I've been asked a couple times now if I am anywhere besides here on FF and the answer is yes! I just keep forgetting to put it on here. I am on many things. My name is always Jumping Mare. So that is Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, Deviant Art, probably something else I am forgetting. I am on Facebook too under my real person name lol and if you really want that you can find it on Twitter on my profile. I suck at Twitter lol so I'm only ever on it when the show is airing and the cast does live tweets. I prefer the fb messenger for everyday chatting. So there's that! :)

Part one of the birthday! Because it's too fun and long to put in one chapter. Please leave a review!


The Mills home...Snow didn't quite know what to think of it. She had only ever been in the house when it was practically empty. Just Regina and Henry and sometimes Emma or David. Really the fullest she had ever seen it was when the king and queen first arrived in Storybrooke and they all gathered in her living room to figure out what to do with them. But now? Now there were at least eight children with Henry, running and screaming as the king chased them around the main floor with a war cry and sword above his head. Finnegan very quickly joined in the chase, barking and bouncing to his heart's content while a laughing Regina swayed to the side and lifted a platter of food above her head to avoid the stampede in what looked to be an incredibly practiced movement.

It was the best kind of chaos and Regina seemed to absolutely thriving in it as her heels clicked against the floor. Snow couldn't recall a time when she had seen the woman in jeans but there she was in dark jeans and a dark purple v-neck tshirt the colour of a ripe plum. And of course a pair of black heels. She hadn't seen the queen yet.

"You're late!" Regina called over her shoulder with a smirk. She truly did not want Snow in her house she was only playing nice for Henry's sake, "gifts are over on the coffee table."

"Yeah it's just been one of those days," Emma chuckled and Regina smirked over her shoulder as she pushed a grape past her perfectly coloured lips, "how many kids are here?"

"Oh I don't know. They just keep showing up whenever their parents decide I am not going to eat their child," she shrugged a shoulder with a playful smile and Emma laughed, "but right now I believe there are ten not including Henry," she estimated with a wobble of her hand and then nodded at the door when there was a knock and it was pushed open to reveal Hansel and Gretel and their father, "twelve," she corrected as she walked to the door and Emma raised her brow in surprise at the number.

"Henry!" Regina called and then smiled at the trio as they met her in the middle of they foyer, "hello."

"Hi Regina," Hansel grinned and the woman smiled pleasantly.

"Regina," Michael nodded and then looked down at his daughter. But she said nothing so he pressed forward for her, "before I leave them here alone, Gretel would like to say something."

Regina's brow lifted a little in curiosity and she held Michael's eye a little longer before she looked down at Gretel who esker to be entirely unimpressed at that fact he had just thrown her under the bus, "oh?"

Gretel worked the frustrated tension from her jaw and then glanced up at her father who nodded in encouragement. So with a short sigh she looked up at the queen turned mayor, "I'm sorry I pestered you with the Girl Scout cookies. I didn't really realize how messed up you were about losing Henry. In my defence I never got over the whole candy house thing I didn't really think you had a heart, so," she shrugged and her father scolded her but Regina seemed to only be amused.

"No it's alright," she pardoned her with a smile and Michael still gave his daughter a sharp look of disapproval, "for what it is worth I am sorry for sending you in to that house unprepared and I am sorry for throwing a knife at you when you tried to sell me cookies. However it was an excellent way to release a little pent up rage," she nodded and slowly Gretel let a smirk pull at her lips despite her best efforts. Regina was smiling with her and when she gave the girl a wink, her young smile broke free with a shift of her weight and Michael simply sighed and shook his head. Clearly this was not the way he was hoping for this conversation to go. Regina had apologized to him early on in Henry and Hansel's friendship about throwing knives at his daughter. He had been surprisingly alright with the whole situation and said that he knew she never would have hit her anyway for she had a soft spot for children. And then of course threatened her not to do it again.

"We'll be fine," Regina assured with a light laugh just as Henry bounced up to her side to see what she had called him for. He didn't say a word. Simply saw Hansel and Gretel and grinned and the three of them ran off laughing to join the others. Regina watched them with a smile and when she straightened her neck she found Michael much closer to her than he had been. Not too close to be crossing any line of personal space but closer. So she looked him up and down curiously and he smiled and tilted his head.

"So there is a rumour flying around this town that you and I are spending every free moment of our time caught in sessions of passionate sex," he smirked with another tilt of his head and watched her body go still and her eyes go wide.

"...I beg your pardon?"

"Yeah it caught me by surprise too," he assured and laughed with her.

"What on earth gave them such a thought?" She chuckled with a shake of her head, conscious of not delivering a blow to his self esteem because really, if she didn't have David and Tillman had made a move, she wouldn't turn him down.

