Epilogue

"Emma," Regina moaned. The early morning sun streamed in through the window. Her hands moved down to the head between her legs and tangled in blonde hair. She hated mornings, but if she had to get up early this was her preferred way to start the day.

Emma climbed back up and snuggled into her side, pressing kisses to her shoulder. Regina kissed her head before she pushed her off.

"Strip and get on all fours."

Emma's eyes widened, but Regina knew she understood. Regina needed to start this day in control.

Emma quickly removed her underwear and the thin tank top she had slept in. Regina sat up, leaning back on her hands to watch as Emma lowered herself onto her hands and knees in front of her. Emma looked over her shoulder at her expectantly. She stretched slow and cat-like, enjoying the little whimper it drew from Emma. "Head forward," she snapped as she got onto her knees behind her.

She placed her palm on the small of Emma's back and lazily traced her spine with her fingers. "When Mary Margaret corners me today to ask when baby Lance is going to have a playmate, I'm going to remember you just like this." She pressed up against her and leaned over her. "On all fours and so wet for me."

"Don't talk about Mary Margaret in bed," Emma grumbled.

"You invited her," Regina biting the flesh between Emma's neck and shoulder. She soothed the sting with her tongue and slipped her hand down to stroke a thigh. Emma leaned forward and pushed her ass up higher into her hips.

Her fingers slipped between slick lips and Emma groaned her approval. She remembered the first time she had taken Emma from behind. None of the women she had found herself in bed with had ever let her have them from this angle and it had been a lesson in errors doing everything upside down. She found she loved the submissive and surprisingly intimate nature of the position.

She slid her fingers in. Emma's muscles grabbed at them immediately and she curled her fingers as she pulled back slowly. She loved starting slow even when Emma was ready for fast and hard. She'd had too many one night stands over the years and she still relished the opportunity to move slow. One night stands were rushed and impersonal. They were about getting off and too often lacked a real human connection. She hadn't really cared about that until Emma, but then Emma had always been personal.

Her fingers set a steady pace. Emma's moans signaled her to push faster. She loved watching Emma's strong arms tremble and struggle to hold her up as she gave into the pleasure Regina drew out of her. She leaned into her and pressed kisses along her spine as she used her hips for leverage. She reached around and pressed fast circles against Emma's clit

.

"I love you so much," she grunted out and she felt Emma fall over the edge. Emma's arms finally gave out and they collapsed on the bed in a mess of limbs. Emma rolled and pulled her into her chest. She happily buried her hands in the tangle of blonde curls and tilted her face up for a kiss. Emma met her with a tired kiss.

"I love you, too. Can we sleep more?"

"No."

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Regina bustled around the mansion for the rest of the morning, wand out and waving. Henry would be home by 3pm. His friend's parents knew about the party and were under strict orders for secrecy. Emma watched her fondly, but kept getting shooed away.

It was now officially official. Henry was now her son as well. It had been a remarkable feeling. She had told herself that it was just a piece of paper. Henry loved her and she loved him. He was her son. It didn't matter if it was official, but when she saw the paper she had burst into tears.

When she finally made the decision, it had been a long time coming. She'd been as much his mom over the last few years as Regina and it was only in legal terms she wasn't.

For awhile she worried it would take something away from his relationship with Regina, but when she confessed her worries to Regina, her love had just pulled her into a hug and told her to stop worrying.

Henry never pushed her to adopt him which she always wondered about. That first summer, they had done what Regina had said. They took it slow. Henry came to see her as a friend and ally beyond just his teacher. They talked a lot over the years about what their relationship meant and they actually attended some counseling sessions together as a family.

They had to rebuild a lot of the trust she had lost and it was slow. It hurt for awhile, watching his eyes dart to Regina for confirmation when she had said something. Building up his trust was an effort in love. She still couldn't be sure she wouldn't ruin it all over again.

