick toward Regina because she wants that so desperately. She would give anything to take her hand and walk along the shore with her, maybe sweep her off her feet and carry her into the ocean. They would rinse their dirty bodies off and then she would take her into her arms and kiss her soundly on the mouth. Wait, no, they spent the day throwing up and haven't been offered toothbrushes yet. Okay, so she would litter her neck with sweet kisses instead.

Regina peeks through her lashes like she can feel Emma's intense eyes on her. She offers a tight lipped smile and then averts her attention which only makes Emma's heart sink to her bruised gut.

She doesn't make eye contact with Regina for the rest of the night.

~~~~

It's so peacefully quiet, the only sound is the crackling of the fire, and she should be passed out from exhaustion but she's profusely sweating and feels so damn disgusting. Regina had begged production for toothbrushes after how hard they vomited and thankfully, they relented. Yet, she still feels nasty.

She glances around the long deck of sleeping bags and finds everyone passed out. Merlin is snoring once again but tonight he's not the only one. Everyone is so utterly exhausted that they all seem to be lightly snoring. The camera crew has finally turned everything off for the evening and they are all sleeping in nice tents with cozy air mattresses.

She just can't sleep, she needs to cool off.

Slowly, not wanting to make a sound, she unzips the net protecting her from pesky insects and slips out of her sleeping area. She zips the net back up, so she doesn't return to a bed full of bugs and then slides off the deck. She's so quiet, nobody could possibly hear her feet shifting in the sand as she heads toward the shoreline. So yes, maybe she's a little apprehensive about entering the ocean at night all alone but she needs to wash away this sweat and grime and cool off.

She promises herself that she will be quick.

She doesn't want to sleep in wet clothes, so she strips away her shorts and sports bra. The cool water against her feet is already so damn refreshing, so she moves quickly, submerging herself into the heavenly waters. She dips below the water, hoping her wet head will keep her cool, so she can fall asleep. She scrubs away the dirt from her face and when she emerges, she finds a curvy figure standing at the shoreline watching her.

She smiles softly, waving for her to come and join her. Silently, Regina stalks closer, shimmying out of her spandex shorts as well before releasing those perky breasts from her sports bra. Emma's a fool really, she can't wipe this stupid smirk off her face as she watches Regina's naked figure enter the ocean. She's stunning, so damn beautiful in every way and she feels her heart expanding from all the overwhelming feelings filling her.

"What are you doing?" Regina muses, a dopey smile on her face.

"Rinsing off my body, I felt disgusting," she confesses, instantly grabbing at Regina's hips and pulling her flush against her body.

Regina attempts to narrow her eyes and appear stern but there's a ghost of a smile playing at her lips. "You're going to get us in trouble."

"You've never snuck away during a final at night?"

"Never," Regina hisses, draping her arms upon Emma's shoulders.

Brown eyes are inspecting every inch of her face and Emma knows her eyes are doing the same to memorize the moment. "I missed you," tumbles embarrassingly from her mouth without her consent.

Regina struggles to swallow, producing an audible gulp, forcing Emma's skin to prickle in fear. However, Regina dips forward, gently brushing her lips against her mouth for the slowest kiss known to mankind.

"We should get out," Regina insists as she gently ends the tender kiss. "We could get into so much trouble."

Emma nods along, slowly releasing this woman from her clutches. Her heart aches because all she wants to do is curl up beside her and hold her all through the night. She exhales a deep breath and dunks back under the water one last time. Regina is right there with her, cooling her body down as well before they swim back to the shore.

She sweeps up her clothes and decides to stand naked in front of the fire for all of five minutes to dry off. She quickly scrambles to dress as Regina pulls out her hair tie and shakes out her wet head. Emma does the same and decides they can braid their hair in the morning.

Quietly, they sneak back into their net tents and turn to face one another. The wooden boards are the worst, the sleeping bags doing nothing at all to alleviate the pain. She notices Regina watching her closely, concern etched all over her face.

"What?" She whispers so quietly, she might as well just mouthed the words.

"Are you going to be able to sleep without your blanket?" And it's the softest, gentlest tone that expresses real concern and adoration.

Emma's chest squeezes painfully tight as a mass of emotions swell in the back of her throat because Regina cares, actually cares about her.

"I'll be okay," she vows, offering a bright smile that will hopefully convey her honesty.

Regina's facial expression clearly states that she doesn't believe her but she doesn't argue. She simply stares at Emma, memorizing every inch of her face until they are both swept away from exhaustion.

