A/N: As promised, here is another update to my first Christmas story ever! :) I have highly been enjoying writing this for you all, and appreciative of all your endless support regarding it. I am happy to say that all my readers will be VERY happy with this chapter, but maybe a little frustrated near the stopping point. Happy reading!

"Thank you." Regina smiled, walking along with the blonde by her side, along a lit up path with strands and strands of Christmas lights, "That's about the sweetest gesture anyone's ever had with me. I haven't skated in a very long time."

Emma smiled in response, "I'm just happy I was able to make that happen for you. Merry Christmas, Regina."

"You're just some kind of Santa Claus, aren't you?" Regina teased, love seeing Emma chuckle in response, "Be honest with me. I won't give away your secret."

"Mm… I prefer to think of myself more as a knight in shining armor."

Regina's cheeks turned pink, her smile growing, "Oh, God… you just had to bring that up."

"I have a good memory, yes." Emma grinned. She paused for a moment, "You know, I've never thanked you for giving me this chance, at having a family. It certainly has been an interesting couple of days. Getting to know each member of your family has been quite an adventure."

Regina chuckled, "Well, I have to applaud you for not taking off on me sooner. Anyone else in your situation would have."

"For the record…" Said Emma, her eyes finding brown orbs, just as she stopped their walking, "I think Daniel was an idiot for leaving you. He sure missed out on having the best gift this Christmas."

"Oh, yeah? What's that, a crazy family?" Regina smiled.

The blonde shook her head, her eyes locking on Regina's own, "No. I mean, yeah, they're a bonus thrown into the deal, but-" She chuckled, "I meant you."

"Me?" Her brow raised, a chuckle escaping her, "You're quite the charmer, aren't you?"

Emma grinned, "Oh, all the time. Aren't you glad it's me who's here with you and not your ex?"

"I'd say that's a definite possibility." Regina's grin matched the blonde's. She looked down to an outstretched hand by the blonde, which she took without hesitation, walking along hand in hand. "You know, to be honest…" She paused, her heart beginning to race inside her chest as she turned to face her, "I almost wish you didn't have to leave."

"Almost, huh?" Emma's brow raised.

"Yeah." The brunette admitted, "As crazy as this started out to be, it hasn't been bad. You've really made a huge difference for me this Christmas."

Emma's eyes locked on the brunette's once again, standing before her, "Just almost?" She whispered, her face only inches apart from Regina's.

Brown eyes locked onto green, her body freezing, not because of the cold, but because she could slowly feel Emma's arm snake around her form once again, like when they were dancing. Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, she managed to whisper, "There's a mistletoe above us, isn't there?" She randomly asked.

The corner to Emma's lip twitched into a tiny, knowing smile, her eyes looking above them.

A small laugh escaped the brunette once she glanced up, seeing a mistletoe hanging just above them. She shook her head, a smirk playing at her lips.

"You did that, didn't you?" She asked the sneaky blonde.

"Ah, that would have been Leroy." Emma nodded.

"Oh, Leroy…" Regina nodded, not at all believing her, "Right. A real heart of gold kind of guy, huh?"

"Oh, huge." The blonde nodded, "Huge heart of gold kind of guy. Yeah, he's the biggest softie of us all. You should see him cry with Christmas movies. He even cried during Dumbo, but don't tell him I told you that."

Regina chuckled, allowing a small laughter to escape her, shaking her head, "Well, we wouldn't want to let him down, I suppose."

"Definitely not." Emma shook her head, "He would be crushed. I mean, I couldn't do that to him, he's been a really great friend to me."

"You really are magic, Ms. Swan." She whispered, leaning in slowly.

A tiny smile tugged at both women's lips as they finally came together in a soft kiss.

The cold was no longer an issue, due to their bodies coming more and more together, while their lips danced in this dance that both had been wanting for quite some time. Regina could even dare to say it was the most magical moment she had ever experienced in all her years.

While Emma, she couldn't help to think what would happen after this moment. Would things change? Would it complicate them?

