Author's Note: Okay, all. I have decided to continue this story. I will do my best to keep updates up quicker. (My inspiration will kick back up tenfold when the next season of a OUaT starts back up, usually dissatisfaction at each episode kicks me into writing to satisfy the ache. Ha.) I am also going to be looking for a new job soon, so hopefully that makes a difference. I make no promises!

Later in the Evening

Emma Swan found herself sitting at the dinner table with the rest of the household. She had been introduced to each of the women living there. The tall, long-haired brunette, Ruby, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Emma had a feeling they would get along just fine as roommates, though she might have to watch it; Ruby looked the type that would be convincing enough to get her into some trouble. There was another blonde in the house, Kathryn. She wore her hair pulled back and wrapped up in one of the kerchiefs the factory workers wore. It seemed she kept it on until she bathed properly. Then there was a rather cheery-looking brunette with short-hair. Her name was Mary Margaret. Ruby had called her MM.

Emma had also met the slightly withdrawn Henry. She had managed to draw the tiniest of smiles from him when she had produced a small puzzle game she played with when traveling. It had warmed her a little when his mother had protested and Emma insisted, "It was the least I could do to see the kid smile," she had told the woman. The warm smile she had received from Regina after that had made her body heat up tenfold.

Emma shivered, even as her stomach clenched in fear. She knew what these feelings were. She just hoped she could get past them this time.

"Are you cold, Miss Swan?" Came that dark, husky voice from the other end of the table. Emma snapped herself out of her thoughts. She met chocolate brown eyes. Regina's eyes.

"Oh, no, I think I just caught a chill for a moment. Im fine now." Emma lied. She averted her gaze toward her dinner bowl. It was empty. It had been a pretty decent meal for what had been laid out. Simple. Stew, bread, and just a little bit of butter. Rationing caused them to use very little of it, but it was still very good.

Emma leaned back in hear seat. She was pretty satisfied for the meal.

Conversation seemed to flow endlessly around this household. The other women chattered constantly. Gossiping about work.

"-hear about that foreign guy getting himself into trouble again?" Ruby's voice floated over the table.

"Oh you mean Killian?" Kathryn replied. She shook her head.

"What did that idiot do this time?"

"Oh, apparently he was bothering the matron again. Said something along the lines of 'filling her bed until her husband came home'. Well. You can imagine how she took that." Ruby told the blonde.

Regina set down her glass with a very audible clink! The entire table tried to look at her.

"Ruby, I'm not quite sure if that particular conversation is appropriate for the dinner table. Perhaps it couldn't have waited until after? In your room perhaps?" Regina glared at the slightly younger woman admonishingly. She also gave a slight nod toward the boy on her right, indicating his presence.

Ruby clapped her hands over her mouth. "Oh. I am so sorry, Regina. Sometimes I forget. I do apologize."

Regina simply nodded. "It is quite alright, just…." She shifted uncomfortably.

Emma watched the entire exchange with interest. Honestly, Henry would hear of such subjects from other sources, other boys, it was probably best if he got them from home, where he could ask questions. She wondered about the other woman. Did she really want to smother him so much?

Emma pushed back her seat and stood. She stretched, tomorrow would be an early day. She should really get to bed.

"Miss Swan?" Regina called from her end of the table.

Emma shot a glance at her before quickly, awkwardly pretending to dust herself for any crumbs.

"Yes-?" She wasn't sure how to address the other woman. Was she a miss? Misses? Even at her own dinner table she was being rather formal. At least toward Emma. She wondered what had garnered that particular behavior from her.

The brunette watched her with interest.

"Are you… Tired of us already?" Something in her voice caused Emma to look up suddenly. The air became taut. The tension palpable as the two women held gazes. Regina's breath caught and Emma could feel her heart beating harder in her chest.

A tug at Regina's right sleeve snapped her attention to Henry. He looked at her meaningfully. His bowl was empty.

"Well, Henry, go upstairs and wash up. Put your bowl in the sink. I'll be upstairs when it is time and we can read for a bit before bedtime." Regina told him softly.

The boy nodded and removed himself from the seat carefully. He grabbed his plate and moved off with the efficiency of someone who had been well-trained to do these things since birth and hurried up to the second floor.

Emma watched as it happened. She crossed her arms. There were some serious problems in this house. Regina returned her attention to her and looked at her with a raised brow. The other women at the table shifted uncomfortably.

"Is there something you want to speak about, Miss Swan?" Regina wondered. Emma caught on her tone, she probably shouldn't start anything with the woman. Not at the dinner table.

"Not right now. Maybe later." Emma replied. She reached forward, grabbing at her dishes and utensils. She stepped away from the table as the other women broke into whispering and chatter.

Emma placed everything she used in the sink and filled it up with water. She began to rinse and clean everything she used, plus all that Henry had been using to eat with. She knew Regina probably did all of the cleaning, but honestly, Emma liked to do her own cleaning when she could. She had a feeling the other women did plenty around the house as it was. Everything seemed so immaculate, though there were a few items that could use repairs from what Emma had seen. Maybe she could do something about that.

