The air in the apartment felt heavy with things that needed to be said, things none of them wanted to say. Regina knew Emma and Henry felt the same whiplash she did from the way they both stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. Emma's hands hung by her side, artificially casual as if waiting for the next disaster to strike. Henry's were shoved deep into his pockets. His shoulders were slightly hunched, morphing him into a young teenager before her eyes. He watched Emma, waiting for her to react. He knew the decisions were hers to make, and he knew that they would follow her whatever she decided. The sense of normalcy that they had been carefully fostering was about to be ripped from them. They all sensed it.

Regina didn't have an answer for them. Her body felt dull with shock while her mind raced through hundreds of scenarios, memories and predictions. She needed space. She needed to move. She needed to not stand around in the mire of silence and inaction that seemed to be drawing them all in.

"I think I'll shower" she said. Her voice was quiet but it was loud enough to be clearly heard in the silent room.

Emma looked up and nodded after a moment. "Ok" she said "make it quick"

Regina raised an eyebrow. The least she deserved after her performance earlier was a long, hot shower. Her muscles ached and she was uncomfortable in the dress she had worn all day. Emma's shoulders were high and tight. She just wanted to keep eyes on her, she wanted her to be safe. Regina didn't complain as she moved towards the bathroom.

"The towels are-" Emma started

"I know where the towels are" she said with a smile

"Right" Emma rubbed the palms of her hands down her jeans and looked at Henry. She might have been checking if he was also panicking, but he didn't seem to be. His shoulders still slouched but he was watching with alert eyes.

"Can you find something for me to wear?" Regina asked

"Yeah"

"No leather" she said over her shoulder and the bathroom door closed with that.

She let the water heat up, swishing her hand through the cold stream. She sighed heavily letting everything out in one big rush. The noise was masked by the shower of water and she stared into the mirror. Her eyes stayed on the reflection as she tied up her hair and slipped out of her dress. It moved with her and didn't misbehave. If her darkness was going to rear it's head, now would be an ideal time. Her insecurities said it was only a matter of time before Emma chose her parents over her. They said 'run first, push her away, don't let her hurt you'. Anxiety bubbled low in her stomach, rasping for her attention until her eyes fell on the mug on the sink that held Emma and Henry's toothbrushes. It was so simple and domestic. She had never shared a bathroom with anyone and now all of their lives collided in one space where Emma's hair brush fought for space with Henry's talcum powder and his towel hung on the radiator while hers hung on the door. If Regina had her magic she would have summoned her own toothbrush and dropped it in too. she would have to buy one tomorrow. She smiled at the thought, ignoring the threat that tomorrow may mean imprisonment, and climbed into the shower.

She reappeared after a while in the clothes Emma had put out for her, dark jeans and most presentable t-shirt she could find. She pulled a sweatshirt off a dining chair and slid that on as well. It smelled like Emma and the sleeves were a little too long for her, which she would never admit to liking.

"I'm pleasantly surprised. I half expected your ratty Lou Reed t-shirt" she said, standing next to Emma, slouching in a dining chair.

"Excuse me, I wouldn't trust you with my ratty Lou Reed t-shirt" she replied and dropped the pen she had been holding to wrap her arms around Regina's waist.

She smiled and brushed her fingers through Emma's hair. "What's all this?" She asked, looking at Emma's scribble filled notepad. There were also two steaming mugs of hot chocolate on the table. Henry was in the kitchen filling up a third from a pan on the stove.

"Could you two stand a bit closer? I think there's like a millimetre between you" He said, walking over to the table with his own mug. He'd picked up Emma's snark in recent weeks. She noted the cheeky smile he delivered it with. It was Emma all over.

"Oh my god, you're right!" Emma said and pulled her closer. Regina slid onto her lap and wrapped her arms around Emma's head, covering her face with splayed hands.

"Better, sweetheart?" She looked at him with a smile

"Loads" Emma said from behind her fingers. Henry giggled and she lowered her hands.

"Hi" Emma smiled up at her

"Hi"

"Gross" Henry said, although his wide smile said something different.

"Can you go pack an overnight bag?" Emma asked, breaking away from Regina's look with effort.

Concern flared up in her chest. She was about to be taken into the custody of the Charmings. If Henry wasn't with Emma, who was going to keep him safe? She thought of the notebook. Emma had a plan, she reminded herself before reacting.

