AN: Wow it has been a minute, but I think I am finally ready to start working on this again. My tentative plan is a chapter once a week, but we will see. Any way on with the show!

Emma and Regina sat in silence, as the night passed around them. In the backseat they heard their son's heavy breathing. Neither woman spoke, but instead enjoyed the quiet.

After Regina's verbal lashing of Snow, the rest of the conversation was fairly easy. Still both Regina and Emma agreed that it would be awhile before they felt fully comfortable leaving Henry on his own with Snow and David.

They collected Henry, and when Snow questioned why Emma was going back with Regina and Henry, she simply stated she needed to get her bug. She was still extremely annoyed with Snow, and there was a small part of her that took malicious glee in the fact that Snow was having a hard time. Being a parent was tough, and this was something the fairest in all the land was going to have to learn to deal with.

Regina turned the car onto the silent street, and up into the drive way. In perfect unison, and without thought both Regina and Emma turned to wake Henry. Their hands touched.

Brown eyes and hazel eyes met and melded into one as both women got lost in each other's gaze. Then tension in the air thick. Emma was the first to break the gaze looking down and ducking her head, a small nervous smile on her face. Regina watched her. A deep snore made both women aware of their surroundings. Emma turned her gaze towards their son. A soft smile of mother-love washed over her features. She reached out and brushed the hair from his face. She heard a small tender chuckle behind her.

"I used to do that all the time when he was sleeping," Regina said softly. She leaned her head to the side, her gaze rested on Emma's hand gently stroking Henry's hair.

"Yeah, I can imagine," Emma said looking at him,"You know it's weird because I know I gave him up, but at the same time, I remember things. Like his first steps and his first word..."

"Apple" Regina and Emma said together. Emma stared at Regina.

Regina looked down, and then returned her gaze back to Emma's.

"I gave you my memories,"Regina said softly.

"Oh-oh wow," Emma breathed.

"I wanted some way to exist for our son, and the memories were the only way I could think of to do it," Regina said, "It sounds horribly selfish I know.."

"No! Oh wow, I feel...thank you," Emma said with a tremble to her voice.

"It was nothing, Emma," Regina said.

'I would do anything for you.' the words hung in the air, unspoken.

Henry stirred in his sleep, and Regina rolled her eyes.

"Time to get him up to bed," She said gently shaking him.

"Hey kid,"Emma said, "Come on wake-up, you can't sleep in your mom's car all night. It'd give you a hell of a back ache."

Henry blinked and yawned.

"Where-"

"You're home, and it's late. GO on into the house and get to bed," Regina said as the three of them got out of the car.

Henry was so tired he did not argue the point, instead, he gave Emma a hug and stumbled into the house.

"You know he probably won't brush is teeth, and will just crash in his clothes," Emma said smiling at the boys retreating form, walking slowly up the path to the door.

"I have no doubt of that. However I've been diligent in his dental care so I don't think one night will cause him to need dentures," Regina said with wry amusement in step with Emma.

Several minutes passed in silence, before Emma looked over at Regina, rubbing her hands on her dress.

"Well I'd better-"

"How would you like-" Both women began

.

Emma nodded to Regina.

Regina smiled.

"How would you like a glass of apple cider Ms. Swan," Regina said.

"Got anything stronger?" Emma said with a goofy grin on her face, recalling the first time she heard those words.

Regina laughed and led the blond into the house.

Emma went into the study and began to build a fire. Even though the house had perfect climate control, the study could get a little chilled at night. Soon she had a warm fire crackling in the hearth.

"You know that's my favorite sound," Regina's sultry voice said from directly behind her, causing Emma to jump.

Emma turned and gasped. Regina had removed her jacket. She seemed perfectly at home in the leather outfit. Emma looked up at the brunette through her eyelashes.

"What sound is that?" She asked taking the drink from Regina's hand.

"Mmm the sound of logs crackling on the fire," Regina said closing her eyes. Emma inched closer to Regina, unable to help herself, and laid her head on the woman's chest.

Instinctively Regina's hand came up and began to stroke Emma's hair. The tension in the room, began to grow.

