In the same universe as 'Better Option,' 'Wickedly Evil Fire Starter,' and 'Rumors and Mutual Self Destruction."

Characters aren't mine. They belong to ABC, Disney, and other assorted entities of importance. I gain nothing from writing these stories but the fun of doing it. Please don't sue me.

"You do realize its 11:30 on a Wednesday night, do you not?" Regina stepped into the frame of her front door, arms crossed over her silken night robe and scowl firmly in place.

Emma shifted uncomfortably, wincing a little in apology. "Yeah, I know. I didn't wake the kid, did I?"

The brunette snorted as if the very question was absurd. "No. Fortunately for you, he could sleep through a tornado."

"Good," the younger woman mumbled. "Good," she repeated again as if she were attempting to work up to saying more.

"Miss Swan," Regina snapped, "either tell me what's going on that was so important you couldn't call me or send me a text or go home and back to bed. It's practically the middle of the night, and it's freezing out here."

"Yeah, about that." The sheriff sighed heavily, slouching a touch as she stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jacket. "I can't."

"Can't what?"

"Go home."

Regina blinked for a few seconds, forcing her sleep addled mind to process what she wasn't being directly told. "Why not? Did you forget your key? I'm sure I could get Henry's…"

"No, Regina, I can't go home because…" Emma huffed, clearly frustrated at her lack of ability to articulate what was happening. "A thief who was the son of the Dark One they were more than happy for me to be with, a pirate who, for most of his life, practically sold his soul to Peter Pan they were good with me possibly dating, but the other mother of my child?" She shook her head in the negative. "Nope, they're not good with that. I mean, they're trying because they're them, but you know how they are, Regina. One moment they're happy that I'm happy and the next moment they're trying to tell me all about that time you snapped the neck of one of their favorite knights."

"It was justified," the brunette retorted without much thought. "He raped one of my handmaidens."

The blonde narrowed her eyes at this new bit of information. "Yeah, they neglected to mention that part."

"I doubt they had the chance to know. Once he was caught, I snapped his neck myself. That leaves very little time for him to run back to tell his side of things." Regina sighed heavily, stepping out of the doorway. "Come inside, Emma."

The sheriff stepped inside, clearly grateful to be out of the cold. "I would have slept in the bug, but it's too cold. I guess I could have slept at the station." She frowned deeply. "I'm sorry I woke you up."

"Never be sorry for coming ho… here to ask me for help." A slight blush raced across Regina's face at her almost slipup, and she covered it by not stopping to allow time for the other woman to comment. "Did you at least bring a change of clothes?"

"Oh yeah, I have a duffle bag in the car. I didn't want to be presumptions, you know?" Glancing at the closed door behind her, she made a face. "I should probably go get it."

"You should have brought it with you when you walked up to my door." Regina moved around the sheriff, reaching into a bowl filled with odds and ends that sat on a table nearby. "Here," she said with a raise of her eyebrow. "Lock the door when you came back in."

Emma looked down with confusion at the key being held out to her. "What's that?"

"A key," Regina replied flatly.

"Yeah, I can see that. What I mean is a key to what?" Cautiously, the blonde took it.

"To my front door so that the next time this happens you don't have to wake me up in order to come inside from the cold," the older woman replied nonchalantly. "I'm going back to bed. Try not to stick your cold feet over on my side when you decide to finally join me."

"Wait a minute." Emma protested in a week voice as Regina retreated back to the stairs, as regal and calm as if nothing immense had just occurred. "Wait a minute," the blonde repeated again as she lunged, just barely catching the other woman's hand to swing her back around. "Regina, you can't just do something like this and act like it's nothing."

"Going back to bed is nothing," the brunette replied calmly. "Keeping me out of my warm bed, however, is something. It's something you're going to regret if you continue to insist on keeping me from it."

"God, Regina, you're the most anticlimactic person I know when it comes to important life choices, but, give you the chance to ham it up over something like someone taking your favorite spot at the diner, and you're all over it like white on rice." Emma rolled her eyes, smirking at her own joke.

Before the other woman could protest, she held the key up for them both to see. "You just gave me the key to your house. That's a big deal in this land. You do realize that, don't you?"

Regina looked from the key to Emma and back to the key, letting the thought fully process. A small frown pulled at one corner of her mouth and her brows knit together for a moment. "It's only been a month, Emma. I'm not asking you to move in with me," she let her eyes find the other woman's allowing an unspoken 'yet' to finish the thought. She cleared her throat. "Besides, you're the sheriff of this town and the other mother of my son. If ever there was someone I could trust to have a key to my home, it would be you."

The blonde gave a mischievous look. "So you're saying you're giving me this key for practical reasons and not because you want me over here all the time?"

"No." Regina stepped back, placing a hand on her hip. "I'm giving you the key to my home because I know how much it will aggravate Mary Margaret to know you can come and go as you please here, thus giving her even less leverage in which to force you to start dating that filthy pirate."

"I should have known this tied into getting at Mary Margaret somehow." Emma gave an overly dramatic sigh as she started to put the key on her key ring. "Tell me something, Regina, are you even dating me because you like me, or is it because you know how much it upsets Mary Margaret?"

"Can't it be both?" Regina shot the other woman a devious smile. "Who says I can't have my cake and eat it, too?"

"You can't." Emma jingled her keys, checking to make sure the newest addition was soundly attached. "You can't keep a thing you've already eaten."

"Oh, I don't know about that," the brunette purred, leaning into the sheriff's personal space. "I kept you."

The blonde froze in mid-motion, cheeks burning from the sudden, profoundly deep blush that erupted on her face. "I stand corrected."

With a smug look, Regina leaned back, eyes dancing with humor and unspoken naughty thoughts. "I'm going to bed, Emma. Are you coming or not?"

"I, well…" The younger woman narrowed her eyes. "I don't know. Am I?"

"Not if you keep wasting time." Regina turned to start her ascent up the staircase. "I absolutely have to get at least a few hours' sleep, so I suggest you choose wisely. Are you going to stand there and gawk for a few more minutes, or got fetch your overnight bag and come to bed so I can thoroughly demonstrate how right about am about what I can eat and then keep later?"

Emma gave her head a shake, letting the shiver that ran up her spine snap her from her daze. Without another word, she quickly turned on her heels and rushed to the front door, much to Regina's amusement.

Thank you for reading. As always, reviews are appreciated.