We're heading towards the final stretch now; hang in there! All my love to everyone who left me a review, you guys are the best! Mwah!


September is a strange time. With Mary Margaret recovering nicely in the hospital and August and Graham constantly hovering nearby for their protection, Emma becomes clingier than ever. It's clear she's trying to make up for accidentally calling Mary Margaret "mom", and though the memory still stings, Regina is thankful for all the love and affection she's been receiving. Emma is truly sorry, she knows that, and her attention is like a warm salve for Regina's many wounds.

Graham still has nothing on who had tried to shoot Regina, just a bullet casing and Ruby's description of an unfamiliar dark haired man with "wild eyes." The lack of security cameras in their idyllic little town means there aren't really any leads for him to look at, so he's resorted to putting up Wanted posters of a vague sketch and asking all the townfolk to keep an eye out for any strangers in Storybrooke. As the days of peace and quiet stretch on, however, they start to wonder if the shooter has perhaps given up or fled.

Belle's absence from the hospital does not reach Regina's ears, much to August's surprise. The lack of proper surveillance cameras in the hospital is the only reason he hasn't been arrested yet, he's sure of it, because after some snooping around the hospital, he can surmise this much: Nurse Ratched is pissed, the hospital staff are whispering, and they're trying desperately to track down the missing 'patient' and return her before Regina even notices she's gone. The likelihood of that happening is almost zero to none, however. Regina has not checked on Belle since long before they arrived in Storybrooke, and Nurse Ratched has no intention of telling her about their missing prisoner. All for the best, August and Emma agree, but it hangs over them like a guillotine waiting to drop nonetheless.

In the last week of the month, Regina begins pulling together final plans for Emma's birthday party, making sure the invites are all sent, the entertainment is booked, the bouncy castle will arrive on time, and that Granny has everything she needs to cater the event. August and Ruby have been extremely supportive—they've both spent more time at the Mifflin house than anywhere else lately—and Regina considers the both of them her closest friends at this point, an unfamiliar but very welcome concept.

"You're not getting a clown, right? I was serious; the kids will have nightmares," August says one morning, he and Ruby lounging on patio chairs in Regina's yard after August had checked the surrounding area and deemed it safe. It's a Tuesday and Emma's still in school, so they'd taken the chance to get together and chat. Regina sets a tray of lemonade down for all of them and reclaims her own seat with a chuckle.

"No, no clowns. I've had Sidney learning magic tricks for the last few weeks, and Archie's bringing Pongo for the children to play with."

"That man is whipped," August snorts, amused. He'd been worried when he first met Sidney months ago; the man had eyed Emma suspiciously and seemed almost jealous of her. (His lovelorn obsession with the Mayor was obvious to anyone with eyes.) When he realized Emma was the apple of Regina's eye, however, he quickly turned kind and doting, always eager to bring her a piece of candy or a little toy and hoping that she might convince Regina to favour him more. (Poor fool, really. Emma saw right through him and made sure to remind Regina every once in a while that she thought Sidney was a weirdo.)

"Granny's excited," says Ruby, slurping at her glass of lemonade. "She's got a bunch of recipes she wants to try, and since you insisted on making the birthday cake, she's intent on making a million types of little treats and desserts instead. The kids are gonna be on a sugar-rush."

"Well, remind her again that I'm grateful," Regina says, smiling. It feels refreshing to show gratitude, especially now that she knows their friendship and assistance is offered without expecting anything in return. Granny, especially, is a surprising addition to the small pool of people Regina considers friends, and she makes for a wonderful babysitter on the days that Regina, Ruby, and August are all busy. (Regina also happens to knows that Granny still has that crossbow of hers behind the front desk of the BnB, and the thought gives her peace of mind in regards to Emma's safety.)

"Of course." Ruby grins, licking her lips and setting her glass down on the table. "So, August and I were discussing the day of the party. Since he'll be here helping you set up and I'll be helping Granny bring all the food over here, we thought Archie might watch Emma for the morning and then bring her and Pongo when we're ready. What do you think?"

"That sounds reasonable," Regina agrees, pursing her lips. "But I might feel better if Graham watched her instead. I know nothing's happened for more than a month, but..."

"True, but Emma also kind of hates Graham," August says, smiling wryly. He and Graham have become partners of sorts in keeping an eye on the Mifflin property and making sure Regina and Emma are protected at all times, and they've gotten along swimmingly, though he knows Emma still hasn't quite forgiven the other man for what he did.