He sighed "where am I going now?"

"I'll tell you when you've packed your bag" she replied

"Moooom" he looked at Regina

"Listen to your m- Emma" she corrected herself and pursed her lips. Henry's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline as he turned and headed for his room.

"Memma?" Emma asked once he was up the stairs

"Shut up" Regina looked away from her.

"No I like it, am I your Memma too?"

Regina frowned down at her "You're mine whatever you want to call yourself, even when you're being insufferable" she moved to get up but Emma pulled her back down.

"Kiss me?"

"No"

"True loves kiss me?" Emma grinned

The sharp breath Regina took in was small and hardly noticeable. If Emma's arms hadn't been so tight around her she wouldn't have noticed it at all, but she did and she smiled wider.

"You're going to be the ruin of me, Emma Swan" she said, leaning down slowly

"Good, then we'll be even" Emma tipped her chin up to meet her

Regina kissed her with tenderness that gave her goosebumps. She kissed her slowly, sliding her hands into her hair, letting her lips tug at Emma's as she pulled away, letting the flurry of feelings she felt out in the small noises she made. When she pulled away Emma's eyes stayed closed. She watched her soak it all up, only looking away when she heard Henry coming back downstairs.

"So where am I going?" He asked grumpily.

"Home" Emma said with a sigh of relief "we're all going home"

For a moment no one spoke.

"Seriously?" Henry asked, tentatively smiling while looking between them.

Regina stared down at her "but...your parents, you've only just met them"

"Mary Margaret and David are...whatever, they're not my family, you guys are. And if they want to take you away, I'm gonna beat them to it."

Regina took in everything about her. The hands clasped protectively around her waist, the decisive set of her mouth, the way she nodded at Henry. She had made up her mind, it was happening. Snow and David had backed her into a corner and this was her escape. She almost regretted that they would never know her. They failed to see that their ideal, romantic, rose tinted world never existed for Emma. They saw her as a liberator, a chosen one fulfilling her destiny, one of them. She saw them as a threat to her happiness, two people who barely knew her, making demands on her that they had no right to.

Regina's instinct told her this wasn't the time to run. She knew Snow, she knew Charming, they were nothing if not persistent. They would pursue her and who knew what that could lead to? But it was Emma's choice, the one she had given her all along and she wasn't going to rescind it now, when she needed it. Emma had decided they were going, so they were. She kissed her forehead.

"Wow, I'm gonna need more stuff" Henry said taking his bag back upstairs

"Are you going to tell them you're leaving?" Regina asked

"No, I figure we can make a cleaner getaway if no one knows"

A getaway. So it was an escape. It almost felt sordid. She wondered if Emma was planning to take them down the fire escape too. They were sneaking out in the middle of the night, like teenagers running away from home. The thought threw an image of a blonde haired girl climbing out of a window and into the night to her mind. If anyone knew how to run it was Emma Swan. She regretted her harsher thoughts.

"Will you leave them a note?"

"Like what? 'Why don't you want me to have love in my life? Peace out, Emma, kiss kiss"

Regina hugged her. She was hurt. She wanted answers and she wanted them to leave her alone. She kissed the top of her head and Emma mumbled into her shoulder.

"I'm gonna get a shower too"

"Ok" Regina waited until she looked up to kiss her again and let her go.

"Want to join me?" Emma asked with a wink as she headed for the bathroom.

"If our son wasn't upstairs" she replied, settling back into Emma's chair

"Your loss" Emma said with a sigh, turning to the door

"Don't I know it" Regina replied and smiled naughtily as she glanced back at her.

It was the right thing to say. Emma screwed her smile to one side trying to conceal it, but she couldn't. She felt wanted and that was what she needed.

"God I needed that" Emma said, walking out of the bathroom, a cloud of steam tumbling around her. She was fully dressed with a towel was over her head. She rubbed her hair dry underneath it.

"We have visitors" Regina said stiffly.

Emma whipped the towel away to see her sitting at the table with Mary Margaret and David.

"Oh" she said looking from them, to Regina whose back was straight as a rod, then back at them with their twinkly hopeful eyes.

"Hi guys, what do you want? I thought we were going to talk tomorrow?"

"I just thought there were some things that couldn't wait" Mary Margaret said, unclasping and clasping her hands with nervous energy.

