Two months disappeared in a flurry of work, dates, smiles, kisses and phone calls.

It became a tradition of sorts, the phone calls. It took a little while for Regina to fully believe that she truly wasn't taking advantage of Emma. It was hard to believe that she wasn't just being silly and demanding.

Emma never made her feel that way. And when Regina once evening texted Emma and asked if they could do 'that' again, Emma had texted back right away and said that of course they could. Emma had called her so fast and once again, Regina had been taken to Paradise and back. She had tried thanking Emma afterwards, but Emma had sweetly rejected the gratitude. Regina didn't need to thank her, she had said. It wasn't a favor that Emma was doing her. It was something that pleased her just as much as it pleased Regina.

To say that Regina was enjoying the phone calls would be an understatement. The sensations thrilled her, and hearing Emma reach her own release along with hers only amped up the sensation.

A pattern developed. Kissing each other until breathless, saying goodbye and then taking things further once they were in their separate bedrooms. Regina loved those nights. She loved how Emma's voice changed and became deeper as she guided her through the pleasure. The routine had changed a little. Instead of merely guiding Regina, Emma had started asking Regina to imagine that it was her hands touching her. Emma's hands on her body.

Regina had no problem imagining that. And hearing Emma describe how and where she was touching her, drove Regina absolutely mad. The pleasure that sizzled through her body when she climaxed had brought Regina to tears a few times. She had often ended up crying into the phone by the end of it and Emma had immediately switched character and been so attentive and gentle. Had always asked her if it was happy tears.

And of course it was. It always was. Regina would never stop feeling grateful that she was functioning sexually. That she was able to feel pleasure still. If she could give herself away like this, she would also be able to give herself to Emma fully. Perhaps not yet, but that was okay. It was no longer hanging over her head like a dark cloud looming.

There had been one time where their 'activities' had not been limited to the nights only. Regina had woken up early in a particular mood after a very realistic dream. When Emma texted her good morning, it hadn't taken her long to sense that something was up. And in her usual, sweet manner she had managed to wrench the truth right out of Regina. And once Regina had told her what was 'up', it hadn't taken long before Emma offered to help her.

Naturally, Regina had said yes. And honestly, it had felt incredibly hot to do it in the morning. Kind of naughty. Like she was getting away with something. Which she sort of was.

Safe to say, Regina had been all smiles when showing up in the kitchen that morning. Zelena had been curious. Apparently, she had heard Regina's phone ring and wanted to know who was calling. Regina had given a truthful answer. That Emma was the one who had called. Then she had made up a partial lie. That she and Emma sometimes 'spoke' on the phone. Meaning that Emma spoke, and Regina listened.

Wasn't a complete lie. Emma definitely spoke. And Regina definitely listened.

To put it plainly, Regina's sex life had never been better. And there were many perks to not being sexually frustrated anymore. She slept better at night, woke up in a good mood and even her appetite seemed to have increase. Zelena kept telling her that her eyes were sparkling. Regina never commented on it, but she was well aware of the change that had happened to her. To simplify it, she felt more comfortable. Comfortable in her own skin. The barrier within her was still lifting and allowing her and Emma to do new things. One night Emma's right hand had ended up on her outer thigh when they kissed, and Regina was not frightened by it. She just found it comfortable. Once or twice, Emma had rested her head in Regina's lap, and that had been alright too. She also didn't mind it when Emma gently draped her long legs in her lap when they watched a movie. Yes, she still guided Emma's hands to the places she wanted Emma to touch, but she was definitely less hesitant about those touches.

One night, Regina had spontaneously grabbed Emma's hand and pressed it to her heart. She had wanted Emma to feel how slow and steady her heart was beating. A huge difference to how her heartbeat used to be. Too fast. But there was no room for anxiety when she was with Emma.

Emma had looked deeply touched. It had ended with Regina gently kissing away her tears. None of them were scared to be vulnerable or cry. For someone who had been forced to pretend in public and cry in secret behind a closed door, it was absolutely liberating.

None of her emotions were bad. All of them were valid. Emma was reminding her of that every single day. She was entitled to all her feelings.

She was in the middle of some sort of re-awaking where she slowly embraced all the new things and feelings. Sometimes it could be a bit of a whirlwind, but having Doctor Kristine helped. Her therapist was impressed and praised Regina for recognizing her feelings and furthermore accepting that slowing down was the only sensible road to the 'ultimate'. Physical intimacy with Emma.

"Pressuring yourself is the worst thing you can do in this situation," she had said during one of their weekly meetings. "And I am proud of you for recognizing and accepting that there are things you simply aren't ready to do yet." She knew about their 'phone arrangement' as she called it. Very tactful. Doctor Kristine was always very gracious and respectful when they talked about that.