The door to the kitchen swinging open drew Emma out of her thoughts. Regina entered, something in her stance told Emma she was in for a bit of a tiff. Emma rolled her sleeves up, sliding her hands into the water. She was so not ready to deal with that.

The clicking of the brunettes heels came closer as she made her way toward the sink. She set her dishes next to the sink silently.

"It isn't quite necessary for you to do your own dishes, Miss Swan. I am quite fine with doing them." Regina told her from her left.

Emma rubbed at a dish with a rag. She scrubbed and glanced at the other woman.

"Not used to being helped out, are you?" Emma told her.

Regina watched her steadily.

"Whatever do you mean by that, Miss Swan?" Regina breathed out. Seeing the way the woman's muscles flexed along her arms, the way she held herself, in an act as simple as cleaning, it was creating a strange mix of sensations within herself. She was beginning to feel a flush creep up her chest.

Emma shrugged. "Only that it seems you are accustomed to others letting you handle everything on your own. That you also seem to like doing everything for everyone else. Maybe it makes you feel better. Less lonely. If you stay busy, you won't have to think about something that is bothering you."

Emma grabbed Regina's dishes and began cleaning them.

"It's Emma, by the way. In case if you forgot."

Regina was at a loss for words. How had this woman seen right through her? She stepped back. She needed a little bit of breathing room.

"What makes you think you even know me, Miss-?" She was cut off by a huff from the blonde.

"Emma." The blonde insisted.

Regina glared at her. "Emma."

The blonde finished with the dishes, drying them with a clean towel. She turned toward the brunette.

"I don't. It's just what I'm learning from what I see." Emma told her with a shrug.

Regina's mistake in that moment was meeting Emma's gaze.

She had seen that look before. In his eyes. Regina shuddered.

"Are you cold?" Emma asked, suddenly concerned.

Regina shook her head. "No, no I just… Had a feeling."

Emma raised her brows. Could she be feeling the same? Emma stepped away from the sink toward the other woman. Regina clenched her hands. She bit her lip. The room was beginning to feel very warm.

"What is it?" Emma asked her.

Regina shook her head. "I'm not sure I can say."

Emma moved closer. She was slow, careful. She didn't want to unnerve the other woman, but she had to know.

"You know, I feel like… I know we just met, but…. You can tell me anything, Regina." Emma told her quietly.

Regina nodded. She watched the other woman, like a wild animal who might scare easily. One wrong move, and she was ready to flee. Emma edged closer. She stopped just a step away from being right within her personal space.

Emma reached out. She tucked a hair behind a Regina's ear. The brunette's eyes fell shut, she drew in a shuddering breath as she leaned into the intimate touch.

The kitchen door swung upon, causing the two women to spin apart. Emma turned toward the dishes she had been cleaning, and hurriedly began moving to put them away.

Ruby and the other women entered the kitchen. They placed dishes in the sink. The tall brunette walked over to Emma, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"My roomie, huh?" She smiled wide at Emma.

Emma nodded.

"We're gonna have so much fun! I'm going to go clean up, then sleep. Umm…" Ruby seemed to get suddenly shy. "I tend to be very clumsy in the mornings, so if I bump into a lot of stuff in the morning, don't worry about it."

Emma laughed. "Okay."

With that, the lanky woman bounced away and out of the kitchen, the other women having already left without her. Regina watched the kitchen door steadily.

"Miss- Emma, breakfast is served at 6 a.m. I trust you can wake yourself up. I must now attend to my son. If you don't mind, I will also get to those dishes after…" Regina told her, her manner had changed so quickly after being interrupted.

Emma bit her lip. It seemed the other woman's walls were back up.

Regina made her way toward the door, as she passed Emma, she found her wrist being caught in the other woman's hand. Regina turned to look at Emma, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Emma?" She questioned, before realizing her mistake. They were so close now. She could see the swirling blue and green hues in Emma's eyes. Catch the perfume of the woman's scent rising from her skin. She felt her stomach flutter. Her body warming and her heart beating quickly.

Emma stepped in closer to Regina and brought her hand up to cup the woman's cheek. She knew this could be so much trouble for her, for them both. If only they kept it between them both, it could be okay.

For a moment, brown eyes held green, then the slightly shorter brunette reached up into blonde curls and tugged Emma in.

"Just kiss me already." Regina growled, before crashing her plump, dark lips into Emma's pink ones.

Emma felt as though her head was on fire. Tingling shot from her lips to the rest of her body. She felt her heart hammering, her skin burning. She knew then she was definitely doomed to this woman.

Regina's knees buckled. She held onto Emma for dear life. She knew she had barely met this woman, but something about the way she was, about how she had seen right through her just called to her.

They pulled apart after several long moments. Emma rested her forehead against Regina's.

"What does this mean?" Regina whispered.

Emma shook her head. "I'm not sure. Let's just take it one step at a time, okay?"

Regina nodded against her. She brushed her nose against Emma's, then pressed her lips against hers again, lightly.

"I'm going to take care of Henry. We'll talk tomorrow." Regina told her softly.

"Okay," Emma found herself answering. She touched her lips as Regina stepped back and walked away, an extra sway to her hips.

Yep. I'm doomed. Emma thought.