Regina had decided to throw a party to celebrate. Henry had been so busy all summer that they easily managed to hide the preparations from him. He had mentioned in passing that he'd never had a surprise party before. They had thought about planning one for him during a Hogsmeade weekend, but at his age it would be remarkably uncool to have teachers at a birthday party.

Regina came up with the idea to surprise him with this. He'd have to have his mothers here for this. Emma thought Regina had been secretly planning it for her as well. There had been no surprise parties for Emma growing up either. Not that this party was a surprise for her. Regina had gone over every detail of the preparations with her over and over. But Emma saw the softness around Regina's eyes and knew Regina was doing this for her as well. The menu certainly reflected her tastes.

It was Henry's fourth summer at the mansion and Emma's third. Half way through their first official year together, Minerva sat them down and forced them into sharing a room. They decided last year to purchase a little cottage in Hogsmeade when he graduated. They had thought about doing it sooner, but neither really liked the idea of leaving Henry alone in the castle.

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Henry's face when he came through the back door blew her away. He looked so amazed. She remembered the lost little boy from Diagon Alley and she could easily see how much had changed since that summer day so long ago. He didn't look astonished at the love. He just looked so happy.

His eyes took in the large banner that flashed the news of the adoption and he quickly launched himself into Emma's arms. Regina smiled so brightly as she took in the two loves of her life so happy and full of joy. As endless as the preparations had seemed, she knew it was all worth it just for this moment. Seeing her two orphans surrounded with love and the people that cared about them meant everything.

The yard was crowded with people, young and old. It amazed her how many people she had in her life now. A few years ago, it would have been just Kathryn, Fred and Zelena. Now, her yard was full of people that cared about her and her little family.

After the Mary Margaret debacle, she had kept her students at a very far distance. Now her former students sought her out to tell her about all the things they had accomplished since they'd left the castle behind. She felt more proud of her work than she had since she was young and new.

It amazed her how soon Henry would be leaving them, too. It seemed like he had just come into her life and now he would be leaving.

He turned to her after receiving a hug from Mary Margaret with a look on his face that concerned her. She wrapped him in her arms tightly and pressed a kiss to his temple.

"I thought it would bother you," Henry said, quietly into her chest.

"We've talked about it. I told you it wouldn't," she said, pulling back to study his face.

"I know, but I thought you were just saying that because it was what you thought I wanted to hear," he said, meeting her eyes.

"This makes me very happy, Henry. Emma is just as much a part of your life as mine and I wanted you to know that," she said, taking his hand. "We should have done it a long time ago, but we never married and well…"

"I wouldn't mind if you got married," he said, with a sly smile. "Or had another kid."

Regina groaned. "Tell Mary Margaret she needs to let it go."

He grinned. "I think she has your wedding planned down to the flowers already."

"All those baby hormones are driving her insane," Regina said, rolling her eyes.

Henry shrugged. "She just cares about you guys."

"I know," she said, looking at the woman across the party. "It's unbearable." He chuckled and put his arm around her shoulders. He had already reached her height and she knew he'd probably tower over her when his growth spurt had finished.

"She's part of our family though, isn't she?" he asked, thoughtfully watching his friend interact with his blonde mother.

"She is." Regina smiled.

Zelena and Ruby swept into the party like a cyclone, stealing everyone attention. Ruby had left teaching after Henry's second year. She had never intended to settle down so early, but a steady teaching job with Emma had appealed to her and her Gram needed a reason to stop.

Zelena brought out the adventure in her and reminded her life was meant to be lived. Ruby got involved in acting as well. The two of them were staring in a stage production of The Price of Salt in the Fall and it was already garnering a lot of buzz. They married last summer in Thailand with a lemur ring bearer. Henry had been delighted.

"I never thought I'd have a family this big," he said, looking around at the party.

"But you believed you would," Regina said.

He looked up at her grinning. "I did."

She squeezed his shoulder. "Go enjoy yourself. You don't have that much summer left."

