A/N: So let's skip over the seven episodes where Emma and Regina aren't living in the same land and continue on from Episode 9 when Emma and Snow return!

Oh and remember when I rated this piece M? This is why! Not suitable for work peeps!

"Er your mum, she's, she's a piece of work, you know," Emma said, holding Henry closer against her side.

"Indeed I do," Regina nodded, putting her hands in her coat pocket. Taking a deep breath, she raised her head to the woman she had almost killed, again, and said "Welcome back."

"Glad to be back," Emma grinned. "The Enchanted Forest is not for me!"

"What's it like? Did you sword fight? Did you seen any ogres? What did you eat?" Henry asked in quick succession, his arms still wrapped around his mum's waist.

"Henry," Regina said gently. "How about we let Emma go to the loft and get changed and then she can come over to ours later and tell us all about it? I'm sure she'd dying for a shower and a new change of clothes."

"Is that your way of saying I smell Madam Mayor?" Emma joked. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding," she assured as Regina blushed.

"Well now you mention it," Henry said, moving away teasingly.

"Shut it kid," Emma said, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and setting off after her mother and Ruby.

Regina hesitated for a moment and glanced back at the well. She half expected to see Cora emerge from it. But all was peaceful, with no evidence of the powerful magic used just minutes before. She gave the stone structure one last look before following her son and his other mother.

"So do you want to come over at 7pm?" Regina asked as they reached the edge of the wood and Henry and Emma turned to walk in the opposite direction to Mifflin Street.

Emma paused and turned around, Henry still beside her.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea," the blonde began, glancing to her son and back at Regina.

"Look," Regina sighed, folding her arms. "I know I have a lot to apologise for. I know I've done some terrible things. But I'm trying. Henry will tell you how hard I've tried not to use magic whilst you were gone. I only did so just now because I had to save your life. And Snow White's. Isn't that proof that I've changed? Please, just for dinner. Henry can still stay at the loft if you wish."

Emma hesitated. "OK," she nodded. "We'll come over for dinner."

Regina smiled. "Thank you," she said with a slight nod of her head. Turning on her heel, she walked quickly to her Mercedes and climbed in. Emma watched her go, wondering what she had got herself into.

"You're going where?" Snow asked incredulously as she looked at her daughter.

"Regina's," Emma repeated.

"Why?" Snow frowned, Charming wearing a matching expression stood right beside his wife.

"Because she invited me and Henry over and because she saved our lives today. She deserves a second chance. She's trying to change."

Snow and Charming looked sceptical but said nothing else as they watched their daughter fix her hair in the mirror beside the door and check her make-up once more.

"Ready kid?" the blonde called up the stairs.

The thundering of feet told the three adults that Henry was on his way downstairs.

"Be careful," Snow said, reaching out to pat Emma's shoulder.

"She's not going to hurt me," Emma sighed as she opened the door and stood back to allow Henry to walk through first.

"Ok," Charming nodded. "But call us if you need anything."

Emma said nothing and closed the door behind her.

"Was I that annoying when you found me?" she asked Henry as the two of them fell into step once they reached the sidewalk.

"Well you were pretty difficult to convince about the curse but apart from that you were ok. You gave me more junk food than Mom ever allowed."

"So I bought your love with hamburgers?" Emma joked.

"Pretty much," Henry shrugged. "But it's different with you and your parents. I mean, you're the same age. It's not like you need a mum and dad now."

"You didn't need me," Emma said. "You had Regina."

"She's the Evil Queen," Henry argued.

Emma stopped in street and grabbed Henry's arm, pulling her son to face her before speaking.

"She's your mother," Emma said firmly. "She raised you. She gave you the life I never could. Whatever she's done in the past, she's been a wonderful mother to you. Sure she's made some mistakes. But she's human, it's natural. I don't want to hear you say anything bad about Regina because I owe her a lot, ok?"

Henry looked curiously at his blonde mother before nodding mutely and the two of them recommenced their walk.

"Henry!" Regina said with a wide smile as she opened the door to the grand mansion a few minutes later.

After a moment's hesitation, Henry moved forward and hugged his mother. Regina's eyes sparkled with unshed tears at the gesture and Emma stood awkwardly in the doorway, watching the tender embrace.