Obviously, it still was awkward for Regina to talk about her sex life, but if she had to talk to anyone about it, Doctor Kristine was definitely the right choice.

Emma had healing powers. She and Doctor Kristine agreed about that. Emma had paved Regina's way to recovery. Doctor Kristine always made sure to remind Regina how much work she had done herself, and while Regina recognized that, she was adamant that she wouldn't have been able to do it without Emma.

Emma had sent her rays of sunshine directly into her heart. She was the one thing Regina had searched for in a very long time. A safe harbor.

Sometimes Regina feared that the other shoe would drop. An 'injury' she had sustained after her time with Killian where he often would wake up in an awful mood after having been in a good mood the previous day. It had been a struggle to adapting to his constant changing moods.

But Emma wasn't like that. Not at all.

Another thing that was becoming a steadfast part of her relationship with Emma, was Sunday evening dinner. Sunday night was often pizza night at the Mills' house, and Regina knew no one who loved pizza more than Emma Swan. So naturally, Emma was becoming a part of their Sunday evening dinner. The arrangement had started a bit out of the blue when Regina spontaneously had invited Emma to come over for dinner and then had repeated the invitation the next Sunday. And the next. Emma had tried pointing out that it was her 'turn', but Regina had always found some clever way to shush her. Most of the time with a kiss. Emma always got awfully distracted when Regina kissed her.

The Sunday night dinner arrangement worked perfectly for everybody. Sometimes Zelena and Chad were there, but most of the times it was just Regina, Henry and Emma. Not because Zelena and Chad didn't want to be there, but Zelena had said that she wanted Regina and Emma and Henry to have the opportunity to hang out together just the three of them.

Regina appreciated that. She loved seeing Emma and Henry interact. They really hit it off every time they hung out together. Henry always greeted Emma with a big old hug, and he ran his mouth all evening. He had always been a chatterbox, but he definitely took it up a notch when Emma was there. The two of them could shoot jokes back and forward uninterrupted for several minutes until Emma would suddenly look up and stroke her arm or smile at her to silently communicate that she hadn't forgotten that Regina was there.

Regina didn't mind when Emma focused on Henry, though. She loved it. Loved seeing how well they got along. Killian had never really made an effort with Henry. Sure, he had called him 'buddy', but he had never seemed genuinely interested like Emma was. He had never tried getting to know him and find out what he liked and didn't like. And naturally, Henry adored Emma. Of course. Why wouldn't he? Emma was the best thing that had happened to her.

Watching a movie after pizza had also become a solid part of their Sunday night routine. Just last Sunday, Henry had been the one to choose movie. The Sunday before that, Emma had been the one to chose (she had chosen 'Captain America') and the Sunday before that, Regina had chosen which movie they should watch (she had chosen 'Hercules'), but last Sunday it had been Henry's turn, and he had chosen the first movie in the Jurassic Park series. Regina had raised an eyebrow and had bitten her tongue not to protest. She had always felt that Jurassic Park was too violent for Henry. He was only ten years old and seeing people getting eaten by dinosaurs was perhaps not the greatest idea. Regina preferred not to expose her son to too much violence. But unfortunately, the boy happened to love Jurassic Park, and if there was something Regina was bad at, it was denying Henry anything he loved. So of course she had not protested. They had watched Jurassic Park. And it had been very entertaining listening to Emma and Henry dissecting every tiny detail in the movie. It turned out that her girlfriend was just as much of a dinosaur-geek as her son was.

Regina hadn't had much to say about dinosaurs. She had settled for just listening to the fascinating discussion between Emma and Henry. Until Emma suddenly had turned her head, leaned in and kissed her cheek. Then going 'woops' and 'hi, lovely'. After which Henry of course had called them 'gross'. But his eyes had been all ashine at the same time. He clearly did not actually mind when Emma called his mother lovely.

The discussion had continued until Henry started blinking in that particular way he always did when he was getting tired. But of course he vehemently denied being tired when she asked him. He hadn't been completely truthful, though, and exactly as predicted, his head had ended up resting on her shoulder not five minutes after. That was a part of his 'I'm tired but I don't want to admit it'-routine too. Or as Emma had mouthed. 'FOMO'. Regina had not been familiar with that term, but later, when Henry had been put to bed, Emma had told her that it meant 'fear of missing out.

But when Henry was still sitting with his head on her shoulder, Emma had smirked a bit at her. And then she had dropped her head to rest on Regina's other shoulder.

Regina had sat there with Emma and Henry's heads resting on her shoulders. It had been warm, and Emma's hair had constantly been tickling her neck. But she had been very, very happy…

Regina's Sunday started with yoga. As it did every other morning. At first, she had forced herself through the routine, but now she was happily doing it. Like the Sunday night dinners with Emma, this had become such a steadfast part of her routine, she couldn't imagine not doing it. She enjoyed doing yoga. Enjoyed seeing and feeling the effect it had on her body. She looked healthier. And she felt good too. Way more flexible than she had been in a long time.