~~~~

When she wakes, her entire body aches in a way she's never quite felt before. Every muscle is locked up, extra stiff and her mouth feels like she slept with cotton balls in it all night. She's starving, yet nauseous and she thinks she needs a bathroom once again. She wipes away the sleep from her eyes and glances around to find Killian and Merlin already up near the fire pit that is no longer lit.

She makes a quick escape, deep into the jungle to do her business and then makes her debut.

"Morning," she whispers, stretching out her back as she stands beside Killian.

"Hey, partner," he beams up at her as Merlin grumpily waves. "You ready for today?"

"Absolutely not, but I'm anxious to start and get it over with." She sighs, plopping down beside him on a log. "Do we get breakfast?"

"Probably only a banana each," he reveals, eliciting a pathetic whimper from not only herself but Merlin as well.

Now that she's gone to the bathroom, her stomach doesn't feel so heavy and she's finding that she's quite hungry. She sighs, the three of them sitting in silence, Killian absentmindedly poking a stick into the fire pit from last night. Slowly, one by one, people start to wake up.

When Mary Margaret gets back from her jungle potty break, she sneaks up behind Emma.

"Do you want me to braid your hair for today?" She sweetly asks, already running her fingers through the knots and scaring the crap out of Emma. She jumps in her own skin. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"That's okay," she heavily breathes out. "Umm," she pauses, her eyes subconsciously crawling to where Regina is stretching in her net tent.

"I don't have to...someone else-"

"No, no, it's fine, um yeah, that would be great, thanks," she stammers, sliding the hair tie off her wrist and handing it over which inspires Kristoff to shuffle closer and stick his camera in her face.

"You have such pretty hair," the woman sings as her fingers delicately run through her tangled tresses. "My hair always gets so puffy and frizzy. I hate it."

"Umm...it always looks silky and shiny," she murmurs because she's not really good with accepting compliments or complimenting others for that matter.

"I have to put in so much product and straighten the crap out of it," she giggles like a school girl while her fingers never falter.

