A/N: I dedicate this little story to my dear friend Jenn. She will know why soon enough. Obviously I own nothing but the story. Leave me a comment and follow me on tumblr MadameMayorRM. :)

"Hey, Kid. Whatcha doing?" Emma flopped down next to her son on the couch in the loft she shared with her parents.

"Not much. Just playing a game." Henry tapped away on his laptop computer.

"Sims? Do people still play that? I didn't realize it was still popular." Emma looked over her son's shoulder as he moved people through life in his computerized world.

"Well, I don't know if it's popular, but yeah… apparently some people still play." Henry gazed at his mother with a raised eyebrow. Despite his effort to look affronted, Emma could see the teasing in his eyes.

Emma laughed at his expression. It was his very best version of Regina. "Oh, really? Some people do? Well, I just hope some people finished their homework before they started on the Sims. What would your mother think if she knew I was letting you goof off?"

Emma loved the time she spent with Henry like this. It was her week with him and she wanted to spend as much time with him as she could, even playing games. But she also knew Regina would follow up with him to see if he was studying.

Emma lightly poked Henry in the side causing him to snort with laughter and jerk away. She reached out and poked again just to prolong the laughter from Henry. The kid had seen so much in his short life, anything that made him laugh was pursued with abandon by both his mothers. Soon, she was all out tickling his side.

"Ok! Ok! Mercy! I'll do my homework!" Henry tried in vain to escape his mother's attack but trying to balance his computer made it difficult to flee.

"Good. You get busy and then you can Sim all you want." Emma grinned at her son and ruffled his hair as she stood. "All you want, that is, until 6:30. Your mom took pity on us and invited us to dinner tonight."

Snow and David had left that morning for a four-day weekend camping trip… alone. They'd convinced Ruby to watch Neal and headed out after breakfast. That meant Emma was in charge of meals or perhaps better stated, Granny was since Emma wasn't much of a cook.

"Ok. I'm on it. And you know, Mom wouldn't be mad about the Sims. She plays too. At least, I think she does." Henry pulled several heavy books from his satchel and started flipping through to his current assignment, pencil between his teeth like a horses bit. "She neber leds me shee."

"What!?" Emma questioned not what he had said that was indecipherable, but the fact that Regina played a computer game.

Henry pulled the pencil from his mouth. "I said, she never lets me see. But I have noticed the sounds. You know, the sound effects are the same whether I can see the screen or not. When I tried to look at what her town looks like she locked the screen and denied she was playing. But she totally is."

Emma shook her head a little. Was it possible Regina was more fun than Emma gave her credit for? Over the years her opinion of Regina had of course changed and evolved. She had gone from being a hard-nosed bitch to a tentative frenemy to an ally. Now she really considered them to be friends… best friends if she was honest with herself. But she still thought of Regina as more or less the serious one, the strict parent, the disciplinarian. Emma was the fun one, the cool mom, the ice cream for breakfast type.

"Huh. So she plays Sims. That's either the coolest or weirdest thing I've ever heard." Emma wrinkled her nose at the thought.

"Yeah. I guess it is weird in a way. I mean, she already created this town and made names and jobs and lives for all the actual people here. So, it's sorta meta for her to do it on a computer game. I think it is cool though. I mean, assuming she is actually playing… but she won't say." Henry flipped open his notebook with a nod and started writing.

"Oh well, who knows with her, right?" Emma tried to shrug off the idea, but it made the strangest sensation in her stomach. She hadn't thought about Regina being into having fun. The blonde realized that was insane to think. Everyone liked to have fun. But, their lives in Storybrooke didn't seem to leave much room for that between fighting monsters, saving lives and finding kidnap victims week after week. Emma had latently thought maybe Regina's idea of fun was destroying people's happiness and all that. But computer games? That sounded like someone else altogether. I wonder what else I'm overlooking in Regina?

Trying desperately to sound casual, Emma spoke again to her son who was by now deeply invested in his homework. "Hey, Hen? Have you ever tried to sneak a peek at her computer to see if she really plays?"

"Yeah," Henry began, a blush of embarrassment crossing his face. "I tried once because at first I was mad she would lie about it. But she has a password on her computer and I couldn't figure it out. And then I got over being mad because, well, it wasn't really that big a deal and I've got stuff on my laptop that is private too, so…" Henry's voice trailed off as he realized what he was saying to his other mother. "Nothing bad though. You know, just personal stuff."

"Sure, kid. Whatever you say. Don't worry. I'm not gonna rat you out. Just remember to come to me or your mom with questions. The internet isn't the best choice." Emma winked as she turned and headed up to her room for a quick shower before heading to Regina's. She wasn't sure why she wanted to know about the game so badly, but try as she might, Emma couldn't stop wondering how to get into Regina's computer to see for herself.

~ (SQ) ~

"Listen Kid, this is gonna sound crazy but… I need you to distract your mom tonight for a while." Emma couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth, but there they were. She was asking her child to be her look-out while she invaded Regina's privacy. It wasn't her best moment.

