31 Years Ago

15 year old Regina Mills walked inside her home and immediately heard crying. She instantly recognized it as her brother's and walked to the living room where the crying was heard and she walked inside seeing her 4 year old brother sitting on their mother's lap as she cleaned his forehead.

"What happened?", the girl asked in horror and Cora sighed kissing Rex's forehead softly.

"He fell down the stares", she said and Rex turned to his sister who squatted down in front of him and their mother.

"Hi sweetie", Regina whispered stroking his back softly and the boy leaned back in to his mother's neck. Cora sighed and held him close, letting him relax. Regina stood from her spot on the floor and sat on the couch next to her mother continuing stroking her brother's back. The boy turned to his sister and looked at her with small eyes and Regina smiled at him, caressing his cheek. "Wanna be in my arms?", she asked softly and Rex nodded turning fully to his sister.

Regina smiled softly at him taking him into her arms and held him tight against herself, holding onto him for dear life. Watching her brother getting hurt, destroyed her inside. "You're okay", she whispered and Rex pulled back from her neck and looked up at her. He brought his fingers to her face and Regina smiled kissing his fingers, making him smile as well.


Present Time

Emma stood in front of the mirror in her room, looking over her dress for the fifth time in the last two minutes. To say she was nervous would be an understatement. A knock on the door interrupted her and she turned to see Regina standing in the doorway. "Hi", said softly and Regina smiled back at her walking inside.

Emma turned around looking back in the mirror and Regina came to stand behind her. "You look beautiful", she whispered and Emma smiled meeting her eyes in the mirror.

"Thanks", she whispered back and Regina noticed the girl's nervousness. She smiled softly and brought her hands to her daughter's shoulders, messaging them gently.

"It's gonna be great sweetie. You know it"

Emma sighed and nodded looking down. Regina furrowed her eyebrows, but waited for her daughter to speak. And it took longer for her than Regina had thought before the girl turned around meeting her eyes without the mirror. "Gina?"

Regina smiled and cupped her daughter's cheeks looking into her eyes. "You've grown so much", she whispered looking down at her daughter and said daughter smiled at her. Regina smiled and leaned in, kissing her forehead softly and Emma couldn't stop her smile from getting wider. "I love you"

"I love you too Gina"

A doorbell disturbed their moment and Emma took a deep breath looking over her dress one more time and Regina smiled and kissed her forehead once more. "You look beautiful. Like you always do sweetie"

Emma smiled and kissed her mother's cheek before walking out of the room, her purse in her hand. Regina smiled at her, following her with her eyes and lastly stood alone in her daughter's room. She sighed deep and walked out of the room and walked down the hallway seeing Emma and Madison standing in the doorway, kissing softly. She cleared her throat making the two girls pull back from the kiss and turn to the brunette.

"Uhm, mom this is Madison. Madi, this is my mom. Well, one of them. You guys already met", Emma introduced them and Regina gave a polite smile to the girl who gave an equal polite smile, holding out her hand.

"Nice to see you again miss Mills", she greeted her and Regina smiled taking the offered hand.

"Like wise"

Emma smiled at the two and turned to her mother. "I'll be home around ten", she said kissing her cheek and Regina smiled nodding before kissing her forehead softly.

"I trust you on that one. Have a good time"

"Thanks mom. Love you"

"I love you too. Be safe", she whispered and Emma smiled at her before walking out of the house with Madison next to her.

The young love birds drove in silence, the soft music in the radio as the only sound along with Madison's car engine. "Are you okay?", Madison asked softly seeing Emma bouncing with her legs.

"I'm fine, I'm just...", Emma trailed off but Madison understood.

"I know. Me too", she said softly taking Emma's hand into her own and Emma smiled softly at her. They drove in silence for another few minutes until Madison stopped at a parking lot.

"You ready?", she asked and Emma smiled nodding. They got out of the car and Madison took Emma's hand into her own squeezing it gently. They walked to the restaurant and Madison opened the door for Emma who smiled at her.

"Hello. Table for two?", a woman asked and they both turned to the tall blonde woman who smiled back at them.

"Yes please. Madison Hastings", the taller girl said and the woman smiled and nodded seeing the name in the book.

"Yes, miss Hastings. Please follow me", the waitress said and the two girls smiled and followed the tall blonde over to a private table in a corner.

"Thank you", Madison said and the woman smiled and gave them their menus.

"What would you like to drink?", she asked and the two girls turned to each other.

"Do you drink wine?", Madison asked and Emma smirked.

"I do indeed. White?"

Madison smiled and turned to the waitress, silently asking and the woman smiled nodding. "A white wine on the way"

The woman walked away and the two girls began looking at the menu, looking at the dishes.

"What are you thinking?", Madison asked with a smile and Emma smiled back at her.

"I was thinking the burger. It looks delicious"

Madison smiled nodding. "What about you?"