Emma sneaks a quick peek over at Regina again to find the woman offering a small smile before averting her eyes once again. She knows she's starting to become slightly addicted to this woman and she wonders how she will make it another day without speaking to one another?

~~~~

"Welcome to day two of the finals for Fresh Meat!" TJ exclaims but everyone is still half asleep or irritable from sleeping on a deck, so their clapping this morning is a little lackluster. "Today, you and your partner will run around this island to each checkpoint, wheeling a cart behind you. Once a task is complete, you will collect your puzzle piece and move onto the next checkpoint. You will only be given thirty minutes at each station, if you do not complete the task within thirty minutes, you will max out, add thirty minutes onto your total time for the day and then proceed. Don't come in last today," he sternly scolds.

The cameras pause for a moment, TJ wandering off for water while different camera crews pull their teams aside for interviews. Each team has their own cameraman and producer that has to stay with them all day to film and holy crap, Emma never once considered the people having to run and keep up with the contestants while filming the entire time.

Elsa nods, smiling proudly at the team she has been watching grow and busting their asses all season.

"Well, day two, love, I'm feeling confident-"

"Yeah but I feel a little fuzzy from yesterday," she replies, clenching the straps to her backpack awfully tight.

"That's alright, as long as we keep moving, I think we will do great today. I have a feeling a lot of the checkpoints will be puzzles or strategy games, so we need to run hard and fast in between to keep up with Mary Margaret and David."

"I agree but I have a feeling Regina and Naveen are in the lead right now."

"I think so too but we are doing great and our communication has been stellar so far, right?"

"Absolutely!"

Elsa taps Kristoff on the shoulder and beams brightly at the duo. "Good luck today, you two!"

"Hey, thanks! You running with us today?"

"I've been producer for thirteen years. Kristoff and I train on the off seasons, we could probably outrun all the competitors here," she smugly states, winning herself a genuine laugh from Emma.

She likes Elsa, really enjoys the woman and she will definitely miss her. By some miracle, if the show asks for Emma to come back next season, she hopes Elsa will be assigned to her room again.

TJ magically appears on an ATV, standing as he tears through the sand near the Shelter. Everyone begins lining up just as the sun starts to really heat up against her back. She grips the straps to her water backpack one last time and steals one last glimpse of Regina because she knows she won't see her until they are back there at the Shelter.

And dammit, she looks so damn sexy and cute all at the same time from the two adorable braids her long hair is twisted in right now. She looks slightly paler than she usually does because of the exhaustion and lack of food but she's still breathtaking.

A horn blaring distracts her from her wild thoughts, provoking her feet to dart forward through the thick sand to chase after Killian. TJ is surprisingly leading the way through the trees and debris on the ground and god she hopes they don't accidentally come across any of their bathroom breaks.

She stays focused, somewhat paying attention to TJ and Killian but mostly watching her feet so she doesn't trip on a log or a stick and twist an ankle.

And she runs.

Then she runs some more.

She keeps on trekking.

So much running.

TJ eventually disappears and she can only assume they have been running for three or four miles by now. She can see Regina and Naveen ahead of them and when she checks over her shoulder, it's only Mary Margaret and David hot on her heels. Damn, where's Sabine and Merlin?

She observes as Regina and Naveen veer to the left, and that's when Killian is pointing to a sign ahead. As they turn a corner, she finally sees the massive Challenge sign that has instructions for the first checkpoint.

Killian is out of breath but he reads the directions out loud.

"You and your partner must swim through the river to collect your puzzle piece. Both players must touch the buoy before swimming back. Place your piece onto the cart that coordinates with your team color and wheel both to your next checkpoint."

Emma glances around the area to discover four carts that almost look like wheel barrows with their team colors painted on the handlebars.

"Let's move!" Killian yells, motivating her feet to leap into action.

She follows him down a path to an old rickety dock that has clearly been abandoned for years. She spots Regina and Naveen's water packs hanging off the edge, so she removes hers as well and places it beside theirs. Production hands them their trusty helmets, so the cameras on top can film them in the water. She's about to remove her shoes as well but Killian scolds her.

"We don't have time, Regina and Naveen are already halfway down the river!"

"Okay, okay," she exasperates, slowly submerging herself into the disgustingly green water. "This isn't a river. It's a swamp," she grimaces, shivering from the thick water coating her body.

"I need you to swim hard and fast, put those lessons to good use!"

"Dude, I'm coming! Why are you so cranky today?" She questions as she sinks into the water and begins swimming as fast as her body will allow.

"I'm not cranky. It's one million dollars, Swan and Regina and Naveen are definitely beating us right now and maybe even Mary Margaret and David, who knows? We need to hustle and make up time!"

"And that's fine but I promise you, yelling at me isn't going to motivate me, especially when I am trying my hardest already. I'm not slacking here!"

"I appreciate that but this is a final, your best is never good enough, trust me. Nobody's hardest ever wins, we have to push ourselves harder and faster, past our limits."

"What happened to us having great communication?" She bitterly snaps.

"I'm not trying to be mean here, I'm trying to get us to first place."

"Okay, no more talking for the rest of this swim," she growls and he actually obeys the demand.

Even when Regina and Naveen pass by with a concrete block, Emma politely says hi and praises them. Regina and Naveen volleying the compliments back but Killian remains focused. Eventually, they make it to the buoy with their puzzle piece which is just a concrete cement block with a hole down the center. Killian unclips it and pushes the heavy block through the swamp.

She doesn't offer to help because she's tired of his snippy attitude and maybe it's a little childish but if he wants her to work harder then he needs to be his usual supportive self. On their swim back, they see Mary Margaret and David, along with Sabine and Merlin.

When they climb out of the water, she can't wrap her head around the fact that Killian can lift this solid brick of concrete, soaked in water. Yet, he does it with ease and carries it by himself to the cart. She drops her helmet and gathers their backpacks and sighing in disappointment when she realizes Regina and Naveen are long gone.

Killian wiggles the block onto a pole sticking out of the cart and drops it. Her eyes sweep between the two handles and she knows it's going to be a struggle for him.

"I'll wheel it," she announces, standing in front of the cart and lifting the handles to tip back the cart onto its wheels.

"Thanks," he sheepishly murmurs. "Uh, I'm sorry I've been on edge this morning-"

"Thank you for apologizing, now let's move forward and work together."

He nods eagerly and takes her backpack for her and together they run down the path to their next location.

~~~~

Maybe two miles later, she's not entirely sure but she thinks they have been lightly jogging for that long, they see the next checkpoint in the distance. She pulls the cart up next to Regina and Naveen's and they make a mad dash to the instruction sign.

"You and your partner will have to scale the side of this mountain by using only the tightrope and the ropes dangling from above. If you fall, you and your partner must start from the beginning all over again," Killian reads before Elsa hands over their helmets and production begins strapping them to all kinds of cords to ensure their safety if they fall.