Emma sat opposite her parents, noticing that Regina had seated herself at the head of the table. For anyone observing it could easily be seen as Regina's dominant inclinations, but it also meant she wasn't across from the Charmings, she wasn't seated adversarially. Considering that they seemed to want her dead, Emma thought that was a clever choice and she didn't really mind losing out on her favourite seat.

"We just couldn't sit downstairs knowing you were here. We've wasted so much time already. We want to know you Emma, we want to know all about you"

"What?" Emma looked at them like they were mad. Regina kept her face a mask though her right eyebrow raised millimetres. At least she could read Emma even if no one else could. Her hackles were up. "What makes you think you're entitled to that?"

Mary Margaret's face fell and David touched her arm "Emma we're-"

"My parents, yeah, who put me in a wardrobe and sent me off into the world without you"

"Because of her!" They said almost in unison, pointing at Regina.

"Stop!" Emma waved a hand to cut across them "This isn't about her. That doesn't change that you're strangers to me. I've dreamt of this moment my whole life and it's...look as long as you want to hurt her we're not going to get along"

Regina's brow was wrinkled in concern. She watched them all. Mary Margaret and David cast accusatory glances her way and she stared back as if she was made of stone. She wasn't going to give an inch and Emma felt it from across the table.

"Emma do you know what's she's done?" David asked quietly

"Yes"

"She's murdered and tortured and most recently kept us apart for 28 years"

"And I've been alone for 28 years. I have forgiven her and as long as you won't that puts us on opposite sides"

She felt anger swilling around in her stomach. She felt betrayed that they would do this to her. People she convinced herself she didn't want to care about, but who she loved and wanted to love her. She was so far beyond being freaked out by the situation that she almost didn't care anymore. They had drawn the battle lines for her, all she did was pick a side and it wasn't theirs. As long as there were sides she wouldn't be on theirs.

Every glance they threw at Regina pissed her off more, as if turning Emma against them had been part of a master plan. As if Emma was a fool being manipulated. As if she hadn't been just as responsible for breaking the curse as Emma had. They stared stubbornly at each other until Regina broke the silence.

"Ok, this isn't about who's been hurt the most, it's about Emma. You want her in your life, she has made her terms clear. What do you decide, Charmings? It's Emma or your revenge"

"Justice" David corrected

"Yeah well there'll be no fairytale land justice." Emma sat back in her chair, folding her arms "This is Maine and the death penalty is illegal and I'm still the sheriff unless you want to 'justice' me as well." The corners of Regina's mouth tightened ever so slightly, hiding a smile. "I mean it. Come up with a way to get 'justice' that doesn't involve hurting the woman I love. I mean, you've got Gold on your side, I thought he was the worst bad guy. How can you trust him?"

"Well he has no magic so he isn't really a threat" David said with a humourless laugh as he gestured to Regina. She was the threat, that's what he was implying. Emma's blood boiled.

"And how do you know that? Did he tell you?" She asked and they were quiet "this is ridiculous. What if he was lying? What if he has some big plan to destroy the town or something? Did he tell you how to take the cuff off at least?"

"He said it would take magic, so we're pretty safe for now"

"He-" Regina jolted in her seat and stopped herself quickly. She smoothed out creases of the jeans she wore and licked her top lip before she looked back up at them. "In a town where I am...supposedly...the only one who possesses magic, it will take magic to remove this?" She lifted her wrist and they winced at the action. An automatic response, Emma supposed, but a nasty one. For a moment she saw a flicker of how scared they were of Regina. The bravado and bluster was a wall, deep down she scared them. She looked at the way Regina's fingers curled automatically as if she was holding a weapon for them to flinch at. For a split second she understood.

"Well, yeah" David said

Regina looked wide eyed at Mary Margaret who stared back "We didn't know what to expect from you! We were protecting the town! Protecting Emma"

Regina's lips drew to a tight rosebud and her jaw clenched as she stared.

"So if Gold is lying and has a plan, you've handed over the best defence we had?" Emma asked glancing between Regina and them.

"It's not a punishment" Mary Margaret said, ignoring her point

"Maybe it should be" David said watching Regina constrict, doing her best not to squirm in her seat. She looked back at him sharply "what better punishment than for you to have to walk around just as vulnerable as the rest of us"

"Oh yes, Charming, you and your sword are widely known for your impotence" she snapped.

