Emma was thankful that Regina had been kind enough to leave enough hot water for her to soak in the tub. She studied her reflection, her eyes roaming her ribcage widening at the sight of the two hickies Regina left on her side, on her left hip and the faint scratches across her thighs. Regina had definitely marked her territory. She blushed and slowly lowered herself into the tub, submerging her head. She was still feeling a little run down after the ice cave followed by the extracurricular activity and as she sank into the steamy water, she couldn't help the shiver that passed through her as she resurfaced.

She and Regina had slept together.

She'd nearly died in an ice cave, the woman had shown up to gloat and they wound up in bed together.

She was very eager to repeat that again.

She'd come to Storybrooke to return Henry and disappear and here she was, four years later, still in Storybrooke vexed over how her relationship with Regina had changed. For all the things that were said about Regina, how she was mercurial, she was standoffish, cold, cruel, some always described her as evil but in the time they spent together, in all the time they spent together, Emma had never felt unsafe around her. She never felt like her life was in danger, even as Regina cut the ropes to the bridge to prove how she was capable of performing magic. She let herself soak, thinking about how far they'd come and how far they were going to go.

She dressed quickly, gingerly slipping on her boots and pulling on her jacket. She didn't want to appear too eager, she wasn't really sure what all of this meant and she especially didn't know what it meant when it came to Killian and Robin. She swallowed hard, her body protesting all the quick activity as she flipped her hair up over the collar of her leather jacket before grabbing her keys and heading out to Regina's.

Henry leaned against the doorframe, watching Regina as she stirred the pancake batter by hand. She seemed preoccupied and only ever made a big breakfast when she wanted to make up for something. He sniffed the air; apple cinnamon pancakes. She was trying to make up for something big.

"Mom…?" he asked, warily stepping into the kitchen, eyeing the countertop with interest. "What's going on?"

Regina looked up in surprise. Her eyes flicked up toward the clock above his head. 11:15. She shook her head, Emma was right. "Henry." She smiled, wiping her hands on a dish towel and rounding the corner of the island. She pulled him into a fierce hug, kissing his forehead, realizing that he'd grown up so fast. "I'm making breakfast."

"It's practically brunch…" he mused.

"Well, you were still sleeping and I needed to run out to pick up a few things." And change my clothes and try not to think about last night. "Hungry?"

He nodded, pulling up a seat at the counter, watching Regina resume the stirring before she turned toward the stovetop, buttering the griddle and waiting for it to heat up. "So I was thinking about Operation Mongoose and how we can figure out who wrote the book…" he began, grabbing the a sliced apple from the bowl.

"Oh?" she'd forgotten about the whole thing, realizing that she may have already found what she was looking for. She checked her watch somewhat disappointed that Emma hadn't shown up yet. "What did you come up with?" she poured out four pancakes, watching them on the griddle as she listened to Henry's theory.

"Well, what if the person who wrote it, didn't know that you were real? They thought they were making up some stories in a storybook, things to read to help you fall asleep. Whoever wrote the book didn't know that you exist and wrote what they thought should happen to you, because they wrote you as being evil…" she blushed and shrugged. "I know you're not but they thought they made up someone like you…"

"You mean like we're all made up."

He nodded, chewing on another apple slice. "What if whoever wrote it did it just to tell stories, thinking they'd completely made it all up and not even thinking that magic is real, or that you're real. "

"Some cultures believe that tales like that are folklore, history written down so that future generations don't forget…"

Regina began placing pancakes onto a plate, stacking them before pouring out another batch, nodding as she listened to Henry. She was glad to have him home, to start feeling a semblance of normalcy despite everything. She hadn't meant to shut him out but she couldn't handle everything happening at once, she couldn't see Robin with Marian, her happy ending stolen from her. She didn't think she almost lost Henry until he came to the door that night, saying exactly what Emma said. She turned and watched him as he continued to snack.

"Yeah but if it's like, old wives tales or telephone, things get lost in translation wouldn't they?"

"I suppose."

Henry nodded. "Well, what if whatever they wrote, was lost in translation while they were trying to get all of the stories together? Maybe they missed the part of the story where you became good, well, you know what I mean and then they just hurried to finish it just so it didn't feel like it wasn't finished. What if you do have a happy ending with…"

The doorbell rang. "Emma." Regina blushed at her eagerness, flipping the pancakes to the other side. "Watch these, I'll be right back." She practically ran out of the kitchen to answer the door.

Emma stood on the front steps, her hands jammed into the back pockets of her jeans. Her eyes roamed the lawn, meticulously manicured and maintained as she thought about all the times she'd been on this stoop before, this time meaning more than ever. The door opened and a flustered Regina stood on the threshold, her eyes immediately lighting up.

"Hi."

"Hey." Regina blushed, stepping back allowing Emma entrance into the house. "You're just in time, pancakes are on." She lead the way into the kitchen, thankful that nothing caught fire as Henry flipped the pancakes.