"You know, I haven't a clue," he shook his head with a laugh, pleased that she wasn't losing her mind over the news.

"Well I am afraid we cannot test this rumour for any worth," she teased and he laughed and nodded.

"Yes Henry told me last night that the rumours couldn't be true as you are currently in a, and I quote, 'serious relationship'."

"Oh he did, did he?" She nodded and folded her arms over her chest. Surely Henry wouldn't have told him it was David. Right?

"He did," he smiled and then shook his head, "but rest assured he was careful not to reveal his name, so your mystery lover remains a mystery. I for one didn't know you were seeing anyone."

"That was our intention. Seems somewhere we slipped up," she chuckled a little and he shrugged.

"No secret is safe forever," he reminded and she sucked a breath in through her smiling teeth and shrugged her shoulders up.

"Oh this one will come to surface with a bang, I assure you," she promised with a light laugh as she let her shoulders fall back down.

"Oh, you've done your fair share of 'big bangs'. Unless you're sleeping with Prince Charming, there isn't really anyone that I would be shocked to find you with," he chuckled and she gave him a smile that was just a little strained and uncomfortable. It was something he wouldn't have thought much on and probably wouldn't have even noticed at all had Prince Charming himself not walked behind her across the foyer at that very moment with a curious and slightly possessive glance at the woman's back before carrying on without a word.

Regina glanced sideways ever so slightly to see who had just walked behind her and when she saw a glimpse of David she looked back at Michael who seemed to be putting the pieces together and smiling as he did. When he looked back at her she knew he knew and she took half a step closer and he continued to look at her with an expression of utter shock and disbelief, "if you say one word-"

"Regina, relax," he soothed and she stood before him teetering between trust and distrust, "it's your life and it's his life. I just hope that for Henry's sake, it is as serious as he believes it to be."

"It is."

"Then that's all that matters in the long run anyway now isn't it," he smiled kindly and she gave a tentative smile in return with a dip of her head. "Besides, people have already warmed up to the idea," he nodded over her shoulder and she twisted at the hips to look behind her as the queen threatened her king within an inch of his life to knock it off as he slowly stomped up to her with a menacing growl and a kid on his shoulders, one on either leg, and one on his back while the rest stood behind him laughing endlessly.

Regina smiled and huffed and amused breath out her nose and then spoke aloud, unsure if it was more for herself or a reply to him, "I suppose."

"And if it doesn't work out," he shrugged and smirked and she rolled her eyes at him with a bright smirk of her own. One that creased the corners of her eyes, "you know where to find me."

"I do," she nodded and couldn't help but laugh a little when he did.

"I'll see you after the party. And good luck with that," he nodded over her shoulder and she hummed with a raise of her brow, "you're far nicer to look at than Snow anyway," he teased and she quirked her head.

"Everybody knows that," she smirked and he breathed a laugh and waved goodbye. She watched him leave with a nod in farewell and when the door closed she turned and watched the rest of the royals' situation unfold. The king had moved forward and the queen had stepped backward a few steps but other than that everything was the same and Regina found herself wondering if she could have that with David. Eventually.

"David, turn around right now," the queen threatened despite the grin pulling at her lips.

"He's not David!" The boy on his shoulders growled out with the game.

"He's a monster!" The girl latched to his right ankle cried out.

"Monster David, do not take one more step!" The queen pointed at him and was suddenly tackled from behind and had no choice but to crash in to her husband with a whoop of laughter.

"Lock her in! Lock her in!" Henry told them quickly as he laughed and kept his arms around the king and queen with Hansel.

"Henry!" The queen scolded with a laugh as the children on David's legs wrapped themselves around hers as well with shouts of victory and the boy on his back wrapped his legs around her middle as best he could. "Henry, you little hellion," she growled and the children laughed, "Hansel, I know you're there too!"

David couldn't help but break character and laugh just a little through his comical sneer as his wife laughed and tried to push herself free but there was not much she could do with the grip of five children around her ankles and middle. "There is only one way to escape the beast!" He growled through his grin.

"Oh? And what is it, you terrifying multi-limbed monster?" She pleaded sarcastically and feigned a dramatic swoon in to him that had them all laughing and laughing a little more at the shrieks of laughter from the children. She supposed it would be rather hilarious to see the proper and stern queen or mayor play such games.

"It's risky."

"I'll do anything!" She exclaimed with big eyes and a shake of her head as she leaned a little more in to him.

"You have to kiss the beast," he told her lowly and the kids on and around him giggled and grinned.