But the yoga meant more to her than just feeling fit.

Killian had forced her to go through a hard workout every morning sometime after they had gotten engaged. No. Perhaps 'forced' was the wrong word to use. He had suggested her to do it. Which was worse than if he had forced her. Because 'suggesting' often meant that there would be hell to pay if she didn't do as 'suggested'.

So she had done so. She had gotten out of bed at five AM and exercised like her fiancé wanted her to. First, she had tried convincing herself that Killian merely was doing it to help her. Because he wanted her to look good for the wedding.

But Regina had already looked good. By the end of their relationship, she had lost so much weight she couldn't have fitted into the wedding dress even if she wanted to.

Now she was working out the way she wanted to. On her own terms.

Yes, she had many reasons to love her Sunday morning yoga routine.

Once she was done working out, she took a nice, long bath and really taken advantage of the fact that she was the only one up. Regina wasn't one for sleeping in on Sunday mornings like her son and Zelena preferred. She couldn't see the point with mucking up her sleep schedule when she was getting up early the next morning. This suited her much better, and she tipped her head back and looked forward to her lazy Sunday. Emma was coming tonight, of course. And for once, Regina was going to cook. Fried chicken. And French fries. Dreadfully unhealthy, but she had a particular craving. She had a feeling that neither Emma nor Henry wouldn't mind the changed menu. Emma loved fried food. Regina had a feeling that Emma hadn't been allowed much fast food when she was a kid. Regina knew what it was like when somebody else controlled your diet, and she could get so angry when she thought of Emma's trauma. A trauma that still sat like a wound in her. Emma was still working on that trauma. Regina knew that. Although Emma seemed to be of a different opinion. That it was over and done with. A finished chapter.

Regina knew enough about trauma to know that it wasn't. Someday, Emma's trauma would resurface. Someday, Emma would have to confront her past in some kind of way, and when that happened, Regina would be right there by her side every step of the way. She would be the support Emma had been for her. She would do anything for the woman she loved. Something she still hadn't told Emma yet.

Yes, Regina enjoyed her early morning yoga routine. Especially after the long week she'd had. Work had taken up most of her time, of course, but there had also been the parent-teacher conference at Henry's school. That had been quite stressful. Apart from the occasional nod in the school yard, she hadn't seen much of Henry's teachers since becoming a solid figure in her son's life again. Sure, one or two of them had come over to greet her one of the first times she showed her face in the school yard. And they had been very sympathetic. Which to be honest had been pretty agonizing. There had been so much pity in their eyes. They had spoken of how SORRY they felt for her.

Regina did not need their pity. She just wanted to take her son to school and avoid becoming the object of the teacher's pity. Or interest.

Henry had told her that a couple of the other kids had been asking questions about why she couldn't talk. Regina had given him permission to tell them the reason why. At least the reason he knew.

The parent-teacher conference had gone well although I had been a little awkward at first, with all the notes she had to write in response to what Henry's teachers had said. Which had been only positive things. Henry was a smart boy who always made an effort to stay focused during his lessons. He stayed on top of his homework and gave correct answers when asked something. Occasionally, he struggled a bit with math, but it wasn't something his teachers were worried about. Not at all. He wasn't a 'babbler either. Meaning that he did not talk during class. And what's more, he was a good friend. He got along well with his classmates, and he was always quick to help out if someone was in trouble. Regina had been utterly exhausted when she came home from the parent-teacher conference, but she had also been extremely pleased. She was happy that her son was doing well in school. But even if he hadn't, it wouldn't have been the end of the world. Cora had been strict when it came to school (and much else), and she had always made a stern point of telling Regina how important it was that she did well in school. That had resulted in some anxiety every time Regina had to show her grade-book to Cora.

Well, she had decided early on that she definitely did not want to be that kind of mother to Henry. She didn't want him to experience anxiety when showing his grade-book. So while school was important, it wouldn't have been the end of the world if he was struggling.

After having done her morning yoga, Regina treated herself to a long, languid soak in the tub. She had deserved that after the long week she'd had. Thank god today was Sunday. She still had some time to relax before the new week started. The next long work-filled week. But Regina had a plan. A plan to reward herself for having worked so hard. Next weekend, she was planning on heading up to the cabin in Salmon Arms. She hadn't been there since the showdown with Liam, and she had considered going back for a long time. But she hadn't felt quite ready. Until now. She no longer felt any anxiety when thinking about going back. She loved that cabin. Why shouldn't she go back?

And it would be even better if Emma wanted to accompany her on the trip. A romantic getaway. They hadn't tried that yet, and Regina was most eager to rectify that. She was hoping to ask Emma tonight after dinner. Once Henry was preoccupied. If he got wind of her plans, he would ask to come with them, and Regina wouldn't be able to tell him no.