"It's a nice sound," Emma said melting into Regina,"My favorite sound is rain on windows."

"I enjoy the smell of rain, especially the spring rains close to the water," Regina murmured against Emma's hair.

"Is that the reason you put Storybrook as a port town?" Emma breathed nuzzling against Regina.

"Yes," Regina said wrapping her arms around Emma and setting her drink on the mantle.

Emma melted into Regina's arms, breathing deep in the scent of apples and vanilla. The scent still made her wary, but the feeling was eclipsed by desire, and a deeper emotion Emma was not willing to acknowledge or name just yet. Instead she was content to let it exist.

"Emma," Regina said softly. Emma made a pleasured indistinct response.

"Emma we need to talk,"Regina said her voice soft and coaxing.

Emma's brows furrowed. She shook her head and nuzzled against Regina again.

Regina chuckled.

"We do."

"But it's late,"Emma whined.

"Yes, but never the less we need to talk,"Regina said her voice firm.

"I hate when you're right," Emma said her breath brushing along Regina's exposed skin. Regina shivered.

"Come on," She said her voice thick.

She moved away from Emma reluctantly, and sat on the couch. Emma followed after her, but instead of sitting next to her, she sat at the former queen's feet and laid her head on the couch next to Regina. She wanted to lay it on Regina's lap, but held back, not wanting to crowd the other woman.

The sight of Emma at her feet cause a low growl to escape from her throat. She reached over to stroke Emma's hair, and paused.

"May I?" She asked gesturing to Emma's head. Emma paused.

"Oh yeah sure!" she said finally catching on,"Please."

Regina chuckled and shifted a little. Since she had walked into the study to find Emma building a fire she had grown increasingly aroused. Hearing that word from the saviors delectable mouth didn't help matters. She reached over to Emma and began to stroke her hair.

"Emma I want to extend my deepest apologies," Regina said after a moment.

Emma's brows furrowed and she looked up at Regina. She stayed quiet though, trusting that the brunette would explain herself.

"I have been trying to keep our little liaisons strictly sexual, and I know better. You cannot enter into these things, and not be connected emotionally somehow. You said it yourself when you said that you submit to me as I dominate you. The very nature of this is on some level emotional. I should not have engaged you in this and kept myself aloof. It was wrong, and I understand if you wish to discontinue our times together."

Emma looked confused. She pulled away slightly to get a better look at Regina. Of everything that happened tonight, this had to be the weirdest moment.

"I don't understand,"Emma said feeling like an idiot,"You are upset cause why?"

Regina looked down at the girl, and paused, if what had happen to Emma happened, then it was all together possible that Emma had never experienced this before. She looked at Emma and smiled.

"Emma, when you enter this room, would you agree more goes on between us than me spanking you?"

Emma shifted and looked uncomfortable.

"Um yeah," she said playing with the hem of her dress.

Regina nodded.

"That is what I'm talking about. The roles we enter into link us to eachother, you give of yourself to me and I do the same for you."

"Fear me, love me , do as I say-"

"...and I will be your slave." Regina said with a smile.

"Hey are you a fan of David Bowie to?" Emma asked.

Regina looked confused.

"No a person I knew a long time ago taught me that," Regina said softly.

"Yeah, about that how did you get into all of this?" Emma said gesturing to Regina's outfit.

"Presuming that you mean these activities and not my outfit I will simply say that's another tale for another night," Regina said giving Emma a mysterious smile.

Emma huffed but nodded.

"Emma..." Regina began, and Emma looked up at her.

"Would you be interested in continuing what we have, but adding that emotional aspect into it?"

It didn't sound like a marriage proposal by any stretch of the terms, but something inside of Emma nearly exploded with happiness.

"Oh yeah, oh wow that would be great," Emma said awkwardly, and resisted the urge to give Regina a hug.

Regina perhaps sensing Emma's need or even perhaps just using that as an excuse reached down and pulled the blond up to her, holding her tightly. Emma wrapped her arms around Regina and nuzzled against her again.

Regina leaned down and breathed softly into Emma's hair,"Good girl."