"And what's the risk in that?" She dared with a smirk. And then he grinned and they laughed and he caught her in a kiss. They kept it chaste, given their audience, but that didn't stop her from getting just a little feisty as David held her right close to him with his arms wrapped around her middle. They were smiling through the whole kiss as the kids around them laughed or groaned or let out a combination of both and when they broke it off they were laughing too.

Snow frowned as she watched the king and queen. They were happy and adorable and begrudgingly so. David and Regina were not supposed to look that good together with half a dozen children latched on to them. They looked at one another with absolute love and adoration and she wasn't sure if David ever looked at her like the king was looking at his queen. She was sick to her stomach already at the thought of losing her David to Regina. And now she was here watching two pairs of them. With that in mind she turned her gaze to find her David.

"We look adorable with kids," David smiled with his quiet voice and she flinched a little at his sudden presence, her smile faltering for only a moment before she glanced up to see him and then looked back at the king and queen finishing their game of capture.

"I've always wanted kids," she smirked a little and before he could reply with more than a simply bigger grin, she called at the kids and they all let go of the royal couple and ran to her, "time to eat!"

...

He hadn't gone this long her her house with her without kissing her since the beginning when she wouldn't let him kiss her. He was going mad without his fix of her sweet lips against his. The little minx was making it impossible for him to kiss her without breaking her rules. She was never alone. It was like she wanted to keep him from getting his kisses here so he would kiss her in the middle of Main Street. But he knew that that wasn't true. Although he had to wonder if a part of her was playing with the idea.

If they didn't reach their six kisses and he got to kiss her amid the town, he would most certainly do it right. He would make sure that there was no confusion over queen or mayor, king of sheriff, or a combination of either. He would wait until she stepped out of that precious little Mercedes of hers and pin her against it while his badge sat polished on his belt for the whole world to see that she was his and he was proud. And she would probably kill him for it. But it would be worth it.

With a smile pulling at his lips with the little daydream, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye and when he looked he found Regina headed to the kitchen. So he waited a minute or so longer before standing and detangling his hand from between both of Snow's, "I'm going to go see if she needs help with the cake," he excused simply with a smile and Snow gave him a smile in return but he knew it was far from real. He was getting the impression that she was holding him hostage this entire party. He was expecting her to follow him to the kitchen. But she didn't and he was glad for it.

He was finally alone with her and with a quick but thorough look at the kitchen and both doorways in to it, he spun her around with his hands on her hips. The gesture had her gasping in surprise and he probably shouldn't have done it when she had a knife in her hand but he caught her poised wrist before the knife got anywhere close to him and kissed away that startled gasp from her lips. Those soft, full lips that warmed him from the inside out and caused shivers to flood down his spine.

The warmth that filled him, the subtle scent that surrounded him, the taste that soothed his tongue, the silky locks that surrounded his touch, the sharp and hot breaths that gave him life, the uneven pulse in her wrist against his thumb that sent his passion shooting deeper, this woman was everything to him. Just having her pressed against him was enough to satisfy him. But when it came to Regina Mills...he was an uncharacteristically greedy man.

She was on the verge of letting out a whimper louder than what could be excused as nothing if someone were to be in the hall on their way to the kitchen. But she stopped him with a quiet and gently scornful, "ah," when the handle holding her wrist decided to slip beneath her shirt to touch the skin at her waist, "no touching," she reminded breathlessly as his heavy breaths blew over her lips and jaw and made her dizzy for him.

"I don't like your rules," he breathed and she gave him a smile that was all teeth. A smile he couldn't help but smile back at as he tipped his chin up and kissed her again. A little gentler, a little softer, but no less heart stopping.

"Don't go using all your kisses in one place," she warned with a gentle song to her words and a grin on her mouth as she let him hold her to him. He had the reins and she got to sit back and watch what he did with them. It was fun and amusing to watch him fight with himself over taking it all now or making himself make it last. He was like a child learning not to spend all his money in one place.

But he decided on one more kiss. And he made it count. She was jelly in his arms and she had her arms wrapped tightly around his neck so she could lose herself in it for just a little while and pretend, for a moment, that they didn't need to hide. But then she broke the kiss and stepped away from him with a low laugh and lifted her knife to point at him to make sure he stayed put, "three," she told him and then went back to lighting the candles on the cake.

"I still have three more," he smirked and hated that he couldn't even hold her right then. He was going to have to get clever.

"Three more what?" Snow inquired as she wandered in to the kitchen and watched as their smiles faded and the light atmosphere grew taut and heavy. She had almost hoped she was going to walk around the corner and catch them red handed. But there was nothing but the pair of them smiling and laughing while Regina readied the cake. She was both relieved and frustrated.