Heavens knew she loved her son more than anything. But she had envisioned a trip just for her and Emma. Because seeing her pretty face every Sunday simply wasn't enough. She wanted more than just a few hours of Emma's glorious company. She wanted a whole weekend. Just the two of them.

Her heart beat a little faster in her chest. She certainly did not expect herself to suddenly be ready for more than kissing and touching within a week, but still, you never knew what happened, did you?

Regina tipped her head back in the bath and closed her eyes. This was awfully nice. Felt awfully well deserved. As would the fried chicken and the French fries tonight. She had basically only lived of salads in the previous week. Who knew one could be so busy working from home?

Regina ran a loofah over her arm. Regretted that she hadn't brought a book in here with her. A bit of Rebecca to start her day wouldn't have been so bad. Perhaps she could sneak in some reading later. After she'd had breakfast. Her stomach growled. Yoga always made her hungry. But first she would enjoy her bath a little while longer. Preferably until the water turned cold. If that even was possible. Zelena's house only had one bathroom, and that was something that Regina really mourned. Her old place in Montreal had had two bathrooms. One big and one small. It had been a great luxury. When she moved into something else, the new place definitely needed to have two bathrooms. That was the demand. Along with a garden. Regina really wanted a garden too. The problem was that despite how hard Regina had searched, she couldn't find the house that really spoke to her. You see, she had come to the conclusion that she refused to 'settle'. She wanted a place that was perfect. A place she really could settle down in and preferably never move away from. She wanted a place where she could grow old and toothless.

But her dream house didn't seem to exist. Or perhaps she simply hadn't found it yet.

Regina adjusted a bit in the tub and felt the water splash around her. She let out a soft sigh. This was absolute heaven. Why couldn't all her mornings start like this?

This was heaven on earth...

It turned out that it was a good thing she had carved some time to herself in the bath, because later Zelena had things on her mind. More specifically, she wanted to talk about the surgery. She gently asked if Regina had made up her mind yet.

Regina's answer remained the same. A slight shrug and an 'I don't know'-grimace. She really, truly did not know. She had been thinking about it a lot lately, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't come to a decision. If she wanted to jump in and say yes, she thought about the following pain, the liquid diet, the raw disappointment if it didn't work. And you know, the slight possibility of dying while under anesthesia.

But when she had decided to say no, she immediately thought of the chances that the surgery could actually work. That her voice could be restored, and she could have parts of her old life back. Imagine saying no and then live with the regret for the rest of her life. Live with all the 'what if's'. That would be terrible.

She wanted the surgery. But at the same time, she also DIDN'T want the surgery. She wanted to be able to talk again but she didn't want any doctors to cut her throat in order to achieve that. She was frightened of the idea of someone cutting in her throat. She was so torn. So, so torn. Most of all, she wanted somebody else to make the decision for her. But she knew that wasn't how things worked. Unfortunately, she was the only one who could make that decision. It was hanging over her head like a dark cloud looming, and Regina couldn't help but fear that she somehow was running out of time.

One of these days she would have to make up her mind. She seriously would. Make a final decision and be happy about it. No more stalling, god damnit.

"It's your decision, sis," Zelena said gently and patted her arm. "I'm not here to pressure you. You should do whatever makes you happy, okay?"

Regina nodded and put on a smile. But that was just it. She was happy now, definitely. Very happy. But if her voice somehow could be restored, she would be even happier.

Damnit. Why did this have to be so goddamn hard?

'Make the decision for me,' she jokingly begged her sister.

"Can't," Zelena said and made a face. "I'm sorry, sis. It's only you who can decide this."

Unfortunately, yes. Regina absentmindedly touched her throat and felt the more ridged skin where the marks were. If- IF she decided to get the operation… Maybe she could ask the doctor to work her magic on the scars Killian had left her with. That would be amazing. Perhaps another thing for the 'pros'-list.

Regina's head was creaking now. She had definitely earned a weekend in the cabin. And preferably a weekend where she did not need to think about anything….

But there was room for plenty of thinking that Sunday morning when Henry suddenly asked her: "what's a wingman?"

Regina, now distracted from questioning her son about his secret assignment, gave him a puzzled look and signed: 'why do you want to know that?'

Henry shrugged. "Just curious."

Regina didn't buy that excuse for a second. 'Wingman' wasn't a phrase a ten year old just stumbled upon by accident. She suspected 'foul play' and had a feeling she knew who the 'perpetrator' was. A certain blonde woman with brilliant green eyes and a smile so pretty it could melt anyone's heart. Emma and Henry had started texting regularly a couple of weeks ago, and as sweet as Regina found that to be, she was also very curious to know what her two favorite people were talking about. She had tried prodding a bit to make Henry tell her, but he refused.