"The burger as well I think. Maybe some fries to go along", she suggested and Emma felt her mouth water.

"That sounds great. We should do that", she said closing the menu and Madison smiled looking down, a blush on her face. She called the waitress over and ordered their food before turning to Emma, who sat with her phone in her hand.

"Anyone special?", she asked with a hint of tease and Emma chuckled.

"Just my mom. My other mom. She just wanted to make sure you actually came and didn't stood me up", she said and Madison blushed looking away.

"Well, at least I didn't", she said and Emma smiled at her. They sat in silence, staring at each other in the eyes and Emma only felt herself falling even more for the taller girl.

"Alright, the wine for the ladies", the tall blonde waitress suddenly said appearing again and the two girls blushed looking away. Emma looked up at the waitress and immediately frowned as she recognized the face.

Ingrid smiled at the girl, winking as she gave them their wine. She poured the wine in their glasses before placing the bottle down and walking away. Emma took a deep breath of relief, eyeing Ingrid as she left. Had Regina seriously told the woman to spy on her? Regina owed her an explanation.

Once they were done eating they asked for the check and Ingrid came over with it smiling at the girls. "So. Who's the gentlewoman and pays the bill? Or are you sharing it?", she asked and the two girls turned to each other.

"I'm paying", they both said in unison and Ingrid smirked nodding.

"How about I just leave this here and you two love birds can figure it out in privacy", she said leaving the bill on the table before leaving. The two girls turned to each other and smiled softly.

"Em it's only fair I pay. I asked you out", Madison said and Emma sighed nodding.

"Alright. But I'm paying next time Madi"

Madison smiled and took out her wallet, laying a few dollar bills on the table before standing up, holding out her hand. "Come on. I have something to show you", she said and Emma smiled and took the offered hand walking out of the restaurant.


"You know you do your thing. Our children has always done that", Angela said before sipping her wine and Cora chuckled nodding, the two women sitting on the couch in Cora's apartment.

"They have. Always done things without telling us", she said taking her own sip and Angela furrowed her eyebrows, eyeing her good friend with a suspicious look.

"What do you know, Cora?"

Cora smirked taking another sip and Angela frowned. "I will not like this will I?"

"I don't know. Depends on how important Jane's virginity was to you", she said and Angela frowned even more.

"What?"

"I was told by my oldest daughter that our children slept together for the first time in his room when they were seventeen", she said and Angela widened her eyes.

"What?! Janie told me they first did it when they were eighteen!"

"So did Rex tell me. But Zelena decided to kiss and tell a couple of weeks ago"

Angela sighed deep and took a big sip of her wine. "My dear lord", she said and Cora laughed lightly before laying her head on Angela's shoulder.

"We've done a good job with them don't you think?", she said and Angela nodded with a smile.

"I have to admit we have. They've all grown to become very responsible adults. They've gotten children of their own, three more soon to come"

Cora smiled taking another sip and turned to Angela who smiled back at her. Cora could see Angela lean in closer and she could just feel her friend's breath against her lips when the front door suddenly opened and the two elder women jumped apart, spilling their wine all over each other. "Oh my god", Angela gasped out and Cora widened her eyes before quickly running over to the kitchen to get a towel, seeing her youngest daughter standing in the doorway.

"Regina, darling, how are you?", she asked with a blushing face and Regina froze as she looked at the blush on her mother's face.

"I'm... I'm good... Did I interrupt something?", she asked with a frown, but Cora shook head as she cleaned Angela's jeans from the wine. Regina furrowed her eyebrows, eyeing her mother suspiciously. Her mother always had the habit of lying when she wasn't looking them in the eye. That's how all her children always knew when she lied. Cora could never lie to her children while looking them in the eye.

"Alright. Well I just came to tell you see how you were doing. But I see you were rather busy"

Cora eyed her daughter before turning to Angela's jeans that were now as clean as they could be under the circumstances. "I'm very sorry Angela. I have a few jeans if you want to borrow some", she offered but Angela just shook her head.

"Oh it's fine Cora, don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault"

Cora sighed and nodded turning to her daughter who stood with her arms crossed. "How are you Regina?", she asked again and Regina stood with a big frown on her face, not knowing how to respond.

"Should I go, or...?", she asked pointed her finger at the front door and the two women blushed hard, Cora reacting immediately.

"No no, sweetie. You don't have to. You didn't interrupt anything. Angela and I were simply talking about our children", she said and Regina could see the truth. But she knew they had done something else. That wasn't hard to see in her mother's eyes.

"Alright. Well the boys are at home, while Emma is on a date. I just needed some air and figured I could walk over here. It was the closest anyway", she explained walking over to the couch sitting down and Cora sighed and walked over as well, sitting down next to her daughter.

"Do you need something else? Water, food?", she asked and Regina chuckled shaking her head.

"No thank you. I just need you right now", she said leaning into her mother and Cora nodded bringing her arms around her daughter.