"I know," Regina murmurs, momentary guilt flashing through her eyes. August feigns ignorance.

"What'd he do to earn Emma's wrath? The kid doesn't normally hold grudges like this."

Pursing her lips, Regina debates telling them the truth. Ruby has this devious look on her face and August just looks baffled.

"Graham and I used to have an... agreement, of sorts. I stopped calling him when Emma arrived, so he came to the house one day and, well..." She clears her throat, unable to stop the flush from reaching her cheeks. "Emma misunderstood and thought he was attacking me."

Ruby nearly snorts out her lemonade in laughter. "Oh my god!"

"It's not funny," Regina complains, but she's smiling even as Ruby rolls around on her patio chair and August shakes his head at the both of them.


On Wednesday, August offers to babysit Emma after school, which means a quick and sneaky trip to the hospital to visit Mary Margaret. They've been in to see her a few times, and the brunette looks livelier and happier every time, her recovery coming along quite nicely.

When Emma scuttles into Mary Margaret's usual room today, however, the brunette is nowhere to be seen, the thin bedsheets rumpled and her wheelchair missing.

"Excuse me," August calls after a passing nurse, "has Mary Margaret been moved?"

"Oh, no, I think she's visiting another patient," the nurse says, pausing in her tracks to tap a pen against her lip, her other hand clutching a stack of clipboards. "The John Doe just down the hall in ICU. She's been sitting with him lately to pass the time."

They thank her and head over to David's room, somewhat surprised to find Mary Margaret there. She's bundled up in a hospital robe in her wheelchair, sitting next to David's bed and reading quietly to him from some sort of paperback novel. When the door squeaks open, her head snaps up and she flushes prettily.

"Oh! Emma, August. I didn't know you'd be visiting today."

"Hi, Ms. Blanchard," Emma greets with a warm smile. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm a lot better, thank you. Doctor Whale says I should be able to leave soon."

Plodding over, Emma surveys the scene and grins in amusement. It seems her mother has taken her advice after all. "Whatcha reading?"

"Grimm's Fairytales," she admits, closing the book and setting it aside, away from Emma's innocent five-year-old eyes. At August's look of surprise, she smiles sheepishly. "They're dark, but I find them very fascinating. Certainly nothing like our modern day fairytales."

"Dark is an understatement," August chuckles as Emma shuffles a little closer to the bed to check on David. A nurse pops in at that moment to give Mary Margaret a scolding look.

"It's time for your checkup, Ms. Blanchard. You really shouldn't wander off without telling me."

"Sorry," Mary Margaret says with a smile that doesn't seem very sorry at all. She's never been one for being cooped up. Allowing the nurse to wheel her away, she sends August and Emma a parting wave. "See you later!"

"Bye." Emma waves, pursing her lips once her mother and the nurse disappear out the door. Mary Margaret hadn't been conscious when she'd made her slip all those weeks ago and for that she's relieved. It would have been one more complication they didn't need right now. Turning back to her father's comatose form, she gives his limp hand a squeeze and sighs. "Sorry, Dad."

"What happened wasn't your fault, Emma. He wouldn't blame you for it," August says softly, lowering himself down into the visitor's chair while Emma rests her arms on David's bed. She has a somber, contemplative look on her face and her brows pinch together as she rests her chin on her arms.

"I dunno. I've been thinking, August. No one has their memories, so who would want to hurt Regina?"

August frowns. "No one except—"

"Gold," Emma finishes, nodding. "Who seems to care a lot about Belle... who had been locked under the hospital because of Regina."

"Ruby saw someone outside right after the shooting, though, and it wasn't Gold."

"Maybe he hired someone else to do it." Emma shrugs, pushing away from the bed with a huff. "Regardless, it means the shooting happened because we released Belle and gave Gold a reason to want revenge. My mom got shot because of me. Regina almost got shot because of me. Hell, she's probably still in danger."

Her expression scrunches up with guilt and frustration, and August is quick to scoop her up into his arms and hold her close despite her half-hearted resistance. "Hey, don't beat yourself up over it. We were doing the right thing—we didn't know it would end up in someone getting shot. You can't blame yourself for that."

"Still, I just..." She grunts and runs a hand through her hair. "Everything's gotten so complicated."