"Hey kid." Emma greeted.

"Emma!" he immediately left cooking duty to hug Emma as Regina stepped in and continued as if nothing happened. "Are you feeling okay?"

Emma shrugged. "A little banged up but I'll live. How about you? Feel better about being in your own bed again?" she squeezed his shoulders and looked up at Regina, catching her eyes as she loaded up a plate.

"It was good. Better now, mom decided to cook."

"Oh what, you were getting tired of cereal or something?" Emma jibbed, slipping her jacket off and draping it on the back of a nearby chair. She suddenly felt self-conscious being in the room, casually chatting away and making herself at home. She watched Regina as she busied herself at the stovetop, surprisingly focused for someone cooking. She was focused, intense even, like she was mixing potions instead of making pancakes.

"David ate more of it than I did." Henry objected,

"Your grandpa is going through sympathy everything with Mary Margaret so, cut him some slack."

"He'd be so mad you called him that."

Emma chuckled, reaching across the counter towards the leftover apple slices, picking one up and popping it into her mouth just as Regina turned and caught her eyes again. "Don't worry kid, I'll stash a box for you."

"That's considerate but I don't think that's going to be necessary." she placed a plate piled high with pancakes in front of Henry, still holding Emma's gaze. "Henry, go wash up." She turned and set to piling two plates full of bacon and eggs, aware that Emma's eyes were boring holes into her backside. She found her cheeks growing hot from the scrutiny. Henry slid away from the counter with a mumbled, "Be right back." And disappeared to wash his hands.

Emma waited a moment, watching Regina as she busied herself with the plates before clearing her throat. "So."

Regina turned and placed the plates in the middle of the counter, wiping her hands on the rag again before tossing it on the edge of the sink. "So."

Emma studied Regina's posture. She was uncomfortable again. She was stuck on what Emma said about the cereal box stash at her place. "I hope you're not mad about…"

"I'm fine. He should be able to be here and there whenever he wants."

They stared at each other for a moment, twin heartbeats hammering away in their chests. Emma was certain she could hear him thundering his way back to the kitchen. "This is his home, he belongs here with you." She wanted to kiss her, to assuage the fears that were clearly bubbling back up to the surface and remind her that she was not a threat but she could see the old Regina standing there in the kitchen, distant, calculating not the one she'd spent the night with. Henry returned and slid into his seat, immediately digging into his breakfast, oblivious to the two adults staring at each other.

Regina gave a tight-lipped smile. "You said you wanted pancakes…" she sat down across from Emma, careful to not make eye contact again, knowing that she wanted whatever it was Emma was thinking about doing and she couldn't risk that right now.

Henry cleared his plate twice and gave both Regina and Emma a tight hug before running upstairs to shower, change and head out for the day. As Emma helped clear the table, she kept a close eye on Regina, watching her as she scrubbed the dishes and fed them into the dishwasher.

"Kinda defeats the purpose doesn't it? Scrubbing them before putting them into the dishwasher…?" she asked, drying her hands with a Bounty towel.

Regina rolled her eyes. "Asking the big questions as always."

Emma's brows knit in surprise. "Hey…"

Regina turned from the dishwasher softness in her eyes, the corners of her mouth quirked into a smile. "I'm sorry. Did I wound you?"

"A little…" Emma felt a pang in her chest, her body responding to the defiant spark in Regina's eyes. She folded her arms across her chest, worrying at her bottom lip for a moment. "I actually want to talk…"

"Oh."

Emma leaned against the opposite counter, crossing her legs at the ankles, eyes darting around as though she was searching for clues. "It's about magic."

"Magic…" Regina echoed, sounding a bit disappointed as she closed up the dishwasher, switching it on and turning to face Emma, mirroring her posture.

Emma nodded. "It really bothered me that I couldn't control what I was doing, especially with that creature and if you hadn't been there…" she shrugged. "I need your help."

"You're asking me to teach you. Again."

"Yes." Emma replied, realizing how silly she sounded considering how they'd spent the night before had been nothing but magic. "I realize that things kind've got…off track but…"

"You assume I've forgiven you." Regina replied, her tone flat, eyes on Emma, watching her flinch.

"Well…" Emma felt like she had been kicked in the stomach, the air knocked out of her lungs. It was night and day, the Regina in front of her was not the Regina from last night, she was Regina sure but she bore no resemblance of that person she'd confessed her secrets to. "I thought that you had…"

She watched Emma squirming under her gaze. She sort of enjoyed how much discomfort the poor thing was under. "You think that one night could change what you've done to me? That I could just pretend that that hadn't happened?"

Emma was speechless, her eyes watering. She straightened up and clenched her jaw, swallowing the sob that threatened to escape her throat. Her nails were working half moons into her palms, the smell of smoke tickled Regina's nose.

"Honestly Emma…" she chided, moving towards the stove and waving her right hand over the small fire, extinguishing it with the gesture. "Burning us to death is no way to make me say sorry."