She wasn't sure, but then again, right now- she didn't care.

All that mattered was this moment.

The next morning, things were different. They felt different. So real that it frightened Regina, but excited her all at once. Her eyes were brighter, her smile larger, and her cheeks caught this shade of pink on them that made her look absolutely radiant.

After making their bed, she quickly checked herself in the mirror once again, running her fingers through her hair one last time and checking her lipstick.

Her choice of wardrobe? Jeans and a black sweater today.

"Well, look at you!" Zelena smiled, seeing her come down the stairs.

"What?" Asked Regina.

"I don't know… you look absolutely… radiant!"

"So do you, Zel." Regina smiled.

"Oh, I know, but spill…" Zelena's brows rapidly moved up and down in a teasing manner, "Where did you and Emma disappear to last night?"

"No where." She replied, heading her way towards the kitchen, where the smell of food already began hitting her nostrils.

"Oh, come on, Regina." Zelena, stood in front of her sister, blocking her entrance into the kitchen, "I'm your sister. You can tell me."

"Mm!" Jefferson came up, chewing on a piece of his grilled cheese sandwich he was holding, his eyes on Regina, "I have to ask Emma how she makes these. They are so good."

Zelena rolled her eyes, "It's a grilled cheese sandwich, Jefferson. How hard can throwing some cheese in between two slices of bread be to cook?"

Jefferson playfully grinned at his redheaded sister, "You're just jealous because Robbie can't do that." He walked away, taking another bite out of his sandwich. "Mm, Em, you'll have to make me another. And maybe a few to take back home with me when we all leave to live our boring, dull lives."

Emma smiled, brighter than before, standing in front of the stove, "As many as you'd like." Her eyes moved along to glance at Regina, who was also looking her way. A tiny smirk playing on her lips.

Kathryn's eyes exchanged knowing looks in between the blonde and brunette.

"So, Christmas Eve!" Henry Sr beamed, a bright rosy cheek smile to him, "Which means, snowmen time!"

"Yay!" Hope beamed, jumping in her seat.

"And I always do make the best snowman." Jefferson leaned up against the wall, taking another bite of his sandwich.

Regina moved along towards the stove, plate in hand, her eyes focused on Emma's, who wouldn't stop staring.

"Excuse me, but…" Kathryn spoke, "That was before I joined into this family. We shall see who makes the best snowman now." Everyone shared a laugh.

"Would you like one?" Emma asked the brunette, holding up an already made sandwich, placing it on her plate.

"Thank you." Replied Regina.

"My pleasure." Emma gave her a knowing look.

"So, after breakfast, everyone head on outside and prepare to build your snowmen." Henry Sr announced.

"Isn't it a bit early, Henry?" Asked Cora, "It is cold out there."

"It's all part of the fun!" He beamed.

Jefferson nudged his sister, standing beside her once she moved away from Emma. "Everything okay with you two?" He asked her.

"Yeah." Her brows furrowed, "Why?"

He shrugged, "You just seem different."

"Different how?" She asked.

He nodded his head over to the living room, which they quietly and unknowingly walked to, without alerting anyone else. Anyone but Emma that is.

A tiny smirk played on Jefferson's lips, "Come on, sis. I may not be a big expert on the subject, remember?" He whispered, "But, I know the look of love when I see it." His smirk grew once Regina hid her rosy cheeks from him, her eyes glancing over at Emma, who was looking their way, "So, tell me. What happened between you two?"

"I for one, would love to know the answer to that question myself." Kathryn whispered, standing behind the two siblings.

Regina rolled her eyes at both, "What is this? An interrogation about my personal life?"

"Ooh, personal life." Jefferson grinned.

"Whatever happened must have been big." Kathryn's grin matched his.

Regina groaned.

"Hey." Jefferson nudged her, "You know that I love Emma, right?" His eyes locked on Regina's, "I for one would be totally fine with you two becoming an actual couple. I mean, she's great. She's the best thing that's ever happened to you," he chuckled, "and it certainly stopped mom and Zel from nagging on you."