He smiled "You're not hurt and you can't hurt anyone else. What did you want, to just be left alone? We wanted that too, remember?"

"So you admit that this is good old fashioned revenge. I'm glad you're not dressing it up as Snow's virginal, juvenile justice any longer"

"It is justice, what were we supposed to tell the town? That you're forgiven and to leave you be? They would never do that" Mary Margaret said

"Ugh" she scoffed "Of course they would. They would do anything you said, it's sycophantic. Disgusting really"

"Alright" Emma interrupted "Regina isn't hurt, we can't get the cuff off now anyway. We'll talk about this in the morning"

"Over breakfast?" Snow asked hopefully

"Fine, whatever" Emma waved a hand watching Regina. Her nostrils flared briefly, she covered it by brushing hair from her face. She was close to tears or something worse. Emma had to get her parents out before they said anything else and Regina threw them out. "It's late, we should all get some rest"

As soon as she locked the door behind them Regina's hand covered her mouth while the other rested on her stomach.

"Hey, it's ok, we'll find a way to get it off" Emma said. Regina let her hand drop to her hip and closed her eyes tight and nodded. "We're just appeasing them until we can get rid of it"

Regina's lips were pressed hard together, as if keeping them closed was the only thing keeping her from crying. Her lower lip trembled slightly and Emma pulled her from the seat into a hug. As soon as she did the tension fled Regina's body and she gasped as her tears fell.

"I know" Emma said, holding her tighter "I know what magic means to you. I know it's gotten you out of fucked up situations, I know it saved and ruined your life, I know sometimes it was all you had and I know you feel lost without it. We're going to get it back, I promise"

Regina shook, crying in her arms for the second time ever and the second time that day.

"We're not going home anymore, are we?" Henry asked from the top of the stairs. She felt Regina tense against her, knowing Henry could see crying. She shook her head and he nodded, disappointment clear on his face. Her heart sank as he turned and plodded back to his room. She had kept Regina alive at the cost of something she loved, something that was part of her. Her son was disappointed and wanted to go back to his home. Her parents were upset and probably disappointed too.

Regina pulled back and wiped her face. She must have known how heavy Henry's disappointment weighed on her "I'm ok, thank you" she kissed her cheek "I know you're fighting fires. You're right, you're doing the right thing"

Her heart hurt "Am I?"

Regina kissed her again and she felt the ache in her chest subside briefly. "Come to bed, you've had a long day"

Regina took her hand and lead her slowly towards their room. She let herself be tugged along, trudging heavily behind her. Regina pulled her towards the bed, kissed her, then nudged her enough so that she fell to a sitting position.

"First of all, you're not going to need your getaway clothes" Regina tugged the black tank top off and sat astride her lap.

"Then neither are you" she said as Regina leant down to kiss her. She arched an eyebrow before pulling them hem of the tshirt and sweatshirt up and over her head in one. Emma slid her hands up her sides and kissed her chest.

"You're going to have to learn to take your turn" Regina said, taking her hands and pushing her back into the bed. She kissed her stomach and Emma closed her eyes.

"Yes ma'am" she said as Regina popped the button on her jeans "whatever you say, Madam Mayor" she sighed as she wriggled out of her pants

"I'm glad to hear it, Sheriff" she replied in her I'm-the-boss voice that gave Emma goosebumps. "Make yourself comfortable, I may be a little while"

She felt Regina's nails scrape her thighs as she hooked her underwear and pulled them down. She obviously wasn't in the mood for torture. She didn't play with her, she didn't tease up and down her legs, brushing her almost too lightly to feel. She kissed between her legs like she was starving for it. She let her tongue explore and she tugged lips into her mouth. Emma hummed and her tongue danced lightly around her clit.

"Shit" Emma said, reaching wide across the bed for something to hold onto. One hand found pillows while the other laced through Regina's hair and found the back of her neck. She pulled her harder to her and Regina sucked harder in response.

"Yeah" Emma managed as she clenched, pushing herself towards the climax Regina was leading her to. "Fingers"

Regina sucked two fingers before sliding them into Emma, one at a time. Emma groaned "more"

It was helping, it was making her forget, making her hurt less the longer it went on, the better Regina made her feel. She needed more, she needed to block out everything until it was only them.

