Dinner had turned into a weekly, sometimes twice a week, situation. As usual the woman were all huddled in the kitchen while cooking, speaking of the different things they could think of from weekly gossip to their own relationships. The topic just so happened to drift to when they first met.

"Yeah, I'm glad that I saved you that day, imagine that, eight years old and already protecting you."

"It's not my fault I didn't know how to swim and I certainly didn't expect to fall in, but what a wonderful way to meet for the first time." A smile played on her lips, earning them both a confused look from Mary Margaret.

"That's not when you two first met, not at all."

"Um, Mom, I think I would know when we first met, I was kind of there."

"I must agree Mrs. Nolan, we were eight and I almost drowned at the docks."

"Actually, you were both three the first time, and you met at pr-school. The second time you met was in Kindergarten."

Two heads cocked to the side simultaneously, confusion forming a mask on otherwise blank faces. Green and brown glanced at each other, before turning to look at Mary Margaret again, poker faces remaining in position.

Mary Margaret let out a sigh, settling herself against the counter to be more comfortable for the story she was now going to tell.

"When you were both three, you both were enrolled in preschool at the elementary school and in the same class…"

A shoulder length-blonde ponytail flicked side to side as a boisterous three year old walked excitedly alongside her mother. Bright green eyes glanced up periodically at hazel ones, a young excited voice jabbering on about school, her mother answering periodically with a smile.

Across the parking lot, a young brunette with a long braid made her way calmly with her mother. No questions asked eyes straight ahead. The girl was certainly excited, but by now she had learned to tone it down in front of her mother. Her hand remained in the much bigger one, and her legs struggled to keep up with longer, sure stride of her strict mother. She had to make a good impression, and she ought to behave if she wished to keep her privilege of going to public school with the other kids, as her mother so often reminded her.

Both girls lifted their heads up and made eye contact at the same time, only a split second, but enough for the blonde to send the brunette a bright smile. Brown eyes lit up at the prospect of a new friend, but soon she felt a tug on her arm and glanced up to see an unhappy grimace on her mother's face.

"You are absolutely not to make friends with that girl, you hear me?"

A frown marred dark features, the lack of understanding settling in.

"Why mother?"

"She is a Nolan, they are beneath us. Do not, speak to her or you will not be taking Horse riding lessons next fall. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes, Mother."

"Good girl, now run along, I have things to do."

With that the brunette's mother left her in front of a large teal door, before striding off at a quicker pace in the direction of her car. Speeding off immediately, leaving her daughter dumb founded as to what she needed to do.

"Do you need help?"

Turning around the young girl noticed the blonde and her mother standing there. Dark brown eyes assessed what could be considered "beneath them" before shaking her head no.

"Do you know who your teacher is?"

Glancing down at the paper in her small hand she a nodded a yes.

"Can I see?"

Again she shook her head no and backed up a step.

"Alright, well it's Emma's first day too, and I work here so if you need help you can ask, okay?"

The brunette cocked her head in confusion, she didn't know who Emma was.

"Hi, I Emma!" the little blonde said, smiling brightly and holding out her hand; all the brunette could do was glance down and take another step back.

"Can't ya talk?"

"Emma! Behave yourself, I'm sure she's just shy."

Brown eyes sparkled dangerously, she felt something she didn't quite understand at the comment. It made her… angry. But she didn't understand why.

"I speak fine, thanks. I is Regina." A glare was sent towards the blonde, but she just seemed to smile even brighter, taking the brunette's hand in her own and walking towards class.

"Sit next me?"

"Mother say no, I not allowed."

"Why?"

"Because you poor."

Emma cocked her head to one side and shrugged, not offended by the comment in the least. Mary Margaret on the other hand seemed completely bewildered. Three year olds were not well known for their eloquence, but she knew exactly what Regina had meant, and knew that it meant Cora had been speaking to her about them. It didn't take a genius to know that Cora Mills didn't like the Nolan family, and it was something that actually had nothing to do with Mary Margaret herself, or even David. No, this was a family feud that came from Mary Margaret's side of the family, starting with her father. She shook her head at the entire concept and walked away, watching the two girls make their way into class safely.

"It took two months for Cora to figure out you had made friends with Emma, and then she placed you in a different class. You two were young enough that you forgot each other after a while, like little kids tend to do. You met again in Kindergarten, where it only took her a week to figure it out before she separated you again."

"Why don't we at least remember kindergarten then?"

"Because like I said it was only a week, and at that point she had Regina switched into a different class before sending her away over the summers to forget about you. Emma, we sent you to your grandfather's so that you would have something else to focus on, and eventually you did forget."

"Well… why did she let us stay friends when we actually remember meeting?"

"Because it took her a good two years to figure it out, and at that point she gave up. There wasn't much she could do anymore, and anything she did would have just caused more trouble than anything. She just got harsher on her punishments with you, Regina."

"How didn't she know?"

"Easy, she was busy trying to up herself on the social scale so she wasn't home much, and I made sure to suggest you two stayed indoors and played board games most the time."

"That's right! I was so bored with monopoly…" Green eyes sparkled with mirth and Brown with anger. Regina realized then that her mother had kept her apart from Emma for years, and she could have been happier sooner. Was that why she willingly helped Emma? Was it the guilt? The brunette couldn't help but hope that her mother was drowning in guilt, for all of it. She had spent YEARS away from Emma, when they could have been friends since preschool. Maybe if they had been, she would have told Emma the truth about her feelings, and she would have stayed. Maybe she wouldn't be in the position she was in now. But then… she wouldn't have Henry, and that thought alone kept her from wishing too much Ill will on her mother.

The rest of the evening went relatively well, they had chicken parmesan for dinner, and lava cake for dessert. Everyone was content, and happily conversing away, David about finally getting his cast off, Henry about school, and Emma about her most recent cases.