"Three more hints as to what I got Henry for his birthday," Regina replied smoothly and without hesitation. But her tone was cool and straight to the point to make it known she was not impressed by Snow's company.

"She's being very secretive about the whole thing," David continued seamlessly with a small laugh, taking solace in the fact that he wasn't truly lying and was merely changing the subject. He did not like lying to Snow. Keeping his love for Regina from Snow was bothering him more than he let on.

...

"Another sword! Yes!" Henry shouted excitedly as he bounced in place.

Regina rolled her eyes with a smirk and looked to both Davids who were laughing and shrugging their shoulders. Henry already had a sword in his room. And now with the addition of these two from the pair of unfortunately attractive idiots, her son was going to have three. As well as a particularly beautiful bow and quiver of arrows from the queen that would come to him when he called for it. It made her wish she had put more effort in to refining her archery skills. She was also going to have to watch for more arrows flying past her head she was sure.

"You got it?!" He shouted as he jumped up to his feet, "how did you get it?!"

"'Cause I'm awesome. How else," Emma shrugged a shoulder nonchalantly with a smirk and then let out a rich laugh when Henry tackled her in a hug with his most lusted after video game that had come out only yesterday. She was paying better attention now since Regina had practically tore her head off in the beginning for not knowing so much as Henry's favourite colour. When she caught the brunette's eye, Emma couldn't help but swell up a bit at the mayor's approving smile and respectful dip of her head. She had done well and the other boys and a couple of the girls started inching closer with quiet chatter over who would play with Henry first if Henry allowed the game to be played.

"This is awesome! Thank you!"

"You're welcome, kid," Emma laughed as Henry bounced back to his spot on the floor amongst shredded wrapping paper and still wrapped gifts.

Regina watched happily as her son grinned and laughed and remained filled with joy. As he should be. She thought for sure he was about to explode when he opened Snow's gift of about thirty new comic books. She couldn't help but laugh as he skimmed through the titles explaining how much he was going to love each one more than the other and how excited he was to read them. Regina was rather sure he was going to spend the next few days up in his room absorbed in them. He was happy and that made her happy.

"Mom! Mom, do I get to know what you got me now?!" He pleaded and she laughed with a shake of her head.

"No."

"But whe-en?!" He whined out dramatically with a laugh, "you can't just say you have a secret present that's not allowed in the house and then not show me! It's been driving me crazy all day!"

"Good."

"Please!"

"No."

"Not even a hint?!"

"It can't be wrapped."

"...Mo-om!"

"You are you to lose your head, I'm sure," the queen chuckled and the mayor smirked while Henry groaned.

"You know what it is?!" David blurted out as he looked at the smug queen with his eyebrows raised.

"Well of course. It's not as though Regina and I have too different a thought process. Her boy has everything he could ever want or need right here in this room. Everything except one thing," she smirked and the mayor smiled pleasantly and winked at her son.

"Oh come on you guys! Stop teasing! I've opened everyone else's awesome gifts!" He pleaded with a laugh and all the kids around him started to laugh quietly amongst themselves at his efforts to get his mother to speak.

"I am afraid you are going to have to wait until the end of the party lest you abandon it to spend the rest of your evening playing with what awaits you," Regina sighed out with an amused smile and Henry pushed his head back with a groan of laughter.

Emma frowned with her brow furrowed in deep thought and her arms folded, "what did you get him?" She asked with a light laugh. She had been curious of what the mayor got her son but she hadn't been dying to know and was happy enough just to wait and see. But now she wanted to know almost as bad as Henry. Regina simply smiled and shrugged a shoulder in reply.

"I'll fight you for it!" Henry challenged enthusiastically as he jumped to his feet and swung and poised one of his new swords at her with a mischievous grin. She looked back at him with her eyebrows raised and her closed lips pulling in to a wide smirk while the kids around him simultaneously let out a long 'oooooooohhh!' with their grins, excited to watch them fight. He knew his mother was not one to deny an audience a show. She had been that way for as long as he could remember. Probably for as long as Snow could remember. Now whether or not she could use a sword remained to be seen. But he was hopeful.

The kids and adults alike grew louder and her lips pursed with her smirk as she held Henry's eye. When she broke eye contact it was only to look to her right hand as she summoned her sword to it, the cold black hilt feeling like home in her grasp. It had been a long time. The living room erupted with enthusiastic hollers and shouts and cheers and comments on how great it was or how Henry was going to lose or how he was going to win. Regina had seen her son spar with David. Both the sheriff and the king. She believed it was going to be a very balanced fight.

