Regina didn't miss a single one of Emma's training sessions during the entirety of their trip. The blonde had told her lover that she didn't need to attend each session, especially because she seemed to be constantly fatigued. Regina was convinced it was because she was being sociable all day long, it was something she wasn't used to after all. Well, it was that and because she would look after Jacob, Ingrid's son, during each training session and he would run her ragged. As soon as the little boy had laid eyes on her at the side-line of the pitch the day after they first met, he ran straight over to her so they could play, just like she had promised him. Since then he would only play with 'Gina' and didn't go to the training ground provided creche like the other children.

Emma was secretly happy each time Regina would brush off her fatigue and get ready to join her. Even though Emma was working and Regina would be sitting in the stands whilst the blonde was training on the pitch, it still felt good knowing that Regina was there. The soccer star would chance an occasional glance to wherever her girlfriend was sitting, sometimes their eyes would meet and they would smile at each other, other times Emma would watch Regina's face light up as she played with the sandy haired toddler.

When the two weeks are up and everyone was leaving the training facility to have a week off before they were to be flown out for the qualifying games, Jacob almost threw a tantrum because he had to leave and he wouldn't be seeing Regina each day.

"It's okay, sweetheart. I will see you next week on the aeroplane to Europe." Regina promises as she holds Jacob in her arms and rubs his back. "At the soccer games, when your mom is working, you can stay with me and we will get our faces painted." Emma had told her all about how the atmosphere at international games was totally different, even more electrifying than club games. You had an entire country behind you, cheering you on. The fans that were lucky enough to get tickets for the games would dress from head to toe in their countries colours, their countries flags painted onto their faces.

His chubby little cheeks happily bloomed at that prospect and he kissed her cheek, as had become his pattern over the last fortnight every time they parted. "Okay, Gina. We can get matching faces!"

"Yes, we can. Whatever you like." She was just as upset as he was when Ingrid took him from her but she hid it and waved him off.

Emma could see the sadness her girlfriend was trying to hide and that no one else was aware of. "Come on, beautiful, let's go home. You'll see him again soon enough," she says before planting a kiss on her cheek and wrapping an arm around her waist.

The private jet was mostly empty on the flight back as most of the players and their families were going on their various vacations before the games were to begin. Emma had offered to take Regina away but the brunette wanted to get home in case Kathryn would be going there, and also because David had told them the case was wrapping up and they were expecting a verdict in a few days' time.

Kathryn and Regina had been keeping in touch and Regina had been wanting to ask her friend when, or if, she was coming home, especially seen as everything had been going wonderfully between the blonde and her family. She was disheartened when she learnt that Kathryn had casually mentioned she had only bought a one way ticket when she left. All she could do was wait patiently and hope that her best friend would return.

The first thing Regina did after getting home and taking a much needed nap in Emma's arms on their bed that she had missed dearly, was to call her best friend.

Emma wasn't tired and she didn't sleep but watching her fiancée slumber in her embrace was the closest to heaven she had ever been so she was happy to do it. She would never tire of gazing upon the brunettes delicate but also strong features, still unbelieving that she could ever be this lucky.

"Hey, Kat!" Regina excitedly greeted her friend, who answered the call after it rang for a while, at which point Regina thought she wasn't going to get an answer and was almost ready to give up.

"Hey G-G," the blonde purposely says to wind up her friend.

"That is still not acceptable," Regina jovially scolds her. "So, how are things going on the West Coast?"

"Oh… you know, tuberlicious dude."

"I have no idea what that means," the brunette chuckles.

"Yeah…me neither," Kathryn joins in with the laughing, "but things are good. I'm missing home though."

"Home?" Regina cheerfully asks.

"Yeah, home, Maine… you… Emma."

Regina's heart soars. This was the first confirmation she'd had that Kathryn would definitely be returning. "So when are you coming home?" She tries not to sound too excited.

"The day after tomorrow. I've promised my dad that I will come back but I really just need to come home and see you guys. I want to be there with you for the verdict." Fred had been keeping her up to date on what was happening with the case so she knew to expect the verdict soon.