And he did right now too. Just flashed her a grin and said something about calling Nick when she interrogated him further. Off he went, barreling up the stairs and making a noise that would make elephants jealous.

Regina sighed and shook her head. If she wanted to know, there was only one thing to do. Text Emma and get to the bottom of this mystery.

She reached forward and grabbed the device, quickly conducting a text. 'Why does my son want to know what a "wingman" is?'

The reply was quick to arrive. So Emma was clearly not sleeping in on this fine Sunday morning. 'I have no idea, lovely. And good morning, by the way :D'

Oh. Woops. 'I apologize. Good morning.'

';)'

Cute as the winking emoji was, it was not enough to make Regina distracted. Not this time. 'So? Why does my son want to know what a wingman is?' yes, she had used two question marks for this.

'I might have had a conversation with your sweet kid earlier ;D'

As suspected.

'Oh yes? About what?' wingmen, apparently. But still, there were many blanks Regina needed to fill in.

'That's between me and him. But now I know that you like brunch. And waffles!'

And just like that, Regina had successfully been distracted. Waffles. She could do with some waffles in the very near future.

'That little tattle tale!'

'Don't be too hard on him, lovely. I like when he tells me things about you ;)'

And she feared that Henry all too happily told Emma 'things' about her. Oh well. Hopefully, he didn't embarrass her too much. She knew that asking about those 'things' would be utterly fruitless. It was better to change the subject.

'Right, of course you do. Anyway, what are you doing right now?'

'I was trying to do some yoga. And failing miserably.'

That had Regina frowning. 'Why failing?'

'I'm not that good at the different poses.'

'Oh, I see. Perhaps I could help you sometimes?' knowing that yoga could be tricky, Regina was more than happy to help.

'For the love of god, don't!'

Regina raised an eyebrow again. Felt slightly offended at that. Was this Emma being too proud to ask for help or something? That was silly.

'Why ever not?'

'Because then I won't be able to concentrate at all!'

Okay, now Regina was really confused. 'I don't understand.', she texted and hoped that Emma could solve the mystery for her. As soon as she had thought that, her phone buzzed against her palm once more. Emma had already texted her.

'Because I might have been thinking about you. Wearing yoga pants. While doing the different poses.'

Things were beginning to dawn on Regina now. So that's what Emma had meant with not being able to concentrate. A tiny smirk tugged at the corner of Regina's mouth. Interesting.

'Oh...'

'Yeah, that's kinda why I face planted.'

Emma face planting. Falling front first with her butt in the air. A scenario Regina way too easily could imagine. Now she was the one who wasn't able to concentrate. She smirked again. Was starting to feel awfully cocky. Her next text reflected that.

'Well, I would certainly have no problem with wearing yoga pants while I show you the poses.'

'Stop it, Regina!'

Oh-uh. Emma seldom called her Regina. It was always 'lovely' or 'beautiful' or some other sweet pet name. Never 'Regina'. Which could only mean one thing. That fantasy Emma had had of Regina in yoga pants had to have been a hefty one.

'Alright, alright, should I let you be?' it was so easy to sound innocent via text. If Emma could see her face right now, she would see the huge grin on Regina's face. She was delighted at the turn their conversation had taken. And she was delighted because she knew exactly what Emma's answer would be.

'Nope, any excuse to not exercise ;) I'm looking forward to seeing you tonight! A little bird told that we're fried chicken and French fries for dinner!'

What a clever bird-friend Emma had. 'And was that little bird about ten years old and obsessed with fairytales?'

'Mayyyyybeeee...'

So Emma and Henry had talked about dinner. Regina was halfway tempted to make a joke about chicken and 'wing'men, but she refrained from doing so and stayed sensible instead. 'I thought so. Well, he's correct. I am indeed making fried chicken and French fries for dinner.'

'That sounds awesome! I can't wait :D'

Regina smiled. Teased a little: 'Should I put on an extra plate for you then?'

'Abso-fucking-lutely!'

Regina snorted quietly. Couldn't resist scolding a little bit. 'Language, Emma. Language.'

'You didn't mind a bit of vulgar language last night, lovely ;)'

Immediately, Regina felt the heat spread on her face and neck. The 'Emma!' she texted back was pr automatic. Her thoughts were only focused on last night. Emma had called her again. Not because they had seen each other, they hadn't. Regina had been busy with work and had complained over the long day she'd had. To which Emma had asked her if she felted like 'relaxing'. The flirting had been unmistakable. One thing had let to another, and before Regina knew of it, she had been naked and had had Emma's soft voice in her ear. And that soft voice had most certainly been full of vulgar language.

It had definitely been a bold move and a teensy bit naughty because Regina had not been home alone last night. But they appeared to have gotten away with it.