"I've bought you some new comics," the brunette said as they broke apart. "They're on your bed. Why don't you run up and get them whilst Miss Swan and I finish preparing dinner?"

Henry nodded enthusiastically and darted past Regina and up the stairs.

"Come on in," Regina smiled at Emma, stepping away from the doorway and allowing the blonde to enter properly before shutting the door. "I made lasagne, I hope that's ok," she continued.

"Sounds great," Emma grinned. "I don't really care so long as I don't have to hunt the cow first."

Regina laughed and led the way into the kitchen. "No, this cow was nicely packaged up in the store. Would you mind finishing off the salad whilst I check the lasagne?"

"Sure," Emma nodded, moving over to the pile of freshly washed greens which she began to tear up and place in the bowl beside them.

"So what did I miss?" Emma asked after a moment.

"Nothing much," Regina shrugged. "Charming seems to have appointed himself the King of Storybrooke, and Sheriff to boot. People lose their memories if they cross the town line. Most family members have been reunited. And every time I walk down the street people either glare at me or run in the other direction."

"What did you expect?" Emma asked, chopping a cucumber and adding that to the bowl.

"Well I didn't expect you to break the curse," Regina said as she turned around with a steaming lasagne held in gloved hands.

"Touché," Emma chuckled, following Regina through to the dining room with the salad. "This looks amazing, Regina," Emma said as she saw the carefully laid table with expensive china and cut crystal glasses, topped off by a generous floral centre piece.

"It's a special occasion," Regina shrugged. "I have my son back."

"And you saved Snow White," Emma pointed out, placing her bowl beside the hot pasta dish.

"Hell must have frozen over," the brunette remarked.

Emma laughed. "Well after the past week, I'll believe just about anything."

"Wine?" Regina asked, walking over to a well stocked liqueur cabinet in the corner.

"Please," Emma nodded, just as Henry entered the room.

"Is it ready?" he asked, sniffing the air eagerly.

"Yes, go and wash your hands and get yourself a drink," Regina said, handing over a glass of red wine to Emma.

Henry sprinted from the room and Emma frowned. "Has he not been fed since I left?" she asked.

"How would I know?" Regina asked, pulling out a chair and gesturing for Emma to sit in it. "Your father would barely let me near him. And I can't imagine Prince Charming is much use in the kitchen."

"Well I guess it's a good thing I'm back then," Emma said, reaching out to snag a piece of yellow pepper as she waited for Henry to return.

"You cook?" Regina asked, slightly surprised.

"Why does everyone ask that in the same tone?" Emma frowned. "I love cooking. It's the only thing I've ever been good at. I could never afford to eat out much so I put time into learning to create nice meals at home. I find it relaxing and infinitely satisfying when a pile of random ingredients come together to create something amazing."

Regina smiled as she listened to the blonde. She had never considered the blonde a homely type but perhaps there was more to the stubborn Sheriff than met the eye. "I guess you'll have to cook for me some time then," Regina said.

"I'd like that," Emma said softly, looking at Regina over the rim of her wine glass.

"I'm starving," Henry exclaimed as he reappeared.

"We were just discussing that," Emma said, smiling at her son as he sat down opposite her. "Did your new found grandpa feed you at all while I was gone?"

"We mostly ate at Granny's," Henry admitted, his eyes wide as he watched Regina heap lasagne on his plate from her seat at the head of the table.

"And then she tried to rip out my heart but something blasted her backwards. The portal was still open so Mary Margaret and I ran towards it, held hands and jumped. A few seconds later and we were climbing up out of the well," Emma finished.

"Wow!" Henry said as his mother concluded her account of the Enchanted Forest adventure. "So you can do magic?" he asked.

"No," Emma frowned. "Why would you say that?"

"Because Cora couldn't kill you," Henry reminded her. "She couldn't take your heart because you did magic to protect it."

Emma looked even more confused before glancing at Regina who was studiously avoiding her eyes.

"Um, I dunno kid," Emma said after a pause. "I mean, I didn't even believe in magic until recently. I think it's going to take a while for me to get my head around everything."

"Did you sword fight?" Henry asked, moving on from the subject unphased.

"I didn't have much of a choice after the ogre crushed my gun did I?" Emma reminded him.

"Grandpa's been teaching me," Henry said casually.

"What?" asked both his mothers in unison.