Regina hadn't been willing to divulge the news of Emma's proposal over the phone so Kathryn was still none the wiser that they were taking the next step in their relationship, it was something she wanted to tell her friend face to face. "I'm happy you will be back for that. I just hope that arsehole gets what he deserves."

"Me too, but let's not talk about that now, it's dull and boring. How was your flight home on the fancy jet?" She asks in order to change the subject.

"It was good, but I am so glad to be back in home and in my bed," the brunette happily sighs as she lays in the middle of the bed and stretches. At that moment Emma walks in with a steaming cup of green tea for Regina.

"Kathryn?" Emma silently mouths in question at who she was talking to. Regina nods her head in acknowledgement. "Kathryn," Emma then obnoxiously shouts to make sure the woman on the other end of the phone hears her. Regina puts the conversation on speaker phone so they can all talk.

"Hey, second hottest blonde that lives in our house," Kathryn teases.

"No arguments there. How are you doing?"

"Tuberlicious, apparently," Regina supplies.

Kathryn chuckles down the phone and Emma looks completely confused.

"I'm good. How was the training camp?"

"Best training camp ever!" Emma smirks as she sits next to Regina on the bed and kisses her.

"Euch... you two are gross." Kathryn chides down the phone at their sickly sweetness and the noise of the kiss.

After the call has ended they go downstairs to prepare dinner. Emma supplies the drinks and sits on the worktop that's closest to Regina as the brunette has grown more and more controlling when she cooks for them and doesn't allow Emma to help as much as she used to. The blonde was okay with that because Regina was in her element when she was in the kitchen and without her interference the food was bound to turn out better.

They had agreed at the training camp to speak any more about their engagement and the need for rings, until after the case but now that they were home and Emma didn't have the distraction of her rigorous training schedule every day, she was itching to approach the subject with Regina.

"Spit it out, darling," the brunette kindly suggests as she watches the other woman from the corner of her eyes, struggle with some internal battle as she fidgets and plays with the cuff of her shirt.

"I know we said we weren't going to talk about it until..."

"You want to talk about our engagement?" Regina cuts her off with a small smile, knowing what was weighing on the blondes mind.

"Would you mind?"

"Of course not, go ahead." She stops what she's doing and wipes her hands on her apron as she goes to stand between the blondes legs that are dangling down, making sure to give her full attention to her. She places her palms on denim clad quads and gently rubs the strong muscles beneath.

"Well, I know I did things the wrong way around by not having a ring when I proposed to you," she smiles to herself at the reminder that she proposed and they are now engaged, "and that I need to get you a ring but I want it to be perfect but I don't even know what kind of jewellery you like. I will need your help with it because I don't want to get it wrong. This is the most important thing that has ever happened to me," she says as she takes the brunettes hands in her own.

"No one has ever bought me jewellery before. Well, not just for me. Gold bought us nasty, garish stuff but they were only meant to be decorations for his merchandise," she sadly confides.

Emma gives her hands a gentle squeeze, a small promise that she is listening and accepting, without judgement, everything she is being told. She places a small kiss on Regina's cheek and nuzzles her nose against her temple when the brunette stops talking, trying to get her thoughts together. "It's okay, baby," she whispers into her ear.

Regina clears her throat and holds back the tears that were close to falling. She had been doing well at forgetting all about the trial and thinking less and less about her past but with a verdict on the horizon it was all coming to the forefront of her mind and her emotions were all over the place. "My point is… I will love whatever you decide on… and I'm not going to help you with it." She looks into green eyes and smirks as she says the last bit. She loves that Emma is so concerned on getting it right for her, it's just another way the blonde shows her love. She's also excited to see what the blonde can come up with.

"So not only do I have to get you the perfect engagement ring… all on my own, it will be the first piece of jewellery you have ever received. No pressure then," she sarcastically adds. It feels daunting to have to do this without the brunettes help but she was determined to make sure she got it right, and when she did it would mean even more that she did it on her own. "I just hope you can be patient because this might take a while."