There was only a brief pause while Regina wet a third finger and slid it in. It almost hurt. It was almost too much. Regina's free hand snaked up her body, squeezing and scratching as she went. She drew back down and placed it on her abdomen. She pressed gently and suddenly she was reaching somewhere that she hadn't been before. Emma felt her fingers deeper, harder, filling her completely.

"Fuck" Emma groaned and lifted her hips. "Oh my god, I don't know if I can take this"

"You can" Regina said softly. She kissed her thighs as she continued pushing deep and slow. Every thrust sent a wave of tingling pleasure over Emma. She felt it at the bottom of her spine, radiating out through her entire body, to her toes, fingertips, nipples, making her head tingle.

Regina began moving faster, being rougher and it was everything. She withdrew attention from her clit to give her full strength to fucking her. Emma rode it out gasping at the change in pace and how much she needed it. Rough and simple and good. So so good. She came hard, hips lifting well off the bed, straining with every muscle in her body, clenching tight around three of Regina's fingers as if she was never going to let them go.

She came back down to the bed with a crash and felt Regina withdraw slowly. She left her lying there, satisfied and well fucked. She opened her eyes when she felt the pressure on the bed change. Regina pulled back the sheets and climbed in.

"Hey" Emma followed

"Hey" Regina said, leaning on her elbow on her side

"Is it my turn now, Madam Mayor?"

"Only if you want it" Regina brushed the hair out of her face "that was just for you"

"I want it" Emma said and she smiled. She kissed her softly, far more softly than she expected. Emma nudged her over onto her back. She reached down between them. "You're wet, Madam Mayor" she kissed her neck

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah" Emma replied sliding her fingers down and up and then inside. She was hot and wet and aching.

"Oh" was all Regina said as Emma's fingers curled as she withdrew and pushed in again.

Regina's hands were all over her, pulling her into kisses, squeezing her breasts, pinching her nipples, digging her nails in. She needed Emma as much as Emma needed her, but she wasn't going to ask. She wasn't going to take anything that wasn't freely given.

"Ma'am, you're making it very difficult to concentrate" Emma said, taking her wrists and pinning them down above her head. She slid her thumb over her clit and Regina convulsed "Oh wow you're close aren't you? I know you are. I know you. I know how to give you what you need"

Regina moaned and bit her lip. She frowned as her hips rose to meet Emma's thumb again. Emma kissed her breasts, her ribs, her neck until she began to roll. She undulated underneath her, making Emma fuck her the way she wanted. Emma held her wrists tighter.

"God you want it so bad, don't you? The mayor, the boss, you need it just as much as everyone else, and you're so close, so desperate"

Regina gasped and Emma kissed her collarbone, up her neck. As she pushed harder her noises grew louder. Emma held her arms down tighter but Regina resisted. She was close, starting to shake, swear and moan out her name. Emma slipped a little and she grabbed the cuff. It was stuck so she might as well use it to her advantage. Regina tightened around her and she felt her orgasm coming. She leant on her arms and the cuff slipped. Emma fell into her body as Regina gasped, eyes snapping open as her body broke into climax at once.

"Emma!" Regina cried, it was breathy and reverent.

"What?" she asked, slowing before she stopped completely

"The cuff" she panted "my magic, I can feel it. You did it"

Emma slid to one side and pulled her aching arm down. "Fuck"

The cuff was in her hand and Regina smiled up at her. Her body glistened gently with sweat from their exertions. She glanced over her, chest rising and falling quickly. Her hair was a mess across the pillows. Emma was still staring when Regina pulled her into a kiss. A long, slow, deep and aching kiss. It went dark. Regina must have turned the lights off. With magic.

Emma was edgy. Sleep wouldn't come even though her body ached with tiredness. Her mind whirred so fast and loud she was surprised Regina couldn't hear it. She seemed to be asleep. She had an arm around her waist and a leg nestled between hers so the top of her thigh brushed the underneath of Emma's. Her breathing was deep and even as she purred into Emma's shoulder. Their bodies together were warm, comforting and peaceful in a way she hadn't felt for a long time. But it was about to be taken away, wasn't it? She shuffled around again, trying to find a position that didn't twinge with worry and discomfort. Regina lifted her arm so she could turn, so she wasn't be asleep.

