I don't own anything but my imagination.
A/N: I'm super sorry guys! I have been really busy to be completely honest. I have no other accuses. I am not proud of my lateness, so again, I'm sorry. This story will done in about 4 chapters. Crazy right!? I wanted to get this out quicker so my beta hasn't even proofed it-all mistakes are mine (as usual). After this I have an upcoming story that I've been writing. Be excited. It'll be worth it. ;)
For a whole week Emma had been Mr. Thadis' personal picture taking slave. The fact that he consistently called her a "photo-er-grapher" instead of a photographer racked every nerve she had. She corrected him one time, by accident, and he had given her a look that made her involuntary corrections cease for the rest of the week. His son, Adam, was a breath of fresh air due to the fact that she got to get away from Mr. Thadis for at least 8 hours a day, but not from his personality which was something she'd rather forget. It really wasn't hard to get the shots she needed that week for which she was grateful because having to stay longer than needed was plan B. Emma always said plan B sucked, and that thought didn't change during her week in Seattle.
Emma was racing back to Chicago as soon as the prints were in her temporary boss' hands, almost forgetting to get paid too. She had talked to Sophia everyday and Regina almost every night. It hadn't helped her newly invigorated libido at all, those calls with Regina. She had even talked to Henry a few times though he wasn't much of a talker.
Once she saw the welcome to Illinois sign she began to breath easier knowing how close she was to her family. To her family, she thought with a smile because that's exactly what Sophia, Regina and Henry were. Family.
"Regina?" Mary Margaret called out while knocking rapidly on Emma's apartment door.
Regina had decided to make dinner for everyone for when Emma got back. She liked to think of it as a coming home celebration. Truth be told, Regina had missed Emma more than she had planned.
"Hello, Mary." Regina opened the door with the light greeting receiving only a warm smile in return.
"Regina!" Regina only had a moment to brace herself before a 9 year old weight crashed into her middle.
"Hello, darling. I see we forgot our keys, hmm?" Regina raised an eyebrow, and even though Sophia couldn't see it above her head Regina still felt the girl shift to nervous.
"Well, I had them, I promise, but then I lost them too. Kinda?" Sophia brought a hand up to her lips where she began to pick and pull at her bottom lip with her nails.
Regina smiled down at the girl before pulling the hand away to pull the girl to the kitchen behind her. "It's quite alright, but you need to be more responsible you have some big things coming up. I don't know how your mother will feel about it but until we find out let's just make her dinner."
"Henry?" Sophia asked quietly while subtly looking around.
"He is currently at tutoring. He should be her in about 30 minutes." Sophia was smiling by the time Regina was done speaking and went to wash her hands neither one noticing the way Mary was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed, and a curious smile on her face.
Emma had made it. She was in Chicago and all felt well again. She could see her apartment building and she could see her parking spots. She could see Mary Margaret's old PT cruiser, and she could see Regina's mercedes. Regina's mercedes? Emma had to quickly go back and try to remember if Regina was supposed to be there and when nothing came up she just shrugged happily and parked next to the other women's cars. She was too happy to stop now.
When she made it to her door she could hear laughter drifting into the hallway, and she smiled herself. Before she could get too far she heard her name being called in a voice that made her lips quirk.
"Emma, you're back!" Henry took the side hug Emma was offering, only a side hug because of the bag on her opposite side.
"Yup, kid, I'm back. Where are you coming from?"
Henry scowled and scuffed the ground with the tip on his sneaker as he answered. "Tutoring."
"What's so bad about tutoring?"
" I just don't like it," Henry shrugged his shoulders trying to seem nonchalant, but failing.
Emma set her bag down and crouched down to be eye level with the boy. She clutched his chin lightly bringing his eyes to hers. "Listen, kid, sometimes in life we aren't going to be able to do the things we want to do without a little bit of help. You're smart, so smart, and so what if you need a little bit of tutoring? It's only to make you the best you can be. You get me?"
Henry smiled widely and nodded before flinging his arms around Emma's neck. "Yeah, I get you."
"He gets you, but I have been trying to tell him the same for the past week." Cora finally introduced herself into the conversation.
Emma chuckled and stood up, hand already outstretched for a familiar handshake. Cora took the hand, but instead of shaking it she pulled Emma into a full frontal hug, chuckling when Emma more so fell than walked into it.
"It's good to have you back. I don't think I could have taken much more of his badgering." Cora whispered loud enough for Henry to her, and make him roll his eyes before walking into the apartment.
"It's good to be back."
Cora cleared her that before subtly gesturing to herself.
"Oh and it's good to see you!" Emma said nervously while backing away closer to the door.
Emma stopped moving when Cora turned around to go back down the stairs. "Are you not coming in?"
Cora turned with a genuine smile. "No, no. Just tell my daughter I said hello and you enjoy your night."
Emma may not have known Cora much but she figured when the woman said something she didn't change her mind easily so she just nodded and opened her door.
"Regina, what is that smell?"
"That would be food, Mary, do you have a problem with my cooking?"
Emma winced as she came to a stop right before the kitchen, and listened.
"No! It smells wonderful!"
Emma breathed deeply again, realizing they weren't fighting, before she walked all the way into the kitchen making sure everyone who saw her didn't let Regina know too since her back was to Emma. Sophia got excited and was ready to dash to her mom before Emma winked at her, and a fidgeting Mary Margaret.
Emma quickly wrapped her arms around Regina's slim waist, and tightened her hold as Regina jumped and tried to turn around.
The next thing she knows there's a wooden spoon smack dab in the middle of her forehead.
"Ow!" Emma looses her grip on the woman's waist and her hands fly to her head, a headache forming quickly from the surprisingly strong blow.
Regina's flailing instantly stopped once she heard that voice. She turned around slowly, hand plus spoon still in the air, and one eye shut firmly. The first thing she saw was Henry and Mary's shocked faces then Sophia trying to hold back laughter before she finally made it to Emma's scrunched face.
"Hey, babe. That's a nice swing ya got there." Emma smiled as best she could with a bruise quickly forming in the middle of her face.
Regina frowned before she dropped the spoon and ran to Emma, throwing her arms around the blonde's neck. "Hey, yourself."
Emma squeezed the woman right back before pulling away and kissing the breath out of her.
"Aww come on, Ma!" Sophia whined before her and Henry both joined the hug.
When they pulled apart, smiles and all, it was because of the random sniffling. Mary Margaret was standing watching them intently, and crying quietly. Emma knew the woman had a tough week because of Jade since Sophia had told her all about it.
Emma opened her arms wide hoping it was the right decision, and was vindicated when the woman ran to her squeezing tighter than Regina had.
"Beautiful," Mary whispered into Emma's ear making the latter smile and nod into the former's neck.
When the hugs were out of the way,and Mary left. Regina pulled Emma's arms back around her before turning around and started to cook again. Emma smirked into Regina's hair and kissed the same spot as her family went on perfectly. Her family was all Emma could think about as she held Regina and talked to Sophia and Henry tell stories of staying with their grandparents. Her family was all that mattered right then. Her family. She wasn't running away from it anymore.
A/N: The next chapter is pivotal. I hope you liked the little cute moments in this chapter. Review and tell me what you're thinking about this story so far. Thank y'all for sticking with through this. Untill next update. :)