Hi, everyone! So I've decided to continue with this and make it a multi-chapter fic; however, if you are going to follow it, you should know that updates will not be regular. I'm a college student with a ridiculous workload, so I'll update when I can, but there will not be a schedule. Please leave reviews and tell me what you think!

A gentle clanging sound from the kitchen brought Regina to consciousness, but she didn't want to get up just yet. She wanted to stay here in this warmth a little longer before getting up to face the day. She snuggled further into her source of heat, not even bothering to open her eyes until something tickled her nose, and then she cracked one eye open to find an expanse of pale skin beneath her and long blonde hair in her face.

She sat up with a start and looked around, surprised to find herself in the Charmings' apartment before the events of the night before fully came back to her and she looked down at the woman beneath her, remembering how the blonde had taken such good care of her. Yet still, her heart ached for another.

She had thought, in those moments before becoming fully awake, that she was in her own bed curled up with the man she loved, hearing her son clang around downstairs. Regina had felt so content in that moment, but now, fully conscious and knowing that she'd never have that with Robin again, it was as if he had shot one of his arrows straight into her heart. Her heart, that she had quite literally given to him and trusted him to protect.

Another noise coming from the direction of the kitchen confirmed that at least one part of her little fairy tale had been true; Henry was indeed awake… and trying to cook? Well, that was a surprise.

She pulled the fluffy white robe that Emma had given her together and tied it in the front before carefully disentangling herself from the younger woman. Emma groaned and turned over onto her side, but didn't wake. Regina pulled the blankets back up over her to cover her nearly naked form so that their son wouldn't be scarred when he walked back by and made her way toward the gentle clinking of silverware coming from the kitchen.

"Good morning, Henry," she said softly, leaning against the counter and watching as her son tried to scramble what looked like an entire carton of eggs. "Feeding an army this morning?"

Henry turned and beamed at her before returning his attention to the pan.

"Hey, Mom. I thought maybe I could try to surprise you and Ma with breakfast, since you were both still asleep." Try was obviously the operative word, and Regina stepped forward to take the spatula from her son's hand when the faint smell of the eggs starting to burn filled the air. After saving the eggs, she turned to the pancake batter that Henry already had made up and started making pancakes that would probably last for weeks with as much as he had made.

"That's a nice thought, dear, but perhaps you should let me teach you a thing or two about cooking first," Regina smiled at her son.

He just shrugged and replied, "Maybe I don't know how to actually cook it, but at least I can follow the instructions to make batter and stuff. Cakes are easier. You just pour the batter in the tin and stick it in the oven."

"The stove top isn't so hard," she said, flipping a pancake into the air, "once you get the hang of it."

Suddenly, she felt Henry's face pressed between her shoulderblades and his arms around her waist as he hugged her and whispered, "I'm glad you and Ma aren't fighting anymore."

It was the last thing she had expected at that moment, and happiness bubbled up within her as she turned away from the stove to hug him back. She didn't know why she had thought she needed anything else in her life when the greater part of her heart was standing here before her, loving her unconditionally. Henry was enough to save her before, and he'd do it again now.

"I am, too."

At that moment, Regina heard a grumble and a loud yawn just before Emma walked in… still wearing only her underwear. Regina's eyes widened at the mismatched white bra and pink panties and she pulled Henry closer against herself so he would keep his back to his other mother.

"Emma!" she scolded, "Clothes! Go put on some clothes!"

"Hmmm?" The blonde pushed her unruly bed hair out of her face and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Wha?"

Regina looked pointedly at her attire, or lack thereof, and gestured with her head at their son, who was all too happy to keep his back turned to his sleepy and scatterbrained blonde mother.

"Ma, if you're really not wearing clothes, I really don't want to see it."

At this, Emma finally woke up enough to look down at herself and blurt, "Oh. Oh! Sorry, I'll just… I'm just gonna… Sorry." And with that, she sprinted from the room.

Regina finally released her son and, with a chuckle at the blonde's reaction, turned back to the pancakes waiting to be made. She continued pouring and flipping and simply enjoying this time with Henry, who was shaking his head at his other mother's antics.

"So, Mom?" the boy finally spoke up. "What happened last night? I mean, I heard the fight… Neither of you are the quietest when you're really mad. But what happened after that? You obviously forgave her, but that's not all, is it? If you had just forgiven her, I wouldn't have found you two sleeping together on the couch. There's more to it."