"Fucker!"

Emma bites down on both of her lips as Killian snickers from Regina's scream that echoes through the jungle. She peeks around a tree to witness Regina and Naveen dangling midair and she knows they have to start all over again.

"Is our time stopped right now while we wait?" She curiously asks.

"Yeah, they will start our time for this checkpoint when we step onto that tightrope," her partner assures her but still, her eyes flick to Elsa for confirmation.

Thankfully, she nods behind Kristoff and then motions for them to begin.

"If we can get this in one go, we could potentially make up some time to catch up to Regina and Naveen," Emma whispers into his ear as they stare at the very long diagonal rope they will have to scale.

"I know," he concedes, taking one final deep breath. "Just remember to keep breathing, this is all about balance, okay?"

"We can do this," she states with conviction, inspiring him to reach for the first vine dangling from above.

Slowly, carefully, meticulously, Killian slides his feet across the tightrope with his good hand clinging to the rope above. Emma follows his lead, reaching for the rope right behind his.

"I can't hold on with two hands," he sadly says, realizing that he needs two vines above his head to keep him upright.

"Okay, umm, I'll sneak by you and lead, you can hang onto my waist."

"I don't think you will be able to stay balanced with me hanging off you."

"We have to try," she demands, scooting by him to snag the next vine.

"Ugh!" She hears Regina groaning from below. "We won't be able to do this one, you're just too big for that rope."

"Should we just take a time penalty?" Naveen questions.

It's quiet for a few seconds but Emma refuses to glance down and break her concentration. She focuses on her core strength and reaches carefully for the next vine. Once she has a firm grip, she slowly shuffles her feet and reaches for the vine she left behind.

"Okay, I have a steady grip," she assures, "shuffle closer," she orders and even though his body movement rattles her, she breathes slowly and clenches her body into position, so she doesn't rock.

"Let's go," Regina sighs in defeat, relenting and taking a thirty minute time penalty.

Emma understands though because if Regina tried again and fell, they would have exerted more energy and still tacked on thirty minutes to their time. She's already sweating profusely, all sticky and grimy and it's taking every last drop of energy to keep her standing upright with a lump of one-hundred and seventy-five pounds attached to her side.

Now, she doesn't care how slow she moves on this tightrope because as long as they finish, they will still have beat Regina and Naveen at this checkpoint. So, here is to hoping she doesn't fall.

When they are three quarters of the way up and the rope is painfully angled beneath her feet, it's becoming increasingly harder to reach for the vines above her head. She stretches, her fingertips just barely grazing the rope above.

"I'm gonna fall," she whines.

"Come on!" Merlin screams from down below. "Other people are trying to take their turn."

"Shut up!" She and Killian seethe in unison.

"You're doing great!" Mary Margaret shouts so sweetly.

"Swan, we need to keep moving, my calves are on fire."

"I know but I can't reach it."

"Yes, you can-"

"No, seriously, I really-"

"Hey, listen to me. Look at the rope above and only the rope," he calmly instructs and because his voice is so soothing, she is able to breathe out all her fears and listen. "Now, focus on just the rope. Don't think about anything else, it's just you and that rope."

She clenches her abdominal muscles and reaches one last time, her fingers brushing against the bottom of the vine. She is so close, yet so far and there is only one option, take the risk and lunge forward. She could potentially fall but maybe, just maybe she could grab hold and regain her balance.

She never takes her eyes off the prize as she surges forward, her body swaying uncontrollably from left to right. By some miracle, she is able to curl her fingers around the rope.

"Shit, shit," Killian grits out through clenched teeth as he rocks on the tiny rope below his feet.

"Hold on, hold on!" She firmly demands, tightening every muscle in her body to steady her balance. "You, okay?" She gasps, never glancing down or back because she doesn't want to throw herself off again.

"Good, good. We just need to get to the net to climb down." She clenches her jaw painfully tight and reaches for the rope draped down the side of the mountain. "That's it!"

"What about you?" She worriedly asks because there is no way he will be able to hold onto the rope above while reaching for the net.

"I'll be fine, just go!"

She trusts him. He has carried her this far into the game and has never let her down once, she puts all her faith in him and leaps for the net. When she is safe on the ladder, she glances back to see him taking a huge risk by just jumping off the tightrope in hopes he can catch the net. He somehow manages to land right beside her.

"Holy shit," she gasps.

"Come on, we have to catch up to Regina and Naveen!"