Sometimes her silence did have its advantage. As did thick doors.

'Am I making you blush? :P'

'Yes. You are.' Regina was nothing if a truthful woman.

'Good. You look so beautiful when you blush!'

'Stop it.'

'Stop complimenting you? Not a chance. I'll do that until Hell freezes over.'

Impressive. 'That's quite the promise.'

'Yep, and I'm intending to keep it.'

Regina did not doubt that even for a moment.

'You are absolute impossible.'

'Impossibly cute, right?'

Absolutely. 'Precisely. That's exactly what you are.'

':D what are YOU doing right now?'

Regina glanced towards the plushy chair Henry was sitting in. Sitting and tapping something in on his iPad. Something secret. A school project. And right now, said school project was leaving Regina puzzled. The secrecy of it all wasn't normal for Henry.

'I'm trying to convince Henry to let me help him with his English assignment. He's not too keen.', she texted and wondered once more why it was such a big secret.

'Ah, I see. What's he supposed to write about?'

'Something that should be right up your street, actually. He's supposed to write a modern fairytale.' Henry's eyes had lit up when he came home from school and told her about it. 'A big assignment' he had called it. Something they should spend time thinking about before writing it. Regina liked the sound of that. She liked when the students were asked to put thought into what they were writing.

'Seriously? That's so cool! Does he have any ideas then?'

Apparently, yes. 'The perfect idea', he had called it. But when interrogated further, he had clammed up like a little oyster. A very sweet oyster, but nevertheless, Regina was partially annoyed, partially curious that she couldn't know what he was writing about.

'He does, but he won't tell me. Apparently, it's a "secret".'

'Oh.'

'Yes, I hope you haven't inspired him to write a dark story.'

'I don't hope so either!'

Regina shook her head gently. She could sense some real concern through the text, and she quickly soothed Emma's fears. 'That was a quip. You know I think your stories are wonderful.'

'Now you're making ME blush!'

'Don't blush. I'm just telling the truth. Anyway, I think I'll give trying to convince Henry another go. I'll let you get back to your yoga. Try not to fall over this time. I prefer when you're in one piece.'

'I'll be careful :)'

That pleased Regina. 'All I'm asking. See you later!'

'Yes, you will ;)'

"You're smiling. Are you guys talking about kissing?" Henry piped up from his chair. Apparently, his iPad was not THAT interesting.

Zelena, who had chosen exactly this moment to walk through the living room cackled at Henry's remark.

And Regina of course handled it in a very mature fashion. She picked up one of the pillows laying in the couch and threw it at her sister.

Zelena shrieked and scolded her in a very British manner. Much to Henry's delight…

The kitchen smelled of chicken. Delightfully so. Henry had been asking when dinner was ready for the past twenty minutes. He kept running back and forward between the kitchen and the hallway so he could see when Emma arrived. It was quite entertaining to watch. Regina smiled as he came bouncing back inside the kitchen. "Is dinner almost ready?" he asked hopefully yet again.

Regina nodded and was about to sign something when the sound of a car pulling up reached her ear.

Henry let out a squeal of excitement and raced back to the hallway. Regina let him open the door, and even though it was a house rule that he couldn't open the door by himself, Regina let it slide for now. He was so excited. And it wasn't like it was a stranger who was outside. It was their favorite blonde.

Regina smiled as she heard him go "hey, Emma!"

"Hi, kid. Missed me that much?"

Emma's sweet voice floated through the open door, and as always, Regina felt something warm settle in her chest. Emma's presence always brought a renewed sense of peace with it.

"I've missed beating you in SmashBro's," Henry said excitedly (Regina could hear him grinning) "Come in. Mom's in the kitchen."

"Is she?"

The mock surprise in Emma's voice had Regina rumbling quietly.

"Yup. Lemme take your coat."

"So gallant."

Indeed. Regina was glad that Emma was noticing that. It definitely wasn't all ten year olds who would have thought of asking to take a guest's coat. She had done a good job raising her boy.

Emma was laughing at something. Then footsteps approaching.

Regina realized that she was staring at the door when she should be checking on the French fries, so they didn't burn. She quickly turned around and bent slightly, peering into the oven. That looked decent. The French fries looked nice and golden. Hopefully, they would be crispy and not soggy. If there was something Regina hated, it was soggy fries. She rose from her crouching position and tugged a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Hey there, gorgeous."

Regina turned around on the spot. Incredible. She had known that Emma was on her way and yet she had still managed to surprise her.

"Sorry," Emma half-sniggered. "Didn't mean to startle you."

Regina shook her head, tugged off her oven gloves and walked over to Emma. She was wearing her striped dress again. Looked glorious yet again. Emma could wear a paper bag and still look brilliant. Her hair was down tonight. Lovely.