"I know." August shakes his head. "Look, I'll talk to Gold and see what I can do. In the meantime, at least we know your mom wasn't the target. She'll be fine."

"Yeah..."

They sit in silence for a while, Emma curled up in August's arms, the soft beep of David's heartbeat monitor a familiar and calming sound. After a long few minutes, Emma tilts her head up and gives her adoptive brother a conflicted look.

"Will you— will you help me protect Regina?"

Her voice is small, timid and afraid of rejection. They have always had each other's backs, but this is a request that goes against what they both had originally set out to do, and the sad smile August gives her is a testament to how much has changed in the past five months.

"We'll protect Regina," he says quietly, and neither need to say anything more.


Mifflin house is quiet for once, and Emma is restless as she waits for Regina to return home. August sits with her in the living room with the TV on and the volume low, his knee bouncing impatiently. The plan is for him to go talk to Gold once Regina relieves him from babysitting duty, and she's running late tonight.

"Check again," Emma says, grimacing. August pulls out his phone and frowns at the last text he received from Graham, stating that he was escorting Regina back from town hall. That was nineteen minutes ago, four minutes longer than it usually takes them to drive home.

"I'll call him," August offers, but the lock on the front door clicks open at that moment, promptly followed by the familiar tap of heels entering the house.

"Gina!" Emma nearly shouts, launching off the couch and eagerly running for the front foyer. August follows in time to see Regina kick off her heels and drop to her knees to welcome Emma's hug.

"Hello, darling. Sorry I'm late," she murmurs, smoothing down Emma's hair as Graham peers in from the door. He nods and waves to August before leaving again, pulling the front door shut with him. When Emma continues to cling on, Regina looks up and gives August a questioning look.

"It's been a long day, she missed you," he offers. Regina manages to stand up and lift Emma with her, grunting from the effort, then tilts her head at August.

"Would you like to join us for dinner?"

"Oh, no, thank you. I've got a few errands to run, and then I was gonna go see Ruby tonight. I'll see you both tomorrow, huh?"

"Of course. Thank you, August." Regina smiles as August slips by her, his hand landing momentarily on her arm and giving it a squeeze.

"Bye, Auggie," Emma says, and then he's gone with a meaningful look. Regina locks and deadbolts the door, then slowly makes her way around the first floor to check the back door and all the windows, Emma still in her arms like a baby koala. Everything is covered up by dark curtains, and once she's double checked all the locks, she heads into the kitchen to heat up their leftover tapas from yesterday.

"What would you like to do this evening?" Regina asks once their food is hot, carefully removing it from the oven to distribute onto plates. Emma kicks her feet back and forth where she sits on a bar stool, sucking her lower lip into her mouth to chew in contemplation.

"Can we eat and watch a movie?" she asks, already wondering what might be available on Netflix. August had set it up for them months ago and she and Regina have been slowly making their way through the Animated selection.

"Well, alright," Regina relents after only a moment's thought. Despite her initial reluctance, Emma had coaxed the woman into letting them eat dinner in the living room on multiple occasions, and since the little blonde takes extra care to keep crumbs on the plate and grubby fingers to herself, Regina finds that she doesn't mind so much anymore. "Why don't you go pick out a movie, and I'll bring the plates and napkins, hm?"

"Okay!" Emma hops off her perch and scurries for the living room, turning on the TV to start browsing through available movies. By the time Regina arrives with their dinner on a tray, Emma's already seated cross-legged on the couch, the remote in hand.

"What have you picked out for us?" Regina asks, perching next to her and spreading out a napkin across Emma's lap before giving her the plate. Her eyes land on the TV screen and her brows crinkle with confusion. "This doesn't look like an animated cartoon, sweetheart."

Emma just grins. It's technically Disney-owned. "Nope. It's Star Wars."


The bell on the door chimes overhead and August frowns, squinting into the dull lighting as he steps carefully into the shop. It's quiet and the room smells faintly of dust and old, lacquered wood. From the back, the muffled thump, thump of a cane against the floor precedes Gold's appearance, brushing the curtain aside as he steps into the main room. A golden ring on his left ring finger glints in the light and his lip automatically curls at the sight of August.

"Mister Booth. What can I help you with today? Looking for a trinket for your little Savior friend? Or perhaps something of the more magical variety?"

August gets the feeling he's being mocked and scowls. "I'm here to ask you a few questions."

