Regina Mills stood by the central mast on the Jolly Roger, trying to stop her hands from shaking in the cold, dark night. She shivered, not from the cold, but from her last desperate reach of magic to get back her son. She looked up in the dim light of the deck lanterns as Hook pulled Henry over the railings and flopped him on the deck in a pool of sea water.

Emma Swan followed, equally as wet, and coughing sea water. "You did it," she said between coughs.

"Mostly," grumbled Snow White, glaring at Regina for the near miss that pulled Emma and Henry back from Peter Pan but tumbled them into the ocean beside the ship.

Regina stood up, trying for a semblance of dignity in her exhausted state. "And if I left it up to you and your lame schemes, they would both still be stewing in a cave."

Henry stood up and raced to Regina, throwing his wet arms around her waist. "I knew you'd do it!"

She shut her eyes and rested her head on his, not nearly as far down as it used to be. She was thoroughly unprepared for the next set of arms wrapped around her when Emma pulled her into another sopping wet hug.

"I knew you'd do it, too."

Regina couldn't hide her shock, or her shivers when her now cold, wet clothes added to her already overstretched state. Emma pulled back with a frown. "You're shaking."

"Contrary to your mother's belief," said Regina between rattling teeth, "I did try to get you all the way back to the ship. That took rather more out of me than I anticipated."

"Hook," Emma shouted. "How about some blankets before we all freeze to death."

"Or hot water for a bath," added Snow.

Hook ignored her and went belowdecks, coming back with thick woolen blankets. "Unfortunately, a wardrobe change wasn't prepared before we left Storybrooke. But if you strip, I'll be sure to get your clothes rinsed of the salt water and dried by the fire." His bushy eyebrows bounced suggestively.

"We'll take the blankets." Emma grabbed them, giving the first to Henry and the second to Regina. She wrapped herself in the third. "And that warm cozy fire you have in the captain's cabin." She put a gentle hand to Regina's back, herding them all into Hook's cabin before he had a chance to complain.

Regina was too tired to think. She followed where Emma led, just glad to have her son back and not be excluded from his life, at least for the moment. Emma let out a sneeze as she stoked the fire and added more fuel.

"Do you need medical attention, Miss Swan?" she said, wrapping her blanket tighter. "I'm sure between Hook and Mr. Gold, they can find some cure if you are coming down with a cold."

Emma smiled up at her from the fire. "No, thanks. Don't take this the wrong way, but after being pulled across miles of ocean in a purple magic cloud, I think I've had my fill for the day."

Regina accepted that with a silent nod. They'd worked out the plans two days before, and she'd spent the last 48 hours barely resting as she waited for the magical tug from Emma to say she'd reached Henry and it was time for the grand magical rescue. She glanced around Hook's cabin. It had the now well-fed fire, and two padded chairs with faded covers one of which she'd collapsed in. The far side had a slab attached to the wall with a full bed covered in garish blankets. And the far corner was taken up by a hammock.

Emma sneezed again.

Regina sighed and stood up, holding out her hand. "Your clothes, Miss Swan." Emma's eyes widened but Regina ignored her. "Hook was correct, for all the wrong reasons, as usual. You and Henry both. Take off the wet clothes and I can arrange them by the fire to dry."

Mother and son looked at each other. Regina let out another prolonged sigh and turned to face away from them. "Keep the blankets, but the clothes come off. Now."

She heard rustling behind her and waited an appropriate time before turning back around. Emma's clothes were in a wet clump on the deck. Regina was proud to see that Henry had already placed his own along the edge of a table Hook must have used for private meals. Regina dropped her own blanket to arrange Emma's damp clothes out so that they had some hope of drying.

"Thanks," said Emma. "You know, your own clothes are looking kinda damp."

Regina straightened up. "They will dry." Her tone left no doubt that she would not be stripping in front of Emma.

"Fine," Emma grumbled. "But you'll take them off before we go to bed."

"Excuse me?" said Regina, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks.

Emma nodded to the corner. "Only one real bed in here, and I'm not sleeping next to wet clothes. No matter how regal they make you feel."

"Miss Swan," Regina sputtered. "If you think I am sharing a bed with you..."

"You are sharing a bed with me," Emma said, cutting her off with a wave of her arm. "This is the only space big enough for the three of us. And before you say anything stupid, we are NOT separating. Not after what we've been through."