Once she was close enough, Regina leaned in and without much further ado, she kissed Emma on the lips. She had been wanting to do that all week.

"Mmm," Emma hummed in appreciation, and Regina felt her hand come up and cradle the back of her head. Regina liked when Emma did that.

Emma 'mm'ed' into the kiss a second time, and that spurred Regina on. She brushed her hands over Emma's shoulders, down her sides and then settling on her hips. She liked touching Emma there. And Emma liked it too. Regina could feel how her mouth curled in that particular way that told her that Emma was smiling into the kiss.

Regina liked that too. Very, very much.

"Aunt Z, they're being gross again."

"Yes, I do believe they are."

Zelena was chuckling whilst Henry was complaining, and Regina was mildly annoyed at the bad timing. But then again, kissing in the kitchen was perhaps not ideal.

They stepped away from each other at exactly the same time. Emma looked sheepish but not quite as apologetic as she could have.

Regina found that to be awfully appealing.

"We actually eat in this kitchen," Henry scowled, wagging a finger in Regina and Emma's direction.

Zelena chuckled, but Regina was not amused. She put on a scowl to match her son's and lifted her hands. 'Don't be cheeky', she signed and arched an eyebrow.

"I'm not being cheeky," Henry claimed. "You guys were being gross!"

Zelena chuckled again but quickly got a hold of herself and scolded: "Henry, don't force me to spank your little butt for being rude."

The 'threat' didn't phase Henry in the slightest. "Can't I go with you over to Chad tonight?" he teased.

"No, you cannot," Zelena said with a snort.

"Whyyyyy?" Henry was whining now. Mock-whining.

Regina rolled her eyes at his antics.

"Because we're gonna be gross." Zelena said with a complete straight face.

Next to her, Emma bursted out laughing, but Regina wasn't overly amused. That comment was definitely not necessary. 'Shut up', she signed.

Emma laughed again.

"Fine, fine, I'll shut up. Have a good night. And try not to traumatize my poor nephew too much," Zelena said smoothly.

Regina answered by clicking her tongue in mock dismay. Traumatizing her son was not on her schedule tonight. Or any other night.

Zelena laughed as she gave her a brief hug. Then she ruffled Henry's hair and flashed Emma a smile. "Have a nice evening."

"You, too," Emma said, returning the smile.

Zelena took off and Regina checked on the food again. It was all coming along nicely. In fact it was done, so she sent Henry upstairs to wash his hands. She did not fall for his sweet attempts at convincing her that he already had washed his hands.

Once he had trotted upstairs, Regina and Emma set the table. It was all very domestic, and Regina smiled as she took the French fries out of the oven.

"That smells really good," Emma said sniffing in.

'Are you hungry?' Regina signed after having sat the French fries down, trying to hold back a smile because she already knew the answer.

"Yeah," Emma grinned. "I am definitely hungry. For food. And more kisses."

Oh. Regina had not expected that. She quickly rolled her eyes not to show how hungry she was for that too. She was always hungry for more kisses. Her skin felt a little flushed.

She was saved by the bell, however when Henry came stomping down the stairs, dramatically showing his hands and proclaiming: "There. I washed my hands."

Regina ruffled his hair and motioned for him and Emma to sit down so they could eat.

Her two favorite people did as requested. Regina rejected Emma's offer to help with anything. She was a guest here tonight. Period.

Henry's eyes shone as she served the chicken. "That smells really good, mom!"

Regina smiled warmly at him. He definitely did not mind that they weren't having pizza tonight.

She sat down too and soon they were all digging in. Emma had just loaded French fries onto her plate when she asked: "so, kid... What is that super-secret English assignment you're writing about?"

Regina tried not to show how eager she was to know. Would a twinkle of Emma-magic work on Henry?

"Not gonna tell," Henry singsong'ed.

No, clearly not. Not even Emma-magic could sway him. Darn it.

"And why not?" Emma queried and tilted her head curiously at him.

"Because then it wouldn't be a super-secret anymore, would it?" Henry teased, grabbing another French fry.

Regina hastily reminded herself to chew and not laugh.

"You know, sometimes you're too smart for your own good, kid," Emma complained, mock-scowling.

"I know," Henry said proudly and puffed out his chest.

Regina had chewed her food so now she did allow herself to be amused. Her chest rumbled in silent laughter.

"Is it something we can read sometimes?" Emma asked. Her voice was less teasing. Now she wasn't just Emma Swan teasing Henry. Now she was a writer talking to a fellow writer. She was being incredibly respectful and treating Henry's school paper as far more than that.

It truly was the little things about Emma Swan that had Regina swooning over her.

Henry's reaction wasn't one that Regina had expected. He blushed. Looked down at his piece of fried chicken. Then mumbled: "yeah. Maybe."

Regina was immediately worried. She leaned forward slightly and signed to her son: 'There isn't something wrong, is there?'