"I'm gonna take a shower, does any of you need to go before I...?", Angela asked, trailing off and mother and daughter shook their heads giving the woman a soft smile. Angela smiled nodding before walking down the hall and into the bathroom.

The mother and daughter sat in the living room in silence for a few moments before Regina decided to speak up. "Did daddy know?", she asked quietly and Cora furrowed her eyebrows.

"Know what darling?"

"That you're into women", Regina answered and Cora sighed deep. She knew she was exposed.

"When I was Emma's age, it wasn't normal to be attracted to the same gender. Some people saw it as confusion. Others saw it as a curse. And a very few saw it as a blessing", she started out and Regina furrowed her eyebrows.

"A blessing?"

"For a better society in the world. So many people lived in fear of being exposed. It wasn't easy to be yourself. You had to be what others wanted you to be or expected of you. Men went to war, fighting for their country. Women stayed home and took care of the children and the house. If I suddenly came to your grandparents and told them that I liked this girl, they would take me for a cursed child and lock me in the basement without food or water, only locking me back out when I was cured", she said and Regina couldn't begin to imagine how some people could do that to a kid. Luckily her mother had been smarter than that.

"I'm glad you turned out okay", she said and Cora smiled at her daughter, caressing her cheek with the back of her hand.

"Me too sweetheart"

Regina smiled at her and leaned her head against her mother's chin. "But don't ever doubt my love for your father. I've always loved him deeply and I always will"

"But you like Angela", Regina suddenly said and Cora closed her eyes sighing deep.

"Rex and Jane deserve each other. Their relationship shouldn't be sat on halt because of Angela and I. They deserve to be together"

"So do you and Angela, mother"

Cora sighed and kissed her daughter's forehead. "You know me Regina. I always put my family before myself"


"You didn't have to walk me to the door Madi", Emma said with a look, but the tall brunette just smiled nodding as she squeezed Emma's hand.

"I know, but I wanted to", she said as they stopped in front of the door and Emma smiled up at her. She felt an arm around her waist and she was pulled closer, her eyes looking down at Madison's lips before looking back up.

Not being able to wait any longer, she leaned up and brought their lips together, feeling her heart beating faster. Madison's lips moved against her own and she couldn't stop herself from moan, pulling her closer. She felt her member hardening and knew she had to pull away. Pulling away, she felt Madison smile against her lips before pulling fully back meeting her eyes.

"That was amazing", Madison whispered and Emma smiled nodding. They stood in the comfortable silence, the wind quietly moving around them.

"I like you", Emma whispered and Madison smiled at her.

"I like you too", she whispered back and Emma smiled and looked up meeting the taller girl's eyes, before leaning in, kissing her once more.

Suddenly the front door opened and the two girls broke the kiss, turning to the door seeing Henry standing in the doorway. "Hey you two love birds. I thought I could hear some talking"

Emma closed her eyes in embarrassment, looking away while Madison eyed Henry. "Good evening Henry. We were just saying goodbye", she said and Emma nodded, Henry smiling at her.

"Yeah I see that. But I will go so you can finish your goodbye", he said and walked back inside, closing the door after him. He walked back to the living room and met his mother who sat on the couch.

"Yep, they were there", he said sitting down next to her and Regina sighed nodding.

"Sorry. I didn't think he would come out here", Emma apologized but Madison just smiled at her.

"It's okay, don't worry"

Emma sighed in relief and brought her hand to the taller girl's neck caressing it gently. "Emma I... I don't have words to describe how much I like you", Madison suddenly started out and Emma looked up at her, letting her continue. "You're so beautiful and amazing and your smile takes my breath away. I haven't scored anyone this good and I want to show the world that you're mine. But first off, i think you have to be mine, so... Emma... Will you be my girlfriend?", Madison asked and Emma smiled at her.

"Yeah. That would be great. I would love to", she whispered and Madison smiled and brought the girl in for a hug, hugging her tight. They said their goodbyes with one last kiss and Madison drove home while Emma walked inside meeting Regina and Henry in the living room, a smirk on Henry's face. Emma immediately blushed hard looking away.

"I'm gonna take a shower"

Henry chuckled turning to his mother who sighed looking away. He sighed deep and brought his arms around her. "She still loves you. She always will", he whispered and Regina nodded feeling tears forming.


Regina laid quietly in bed, sleeping soundly when the door suddenly opened and Emma stepped inside, watching the brunette sleep. She sighed and walked over to the bed laying down quickly next to her mother face to face. She moved closer to the woman, bringing her arm around the woman's waist and buried her face in her neck.

Regina felt the body against her front and she immediately felt herself relax even more. She brought her hand to Emma's back as well and brought her impossibly closer, making Emma feel safe. "Are you okay?", she asked softly and Emma sighed deep nodding.

"I just need you", she whispered and instantly fell asleep. Regina sighed and kissed the girl's face softly before closing her eyes.

"I love you Emma. I always will"