"Relax Moms, they're made of wood," Henry laughed as he saw the identical, worried expression on the two women's faces.

"Regardless," Regina huffed. "It is hardly his place to teach you such skills."

"I'll talk to him," Emma said, laying a reassuring hand on Regina's outstretched forearm as she spoke.

The brunette flinched at the contact and jumped to her feet. "Henry, help me clear the table please," she instructed, before gathering a few plates and leaving the room.

Henry grumbled something under his breath but stood too and followed Regina. After a moment's hesitation, Emma shook the thoughts from her head and took the remaining dishes to join the little family in the kitchen.

"Henry, do you want to stay here tonight?" Emma asked as she entered the room.

The young boy looked between his two mothers, a frown on his face. He was clearly torn, unwilling to choose between Emma and Regina but knowing he needed to.

"You don't have to decide right now," Regina said as she waited for the sink to fill with warm, soapy water. "Why don't you go upstairs and read one of your comics and Emma and I will have a chat."

Henry nodded, dropped the tea towel onto the counter and headed upstairs.

"He doesn't want to choose," Regina remarked unnecessarily as she began to wash up.

"He shouldn't have to," Emma said, walking up to replace Henry and picking up the discarded tea towel.

"He should be with you tonight," Regina offered. "You've just got home. I think he wants to be near you."

"I want to be near him too," Emma said softly.

"Then it's settled," Regina said.

"And tomorrow?" Emma asked. "What do we do then?"

"I want to be in his life as much as possible," Regina said firmly.

"I want that too," Emma replied.

"Really?" Regina asked, pausing her scrubbing to stare at the blonde.

"Yes," Emma nodded. "I said this to Henry earlier but I don't think I've ever told you. I owe you a lot Regina. You were a wonderful mother to my son when I couldn't take care of him. I will never be able to thank you enough for looking after him and raising him so well. I always wanted to think I gave Henry away in order to give him his best chance. And now that I've seen where he ended up, I know I made the right decision."

Regina's eyes shone with tears again. "Thank you," she whispered. "No one's ever told me I'm a good mother before."

"You're a wonderful mother," Emma insisted. "Despite the appalling role model you had growing up." Regina visibly stiffened. Emma noticed and placed a damp hand on the tense shoulder. "You're not Cora, Regina," Emma assured.

"Aren't I?" the brunette asked, turning to face Emma with tears now running down her face. "I made Henry think I didn't believe him. I told him he was crazy. I made him go to therapy. I lied to him every day of his life."

"I've lied to Henry too," Emma admitted. "That's what parents do. They lie to protect their children. Your mother, however, did everything for herself. You had Henry's best interests at heart. OK maybe you did the wrong thing once or twice, and there is the small matter of you being a former Evil Queen, but you love Henry. Your mother never loved you the way you do him."

At that, the brunette collapsed into Emma's arms, her body wracked with sobs as the dam finally broke. The blonde pulled the distraught woman closer to her and rubbed soothing circles up and down Regina's back.

They stayed like that for a long time. Emma murmured what she hoped were soothing things in Regina's ears as tears continued to flow down the older woman's cheek. At one point, Henry had appeared in the doorway to enquire about desert but when he saw his mothers locked in a peculiar embrace, he retreated back upstairs without a word.

Finally, Regina hiccuped and pulled away, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand before looking up into Emma's face.

"Sorry," she said hoarsely.

"No need to apologise," Emma shrugged with a small smile. "I got the feeling that was long overdue."

Regina couldn't help but chuckle before she turned to finish the washing up. Emma said nothing and continued her own tasks until the kitchen was clean once more.

"Nightcap?" Regina offered as she looked towards the blonde standing awkwardly by the fridge. The damp patch on the blonde's blouse where Regina's tears had soaked it earlier was still visible and the brunette flushed with embarrassment at the memory.

"What about Henry?" Emma asked.

Regina paused before answering. "You could both stay here tonight?" she suggested. "That way neither of us have to be apart from Henry and he doesn't have to choose. It's not a permanent solution but …" She trailed off.

"Sounds good," Emma said. "Shall I go and tell Henry?"

Regina smiled and nodded. "I'll meet you in the living room," she said, reaching for a second bottle of red wine.

"Verdict?" Regina asked as Emma closed the door quietly behind her fifteen minutes later.