"Um… ooookay. Can I ask why?" Henry eyed the blonde suspiciously. Another face he had gotten from Regina.

Emma let out a slow breath. "Ok, so… the thing is…" She was stumbling over her explanation because it sounded nuts in her mind. She couldn't imagine how it would sound out loud to the kid. "I keep thinking about your mom playing Sims and I want to see if it's true. I know, it's silly and stupid and insane but… I just can't go on living until I know."

Henry's eyebrows made a jump for his hairline and a knowing smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth. "Are you suggesting I keep Mom busy while you break into her computer?"

Embarrassed, Emma looked out the window of the bug, away from her son. "Yeah. I know, it's a bad idea. I shouldn't have—"

"I'm in!" Henry said with a wide smile. "It'll be like the old days. Operation: Simple Life. Get it? Simple life? Get it?" Henry laughed at his own joke.

Emma looked at Henry in disbelief. "Yeah, kid. I get it. But are you sure? Because you know if your mom catches us, she'll kill me… and then you—"

"And then you again. Yeah, I know. But we won't get caught. Plus, I'm still cute enough to get away with it." As if to prove his point, Henry gave her his most innocent puppy dog eyes.

"And people called your mom Evil."

~ (SQ) ~

"Regina, this was possibly the best pot roast I have ever eaten in my life." Emma rubbed her stomach for emphasis.

"Possibly the best?" Regina arched an eyebrow impossibly high at Emma. "And just who has ever given you better?"

"Well, I don't remember every pot roast I've ever eaten, so I can't say for sure whether yours is the best I've had or not. So… possibly the best." Emma liked to tease Regina at these frequent dinners in the mansion.

"Oh Ms. Swan, I assure you, if you'd ever had better, it would be something you'd remember. And I feel confident when you have a taste of my pie, it will be memorable." The way Regina looked at Emma as she spoke suddenly made Emma wonder if she was talking about dessert or not. Since discovering the possibility of Regina playing games for fun, Emma had started reevaluating many of the things she felt sure about when it came to her gal pal. A few hours had really messed with Emma's brain.

Emma realized belatedly that she and Regina had been locked in one of their patented staring contests since Regina had left off speaking. Why do we stare like that all the time?

Henry cleared his throat awkwardly. He'd long ago decided his mothers were clueless about the tension in the room whenever they were together. But he wasn't ready to wade into that end of the pool so he tried to keep the life preservers handy until they both got a clue.

"Mom? I was hoping you could help me with this project I'm working on while we're here. Maybe, before the pie?" Henry smiled at his brunette mother and Emma knew Operation: Simple Life was a go.

"Oh, Henry! Of course I can help. What sort of project is it?" The smile on Regina's face put the sun to shame.

She's so beautiful when she smiles like that.

Wait… What?!

Emma shook away the thought. She had to focus.

"It's about government & economics. I mean, Emma can help with some stuff, but I figured since you are the mayor and a queen, you would know best for this one." Henry ducked his head and looked at his mother from under soot black lashes.

Damn kid, you're good.

"Alright. We can do that. Pie can wait. But first, let me clear these dishes away and start the dishwasher." Regina stood and started stacking dishes.

"Hey, no. I'll do this. You go help the kid." Emma reached out and took the plates from Regina, their hands brushing lightly. Why have I never noticed how soft her hands are?

"Well, well. That is a pleasant surprise, Emma. You shall have the biggest slice of pie tonight, dear." Brown eyes met green and stayed another long moment before Henry coughed again. "Come along Henry, let's have a look at your work so far."

And with that, they disappeared up the stairs. Emma made quick work clearing the table, rinsing the dishes and starting the dishwasher. She eyed the pots and pans and decided to feign ignorance and leave those for later. Regina would totally buy that she didn't know to do them too.

~ (SQ) ~

HenrysMom123.

Password Incorrect.

EvilQueen1234

Password Incorrect.

IHateSnowWhite1

Password Incorrect.

"Dammit," Emma whispered. This was taking too long. If only she had brought along her bag of tricks from her days as a bail bondsperson. But she hadn't planned that far ahead.

Emma had tried a variety of passwords in a million combinations… at least it seemed like a million. But so far, nothing worked. Not even Password1234 which was Emma's own password and according to the internet, millions of other people.

On a whim, running out of ideas, Emma tried again.

EmmaAndHenry1.

Emma's eyes went wide as suddenly the computer came to life. What the hell?

Deciding to ignore that her name was part of Regina's password, Emma plowed ahead with Operation: Simple Life and began looking for the Sims game.

"Bingo." Emma clicked on the icon and the game began to load. She reached up just in time to turn the sound off. Cocking her head to the side, Emma listened for any sign that Regina and Henry might be on their way down. The only sound she heard was the hum of the computer and the distant sound of the dishwasher in the kitchen.

As Regina's Sim city appeared, Emma scanned the screen with interest. There wasn't anything about the scene before her that would make it off limits to Henry's prying eyes. Emma clicked on a house and suddenly her mouth went dry. "Holy shit…"

"Ms. Swan! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Regina was storming across the room with an apologetic Henry in tow.