"Is that so?" Gold positions himself behind the counter, leaning his cane against it and then resting both hands on the glass. An eyebrow lifts in query. August figures he may as well just cut to the chase; Gold is likely going to be cryptic enough for the both of them.

"Did you have anything to do with the shooting?"

At that, a little huff of a laugh escapes the older man, lips curling in an amused smirk. "The shooting? Whyever would I try to harm Miss Blanchard?"

"She wasn't the target of the shooting; Regina was. But you knew that, didn't you?"

"Are you insinuating that I tried to shoot Regina? Heavy accusations, Mister Booth."

"Maybe, if not for the fact that I know you have reason to want her dead."

"And what reasons would that be?" Gold leans forward, eyes glinting, his smile challenging. August closes the distance and moves right up to the other side of the counter, setting his hands on the glass and leaning forward into Gold's personal space. Whatever attempt at intimidation he's trying, however, has very little effect on the Dark One.

"Where's Belle?" he asks instead, annoyed that Gold doesn't even try to back away. Gold's lip twitches.

"Resting," he says, at the same time the curtain rustles and Belle emerges from the back room, blinking owlishly at the sight of them.

"Huh," August says, eyeing Gold almost smugly before straightening up and flashing his most sweet, charming smile in Belle's direction. "Evening, Belle."

"Hello, August," she chirps, brightening at the sight of her rescuer. Gold must have been keeping her hidden from the public eye because August hasn't seen her since saving her from the hospital all those weeks ago, and there hasn't been any gossip around town about an unfamiliar brunette. "What brings you here?"

"Just thought I'd come by and see how you were doing," August lies smoothly, his blue eyes crinkling at the corners with the genuine-looking smile he'd long ago perfected. "You're looking well. Freedom suits you."

"Thank you," she says, though she looks slightly exasperated by the 'freedom' comment. "Rumple won't let me go anywhere but the store and his house, though."

"Rumple?" August repeats, quirking a brow at Gold while the man ignores him entirely.

"As I've said, it's not safe for you, Belle," Gold explains patiently, turning to face her. "The town can't know about you, not yet, not while Regina is still in power."

"I don't understand why this 'Regina' person would want to lock me up in the first place," Belle argues, visibly frustrated. "What did I ever do to her? I don't even know her."

"Yeah, why would Regina go after her?" August chimes in sarcastically, eyeing Gold. The man sneers at him in response. "And then the attempted murder... awfully coincidental."

"Attempted murder?" Belle repeats, alarmed. Her gaze lands on Gold, questioning. "What's he talking about? There was an attempted murder?"

"On Regina's life, yes," August replies quickly, paying no mind to the filthy look Gold sends him. "First you escape the hospital, then Gold realizes you're alive and were kept locked away by Regina, then someone tries to kill Regina. The story kind of writes itself, doesn't it?"

Brows furrowed, Belle tilts her head at Gold, weariness in her eyes. "Did you—"

"No! Belle, no," Gold says quickly, almost pleading as he holds out his hands in a placating gesture and moves towards her. "I didn't try to kill her, I swear to you."

"You didn't try to kill her," August repeats, nodding his head slightly. As an author, his wordplay is just as sharp, and he gives Gold a knowing look even as the man pulls Belle aside and whispers hurriedly to her. Whatever he says seems to do the job, because Belle relaxes and gives him a timid little smile, excusing herself and waving goodbye to August before disappearing into the back room once more.

"What lies did you manage to convince her of?"

"No lies," Gold says, his eyes narrowed dangerously as he finally turns back to face August. "I told her that I did not make an attempt on Regina's life, and I didn't."

"Someone else did, at your suggestion I would assume."

"Have you any proof?"

"I don't need proof. I know the rest of the town is still under the curse; you're the only one with your memories and a grudge."

Gold leans over the counter again with a sneer. "I wouldn't be so sure of that, dearie."

"Who?" August finds himself leaning back without meaning to, inching away from Gold's gleaming golden tooth and the predatory glint in his beady eyes. "Who did you pay to do it?"

"Who says anything about payment? Regina has more enemies than you can dream of. Perhaps I happened to sell a rifle to an interested customer. What they do with it is entirely up to them."

He grabs his cane again and taps it on the floor, smiling a smug smile that has August's hand itching to punch it off his face. Instead he clenches both hands into a fist, piercing Gold with the fiercest glare he can manage.