Soon, green met brown, and an unspoken conversation happened between them, causing both women to get up from the table at the same time with twin smiles.

"Hey, we'll be back in a little bit, we're going out for a drink, okay?"

"Alright, we'll watch the children. Thank you again for dinner Regina, it was fantastic."

"It was of no consequence Mrs. Nolan, I promise."

"Please, Sweetheart, call me Mary Margaret… or mom."

Regina smiled shyly before leaning over to hug the other woman. "Thank you… mom. For everything." Was whispered in the older woman's ear, causing a smile to light up her features "You're welcome, darling".

The two women made their way out to the road, walking the couple blocks to the rabbit hole while bantering back and forth. Before entering, a gentle kiss was placed to soft pink lips, a smile warming up the kiss, before perfectly curved hips sashayed their way into the bar; A slim, jean clad pair, following soon after. They sat at the bar, just smiling at each other, drinking each other in, while waiting for the other one to start conversation; Neither truly knowing what to say, but both enjoying the company nonetheless. Finally, the blonde spoke up first, the truth waiting to spill out.

"Regina… I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what, Dear?"

"I lied to you."

"you… what?"

"I lied, and I don't want any lies in our relationship. I want all honesty."

"What did you lie about?"

"You know how I told you that I just happened to be headed that way when you were going to the docks?"

"yes?"

"Well the truth is… I was following you."

"You were-… why?"

"Because, I had been waiting to talk to you for weeks. I wanted to tell you I liked you, but I didn't know how, and you didn't really know me. Plus we were just kids, it was weird."

"And instead you managed to save my life and become my best friend?"

"It wasn't supposed to happen like that, I wasn't taking advantage of the situation, I swear. I was going to tell you the truth, but then you fell in and I saved you. I saved you, and I was so worried that I decided it could wait, that I would take you the hospital instead, and that you could recover and then I would tell you."

"but instead I kept inviting you back, behind my mother's back and we became friends."

"I… yeah. I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth."

"Emma, I'm not mad. I get it okay?"

"You're… not? You don't think I took advantage?"

"We were what, 8? I highly doubt that was in any way apart of your thought process. And I lied too, Emma."

"You did?"

"Yes, I told you I liked you, but I was lying."

"You don't like me?"

"no."

"Oh… okay well-"

"I'm in love with you, there is no liking you. I love you completely and irrevocably, with my entire being and not a sliver of it isn't already owned by you, Emma Swan."

"What about Henry?"

"That's preposterous; don't you know that children have your soul? They're what hold you together and make it possible to have a heart to begin with. They're what make you a being at all, so while all of it is owned by you, he has a different type of owning."

"That was a joke, Regina."

"Oh, well clearly not a good one as I missed it." The brunette sniffed, allowing her eyes to focus straight ahead, though not missing the coy smile on her girlfriend's face.

"Come here, you." And at that she was pulled into a tight hug, a kiss being placed at the crown of her head, and a smile spreading over her face. The brunette would be lying if she said that the blonde's arms didn't feel just like home. As she snuggled in closer she listened to the blonde's heartbeat, and her response to the devotional comment.

"And I'm hopelessly in love with you too, Regina Mills. All of me, loves you, and it seems, that you have captured my daughter's heart too, how could I not love you? You're everything, and you know what? Our family may seem somewhat odd, and everything maybe a little rocky at first, but… we complete each other, we make a great blend, don't you think?"

"I would have to agree, Henry seems to like you too."

Emma snorted in response, she remember his lectures.

"He and I have spoken, I know how he feels I promise. But it's something I want to work on more, and maybe you and Charlotte can spend time together also."

Regina smiled in response, placing a gentle kiss on the corner of Emma's lips.

"Say… how would you feel about moving in with us?"

"Oh, Emma, I couldn't do that, I already work for you."

"Well it could easily be a family business, you're my secretary, and this mess with Daniel is pretty much cleared up and final. Please? We have plenty of room as you well know, and I… I think it would be great, all of us together. We already spend 6 out of 7 days together, not to mention the kids do everything together now too. I'm sure you'd love to move out of Zelena's on top of it all."

"Well…"

"Please, Regina?"

"Alright, fine."

Emma's smile got impossibly brighter, and Regina couldn't help the giggle that escaped her throat when she saw the look. Soon she was swooped into a deep kiss that had the bar patron's whistling and hollering cat calls at the two women. Yet they didn't stop, like magnets they were stuck. Pink pushed against red, as olive-toned hands gripped a dark grey t-shirt, and soon pale hands were exploring a tan expanse of back. Gentle kisses were placed against a long neck, as teeth were bit into the opposite's shoulder. A quiet moan causing the clearing of a throat behind the bar.

Both women pulled apart with a glare, and the bar-keep only raised an eyebrow, about to speak when the ringing of a cellphone broke his concentration. Emma glanced down at her phone before hitting the answer button, eyebrows furrowed, and irritation showing.

"What? What do you mean he changed his mind? This is the second time-. No, no, I'll be there ASAP, I'm bringing Regina with me. Don't you dare question me, Alex. I'll be there soon enough okay? Just shut up and meet me at the damned office."

With that hit the end button and slammed her phone on the bar, earning an agitated look from the bar keep and a worried glance from Regina.

"What did Alex want?"

"We have to talk about your case."

"What about it?"

"Daniel wants full custody now."

"What? No. No, no, no, no. He can't have him! He won't! I refuse to-"

"Regina, we'll get this fixed okay? I need you to breathe, and remain calm. Now let's go, we're getting this resolved, I swear it."

"okay…"

Emma kissed Regina one last time before helping the smaller woman to the floor, and paying the tab. Soon they were leaving the bar, and headed to the office. It was going to be a long night.