Kathryn nodded, "I second that." She smiled at the brunette, "I mean, who knew after dating so many men, you would find love in a woman as good as her? I think it's great. You deserve this."

Regina sat on the nearest couch, releasing a big sigh, "Do I? I mean, I've been confused about this whole ordeal myself."

"Of course you deserve this, Regina." Kathryn sat beside her best friend, as well as Jefferson.

"Come on, if anyone deserves to be happy with someone, it's you." Said her brother, "You know that, don't you?"

"I don't know." Regina shook her head, "I mean sure, she kissed me last night, but-"

"She kissed you?" Kathryn beamed.

"Shh…"

Jefferson grinned, "Way to go!"

Regina groaned, covering her face with her hands.

"Alright." Kathryn grabbed her best friend by the shoulders, "Question here is: Did you like it?"

"Kathryn-" She chuckled, shaking her head.

"No, the question here is: Do you wish for it to go further? You know, for real this time." Asked Jefferson.

Her brain asked her that same question a million times last night after lying in bed, tossing and turning and grinning like a fool.

"Whatever you decide to do, Regina," Kathryn spoke, shaking the brunette from her thoughts, "Know that I am behind you one hundred percent."

"That includes me too." Jefferson held onto his sister's hand, a smile to him.

"Emma is pretty crazy about you. Anyone can see that." Said Kathryn, her eyes locking on brown, "Love comes in mysterious ways, when we least expect it. Don't throw away a good thing."

"Besides," Spoke Jefferson, "Can you imagine if mom or pop or even Zelena would find out that this whole thing with you and Emma was a sham? Dad would surely die of a heart attack."

Kathryn scoffed, smacking Jefferson on the arm, while Regina gave him a cold glare.

"No pressure, Jefferson?" Kathryn hissed.

"Thanks a lot." Regina stood from the couch, "You know, I'm… I'm gonna get started on the snowman. I'll be outside." She reached for her coat and scarf, wrapping it quickly around her neck, and heading out the door.

A could of breath puffed out of the brunette's lips once she was outside, standing on the porch of her family's cabin. Her mind and even her heart now, racing with a million questions that needed answers. Especially, because this lying thing was supposed to be easy, but now it was becoming hard and heavy to carry on her shoulders.

Jefferson was right. If her father found out about this lie, he would surely die of a heart attack. Even after she would have to lie and make up the story of them breaking up once they went on home to live their lives again and away from here. Whatever the news would be, it would affect him.

And it was all Daniel's fault. Yes, she blamed him. Had he not broken up with her she wouldn't be here having to lie to her father, whom she loved the most in this world. Next to her son, and her brother and okay her sister and mother too.

Snow crunched underneath her boots, as she made her way off the porch. She bent down to roll a ball of snow within her hands. Her eyes glaring at a certain tree trunk. Swinging her arm back, she took a shot at it, missing it by an inch as the snowball went flying past it.

Even a damn tree trunk was getting the better of her. Great.

"You're thinking too much."

Regina turned to find Emma standing a few feet behind her, hands stuffed inside her pockets.

Emma walked on over to her, bending down to reach for some snow, rolling it into a ball and handing it over to the brunette. "Try again."

"Is there anything you don't know how to do?" Regina asked her, glaring, taking the snowball from her hand.

The blonde smiled, standing behind the brunette, "Clear your mind. Try thinking about… the little things. Nothing too overpowering." Regina took in the sound of Emma's voice, which was calming to her, "Now… try again."

Regina threw the snowball, aiming for the tree trunk once again. A smile tugging at her lips once she saw the snow explode into pieces against it.

"See." Emma smiled, standing near the brunette again, her body bending down to reach for another pile of snow, rolling it into a ball. She tossed it, hitting the tree, waiting for Regina to speak, like she knew she would.

Sure enough, there was that question lingering on the brunette's expression. Her eyes locking on the blonde's.

"What are we going to do, Emma?" She asked her.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked.

"With this." The brunette sighed, "I mean, if we keep this up and we keep lying to my family- to my father. He's going to be crushed when we supposedly break up by the end of this."