He groaned and grumbled about her endless homework, but with a playful smile that she loved so very much. He ran off to join his friends and she watched him for a long minute. She wondered if he knew that she loved his carefree summers as much as he did.

Her eyes searched out Emma again finding her in the crowd with surprising ease. Mary Margaret and David were over by the food and Emma was now bouncing their newborn with a large grin on her face. Since Mary Margaret had graduated, her relationship with Regina had continued to improve and Emma and Henry had stayed close with her.

It didn't stop her from thinking about that morning and an evil smirk appeared on her face. Emma glanced up just in time to catch it. She glanced at Mary Margaret and a blush spread across her face. Regina just hoped the girl was talking about what she thought she was. It would make everything that much better.

She was obsessed with the idea that the pair should have another child completely ignoring their disinterest. Mary Margaret had taken an intense interest in their lives since the pregnancy and it bothered her more than she liked to admit so she covered it with mild irritation. The girl's meddling would always remind Regina of the evolution of the Evil Queen even with so many years in between. Perhaps if she had had a few more years of teaching under her belt, it wouldn't have been so damning.

Her eyes turned to her blonde best friend, linked arm and arm with her now husband, Frederick. She didn't think it would be long before Kathryn started having children. She said her hellos and shoved her friend in the direction of their former student and awkward new mother. Emma handed over the baby to Kathryn with a smile and made her way to her lover.

"I still can't believe you get to live in the Evil Queen's castle!" Emma overheard some freckle faced kid say to Henry as she passed them on way over to Regina.

"I thought we dropped the Evil part awhile ago," Emma threw at them as she was walking by.

"You haven't had to take Potions with her. Her homework is evil," Henry yelled after her. Regina cocked an eyebrow at him, but he just stuck his tongue out at her.

Emma slid her arm around Regina and squeezed her side playfully. "He's your son," Regina said with a not-so serious glare.

Emma just grinned. "He is. Isn't he?"

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The hot August sun beat down on his skin as he watched some of his classmates toss around a Quaffle in the massive yard of the Mills' Manor. As much as he liked being on a broom, he never ended up getting into Quidditch even with Emma's endless encouragement. He remembered the first time he saw the yard. He'd felt like little orphan Annie with his very own misunderstood Daddy Warbucks. It had been overwhelming at first, but his mom had been just as awkward and that made him relax. Miss Swan or Emma as she insisted he call her outside of school had been around a lot that summer, taking them on day trips and being there.

He remembered their faces when they told him about their relationship. They had been terrified and he had just laughed at them.

The original Drama Club was there in its entirety minus two of the original troublemakers. Gold had been invited. Belle and Gold had told him they had flown in just for this. He had been stupidly hurt when Gold had been involved in the sabotage scheme of the first play. Gold had been nice to him when Milah and Hook weren't around and he had been so disappointed in him. He grew up though. Belle sent him letters from their travels studying antiquities around the world.

A tiny body attached itself to his legs and he heard his Aunt Tamara yelling across the party at the gangly toddler latched on to him. He waved at her and she threw her arms into the air in exasperation. He swung his number one fan up onto his hip and immediately felt a sticky hand on his neck. He suddenly hoped his mothers weren't planning another child as he shuddered wondering what the sticky substance was that was now gracing his skin.

Clapping toward the house drew their attention back toward the house. Emma carried out a giant cake with a huge grin. He knew this day was for Emma just as much as it was for him. It was special being surrounded by people that loved you and wanted you around. Wanted to celebrate with you. The two of them knew it better than most. They didn't take it for granted. His other mother didn't either.

He knew she had been the one that planned the day. He didn't know too much about how she had grown up, but in his summer and holiday wanderings through the house he had seen enough to have an idea. Wizarding pictures gave away more than Muggle ones. Small flinches and fear were easier to see especially for him. The way his Aunt Zelena and his mother talked about their mother didn't always paint the beautiful picture that his mother tried to tell him. He'd asked Emma about it once and she had gotten quiet. He didn't ask again. He just tried to love his mother better.