"I hope Belle remembers what a piece of work you are when the curse breaks, Dark One," he snarls, all protective anger and vengeance as he turns and storms for the door. "You come after Regina again and I will end you."

Gold chuckles.

"You're terribly protective of a woman you once claimed you'd defeat, Mister Booth," he says almost gleefully as August freezes up in the doorway, his shoulders stiff. "Tell me, has the Savior fallen for the Evil Queen as well? However are you two going to sleep at night once you've broken her curse—and her heart?"

The door slams hard behind August.


October the second—the fake date that Emma had claimed as her birthday—comes quickly and lands on a Monday, so they celebrate by having dinner with August, Ruby, and Granny at the diner. Granny makes a giant chocolate fudge monstrosity covered with three flavours of ice-cream, fruit syrup, and far too many sprinkles, and the group share it and actually manage to finish it, though Emma and August both look sick by the end and Regina is quite sure she's given herself a cavity. They head home and squeeze in a movie before bed, and Regina allows her to skip kindergarten on Tuesday for the sake of cuddling on the couch with cereal and more movies.

That weekend is the date of the surprise party that Regina has spent weeks planning, and as it's a well-meaning surprise, August keeps it a secret. Emma had already been quite ecstatic at having dinner with all her favourite people on her 'birthday', so she suspects nothing when Regina tells her that she needs to go into the office for a few hours that morning and that Archie will be babysitting her during that time. With Emma off at the park with Archie and Pongo, August hurries over and immediately sets to work.

"No no, not there," Regina huffs, flailing a hand at August as he hauls a long fold-out table across the yard, trying not to trip over the two young men from the party shop currently setting up the giant bouncy castle. "We're lining up the tables on this side of the yard, August!" To one of the men working on the castle, "No, no, drag it further away from my apple tree, you buffoon—"

August laughs, depositing the table where Regina had pointed at. "Relax, Regina. Look, I can take care of things out here if you want to take a breather—"

"Says the one who nearly ran the lawnmower up my apple tree earlier," Regina snarks, though there's a glint of amusement in her eyes even as August blushes and rubs at the back of his neck. "There are two more tables in the shed that need to be out here."

"Alright, alright." He rolls his eyes and bumps his shoulder against hers before ducking away from a slapping hand. "Slave driver," he teases upon his return, dragging another table with him.

"Merely taking advantage of free volunteers," she teases back, turning around at the sound of a clatter by the back door. Ruby appears, her arms laden with covered trays and a grin on her face.

"Hey, we're here!" she chirps, moving towards the first table she can spot to set down her load. "Granny's bringing in more stuff from the car."

"Wonderful, thank you," Regina says, giving the younger woman a quick squeeze on the arm as she passes her and hurries to help Granny. August sets the table down in place before hopping over to give his girlfriend a kiss.

"Hey, gorgeous," he beams, helping her spread out the goodies along the table in a neat and organized fashion, knowing Regina would do it otherwise.

"Hey. Emma still completely in the dark?"

"Yup. Didn't suspect a thing."

"Awesome. I can't wait to film her reaction." She pauses and gestures at the handheld video recorder she'd brought with her, the strap slung over a shoulder. "I'm gonna film all day and put together a little video montage of Emma's first big birthday party. Think Regina will like it?"

"I think she'll love it." He kisses her again, pulling her against him and nibbling at her ear until she's laughing and Regina is shouting at them from the back door to stop sucking face and make themselves useful.


"Did you have fun at the park with Archie today?"

The question comes from Graham, his lips pulled into a tight smile as he drives Archie, Emma, and Pongo back to the Mifflin house in his cruiser. Emma squints at him from the backseat, looking disgruntled at being strapped into an old, spare booster he'd found at the station and installed in the cruiser just for today.

"Yeah," she says, pleased that all her monosyllable answers thus far are making him squirm with discomfort. A part of her feels a little bit bad at the unrelenting torment she puts him through, because he does seem like a pretty decent guy and he's become good friends with August. The rest of her remembers him pinning Regina up against a wall and that makes her mad at him all over again.

He doesn't try for conversation again and they arrive at the house shortly thereafter, Regina appearing in the front door before the engine has even turned off. Emma struggles with the seatbelt on the booster but, luckily, Archie and Pongo are crammed into the backseat with her, so Archie helps untangle her and she's out of the car immediately, jumping up into Regina's waiting arms.