"Sure, there is, kid," came Emma's voice before Regina could answer. She looked back over her shoulder to find that the blonde had reappeared in the doorway, thankfully now fully dressed.

"Your mom didn't want to go home so instead she stood out in the rain for a long time like a dummy. An infuriating, determined dummy. I finally had to go out and get her because she was half frozen and could barely move. Then I brought her inside and took care of her and told her I was sorry and she forgave me because she can't stay mad at my pitiful face." With this, the blonde moved to rest her chin on Regina's shoulder, looking into her face and sticking out her lower lip in a mock pout. "No one can stay mad at this cute face, not even the former Evil Queen."

Regina snorted and flipped a pancake directly onto Emma's head.

"Hey!"

"She gave a sincere apology, and I may have been a bit emotional, and she did soften me up with tea and blankets and warmth." Regina turned slightly away from the stove to look at Emma, who had started nibbling on the pancake that had landed in her hair. She was looking back at her with those big green eyes, and she looked so ridiculously adorable in that moment that Regina had to grip the countertop as a sudden rush of warmth came over her. "And besides," she continued softly, "she really did take very good care of me. It was awfully hard to stay mad at her after… everything."

Emma took a step toward her, her brow furrowed with worry. Regina was gripping the countertop to hold herself up, and her normally olive skin was flushed. With as long as she had stayed out in the rain, it was no surprise that she would catch a cold, and Emma wasn't just about to let her continue to make her and their son breakfast when she needed to rest.

"I'll always take care of you, as I said last night. And right now, you look like you need taking care of. Why don't you go sit down and I'll make you some coffee… No, tea; tea would be better. You go sit and rest, and I'll make you some tea and finish making breakfast. Henry, grab her some of my warm clothes, will you? Fluffy pajamas or something."

Henry left the room to do as he was asked and Regina shook her head. "Really, Emma, it's okay. I'm-"

"You're going to let me do this," Emma spoke softly into her ear as she gently pried the spatula from her hand. "You're going to let me continue to take care of you because you deserve it. You always make sure everyone else has what they need, and it's time you were spoiled a bit. So you're going to go sit and relax and not go in to work and enjoy this."

Regina relinquished her hold on the utensil, but wasn't just about to let Emma think she could tell her what to do, even if she was doing it gently and in a low, soothing voice.

"Fine, you can finish breakfast and make tea. But I am going to work." She glanced at the clock and realized that she had spent a longer time curled up with Emma than she thought. She'd go in to work, but she'd definitely be late, especially since she'd have to go home and change first.

"Nooooooo," the blonde whined. "It's cold out. Stay here with me, in the warmth."

"I really can't stay any longer than I already have, Emma."

"But it's cold outside."

"That's no excuse," the brunette laughed at Emma's cute pout.

"But baby it's cold outside," Emma sang, and Regina laughed again before joining in singing, and Emma grabbed her round the waist and began swaying to the rhythm they were creating.

I really can't stay.

But, baby, it's cold outside.

I've got to go away.

But, baby, it's cold outside.

By the end of the song, both were laughing and Regina's eyes sparkled with mirth and Emma found herself leaning in to rest her forehead against the shorter woman's.

Emma was certain she'd never been happier than she was right now, holding Regina and swaying to music that wasn't there. Hearing a bubbly laugh fall from those full lips that she wanted so badly to taste when she dipped the older woman low. Knowing that their son upstairs was happy that they were no longer fighting. Their son. It brought Emma a surge of joy to know that Regina was linked to her, through their child, in a way that she had never been linked to anyone before and would never be again. No matter what, that part of Regina would always be hers and hers alone.

The whole scene was so wonderfully domestic, so entirely everything that Emma wanted, she thought she might cry.

"Moms?" Henry asked as he reentered the kitchen, clothes in hand. "What are you guys doing?"

And that ended the illusion. Regina stepped away from her and left her still hugging the space where she had been standing, and she remembered that Regina wasn't hers to hold in the first place. Of course not. Regina didn't belong to anyone.

The dark-haired woman took the clothes from her son's hands and headed for the bathroom to get dressed while Emma and her son stayed behind in the kitchen.

"Okay," Henry said, crossing his arms, "you're gonna tell me what really happened last night. Now."

"We told you what happened," Emma replied defensively. "She stood out in the rain and probably got herself sick and I brought her inside and warmed her up and apologized."

