As the sun shone through the slightly opened curtains that covered the window, Emma Swan began to stir and flipped onto her other side. Once she saw the woman lying next to her, still sound asleep, her dark hair falling somewhat in front of her beautiful face, she couldn't help but smile. The sight had become much more common lately as they began to take more risks with their relationship, but it still made her happy. She lifted a hand up from under the covers and poked the other woman's nose, causing her to make a face and slowly open her eyes. "Good morning, Madam Mayor." she said quietly, half jokingly due to the formality.

"Good morning." Regina yawned and rubbed one of her eyes, then was surprised with a good morning kiss. She caressed the sheriff's cheek and felt an arm wrap around her and pull her in closer. "No, now it's a good morning," she smiled. Emma kissed her again, pushing a little to move her onto her back, and climbed partially on top of her, their lips still together. Regina giggled and tried to speak, though she couldn't keep her lips away from Emma's for very long at a time. "Please, Miss Swan, not right now. We just woke up." Her lips were finally free, but she felt her lover's kisses moving down to her neck, forcing out more giggling, but a weaker giggle. "Miss Swan, please, stop." She felt the kisses start to move down her chest and the giggling ceased. "I said stop. It's way too early for that!"

Emma stopped kissing just long enough to look up at the queen and smirk, then returned to it immediately after she spoke. "Say the magic word."

As her lover began to tug on the neckline of her tank top, kissing farther and farther down, Regina was tempted to just let her continue, but ultimately decided against it. "Emma, please stop."

Hearing her name at last, the blonde got off of her and sat down next to her. "I don't know why you won't call me that more often. It's not like anyone else can hear us. Henry doesn't even know about us yet. As far as he or anyone else is aware we've just become really good friends."

"Just habit, I guess. I've always called you that." Regina sat up and threw her legs off the side of the bed, then reached her arms out for a big stretch and yawned. "If you keep staying overnight like this, we're going to have to come clean pretty soon. It's not exactly hard to figure out what's going on."

Emma sighed and her smile faded. "I know. I don't want to keep it a secret anyways. I just don't know how everyone will react to it. I'm the savior and you're the evil queen. My parents are Snow White and Prince Charming, and your mother makes everything you've done look like child's play. We may all be adults, but that's a front-page scandal there."

Regina turned to look at Emma and saw the worried look spread across her face. She smiled reassuringly. "I'm sure it'll take some adjustment, but it'll be fine. Eventually they'll realize that I actually am trying to be good," she gently set her hand on top of Emma's, "for both you and Henry."

Emma returned her smile, then got up and began undressing. Regina stood up to go out and get something for breakfast, but ended up eyeing Emma instead as she removed more and more of her clothing. She was beautiful, and every bit more of skin that showed only further proved it. Once she started getting dressed again, the distracted queen shook it off and finally walked out to the kitchen. Emma, once dressed, met her there and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek while she was cutting up an apple, making the corners of her lips raise into yet another smile. "See you later," she said with the same smile.

"Goodbye, darling." Regina watched her as she left, then returned to what she was doing, a horrible feeling suddenly developing as soon as she shut the door behind her. It felt like a twenty pound rock had just been dropped into her stomach. She didn't have a clue what it meant, but it couldn't be good.

Later that night, at roughly 5:30, Regina left to go meet Emma and Henry. They had planned to tell him about their relationship, to see how he reacted. To do so, they decided to make him dinner together and tell him there. Snow and Charming would be out on a date of their own, so it would just be them. He seemed overjoyed now that they were getting along and that she had been behaving herself, even risking her own life to save Emma and Snow, so they were hoping he'd be alright with it. His two mothers together. No more pointless squabbling over whose son he really was.

Shortly after she had left, long enough that she couldn't have seen it, a woman appeared on her doorstep. This woman, while the mother of its inhabitant, wouldn't exactly be welcome if she had known she was there. Cora waved her hand and the lock on the door opened, allowing her to easily open the door and slip inside, hidden well by the cover of night.

Once inside, she looked all around the house, observing every detail, every little trinket and decoration. She picked up this and that, studying everything, trying to learn as much about her daughter and the woman she had become as she could, or at least anything she hadn't yet picked up yet from quiet observation. After eventually wandering into Regina's bedroom, a specific picture caught her eye. It was a picture of her and another woman, that Emma Swan that she had met back in the Enchanted Forest. There had been other photos of them, but this one was different. They weren't just smiling and goofing off. Regina was smiling, yes, but Emma was kissing her cheek, and she had a look that she had only seen one other time. She had the same look and glow about her that she had when she thought she could be with that stable boy, a look of real happiness and, worst of all, love.

She has seen the two being friendly around town, and had admittedly become slightly suspicious, but she hadn't believed she would actually do that. Not only had she opened herself up for weakness and once again completely disregarded everything she had tried to teach her, but with the savior of all people? This was the woman who had broken her curse and crushed her chance at revenge and a happy ending! She was always such a foolish girl.

Just then, something clicked. This was exactly what she had come here for. This was her dear daughter's glaring weakness, begging to be exploited. This was how she would break her.