"Gina!" She gladly hugs the brunette, arms flung around her neck and their cheeks pressed together before she leans back with a tilt of her head. "You all done at the office?"

"Indeed I am, sweetheart." Looking past the child in her arms, Regina offers Archie a kind smile. "Doctor Hopper. Would you like to come in for some coffee?"

The friendly request confuses Emma as they've never invited Archie into the house before, but she enjoys playing with Pongo, so she turns to give the man an agreeable nod as he wrestles his dog out of the car and leads him over by the leash.

"I'd love to," he says with a smile, heading up into the house ahead of them when Regina makes a motion with her hand. Emma watches him walk right into the house as if he knows where he's going, a furrow appearing in her brow at the oddness of it.

"Sheriff," Regina says, redirecting her attention when Graham gets out of the cruiser and shuts the door, stuffing his hands into his pockets and giving her a look. "I trust you'll patrol this neighborhood today and make sure nothing happens?"

"Of course, Madame Mayor," he sighs, patting a hand against his holstered gun before he heads off around the block. Regina carries Emma back into the house, taking her straight through the entryway and towards the backdoor so that she wouldn't see the preparations in the kitchen or the media room.

"What's today?" Emma asks, clearly confused. Regina grins, turning her head to nuzzle their noses together.

"Well, today's a bit of a special day. Don't you know?"

"Umm..." Emma's nose crinkles into what Regina deems her 'thinking' face. "It's just Saturday?"

Emma's still looking at her and not in the direction they're walking, so Regina steps out of the backdoor into the yard and is the first to see the surprise on Emma's face when the shouts of "Happy Birthday!" resonate all around them, followed by the rambunctious cheering of the children and the clapping of the parents. (The number of parents that had elected to join the party and mingle still astounds Regina, though Ruby assures her it's because she's officially a mother now and therefore has been taken into the fold.)

"Wha—?" Mouth hanging open, Emma twists her upper body around to see their backyard, now transformed into a child's dream party complete with a huge, brightly colored bouncy castle, tables covered in snacks and treats, balloons and streamers strung up all around the yard, and a towering pile of birthday presents stacked up just waiting for her to tear into. Her entire class stands in an excitable crowd, bouncing and clapping and hollering their well wishes, and August and Ruby stand just to her side, the latter recording everything on her camera.

"Happy Birthday, darling," Regina says softly, eyes glittering with warmth and affection. Emma turns back to gawk at her, green eyes as wide as saucers.

"You got me a surprise party?" she asks in disbelief. "I've never had a surprise party." She's never had any kind of party before; the closest she'd ever come was movie nights with August, just the two of them sharing a pizza and beers, quietly splitting a small cake to celebrate another year in their dreary lives.

Regina smiles wider at her, eyes hopeful. "Just the first of many firsts."

Emma doesn't respond verbally, just throws her arms around Regina's neck and hugs her tight and mumbles "I love you" against her ear until Regina finally sets her down so that she can be swarmed by her classmates and swept up towards the bouncy castle.


"You did good," August says, sidling next to Regina where she hovers by the drinks table after finally slipping away from the other parents. She'd been dragged into their midst once the children were occupied, the other parents curious and fascinated by her transformation from hard-ass Mayor into the affectionate, loving mother they'd seen whenever she was with Emma. It irked her somewhat, to think that she no longer instilled fear or intimidation, but it was kind of nice, too, in a way that she was entirely unfamiliar with. The other parents praised her for her choice to adopt, complimented Emma's sweet personality and politeness to Regina's motherhood skills, and fawned over how lovely the little blonde was. (Regina might have even preened a little bit, convinced that Emma was the prettiest child in the entire town and no one could tell her otherwise.) She eventually tired of the attention, however, and it took a bit of effort to slip away without one of them latching onto her arm with the desire to chat more about their children or the potential of setting them up on playdates.

"I had help," Regina says with a grateful smile. August shrugs, but then shakes his head and turns to face her.

"Really, Regina. I've never seen her so excited before." One hand lifts to rub at the back of his neck in a gesture that she's gotten used to seeing. "She's had a tough life, never got the love or attention that every kid craves, and, well..." After a pause, he shrugs and smiles softly. He'd been close enough to her and Emma when they first walked in to hear the blonde's words, words he'd never heard her say in her entire life and didn't think he ever would. Somehow, this woman—this supposed "Evil Queen" who was so full of love and affection—had done what he thought to be impossible. "She's lucky to have you. I just wanted you to know that."