"Regina! I… uh, I was… I…." Emma couldn't think of anything to say.

"You were what, Emma? Invading my privacy? Using our son as a decoy?" Regina cut her eyes to their son and Henry threw up his hands in innocent defense. "Henry, go to your room. We will deal with you later."

"Aww man!" Henry ran out the door, regretting immediately his decision to help his other mother snoop.

As the door to the study closed, Emma tried to speak, "Regina, I'm sorry. I—"

Regina held up a hand to silence Emma and listened to Henry's steps fading up the stairs and his bedroom door slammed shut.

"Now, would you like to tell me exactly what you think you are doing on my personal computer?" Regina folded her arms across her chest and looked dangerously like she had during Emma's first year in Storybrooke. She's hot when she's mad.

Emma shook her head. Now is not the time, Swan.

"Well, do you have something to say? I think you owe me an explanation… Miss Swan." Regina growled out her words. She was really pissed.

Emma's eye fell to the computer screen in front of her and suddenly she knew what to say.

"Perhaps you'd care to explain Madame Mayor why you have us as a married couple with kids on your little computer game?" Emma stood up now and leaned on her hands on Regina's desk.

Emma couldn't help but gloat at the small victory as the color drained from Regina's face.

"Well, I… that is to say I was…" Regina stammered before finding her footing once more. "No. It's none of your damn business what I do on my computer. Don't try to turn this around on me, Emma." Regina stepped closer to the desk and mimicked Emma's stance. Suddenly mere inches separated their faces.

"Oh, I think it is my business when you have us playing house, Regina. What the hell is this?" Emma couldn't afford to lose her position of power right now but more importantly, she wanted to know what was going on.

"I said, it's none of your business. And we aren't playing house. But you'd probably like that, wouldn't you, Em-ma?" Regina leaned further in, trying hard to regain her dominant position. She couldn't let Emma turn the focus from the invasion of privacy. She couldn't allow that discussion. And yet, she felt herself baiting Emma. Her blood was thrumming through her veins in a way it hadn't in years.

Emma felt the syllables of her name fall from Regina's lips as much as she heard them. She realized that her heart was racing in her chest and her pulse was pounding in her head… and points further south. She loved the friendship and co-parenting relationship she and Regina had, but now she knew she had missed the challenge the brunette had been all those years ago when they'd first met. How long had it been since they'd been inches apart like this, breathing the same air, occupying the same space?

"Maybe I would…" Emma breathed out, not backing down from Regina. There was silence for what seemed an eternity as the two women stared deep into each other's eyes. Fire, anger, fear and something else danced there. Something like desire.

Emma was the first to break the contact as her gaze fell to Regina's plump red lips and back up to stormy brown eyes. Before Emma could react, Regina lunged forward and caught Emma's lips in a bruising kiss. It took only a moment for the blonde to decide this was a good thing and return the kiss with passion.

Soon, the awkward stance with the desk between them became uncomfortable and the kiss ended. Both women stood up straight and stared at each other with equal parts surprise and hunger for another round. Emma moved first striding quickly around to Regina and pulling her body flush against her. When Regina's tongue slid across Emma's lips, both women moaned into the deepened kiss.

As if led by an unseen force, the women backed toward the couch, tumbling down together when Regina's legs met the soft surface. Emma pulled away from the kiss to brace herself above Regina and to seek some sort of consent in desire darkened eye.

"You realize this doesn't get you off scot-free for breaking into my computer dear?" Regina husked as her hands found their way to Emma's bare skin under her shirt.

"Oh?" Emma whispered against Regina's neck, her tongue eliciting a quiet moan from the brunette as it lapped against the tender spot beneath her ear. Emma sat back on her haunches abruptly, straddling Regina with a smirk. "Well, then I guess we're done here."

Regina grabbed two fistfuls of Emma's shirt and brushed her thumbs lightly across Emma's breasts. She was rewarded with hardening nipples and a groan from the blonde above her. "I think we both know we are far from done here. And I said scot-free, dear. I assure you, you'll be getting off tonight… Emma."

Regina pulled Emma flush against her once more into another heated kiss. They kissed like teenagers finding their first love, wild and passionate, quiet to avoid detection and smiling at each other every time they parted until Emma pulled away again.

"Is this just about release for you? Is it a game?" Emma nodded toward the computer. Regina could see hesitation in Emma's eyes.

"No, of course not. I like to play games, but this isn't a game. I want you." Regina tried to express as much of her secret longing as she could with her eyes. "You're not a game, Emma."

That question answered, Emma lowered herself and captured Regina's lips once more, rolling her hips into the brunette below her. It was time for dessert.

~ (SQ) ~

Henry turned up his IPod as he carried his slice of pie back to his room. He was happy for his mothers and their discovery of the obvious-but he didn't need to hear it. He smiled as he closed his bedroom door and pulled up his Sims game on his laptop.

I guess this is as close to the simple life as I'm gonna get, he thought. And that was ok with him.