Emma's eyes went wide, gazing at her palms and the stove. "How…"

"You're angry. When you're angry, you can't control your magic, you lack focus and things like this," she waved at the damaged stovetop, "happen."

"Well, you were being a bit of a…"

"Did I wound your sense of nobility?"

Emma nodded, anxiously rubbing her palms together as though an answer would appear. "You don't have to make me feel terrible for what happened…I told you, I want to make things better."

"You don't have to." Regina replied, watching Emma as she pouted. "You did just fine last night." she added quietly. "A few times." She had to remind herself that Henry was upstairs. "I'll take you to the mausoleum and we'll try again."

"Promise there'll be no bridges?"

"I think we destroyed the last one in town. I should make you fix it."

"Well, you're not the mayor anymore so…"

Regina nodded. "Municipal damage. Let Mary Margaret deal with it."

After seeing Henry off, Regina lead the way back to the mausoleum, aware of how close Emma hovered, the back of her left hand constantly brushing against Regina's. She stilled her hand, waiting for it to happen again and was surprised at how simple it was to let her fingers thread with Emma's. She slowed her pace and stopped in front of the mausoleum, watching Emma as her cheeks pinked.

"Now Emma, I need you to everything I say, is that clear?"

Emma nodded. "Crystal."

"That means don't touch anything."

Emma faltered, looking down at their conjoined hands. "Starting when?"

"When we enter the vault."

"So I guess we'll just hang out here, enjoying the weather and company…" Emma stepped closer to Regina, watching an amused smirk creep across her features. "Just, wait around…til you know…we should go inside somewhere and…make magic."

"That's a terrible line." Regina remarked, allowing the contact, her tongue moistening her lower lip, canting her head closer towards Emma, brushing her lips against Emma's. Emma immediately closed the gap, her head swimming with the rush of feeling those lips against hers, letting Regina dictate the tempo. She was crawling in her skin, wanting to undress Regina right then and there. She pulled away slowly but she missed the contact and stole another before stepping back, her cheeks flushed.

"I dunno, seemed like it worked…" she smirked, tasting Regina on her lips. "Are you wearing smudge proof lipstick or something?"

"Would it bother you if I were?"

"Not entirely." Emma shrugged.

"We should begin. You have a lot to learn and if that ice wall is any indication, we may have someone much worse than your little ice friend to worry about."

A thin sheen of sweat broke out across Emma's back as she focused on continuing to hold a particularly ancient vase up in the air with her abilities. "Regina, I don't get why I have to practice all this force stuff…"

"Force stuff? You shouldn't be forcing anything, this is basic." She turned from the stack of books she'd been going through to ensure that her vase was still very much in tact and nowhere near touching the ancient floor.

Emma sucked her teeth, realizing that Regina had probably never seen Star Wars and that she'd wasted a perfectly good joke on her. "I mean, the whole levitation thing…"

"You've never bothered to learn your craft and you stopped practicing what you did learn, you'll have to start over." Regina replied, stacking musty tomes on an old writing desk, dust pluming from the volumes.

Emma sneezed, her hands moving and nearly dropping the vase. Regina's hand immediately shot out, catching the vase before it landed on the ground and placing it back to it's space on another shelf. Emma rubbed at her nose with the back of her right hand. "Sorry…"

Regina shook her head. "You did well for the most part…" she chided, flipping through the topmost book, eyes roaming the yellowed pages.

"Do you think it's something I'm really going to use? Levitating things?"

"You'd be surprised at how that comes in handy." Regina mused, her index finger running along old runes, notes and drawings. "I can't be bothered to get coffee sometimes and I just…" she shrugged, "make a cup appear." She was aware of how close Emma was standing to her, her left shoulder barely brushing against her right shoulder, her hair smelling sweet despite the dank surroundings. "I want you to know that I plan on teaching you and I plan on making you much better than you are. You rely much too heavily on instinct and hope that whatever you're doing will work and that can be dangerous…" Regina laid out one book and pulled out another older mustier one, before flipping through that and continuing. "You're right about your magic being connected to your emotions. You need to keep them in check. Controlled. It makes your magic stronger and in turn will make you stronger."

Emma flexed her arms and wiggled her fingers. "I feel pretty strong…"

Regina turned her head from the books, shaking her head. "I mean magically."

"Me too. Totally." Emma nodded, holding out her right hand, a red rose in her palm. "Took me a few tries. I managed a whole bushel once…that was a nightmare…" she held out the rose to Regina, puppy dog eyes and a shy tight lipped smile. "I've been practicing but…like I said, my teacher was avoiding me."

Regina turned to face Emma, eyes moving from the rose to Emma, a crooked grin crossing her face.

"I'm an idiot."

"Yes you are."

"I'm your idiot."

Regina took the rose. "I'm glad that you are. I'm not sure anyone else could quite understand your charm, Swan."