"Oh." Not having expected such a heartfelt compliment, Regina blushes slightly and crinkles her brows at him. "Thank you, August. That... That means a lot."

"Ah, come on," he says, opening his arms. Despite the softness in her expression, she arches a brow at him and he laughs. "We've come a hell of a long way, Regina. Least you can do is let me hug you."

The brunette's lips split into a smile and she rolls her eyes almost fondly. "Only because you insist, Booth."

She willingly steps towards him and he settles his arms around her shoulders, hugging her gently but firmly. Her head reaches his jaw and he turns just enough to press a quick kiss into her hair, feeling her almost jolt in surprise in his arms.

"Thank you for teaching her to love," he says softly, squeezing her once more before letting go. August grins and slips away again, and when Granny and Ruby appear to replenish the snacks and drinks, they find Regina still standing there with her lips parted in surprise.

"You okay there, Momma Bear?" Ruby asks, amused. Still somewhat stunned, Regina shakes her head and blinks, brows slowly furrowing in bafflement.

"August just said something very kind to me."

Ruby pops a brow, still amused. "He's sweet like that."

"And then he... he hugged me and kissed my head." She almost looks mortified.

"Aww," Ruby croons, immediately delighted by Regina's reaction. She knows the older brunette has never really had any friends until she and August barged their way into her life and home, so the concept of affection between friends is probably entirely foreign to her.

"It's not cute, Ruby," Regina complains, turning an almost pouty frown upon the younger woman. Ruby just laughs and dives forward, one-arm hugging Regina and planting a wet kiss on her cheek before jumping back out of swatting range.

"Get used to it, Gina," she teases gleefully at the look of horror on Regina's face. "We're your friends and it's totally cute."

She bounds away like a giant puppy dog, and Regina is left with only a chuckling Eugenia Lucas to turn her accusing eyes on.

"What? It's cute," Granny shrugs, reaching up to pat Regina's cheek before she, too, leaves Regina to stand there mouth-agape like she's just appeared in some bizarre alternate universe.


"Whatcha looking at, Emma?" Abu flops down next to her within the entrance of the bouncy castle, sending her bouncing sideways with a laugh. She rolls over onto her belly and grins, only to grunt in surprise as Vanellope just about lands on top of her, quickly followed by Chip and Dale in a dog-pile of children.

"Oh my god," Emma whines, wondering if she'll ever be free of these kids. She's not nearly as close with the rest of her classmates, at least, so she doesn't have to worry about another ten children landing on top of her. They're all too busy enjoying the extravagant birthday party to bother her, anyway. "You're too heavy!"

"Am not," Chip and Dale say in tandem, rolling off of her and landing on their bellies. Vanellope remains sprawled on top of Emma, grinning ear to ear, while Abu prods her, still awaiting an answer.

"Just checking on my— on Gina," she admits, which has Abu brightening.

"Your mom is awesome! This party is awesome." The others agree wholeheartedly as Emma watches the curious exchange between Regina and August, then Ruby, then Granny. Her eyes soften as she and the brunette make eye contact across the yard and she sends Regina a little wave that is eagerly returned.

"Yeah," Emma agrees with a smile as her friends crowd in around her. "She's pretty awesome."

Sidney sweeps into view in that moment, awkward but trying his best in a black cape and tuxedo, a top-hat on his head and a baton of sorts in his hands. He announces in a loud and dramatic voice that the magic show is about to begin, and Emma and Regina just exchange this amused little grin before she's being dragged down into a huddle on the grass with her classmates to watch the show.


"Okay, make a wish," Regina says, settling next to Emma as the blonde leans up to the table and hovers over her birthday cake, green eyes glinting from the six lit candles. Regina's hand is soft on her back and Emma stares into each flame with intent, all her classmates crowded around the table with their breaths held in anticipation after having gleefully sung the Happy Birthday song.

She hesitates longer than necessary and feels Regina lean in next to her, hand rubbing a soothing circle on her back.

"You can wish for anything you'd like, darling. And then close your eyes and blow out the candles."

Emma takes in a deep breath and closes her eyes.

She sees Regina in her mind, wishes that she could protect her after the curse breaks, wishes that Regina won't hate her, wishes, wishes, wishes.