"He's already climbed into his bed in pyjamas he is rapidly outgrowing," Emma replied, collapsing beside Regina on the two seater couch and gratefully receiving the glass of wine.

"Tired?" Regina asked as Emma took a sip and closed her eyes.

"Exhausted," Emma murmured.

"Too bad," Regina smirked. "I was going to start your magic lessons."

With that, Emma's eyes snapped open and her neck craned to look at Regina.

"My what?" the blonde asked incredulously.

"You have magic, Emma," Regina stated. "And since you're the reason our son is safe from Cora, I think it's only fair I repay you with lessons in how to use it."

"I, I don't have magic," Emma stuttered.

"You do," Regina said. "I can feel it."

"How?" Emma whispered.

"When you touched my arm in the town hall when the wraith was attacking us, the portal came to life. You did that. And earlier, in the dining room. You put your hand on my arm and I could feel your magic. Couldn't you?"

"I felt a tingling," Emma admitted. "But I thought it was something else."

"Like what?" Regina asked.

Emma blushed. Could she tell Regina what her body's reaction had felt like? Could she be honest with the brunette about how she felt? Could she tell the gorgeous woman next to her how her heart pounded in her chest every time their eyes met?

Emma took a deep breath. "Like something I haven't felt in a very long time."

Regina's breath hitched. Emma's voice was low, raspy and dripping with sex. The blonde's piercing green eyes hadn't left her own since the murmured confession had been spoken seconds before. The ball was well and truly in Regina's court.

"And what's that?" she asked eventually, needing Emma to confirm her suspicions before anything happened.

The blonde however, had clearly decided they had spoken enough for one day. Instead, she moved towards Regina and elegantly swung her right leg over Regina's lap, landing herself above the quivering brunette.

"Like all I wanted to do was this," Emma whispered as she lent down and finally brushed her lips against Regina's.

Time seemed to stand still as pale flesh moved slowly over painted lips. Suddenly, Regina's hands flew up to fist in blonde locks, pulling Emma more firmly against her. Emma moaned and laced her own hands behind Regina's neck, stroking the soft skin there with the tips of her fingers. Regina shuddered and opened her mouth to Emma's questing tongue, a groan escaping as the hot muscle touched her own.

Untangling one of her hands, Regina moved to grasp a handful of Emma's blouse as she pressed the blonde's chest against her own. Emma smirked as she felt hard nipples brush against her abdomen and nibbled lightly on the plump lip she had captured between her teeth. Regina gasped at the sensation and her fingernails scraped Emma's back.

When both women couldn't deny their need for oxygen, they broke apart. Breathing heavily, Emma rested her forehead against Regina's, playing with a loose tendril of hair as her mind processed what had just happened. Regina seemed to be doing the same, her hands drifting to rest on Emma's waist as she did so.

"Wow," Emma breathed at last.

"Indeed," Regina murmured, tilting her head to place a chaste kiss against the slightly swollen lips before her.

"Bed?" Emma asked. Regina nodded mutely, not trusting herself to speak lest she destroy the moment.

Emma climbed off Regina's lap and pulled the brunette to her feet. Kissing her soundly, the blonde led the way from the lounge and towards the stairs. At the top of the staircase, both women paused, looking at each other.

"Henry," they said at the same time.

"Let's just check on him," Regina suggested, leading the way towards their son's room.

Pushing the door open revealed a sleeping Henry. The events of the day must have worn him out as he had fallen asleep halfway through reading a comic which was now resting on his chest. Regina smiled lovingly as she moved into the room to turn off the dim reading light. Emma picked up the discarded comic and stacked it neatly on top of the others. Then both women placed a kiss, one after the other, on Henry's forehead before backing quietly out of the room.

Once the door to their son's bedroom had closed, the anticipation was palpable. Without a word, Regina took Emma's hand and led her back down the hallway towards the master bedroom. As soon as the door was closed, their mouths crashed together. Hands clawed at clothes, desperate to discard them and feel the smooth skin beneath. Regina tugged angrily at Emma's tight skinny jeans whilst Emma cursed the tiny buttons on Regina's blouse before giving up and ripping the fabric apart. Buttons skittered across the hard wood flooring but neither woman noticed as they fell back onto the large bed in a tangle of limbs.