"I can't stop thinking" Emma whispered

Regina prised her eyes apart with what looked like a lot of effort. Her face creased into the sleepy frown that she usually only displayed first thing in the morning.

"You're not thinking" Regina murmured "you're worrying. Use your white room"

"I have, it's not working!"

"What about your mind palace?"

"That's not working either" she replied with irritation

"Did you go to your library?" Regina asked, squinting to keep her eyes open.

"Yes!" Emma huffed a breath out.

They had been in bed for what felt like forever. She had tried every sleep trick she knew, including the 'happy place' that she called her mind palace. It had changed over the years, starting with the white room. Later she added a small room, bright with natural light, with a wooden floor and white walls. There was a deep window seat, comfy for reading, and the walls were lined with bookcases filled with stories and things she just wanted to remember. She wouldn't call it a library, but that's what Regina called it. She figured you could take the queen out of the castle…

"Ok" Regina shifted and looked up at her. Half of her face was obscured by pillow, but one dark, sleepy eye was watching her "what do you need?"

"I need a new brain"

Regina smiled and rolled onto her back. "I'm afraid I don't have any spares tin man, what do you need that I can give you?"

"Did you just make a movie reference?" Emma turned onto her side, closing the gap between them before any warmth was lost.

"It was a literary reference" Regina wiped the sleep from the corners of her eyes gently.

"Of course it was." That was rubbish. Regina had only watched the film because Emma made her, and even then she didn't like the representation of magic in it. There was no way she had read the Oz books since. Emma played along anyway "I'm impressed"

"Well it doesn't usually take much" she smiled sarcastically and sat up. She had summoned her own clothes from the mansion, but pulled Emma's sweatshirt over her pyjamas. Emma's heart swelled watching her, completely at home in her home.

"Tea?" Regina asked, turning on the fairy lights strewn across the dresser. They lit the room with a gentle yellow glow.

"Cocoa?" she asked hopefully but got a frown in reply.

"Tea."

"Ugh, herbal tea doesn't taste of anything"

"Sugar is not going to help you sleep" Regina replied, her voice dropping to a whisper as she opened the bedroom door.

"Neither is hot water!" she whispered back forcefully.

By the time she found something to wear and made it to the kitchen the tea was brewing and Regina was staring at the cuff on the counter.

"Hey" Emma said as she approached.

"Hey" Regina replied automatically. Her mind was far away.

Emma slid her arms around her waist and leant her head on her shoulder. She didn't think she'd ever get used to being allowed to do that again. She'd never take it for granted anyway. "What are we doing?"

"I'm thinking, you're just being cute" Regina's hand came up to touch her face. She turned and placed a kiss in her palm, a little bit to say thank you, and a little bit just to be cute.

"You think we should tell Henry about the cuff?" Emma asked

"I don't know. I don't want to lie to him. Perhaps we can tell him half the story and make up for it later?"

"Tell him what? That you can get it off?"

"Well, you took it off…if you remember" Regina slid her arms over hers.

Emma grinned "we can't tell him that bit"

Regina laughed and covered her mouth, glancing up the stairs to make sure Henry wasn't up "No. Oh dear"

"Don't want to give the poor kid nightmares, I mean, god"

She could feel Regina smiling. She turned and kissed her cheek three times in quick succession. Regina slid slowly from her arms. She looked up at her with warmth and ease she didn't think she had ever seen in her. Warmth was one thing, but Regina looked positively relaxed. It wasn't the free look in her eye the night they met, the night Emma had found something she hadn't been looking for. That night had been the sort of free that had an end date. She was savouring it and she hadn't been looking for anything either.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Regina asked

"The cuff?"

"What's keeping you awake"

"Oh" Emma leant back on the opposite counter. She didn't really. Standing in her kitchen in the middle of night, it seemed like a good time to hide from everything that was going on. Real life was a mess and she would much rather pretend things were fine. "Just…everything"

Regina held her mug between both hands and blew on it gently. She sipped it and watched Emma over it's steaming brim.

"That cannot be drinkable yet"

Regina smiled darkly. There was a story there that she had yet to hear "not for you, give it another minute"

"I want to know what that smile is about" Emma said

Regina pushed it to one side. "Another night. So"

Emma tried to get back to what she had been thinking before Regina's smile distracted her. She would definitely get that story one day. "It's…it's them, Mary Margaret and David. They don't know me, and I don't know them and they're" she held out her hand, palm up and grasped at the air, feeling for the word, or maybe grasping was what she felt they were doing.