There is an eruption of cheers when she blows the candles out, but all she does is turn around and burrow herself into Regina's arms like a child suddenly craving comfort, and Regina strokes her hair and murmurs gentle words of comfort and embraces her like nothing could ever come between them.


By the time all the guests are gone, the mess cleaned up, and all the many presents are set aside for tomorrow, Emma is sprawled out unconscious on the couch and Regina herself is also more than ready for bed.

"Thank you all so much for today," she says to August, Ruby, and Granny, their voices low as they stand in the front entrance and get their shoes on.

"It was our pleasure, Regina," August replies, grinning as he settles an arm around Ruby's shoulders. "Anything to make Emma happy."

"It's what friends are for," Ruby adds with a wink that has Regina looking almost shy and frazzled again. Granny harrumphs and slaps her granddaughter across the arm with a muttered "Oh, stop teasing the poor woman," and then the three of them are gone.

Locking up and making sure every window is curtained, Regina finally retrieves Emma's nearly comatose form from the couch and carries her up to her bedroom to change her into some soft pajamas. Emma stirs just enough to assist in the endeavor with sleepy, drunk-like movements, and then she's clinging onto Regina again like a baby koala as they move into the master bedroom.

"Sleepover?" Emma murmurs, rubbing at her eyes and stifling a monster yawn as Regina tucks her in and slides under the covers next to her.

"Mmhmm. Come here, birthday girl."

Happily obliging, Emma snuggles into the offered embrace, her head resting against Regina's chest as the brunette wraps her up loosely in her arms and settles down for slumber.

"Did you have fun today?" Regina asks softly, one hand lifting to smooth down wild blonde curls. Emma nods, fingers tangling into the silky material of Regina's sleepwear.

"Uh huh. Thank you, Gina."

"You're welcome, sweetheart."

Regina gives her another squeeze before closing her eyes, exhausted from the eventful day and ready for sleep to claim her. Emma, on the other hand, stares into the darkness, awake and thinking. She had fun, yes, but today is also a painful reminder that her real birthday is coming up soon. In a few more weeks, she has to break the curse, and the inevitable fallout from that weighs heavily in her heart. She can't lie to herself anymore; she loves Regina. Loves her, and it terrifies her that she has no idea what will happen when the curse breaks. The entire town will surely turn on the Evil Queen, and if Regina doesn't hate her for being the Savior and daughter of Snow White, she'll certainly hate her for what she's done.

Regina is on the cusp of sleep when she realizes Emma's shoulders are trembling.

"Emma?" she questions worriedly, lifting her head to find Emma hiding her face against her chest. "Emma, honey, what's wrong?"

Emma says nothing, shaking her head as Regina's shirt soaks up her tears. The reality of the situation and of what she's done are crashing down on her and she can't stop the tears from flowing or the sob from escaping her lungs.

"Oh, Emma—" Regina hurries to sit up, holding the blonde close to her as her little body shakes and shakes and shakes. "Shhh, please, don't cry... What's wrong?"

Still Emma says nothing, shaking her head, unable to speak because—gods, what can she say? Her heart aches with pain and regret and she presses a hand against her chest even if it does nothing to alleviate the pressure.

Cupping Emma's face with gentle hands, Regina lifts her head, trying to read the girl's expressions and finding only fear in those big, watery green eyes. "Please talk to me. You know you can tell me anything."

"I don't w-want to l-lose you, Gina," Emma stutters out in a whisper, cheeks wet and lips wobbling. Regina feels her heart breaking just a little bit at the sheer desperation in Emma's tone.

"Oh, honey, you'll never lose me," she whispers back fiercely, wondering if this is the orphan in Emma speaking, the lost little girl that is used to being abandoned or sent back. "I love you and I'm not going anywhere, okay?"

"B-But what if I do s-something bad?" Emma whimpers, and Regina feels herself tearing up too, aching for this little girl that looks at her like she's afraid to be sent away.

"I'd forgive you, Emma. Nothing you do will make me love you any less. I promise."

"You can't promise that," Emma cries, expression crumpling.

"Of course I can," Regina insists, her dark eyes aflame. "I will always love you. I promise."

Emma sobs and buries herself in Regina's arms again, whimpered "I love you's" and "I'm sorry" muffled against silk. Regina just holds her, unsure of what triggered Emma's fears but knowing she'll do anything to make her happy again.

"It'll be okay, sweetheart," she whispers, pressing kisses to Emma's crown. "Everything will be okay."