"Nothing's wrong, mom," Henry said quickly. "It's just... a pretty big assignment, and I wanna make sure that I do good."

Oh. She had never heard him be quite so passionate about a school project before, and Regina couldn't deny that she was terribly curious. 'I would really love to read it. If that is okay with you', she signed.

"You can read it when it's finished," Henry said with a light shrug. "Both of you."

"Thanks kid," Emma smiled. "We're looking forward to that."

Regina nodded and smiled at her secretive son.

Henry gave a little nod in response and then resumed eating.

The subject was closed. Regina understood that immediately, and judging by the looks of it, so did Emma. They resumed eating too, but at one point Emma looked up and made eye contact with Regina. She smiled.

Regina smiled back. She really loved the domesticity of this.

Her pretty grey dress felt fairly tight once they were done eating. She was bloated and there was a good chance she would change out of it before the evening came to an end.

Had this been a dinner with Killian Jones, she never even would have THOUGHT of changing into something more comfortable after dinner. He had liked her dressed up.

But this was not a dinner with Killian Jones. This was a dinner with Emma Swan. And she didn't care what Regina wore. It didn't matter to her.

Still, she would give the dress another thirty minutes. And then she would change out of it. It was making her stomach hurt. For now, she settled for loosening the belt some.

Henry had declared that the three of them should play Monopoly, and after having helped with clearing the table, he had raced upstairs to find the game.

"I guess we're gonna play Monopoly then," Emma half-laughed.

Regina nodded but she wasn't really concentrating. She had just realized that she had not yet asked Emma if she wanted to come with her to the cabin. And she feared that she would end up forgetting about it because they were going to play Monopoly. And afterwards, they were having dessert. There wouldn't really be any time.

Two fingers on her wrist had her looking up and she came face to face with Emma who looked slightly concerned as she asked: "Everything okay?"

Regina nodded. Motioned for Emma to follow her into the living room. Now was as good a time as ever.

Once they were both seated, Regina realized that she felt strangely nervous, and she wondered if this perhaps was too big a deal. It could be considered a trip together, right? It was a milestone. Important. Was it too soon to go away together? Why hadn't she considered that before?

And more importantly, why was she overanalyzing now? She'd literally had all week to overanalyze. But she had been so calm about it until now. Well. At least she now knew why she hadn't just asked Emma via text. Because this was a big deal. A bigger deal than she had expected. She shifted uneasily on the couch.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Emma asked and raised an eyebrow. Clearly worried.

Regina gave an automatic nod and reached within the pocket of her dress. She had already written the note earlier ('I actually have something I want to ask you.'), and now she was handing it to Emma.

"Okay?" Emma said and sounded more curious than worried now. "Go ahead. Shoot. Ask me anything you like."

Regina reached within her pocket again and found a second pre-written note. 'I was thinking about maybe heading up to the log house for an extended weekend next Friday, and I was wondering if you'd like to come with me?'. Gave that one to Emma too.

"Are you serious?" Emma's voice was laced with surprise. And joy. So much joy.

Regina nodded. She was not nervous anymore.

"I'd love that," Emma said warmly.

Well. That was easy. Almost… too easy. Regina's old paranoia got the best of her as she wrote 'seriously?' under the pre-written note.

"Absolutely," Emma said with a smile. "We can dance to all your old records, read all the books in your library and watch every single Alfred Hitchcock movie. That sounds like the perfect weekend to me. Oh, and we can kiss too! A lot." That last bit of the sentence was accompanied with a slight giggling sound.

Regina was amused too. But she was something else too. Grateful. Not a single word or reference to things beyond kissing. No expectations. Just the desire to dance and watch movies with her. She knew that Emma was different, of course she knew, but still, seeing how stark the contrast between her and Killian Jones was, always left Regina flooded with gratitude for Emma Swan. She leaned forward and gave Emma's hand a soft little squeeze.

"I'm looking forward to kissing you all weekend," Emma joked.

Henry's time was impeccable as always. "Eww." He grimaced. "Why are you guys always talking about kissing?"

"You found the game," Emma said, putting on a voice that was light with excitement. Regina suspected that it wasn't solely because of the game, though.

"Yeah, I did. The question is will I be playing it alone or-"

"We'll play," Emma interrupted, grinned and waggled her eyebrow in that particular way she so often did when teasing Henry. "Be ready to have your little butt whipped, mister! I'm a champion when it comes to Monopoly!"

Actually, that would be Regina. But she did nothing to shatter Emma's beautiful illusion.

They began playing the game, but every so often, their eyes locked, and Regina had a feeling that she and Emma were thinking the same. That they were looking forward to spending the weekend away. And together. Regina had a feeling that she had a few kisses in stock for Emma. And vice-versa.

To Be Continued…..