"We're a family," said Henry, lending his support to Emma's ambush. "I told that bitch my moms would come get me, both of them."

"Henry!" Regina and Emma exclaimed at once.

He grinned. "See? You even scold me together." He plopped himself, blanket and all, into the hammock. "Good night, Moms."

Regina stood in the middle of the room. What had just happened? She must be truly exhausted to have lost control of the situation so quickly, but she didn't let it show. "If you will excuse me," she said, heading for the door.

Emma stood up. "You aren't leaving, are you?" The look in her eyes was more than Regina could handle.

Regina had her hand on the door knob, but dropped it in exasperation. "I'm sure Hook has some spare garments here somewhere." She started with the cabinet by the door. It held multiple bottles of rum, most of which were empty. Her exploration led her around the cabin until she came to a chest at the foot of the bed. She pushed open the creaky lid. "Why did I bother hoping for better?"

"What did you find?" Emma shuffled over and peered into the chest. "Oh."

Regina shut her eyes. "Pirates."

"Come on, it's not that bad." Emma pulled out the first garish dress at the top of the chest and tossed it on the bed.

"If you think I'm wearing that, Miss Swan."

"You don't think bright red is the color for Queens this season?" Emma held up a hand. "Easy now. There's more here." She buried herself in the chest again. "Ahah!" She pulled out another garment with a flare. "Now this I have to see."

Regina stared at the flowing off-white dress in Emma's hand. It was a simple style, with none of the jewels she was used to. Then again, she hadn't worn anything but Storybrooke type suits in twenty-eight years. She took it from Emma and held it up to the dim lamp light. "This will do."

"Great." Emma leaned against the chest. Regina raised one dark eyebrow. "Oh, right." Emma turned her back. "All the privacy you could ask for."

"Find something for yourself, Miss Swan." She had no intention of sharing a mattress with a naked Emma. There were limits to what her exhausted mind would let slip, and that was one of them. She ignored Emma's grumbling and pulled off her own wet clothes. The dress slipped on with ease, though it was a little long in length and a little tight around the bosom to say it would be comfortable nightwear. Still, it was better than the damp clothes she had. She straightened her clothes out by the fire.

By the time she was done, Emma let out a little cough to catch her attention. She stood up and turned around. Emma stood in front of the closed chest, the fire highlighting her long blond hair. She wore a men's linen shirt that hung down to her knees. Regina's eyes wandered down and back up. The neckline exposed a significant portion of Emma's chest, enough to know she wore nothing else underneath.

"Wow," said Emma.

Regina pulled her thoughts back in line. "Sorry?"

Emma gave her a crooked smile and a weak wave of her hand. "I just, I've never seen you, you know, in anything other than the Madam Mayor outfits."

Regina stood up straighter. "This is hardly what I would call fashionable."

"Oh, trust me, it works for you." Emma turned around before Regina could question that statement. "Are you a leftie or a rightie?"

"Excuse me?"

Emma glanced at her over her shoulder. "Do you sleep on the left side or right?"

Regina didn't bother to state the obvious, that she almost always slept alone. She claimed the right hand side and tossed back the covers to silk sheets and the slight scent of roses. Hook knew what he was about when it came to seduction. Regina glanced up at Emma, who stood on the opposite side of the bed. Damned that Hook. She slipped into the bed as close to her edge as possible and pulled the covers up around her neck.

Emma blew out the lamp and got in beside her. The fire lit up the cabin enough to see most everything, including Emma if Regina turned to the side. She didn't. Silence settled on the cabin for a time.

"Regina," Emma whispered.

"Yes, Miss Swan." Regina felt more than saw Emma rolled toward her. She kept her own eyes glued to the ceiling panels.

"Thanks. For everything. The magic lessons on the way here, the grand rescue. Thanks for being you."

Regina turned to her. "You're welcome." She didn't add that no one had ever thanked her before. Some things even her tired state couldn't admit to openly.

"And it's Emma, by the way. I hope we can be on a first name basis by now." Emma shut her eyes with a smile on her face. "I mean you are sleeping with me."

Regina rolled away. "Good night, Miss Swan."

Emma slipped an arm over Regina's waist. "I knew you'd understand."

Regina let out a long sigh. But she didn't push Emma away. Not this night.