"Trying to force a level of familiarity you don't feel?" Regina offered

"Yes! It makes me so uncomfortable" She rolled her shoulders. Regina hummed in understanding. "Mary Margaret was my friend, but I don't know this person who hates you"

"Emma" Regina said and it was deep and soft and soothed her all by itself "she's the same person. She's still the one who wanted to follow us out that night we were drunk, just to make sure you were ok. She's the same person who covered you in a blanket the nights Henry had sleepovers and you couldn't bare to be by yourself in your apartment, and fell asleep on her couch even when you were adamant you weren't staying. She's the one who forced you into a support system that you needed, took you in when you constantly resisted her. That's what Snow does. She doesn't care what baggage you bring, once she's yours you have to do a lot to get rid of her" Her eyebrows drew together a little as she spoke. She looked away as she remembered something and a shadow of regret passed over her eyes.

"It's just…how can she have thought I would let her do all that stuff? Just take you away?"

"Perhaps she just didn't know how we…how things are between us"

Regina rarely misspoke. She was measured and thoughtful. She was never careless. Emma thought the only times she messed up were when she began saying something and changed her mind. They had exchanged 'I love you's and she still hesitated. It might have made Emma nervous if the first time she heard it hadn't been Regina literally shouting it in the middle of the street. If she didn't know it was completely true. If she didn't see it in the way she looked at her, the way she touched her, the way she wrapped Emma around her. The thought made her smile. Regina's eyes narrowed and her lip curled as she watched her dimples appear.

"What?"

"Mary Margaret knows I love you. She was there, remember? She knows I was out of my mind with everything and…holy shit" she covered her mouth "she heard us that night you came round for dinner"

"Heard us fight?" Regina asked after a moment of letting 'I love you' sink in

"No…" Emma waited with a small smile.

Regina's head tilted to one side before her eyes widened suddenly "No"

"Oh yeah"

"Oh my god" Regina bit her bottom lip

"Yep, and I got an earful about it when I went downstairs to get Henry"

Regina gasped and covered her mouth "Henry?"

"He didn't hear it. She put the TV on loud. We kind of owe her one actually. She was like" She made her voice higher and softer with the shrill pitch of irritation and a slight country lilt "'Did you do it with the mayor in the hallway, Emma?'" She had the imperious head tilt down, she knew.

"Well" Regina cocked an eyebrow "pretty much"

"Right?" Emma smirked back.

She wasn't surprised sex wasn't the first thing that came to mind about that night. Pain was the first thing that came to her mind too. The disappointment she had felt, the confusion, anger at Graham and at herself when they had been so close to figuring something out, and complete consumption by her mixed up feelings for Regina.

"So Snow knows we…we're…what are we?"

"What did you call us once? Sweethearts?"

Regina smirked "There's nothing sweet about what we did that night"

"You don't have to tell me that." she grinned "You said you're too old to be my girlfriend. Partner?" Regina grimaced. "Yeah it doesn't feel right, huh?" she shook her head and continued to sip her tea. "You're my" she opened her hands again, as if waiting for inspiration to fall into them "you're my…I don't know, you're just mine. You want to talk about the race politics of shows I make you watch and you fucking google old wives tales just so you can have the last word"

"Well your claim about bread crusts was truly outrageous, Emma, there's no evidence-"

"You see!" Emma interrupted but she carried on regardless

"-give you curly hair, and you go filling Henry's head with this nonsense!"

Her chest felt flooded with warmth, while she stood in her kitchen which felt more like home than it ever had, while Regina gave her a hard time about telling Henry innocuous things that he knew weren't true anyway. She couldn't dwell on it much longer without water coming to her eyes.

"I don't have a word for what you are," Emma said quietly, it was low and came straight from her heart "I think the word for what we are is 'together'. Right? We're so together"

Regina thought for a moment "Yes, that's nice."

For a minute they just looked at each other. Emma didn't know at what point Regina had become her home, but she was, she completely was. She looked at Emma the same way, like she had found something, lost it once and never would again.