"Regina, it's going to be fine." Said Emma.

"Is it?" She asked.

"Yes."

"How do you know?"

This time Emma sighed, tucking her hands inside her pockets, "Because you said so yourself. Why is this bothering you so much all of a sudden anyway? It's Christmas Eve, after that it'll all be over after the new year."

Then, Emma saw something different in the brunette's eyes.

"Is that what you want?" Asked the brunette. "For all this to be over?"

Emma glanced down at her boots, and the snow as she muttered out her reply, "No." She glanced up at her again, "To be honest with you, I've been having the time of my life here with you and your family that…" She chuckled, "I sometimes wake up thinking that all this is real."

"You do?" There was a special kind of sparkle in her eyes. Her voice soft.

The blonde nodded, her head looking down towards her boots again, "But, it's not, is it?" Green eyes looked up.

There was a moment of pause.

"Look, Gina," Emma continued, sighing out a cloud of cold breath, "I think we can both agree here that things between us have been different ever since we-"

"Ever since we kissed?" Regina finished her sentence.

Emma nodded, "Yeah." The corner of her lip twitched into a tiny smile, "I mean, I can't deny wanting to kiss you."

"I gathered that since you did place a mistletoe just above us last night."

She chuckled, looking away for a minute, until her eyes met with brown ones and surprisingly a pearly white smile.

"Emma…" Regina thought about the correct way to word things, because just like she knew this conversation would take place sooner or later, she knew- Emma knew it too. "What if I didn't want you to leave?"

Her brows furrowed, "What?"

Regina swallowed the lump in her throat, drawing in a sharp breath, along with a hint of bravery. But, just in case, she moved along the very tree trunk they aimed at with snowballs, catching a glance of Emma following her every step.

"Because you're right. Things… did change."

Emma nodded, walking around the tree trunk, her eyes never leaving brown ones, "Especially when you checked me out naked."

Brown eyes grew wide, "I did not!"

"Yeah, you did." Emma smirked.

Regina rolled her eyes, "Can we focus on one thing?"

"You mean, like you admitting to Kathryn that you've been wanting to kiss me for a while?" Emma teased.

"Oh, God…" The brunette's cheeks became a shade of pink, "You heard that."

"It was kind of hard not to- Gina- hey." Emma grabbed onto Regina, who was ready to run into the house, their eyes locking on each other again, "I've been wanting to kiss you too. For the longest time." She chuckled, "To be honest, I…" She paused, finding her own courage, "I've been wanting to kiss you ever since we met in that bar that night. And us seeing each other again here, of all places- I was happy. For the first time in my life, I was happy about something."

Emma was on a roll, so why stop there?

"And if I agreed to help you out with lying to your family about us being together, it's because you looked so beautiful that I couldn't possibly say no. And I know, I know you said to me at the bar that you were into men, but, Regina these days days I've spent with you, have been more than I ever thought they would be." She paused, "I wasn't expecting to love my time here, being with you, and Henry and your entire family." A smile tugged at her lips, "But, you gave me a wonderful gift, one that I could never ask for- one I probably don't even deserve. And, I don't want to give that up."

"So…" Regina's voice was a whisper, "Are you saying… that you don't want to leave?"

"Not if you don't want me to." Emma replied, another smile tugging at her lips, "What I'm trying to say is, why should we hurt your father and say this is a lie, when we could just simply leave it as is," she stepped forward, leaning against the tree, her face only inches away from Regina's, "and become the real thing?"

A smile tugged at the brunette's lips, "The real thing?" She asked, leaning in more.

Emma nodded, her face leaning in, "Officially. No one has to know, no one gets hurt."

The brunette's smile grew, "I think I'd like that."

Their lips caressed with one another, brushing lightly against each other-

"Regina!" Their heads turned to the sound of a voice that startled them both.

Regina's eyes grew wide, her lips parted at the person standing a few feet before them, "Daniel?" She called out to him, wondering how in the world did he even know where to find her.