"I'm sure it will be worth it." Regina beams before cupping her face and kissing her soundly, something that brings them both back to an emotional even keel. "Right, let me get back to cooking dinner. I don't want you wasting away," she chuckles on hearing Emma's stomach complain at not having eaten for a few hours.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I'm back, bitches!" Kathryn shouts as she enters their home. Regina rushes to her friend and pins her against the front door in a fierce embrace, Emma following a few steps behind.

"I've missed you," Regina declares as she grips her tighter.

"You didn't think I was going to come back, did you?" Kathryn questions her friend with a laugh. Regina had never been an overly touchy person but right now she was clinging to the blonde like her life depended on it.

"No, I didn't," she quietly admits.

"Well, that's the dumbest thing I have ever heard," she somehow manages to loosen the brunettes tight grip around her so she can look at her, "why would I ever leave my family? It was wonderful to see my dad again and to know he doesn't blame me for the last decade but you are my real family, you and Emma," she quickly glances over to the blonde and gives her a small smile. "Going back there was a reminder of why I left in the first place. I know he loves and cares for me but he was just as controlling as he has always been. I am going to stay in touch with him but you two have shown me more love and trust than anyone ever has. I could never walk away from that." This time she pulls Regina back into the hug and Emma walks to the kitchen, to make them all some tea, leaving them in privacy. When she's finished setting the teapot and cups on a tray she takes it through to the lounge where she can hear the two women have settled down to talk.

Kathryn relays the whole story of getting reacquainted with her father and everything she had done for the last couple of weeks, as they sipped on their tea.

"So, how was Chicago?" She had spoken to Regina almost every day that they had been apart, so she directed the question to Emma.

"It was good. I feel like we have a great chance in the qualifiers," Emma answers with a smile. She gives Regina a private look, one that only they understood, both of their smiles growing exponentially at their secret. She was going to let Regina divulge their special announcement to their friend.

Kathryn looks back and forth between the two of them, knowing there was more going on, something she had yet to be privy to.

"We got engaged!" Regina excitedly announces as Emma stares at her lovingly.

"AHHHH!" Kathryn screeches as she jumps up, pulling Regina into another tight hug. Her arm flails behind Regina as she motions for Emma to get up and join them. Emma does just that, wrapping her arms around both women and kissing the back of Regina's head. "Oh my God! The ring! Let me see the ring!" Kathryn declares as she pulls back from the hug, and reaching for Regina's left hand. A confused look crosses her face as she sees the naked hand. "Where's the ring?"

Emma's face flushes in embarrassment for having asked Regina without a ring. It was a basic requirement after all. "It was kind of an impromptu thing. I hadn't really thought it through," she mumbles as she looks at the floor and her cheeks flush crimson.

"Kathryn, it was so perfect," she happily sighs as she looks at her blushing partner and takes one of her hands, connecting them, reassuring her. Emma lifts her eyes to meet deep brown orbs, her frown now a small smile. "I wasn't expecting it but it was the best surprise I have ever had," she continues without breaking eye contact with her lover. It was more important to her that Emma knew she was happy with the proposal and she wasn't concerned about the lack of a ring. "And now Emma has more time to get the prefect ring," she teasingly winks before looking back at Kathryn.

"This is so exciting! I can't believe you kept it from me." Kathryn smiles as she sits back down.

"I didn't want to do something as impersonal as tell you over the phone," Regina explains, "but now that you know, I wanted to ask you something. Will you be my bridesmaid?" The shriek Kathryn emitted was enough to have Emma rubbing her ears at the painful pitch of the noise. Once again the older blonde was off her feet and pulling her friend into another hug. "So, is that a yes?" Regina asks with a laugh when Kathryn finally releases her from a bone crushing hug.

"I'll think about it," the blonde jokes. "Ooooh I am going to throw you the best bachelorette party ever!"

Regina smiles back at her, silently reminding herself to have a word with her friend at a later time when Emma wasn't there, because there was no way on earth she was going to be having a bachelorette party. The euphoria of the room was broken when Regina's phone started ringing and she announced to the others after looking at her screen, that David was calling.

"Hello," she tentatively answers as she puts it on speakerphone and then places it on the coffee table.