"There's more to it. Something you've both left out."

Why was their son so perceptive? Emma didn't want to lie to him; she knew how he'd feel about that. But she also knew she shouldn't say anything without talking to Regina, and she knew what the brunette would think. She wouldn't want Henry to get his hopes up for his mothers to be together, just like Emma hadn't wanted him to get his hopes up when Neal came to town.

She let out a sigh and decided to give him all of the truth she could give.

"Yeah, kid, there is more, but it's not anything you need to worry about. It's just between me and your mom for now, and it needs to stay that way for a while, okay? Don't go asking her about it; it'll just make her uncomfortable. When we come to a decision on it, we'll tell you. I promise."

Henry let out a huff, the mannerism reminding her an awful lot of Regina, but nodded. Then he looked at the clock and yelped, "Oh, shoot, I'm gonna be late for school. I've gotta go!" He scrambled to grab his backpack and run out the door, tossing a quick "Bye, Ma! Tell Mom I said bye, too!" over his shoulder.

Emma waved at her son as he left, then went about making some morning tea for Regina, as she had said she would. She looked at the mountain of pancakes that Regina had already made and then at the batter still left, shrugged, and just put the bowl in the fridge. She'd make the rest later.

She heard a door open and then Regina's voice reached her ears, asking, "How the hell do you wear these all the time?"

She turned to find Regina standing there in a pair of her skinny jeans and a white tank top that did absolutely nothing to mask the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra. Her eyes widened at the more than appealing image, and she had to remind herself to look at Regina's face so her mouth wouldn't drop open.

"Um…"

Regina picked up the steaming cup of tea on the counter and took a sip, paying the blonde no attention.

"I take it Henry went to school?"

"Huh? Oh, yes. He just left. Said to tell you bye."

Regina just hummed in reply and sat down on a stool at the counter to finish her tea.

"So…"

"So?" Regina looked at her and tilted her head.

"Well, it's just… I know you're not ready to be in a relationship with me yet, and that's okay, it really is, but Henry…"

Regina looked like she was about to choke on her drink, but instead she swallowed it with a loud gulp. She stared down into the cup and asked, "Does he know?"

"No," Emma assured. "I didn't want to say anything to him without asking you. But I think he might suspect."

Regina let out a long sigh and mumbled, mostly to herself, into her tea, "I don't know if I can do this."

At this, Emma's heart sank. Regina was second-guessing already, and that was not a good thing in a relationship at all. It broke her heart, but if Regina didn't want her, there was nothing she could do about it.

"So you've changed your mind already…" She bit back a tear and wondered if this was what it would feel like to have her heart ripped from her chest and crushed into dust.

"No!" Emma's eyes shot back to Regina's panicked face. "No, Emma. I just…" She gestured vaguely before sighing in frustration at her apparent inability to put her doubts into words. "He- Robin- was supposed to be my soul mate. I was led to him by pixie dust, Emma. I just can't help but think that anything I could have with anyone else may not be able to live up to that."

Regina had a point. This whole thing could crash and burn instead of being what they both needed. Or it could work and just be mediocre and still not what they wanted or needed or deserved.

But, dammit, what Regina deserved was someone who would stick by her, not just leave her for someone else, and Emma knew if she were given the choice, she'd have chosen Regina.

"Can we not talk about this right now?" the brunette quietly requested. "It's not anything for us to worry about yet anyway. I'm not anywhere near ready."

When the blonde nodded her agreement, Regina downed the rest of her tea and stood, announcing that she had to get going to work.

The heavy atmosphere that had fallen between them lightened instantly when Emma pouted and countered, "But you're not going to work, remember? You're going to stay here with me, because it's cold outside."

"Yes," Regina laughed, "how could I forget? You even sang a song about it."

"You sang, too! And the whole point of singing was to convince you to stay!"

"Tsk. If Jose O'Rourke's only argument against Eve Barrett leaving was that it was cold, then he should have expected her to insist on going."

"It worked on Eve Barrett," Emma pointed out with a grin, and Regina laughed again.

"I," she replied as she gathered her still-slightly-damp clothes from the living room floor, "am not Eve Barrett, dear." And then she was slipping out the front door with an assurance that she'd bring Emma's clothes back soon.

When Emma was left alone and silence descended over the apartment, she thought aloud, "Don't I know it. You're so much better."