He smiled down at the child in his arms and bounced her. "Are you ready for some cake?" he asked, pitching his voice up. She squealed in excitement and squirmed in his arms as he went over to join his mothers. The crowd parted to allow him into the center of excitement. Arms opened to him. His Aunt Tamara swept his cousin from his arms and he fell into his mothers without a care for the opinions of his friends. Anyone that cared about him knew how much this all mattered to him.

His mother handed him a large knife with a warning to be careful. He shook his head at her before taking Emma's hand. "Together?"

"Always," she said, guiding his hand over the cake and cutting the first slice. It was much too large, but it was a large cake and Emma handed it to him indulgently before cutting her own gigantic piece. He saw his mom rolling her eyes behind her.

Neal took over the cutting and dispensing of the cake and Henry settled in with his friends to eat. He really liked the man and it had been easy to call him an uncle. He'd discovered early that Neal was exceptionally gifted with a fake sword.

His family had become a fixture he never expected. He suddenly had cousins and an older guy friend he could confide in about things he didn't want to talk about with his moms. Tamara treated him like her own from the start. It was a lot. It was good. Neal made his moms laugh. He'd known Emma just as long as his mom and had loads of stories to tell and Tamara and his mom got into these intense discussions about magic he barely understood. It was great.

Henry dug into his cake and looked up at the low summer sun. He used to hate summers. During the school year, he had something to do to distract himself. Summers were always so empty. He'd hear about all the cool summer trips the other kids were taking and know a trip to the zoo was the best he could hope for.

He had been so worried about leaving Hogwarts that first year. Each spell he cast seemed to put distance between his old awful life and this new amazing one, but he knew disappointment was the only thing waiting for him that summer. His mother rescued him from that and gave him so much more than he dreamed possible.

He spotted them whispering quietly, away from everyone. They'd both been hijacked by students and guests for most of the day and he was glad they were getting a minute to themselves even if Emma was cramming her face with cake. He loved how much they loved each other. They still fought all the time, but they actually tried to work out their differences now.

It used to scare him when they fought. He remembered how they used to be toward each other and never wanted them to go back to that. They loved each other so much and were becoming a family. He didn't want to lose either of them and he didn't want them to lose it either. But after they were always reassuring him and comforting him, wanting him. It was what mothers were supposed to do and they were his mothers.

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There's a selfishness to being a childless adult that most people don't really grasp until a child comes into their lives. Some of Emma's foster parents hadn't expected the true amount of time it required to care for a child. Each grumble about how time consuming she was had stuck with her and she never let herself become one of those people. She recognized she only had to care for herself and she liked it. She had learned a long time ago that being selfish wasn't necessarily a bad thing. If you didn't care about yourself, who would?

Selflessness seems like a noble goal and it works on occasion, but you can't spend all your time worrying about the needs of others without leaving time for your own needs.

Strangely enough her own needs started to seem less important when Henry came into her life. They all lived at school so there was an automatic distance and she didn't stop being a teacher either. But Henry though. He just became something more. She had worried she would resent the energy he took from the pursuit of her own needs, but Henry had swept into her heart and crushed her worries. Stupid Neal knew what he was talking about.

She cared. A great deal. It almost made her proud of herself which was silly. In the end, she was proud of her heart. It could love someone else as intensely as it loved Regina. She had thought it was impossible for too many years, but it wasn't. This party had made Regina irritable and a pain in the ass, but Emma felt no resentment. She was just happy.

Regina had been right. Henry was so like her in many ways. Their biggest difference had slowly been whittled away. He had always been a believer. He had made her one, too. She believed in so many things now. She believed in happy endings. She believed in love. She believed in love so much. She woke with Regina and ended with her as well. She spent her days with students or with Henry. Her every day was so full of it how could she not?

All was well.