When they were finally, gloriously, naked, Emma knelt above Regina and looked reverently down the tanned body beneath her. Her heart skipped a beat when her eyes locked with Regina's. Staring back at her was a vulnerable, passionate, open and honest woman. Sides of Regina the blonde had never seen before. How wrong she had been about Henry's adoptive mother when she had arrived? How had she ever doubted this remarkable woman's ability to love? Regina loved deeper and more fiercely than anyone Emma knew.

Leaning back down, Emma kissed Regina thoroughly, her tongue stroking the roof of Regina's mouth teasingly before being chased back into Emma's own mouth by Regina's tongue. Their hands explored smooth skin, fingernails scratching lightly.

Unable to wait any longer, Emma rolled the two women onto their sides and reached down to pull the back of Regina's thigh, encouraging her to wrap it around Emma's waist. The brunette got the hint and groaned into the kiss as she felt Emma's hand reach down between their bodies and cup her dripping sex.

The blonde gasped herself as she felt the copious wetness coating her fingertips. Running a single digit around Regina's outer labia, Emma acquiesced when sharp teeth bit into her lip.

"Ok, ok, your majesty," she teased, sliding her finger up to flick over Regina's hardened bundle of nerves.

The brunette bucked into the touch, her body thrumming with want as Emma's fingers danced around her clit.

"Emma," she gasped as two fingers thrust suddenly inside her.

"Are you ok?" the blonde asked, worried she had hurt Regina.

"I'm better than ok," Regina breathed. "It feels so good."

Emma grinned and started to move her fingers, setting a steady rhythm in and out as Regina's juices coated them. As she pulled out, Emma made sure to curl her fingers, sliding over the spongy front of Regina's tight channel. The brunette cried out, throwing her head backwards and offering Emma the opportunity to latch onto her expose neck, sucking and licking her pulse point which thrummed under her tongue.

"I'm close," Regina panted, her fingernails digging further into Emma's back. Understanding what the brunette needed, Emma angled her hand so the heel of it was pressed against Regina's clit. Keeping up the relentless pace of her fingers, Emma pressed firmly against the sensitive bundle, moving her hand back and forth as she did so. A cry echoing through the room told Emma she was doing something right. Regina's back arched once more as her inner walls gripped the blonde's fingers so firmly Emma was forced to stop moving them. She kept the pressure on Regina's clit however until the brunette fell limply against her, panting hard.

Emma slowly pulled her fingers out, Regina whimpering slightly at the loss. Brown eyes darkened impossibly however when the blonde brought her sticky fingers to her own mouth, wrapping her lips around them and licking Regina's essence until they were clean.

"Delicious," Emma remarked.

"It tastes even better straight from the source," Regina commented with a wink.

Raising an eyebrow, Emma squealed as Regina flipped the blonde onto her back with surprising strength and immediately laid a trail of kisses down Emma's neck. Pausing to lave each tight nipple, Regina was too impatient to do much more as she headed further southwards. As the scent of Emma's sex hit her senses, Regina's mouth practically watered. She had always preferred oral sex with women than men. They tasted so much sweeter, tangier, sexier.

Passing over the neatly shaved mound, Regina wasted no time in swiping her tongue through drenched folds. Both women moaned at the sensation and Regina pushed Emma's thighs further apart as she settled between them and began to feast on Emma's sex.

It didn't take long before Emma's hands were fisted in dark locks, her hips canting upwards from the bed as Regina's tongue twirled and twisted around her clit. Two fingers were also buried deep inside her, teasingly nudging the spot Regina knew would make Emma scream if she applied enough pressure. As she felt Emma's hips rise up once more, Regina decided Emma had waited long enough. Curling her fingers and pressing deeper, Regina found Emma's sweet spot. The body above her vibrated for a moment before Regina's name was ripped from Emma's throat, her body spasming as the orgasm washed over her. Regina looked up from between the blonde's legs to watch the beautiful woman climax but kept her fingers trained on the magical spot inside. Finally, Emma pushed gently on Regina's wrist, letting the brunette know she needed to stop.

Regina gently slid her fingers free, cleaned them with her tongue and crawled up the bed to collapse beside her spent lover.

"If all our magic lessons are going to be like that, sign me up for life membership," Emma panted. The implication of the orgasm induced slur went unnoticed by both women as they lay tangled in each others arms.