"Hi, Regina. I just wanted to let you know that the jury has broken for deliberation." The room falls silent and Emma shifts closer to Regina. "Hello?" David calls out, making sure that he had been heard.

"Sorry, I'm still here. How long do you think they will be?" Regina questions, asking what they all wanted to know.

"It's hard to say but my best guess would be anything from tomorrow to sometime next week. There is mountains of evidence against Gold and the others but a few of the jurors were middle aged white men so they may take some convincing, but I'm confident of a positive result. Just hang on in there and I'll update you as soon as I know anything."

As more and more details of the case had poured out over the months, it had attracted large, angry crowds of people around the courthouse and now that the verdict was soon to be due, the crowd had become massive and it was all hands on deck to deal with it. David and Fred had both wanted to be with the women at such a worrying time, as they had become fond of them all, but there was no way for them to leave when there was an angry mob and dozens of camera crews outside the building. The three women had been doing their best to ignore the media frenzy that had built up around the case, they relied on the phone calls from the two agents to keep them up to date with anything they needed to know about what was going on. They had made a pact to put it at the back of their minds as best they could so they could live their lives whilst the case was happening.

"Thank you, David," Emma chimes in as Regina sinks against her, the worry of the final result telling on her.

"Not a problem. If you need anything just call me."

"Thank you," Kathryn replies before hanging up the phone as Emma cradles Regina against her. "I can't wait until all of this shit is over so I can start planning the best bachelorette party ever!" Kathryn could see Regina retreating so she changed the subject to something happier, and it worked because Regina smiled. "Who is going to be your best man…urm… woman," the blonde asks Emma.

"I haven't even thought of that. As long as you two are there I don't really care about anything else," Emma honestly answers.

"I'm going to have to organise this entire wedding aren't I?" Kathryn asks with a chuckle.

"That would be a great help!" Emma half jokes. She had no idea where to start with planning a wedding but she knew there were businesses out there that did such things. Even so, she would much prefer someone that knew them to organise it. It was a very personal thing and she wanted a personal touch to what she was going to make sure was a magical occasion.

They all did their best to keep talking, mainly to distract themselves from the news David had just given them, but the more they spoke of the wedding the more excited they all became. Regina had told Kathryn she wasn't allowed to help Emma with the choice of ring but she threw a wink at Emma when the brunette wasn't looking, promising to help her however she could. Once the qualifiers were over and they were back home they could start making solid preparations for their special occasion, Emma vowed to herself.

After a fresh pot of tea was brewed and wedding venues were pulled up on the laptop, Regina's phone rang once again, just over an hour after the last time if blared to life. "Hello," she murmurs into the device, confused and worried as to why David would be calling her so soon after his last call.

Kathryn and Emma both stare at the phone, listening intently to the voice down the line. "Hey," he breathes cheerfully, almost laughing as he greets Regina. Everyone remains silent as they look at each other, waiting for David to continue as they hold their collective breaths. "It's over. The jury have made their decision," he breathes deeply, "Gold has received a sentence of over 400 years. It is the longest sentence ever given for this kind of crime. All the others have received a minimum of life in prison without parole. It's over," he says again, the weight that had been lifted off his shoulders was obvious to everyone. "WOOHOO," he shouts loudly, the pressure from months of dealing with the biggest case of his life finally being lifted off his shoulders. They couldn't see him but he was wearing the biggest smile of his life and his eyes were glistening from unshed tears of joy. "The judge has also split Gold's assets and all of the… urm… victims," he didn't like using that word because Kathryn and Regina didn't behave like victims, they were survivors, "will get a share. I will come around there as soon as I am able to and I will fill you in on the details."

A heavy silence weighs on all of them. No one was sure what to say. It was what they had all been wanting to hear but now that they had heard it they weren't sure how to respond. Emma was the first to finally say something, "I hope that bastard rots." Tears drip from her eyes as she says it.

"My sentiments exactly" David agrees.

"It's over, baby," Emma whispers into Regina's temple as she holds her close and her tears drip into dark locks, "it's over." This time she is the one reaching out for Kathryn so she can pull her into a comforting embrace. "It's all over," she whispers again as both women cling to her.