For the first time that evening Snow found herself giving a true and honest smile. She even felt a quiet laugh bubbling in her throat as the atmosphere around them filled with life and excitement. But it was the looks on Henry and Regina's faces that did her in. She had never seen Henry so completely and entirely thrilled and she hadn't seen that playful spirit in Regina since she was a little girl and Regina was teaching her to ride without fear. Before everything went to hell.

She saw herself in Henry and a desire to cry weighted in her chest. She couldn't help but ponder on how differently things could have been if she was still able to play with Regina like Henry was now. But she didn't let herself cry. She made herself focus on how happy the pair were and how right it was for them to be together. Regina was his mother. There was no doubt with the way they were looking at one another. Snow envied it.

Henry had never seen her with a sword. He didn't even know if she had one but when he looked at the blade in her hand there was no doubt that it belonged solely to her and that had him grinning all the more as she looked back at him with chocolate eyes sparked with a whole new level of playfulness. The sword was black. The blade was black but it wasn't shiny. It was matte and threatening and the only thing that gave it any shine were the blood red rubies encrusted in the hilt and on either side of her hand. It was a sword fit for the Evil Queen. Even the Evil Queen herself looked to be drooling over it in the corner of his eye.

"Foyer has more space," he nodded to the side and she smirked a little more and quirked one eyebrow up which had him laughing before they made their way to the foyer and both kids and adults alike gathered around to watch them fight. All of them were laughing and cheering and clapping or stomping. Even Snow looked like she was having fun. And then he and his mother were poised in front of one another in the centre of the foyer, the pair of them grinning and sizing one another up.

Henry lunged first. He was met with a clash of her blade as she spun and the next thing he knew he was being flung past her and stumbling to catch his balance. Their audience cheered and stomped and laughed and he was quick to turn around and stop playing nice as he laughed and swung again. This time he didn't hold back for clearly she knew what she was doing. Their blades clashed again and again, quick and loud over their cheering and betting audience of their friends and family.

He got close once or twice and she had to dodge his blade with a pleased laugh but she always came back with greater strength and skill. Like she was remembering all of the apparent skill she had with a blade from her time in the Enchanted Forest. It was like she was levelling up or something. The thought made him laugh as he charged her again and she lifted her sword and braced it's blade with her forearm to block his swing.

And then the onslaught continued and their feet stepped quickly and flawlessly across the hard floor, clicking stilettos and near silent sneakers. Their focus grew more and more intense but their smiles never faded. David was impressed by both of them. Sure he knew Henry was good with a sword but he didn't realize how good until now. Now that he was challenged. And by Regina no less. Yes he had seen her carry a sword during her reign when she waged war on them but he hadn't thought anything of it. He assumed it had been there as an accessory to her bold war attire. Apparently he was wrong.

Her movements were sharp and quick and incredibly precise and Henry's were not all that much different. David was enthralled in the pair of them and he couldn't help but laugh in delight as he watched. It seemed Henry had bitten off more than he could chew. But then again...maybe not. Regina would never live it don't if Henry were to beat her in this spar.

"You're pretty good," she complimented with a pleased laugh as their blades clashed again and again.

"I didn't know you could use a sword," he huffed out with a laugh of his own as he swung at her but she easily dodged him with nimble feet despite the heels she wore. How she was able to move so fluidly in those, he would never understand.

"You never asked," she smirked and he laughed and threw a series of blows at her that had her using all of her focus to successfully defend herself. He nearly landed a hit and he knew he did, she could tell by the grin pulling at his lips as he continued his relentless assault on her. He threw everything he could at her and she couldn't help but laugh as he tested her muscle memory and pushed her backwards across the foyer while their audience laughed and hollered. She was growing tired and she was beginning to feel the weight of her sword with every swing but she couldn't remember the last time she and Henry had had such fun together. So her fatigue was quickly ignored. She was going to win this spar though.

He was winning, he was sure of it. He was grinning and laughing and pushing through the protest of his tired muscles so he could land at least one blow on his mother. But then his sword was being spun and ripped from his grip as she spun hers around it, using leverage and force to flip his sword in to her other hand and cross both blades in front of his throat in a sharp X. He paused in confusion for a moment and she grinned at him as she panted. And then he laughed and she laughed with him and lowered the blades from his neck as their audience laughed and clapped, "can you teach me that?!" He laughed as she offered him his sword.

"Yes I can," Regina laughed with a nod and focused a little on catching her breath.

"Awesome!" He shouted with a jump. He wasn't even mad he didn't get a hint as to what she had got him for his birthday. As far as he was concerned, this was the best birthday ever. And he had a new and better sparring partner. That was a fantastic gift in his opinion as he laughed and latched himself on to her side and she hugged him back and laughed in to his hair with her panting breaths.