"So" she said, forcing them back on topic again "Snow knows we're together, that we love each other" she looked up warily, even after everything. After fighting and screaming and loving, crying and fucking, after true love's kiss it still scared her to say it out loud. Emma smiled reassurance and she continued "I imagine that, because you couldn't tell her before the curse broke, she didn't think you know about my past"

"About your evil queen days?" she asked

Regina nodded and kept her dark eyes on her. The corners of Emma's mouth pressed down as she thought about it "Yeah I can see that. Might explain the self righteous, I'm-doing-what's-best-for-everyone-even-when-they-don't-want-it vibe"

"Oh no, she has always had that" Regina shook her head slightly. It grew quiet again as Emma imagined the reconciling Mary Margaret was having to do. Her baby was no longer a baby, baby was an adult who had to save the town. Baby was in love with Evil Queen who was the reason she grew up without them. Baby was protecting the one she loved even though her parents would rather burn her at a stake. It was hard enough to imagine her parents as human beings who make mistakes, even more when after a lifetime imagining who they were and what they were like. She supposed it wouldn't kill her to give them some time. As long as they left Regina alone.

Regina watched her and drew a long breath before continuing "Before we came here, when I realised who you were, to Henry, I mean-"

"When you got Bobby to dig up everything there is to know about me?"

"Yes, and speaking of stories for another night" Regina's look pinned her against the counter.

Emma rolled her eyes "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours"

"Deal"

Emma picked up her tea and started to drink it. Jasmine green tea. It didn't taste of nothing and it smelled pretty good. She glanced up at the look in Regina's eyes that said she knew it but she wasn't going to say anything.

"So what were you saying about when you knew who I was?"

Regina took another deep breath and set her tea down. She didn't look up at Emma, she was looking, it seemed, into the past. "I thought you would hate me. You had- have, every right to. So does Henry. I thought I had found something with you and when I realised the choice I had ahead of me" she touched the spot on her chest over her heart. "I had Bourneville drive me around for hours while I fought myself about telling you. I was always going to" she said quickly, looking up "it just took me a while to get ready." she closed her eyes "I expected to lose you, to lose you both, once you really understood." She swallowed like she tasted something bad in her mouth.

"Really?"

She nodded but still didn't look up. Emma decided it was because thinking about it made her sad, not because she was scared it would still happen. Not after everything. Not after they broke the curse, not after the way Henry shouted at Mary Margaret for saying Regina couldn't love.

"God" was all Emma could say, thinking back to what felt like a lifetime ago. "That's why you pushed me away. That's why you said we weren't serious." 'That's why you were fucking mean' she thought but couldn't say.

Regina looked up at her, lips pressed together and jaw tight. Emma pulled her into her arms and she slid easily into her. She knew this was hers, she knew Regina was all hers and was happy to be so. It didn't stop her heart from clenching at the feeling of arms wrapping around her waist.

"So Snow's probably struggling with you knowing all of that and not hating me" Regina said into her shoulder.

"Well she's gonna have to get used to it. You were someone else then, and I know because you love me. You couldn't have loved anyone then. I guess that's where Mary Margaret's head still is"

"It is" Regina said sadly, as if she cared, or at least as if she didn't want Mary Margaret to hate her "Poor Snow. It's all so fresh for them. Their realisation at what they have missed out on, on missing your life, it's all so fresh. They could have had you this whole time"

"Stop it" Emma held her tighter. She would never get used to how small Regina was in reality. She never seemed small. She seemed authoritative, sure, intimidating. But when she was crushed against her, with bunches of Emma's clothes in her fists, her shoulders seemed slight and without her heels she was always a little shorter than Emma expected. "Stop beating yourself up about it. You didn't make that choice, the evil queen did and they did. They put me in that fucking tree" she rolled her eyes at the madness of what she was saying. "Don't hate yourself for this on behalf of me, or them, or anyone. Can you do that?"

After a while Regina nodded against her shoulder.

"You wanna go back to bed?" Regina nodded again but didn't let go. "You want to stay in this hug and waddle backwards towards the bedroom?" Regina nodded and she laughed. She felt her laugh into her shoulder too and pulled away.

"Come on, Madam Mayor" she pulled her hand and Regina slid away from the counter. Emma felt the long sleeve of her own sweatshirt falling past Regina's palm, brushing against her own. If Regina was trying to tell her she was hers, if she was trying to show her that this could be their life, if she was trying to make her feel loved and wanted, it was working.