"I have to go but I'll call you as soon as I can," the agent promises them. The call cuts off and they are all left to their thoughts.

"Final-fucking-ly," Kathryn eventually breaks the silence with as she punches the air. "It's time to celebrate!" She declares as she waltzes from the room.

Regina lets out a watery laugh, "final-fucking-ly," she agrees. The relief that flushes through her body was unlike anything she had even felt before, even more so than when she admitted everything to Emma and the blonde had kept her safe from Gold. For the first time ever she truly felt safe. "I can't believe this had happened. You promised me it would be okay and I wanted to believe it. I really did, but I never thought it would be." Fat tears were dripping down her cheeks as she clings to Emma's shirt and cries into her chest. "I never have to go back," she sputters disbelievingly.

Emma places her hands on Regina's back and holds her as she kisses the crown of her head. "No matter what the outcome of today would have been, I was never going to let you back. Not ever."

Kathryn whirls back in with a bottle of wine in one hand and three long stem glasses in her other hand. "We don't have any champagne but this has a good alcohol content so it will do."

Regina wipes her face and smiles up at Emma, "thank you," she whispers before she kisses the blondes lips. She knew those two simple words would never be enough to cover everything the blonde had done for her but nevertheless she meant them with all her heart.

Emma smiles at her, words weren't needed. She would have done anything for Regina, she always would. "High alcohol content sounds good to me," Emma says to the blonde who has just opened the bottle of wine. It was a time to celebrate, not commiserate.

Regina's emotions were all over the place and she really didn't feel like drinking but she accepted a glass and just slowly slipped at it.

Between the two blondes they made light work of the bottle of wine and were soon opening another. They all spoke between bouts of tears and laughter, their emotions were tumultuous and no one knew how to feel. They all knew the verdict was the best thing outcome they could have wished for and that they should feel nothing but joy but the suppressed anger and sadness they had been trying to keep at bay since they escaped his clutches came spewing to the surface.

Emma sat quietly for the most part, letting the two women talk over their past, the news that it was all finally over made it easier for them to reminisce because it was not something she had ever really heard them do before. It was painful to hear them speak about some of the more awful memories and she would wipe away her silent tears and tighten her hold on Regina, when they did. It was a physical manifestation of her promise to Regina that she would never let her go.

As the sun goes down, the reality of what had transpired that day had finally begun to set in and there was nothing but smiles and laughter, the tears long dried up.

Kathryn called Ruby to see if she was free for the night. The brunette was unwilling to miss such an opportunity so she cut her plans short and made her way to their home so she could pick the blonde up and take her back to her place.

Emma and Regina say their goodbyes to Kathryn at the front door before she's running down the steps to jump into Ruby's car, ready to be whisked away for a night so she can take her mind off everything going on in her head.

"It's been a weird but wonderful day," Regina mumbles into the blondes neck, "and now it's over and we are going to get married and I don't have to be afraid anymore."

"You never have to be afraid ever again, baby. We are going to live happily ever after I will never let anything bad happen to you. This has been a big day for you, should we go to bed now?"

"Mmm-hm," she sleepily mumbles, the events of the day seemingly catching up with her.

Emma carries her, bridal style, and walks up the stairs to their bedroom as Regina snuggles into her. When they reach their bedroom she places Regina down on the bed and lays next to her. They still have to both go through their nightly routine of brushing their teeth and washing their faces but right now they both felt the overwhelming need to be cradled together.

Within a few minutes the brunettes breath had evened out and her grip on Emma's waist had loosened. Not for the first time in the last couple of weeks the blonde was a little concerned about the amount of sleep Regina seemed to need. She put it down to all the stress of everything new the brunette had experienced and of course today had been a major event so she brushed those thoughts aside and gently extricated herself from the brunette so she could get ready for bed.

Once she was done she finds a spare blanket from the back of her wardrobe climbs back on top of the bed, covering them both with the blanket so she doesn't have to wake Regina up. "It's over," she whispers her most repeated sentence of the day before lightly kissing her lovers forehead and moulding her body against the smaller woman's.