A/N: I'm back with another chapter. This fic will be finished by the end of the month, hopefully. I will do this for Seasons 3, 4, and 5 but don't expect anything more before 2016. I want to do another AU fic of a similar length to Behind Bars next. Any ideas or prompts are welcome. And if you've not read Behind Bars, you should! It's a story and sexy times in one!

"I've gotta drop Henry off at his grandfather," Emma said, abruptly putting down her half eaten bagel and getting to her feet. She had to get out of there, the cloying happiness, the meet-cute story of the start of their romance, Tamara's perfect skin and the gooey looks she gave Neal. It's not that she wanted Neal herself. She had realised how wrong for her he was years ago. But there was something about the couple, something she didn't like. And she sure as hell didn't want her son around them without her or Regina present. Emma's eyes widened as she realised this: she trusted Regina more than she trusted Neal.

Emma waited by the door as Henry said goodbye to his father and Tamara before the two of them headed out into the street.

Ten minutes later, Emma was leaving the loft after making sure David knew what time Henry was supposed to be in bed. The blonde sighed and slipped her chilled hands into her pockets. She hated night shifts, especially in winter.

She drove quickly through the quiet streets to the Sheriff station and was soon buried under a mountain of long neglected paperwork. It seems her father hadn't done the best job of the administrative side of her position whilst she had been away, first in the Enchanted Forest and then in New York.

After an hour of laborious, tedious forms, Emma's monotony was broken by a soft knock on the door. Her eyebrows rose in surprise as she saw who stood there but she beckoned them in none-the-less.

"Madam Mayor," Emma smiled politely, gesturing for Regina to take a seat opposite her. "How may I help you this evening?"

"I need you to look into someone for me," the brunette said, remaining standing. "Greg Mendel."

"The driver of the car?" Emma frowned.

"Indeed."

"Why?"

"Because there's something about him I don't trust," Regina said, folding her arms across her chest.

"Well, he's a bad driver but what else is there to know? He seemed pretty boring from what I found out when he was still unconscious."

"He phoned me last week," Regina explained. "About Henry."

"What do you mean?" Emma asked, putting her pen down and sitting up straighter.

"He saw Henry in the woods. That's how I found out our son was trying to blow up magic. But there's something else, something about him. It's almost familiar."

"Maybe you cursed him too?" Emma said with a dark laugh. Regina scowled at her. "Oh come on Regina. He's just a tourist. Trust me, he's the least of our problems."

"What does that mean?" Regina asked.

Emma rubbed her hands over her tired face. She had been hoping to keep the truth about her and Neal a secret for a while longer.

"OK," she started with a deep breath. "So you've met Neal, Baelfire, Rumple's son?" Regina nodded. "Well I knew him before, back when I was a teenager. He didn't know who I was and I sure as hell didn't know he was the son of Rumplestiltskin. But anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is … Neal is Henry's father."

There was a silence. Regina stared open mouthed at the blonde whose cheeks were flushed slightly.

"You, you and Gold's son?" Regina said after a pause.

Emma nodded.

"You and Baelfire are Henry's biological parents?"

Another nod.

"So you two are going to raise Henry together now?" Regina said, her eyes narrowing.

"What?" Emma exclaimed. "God no! The man is engaged to another woman for a start. And despite what everyone else thinks, I don't have feelings for Neal."

Regina looked unconvinced. "Really? Your first love comes back, he's the father of your child, and you've been apart for eleven years. You're really telling me you feel nothing," she snapped.

Emma frowned at the tone of Regina's voice. There was something about it that she couldn't quite place.

"Neal wasn't my first love," Emma began. "In fact, I don't think I've ever been in love. And he's the father of my child simply because we got too drunk one night and forgot to use a condom." Regina made a face at this and Emma laughed. "Trust me, I spent very little of the time we were apart pining after Neal."

"But Henry has another new parent now? I take it he knows Neal is his father."

"He does," Emma nodded. "But I have also told him everything that happened between us. He knows Neal isn't exactly reliable."

"So I'll be spending even less time with my son," Regina sighed. She was getting increasingly tired of sharing Henry with his ever expanding family. Emma had been one thing, but a long lost father? Regina wasn't sure she would ever be on board with that.

"No," Emma said firmly. "Henry needs stability and love. Neal can offer him neither. He may want to be in Henry's life but until he proves himself to both of us, he isn't going to be spending any significant time alone with our son."

"Our son?" Regina asked. "So you'll let Henry spend some time with me now?"

"After you destroyed that curse last week and you refrained from killing my mother several times out of revenge over your mother's death, I realised how much you'd changed. A few months ago you would have obliterated this town and everyone in it just to be with Henry. Now you can see how important we all are to our son. I trust you to put Henry's needs first."

"Thank you," Regina said, her eyes sparkling with tears as she sank into the chair opposite Emma at last. "You have no idea how much I missed him."

"Actually I do," Emma countered. "I missed my son every day for ten years."

There was a silence, neither woman knowing quite what to say now Emma had brought up her past. It wasn't a time the two women had ever spoken about before, not that they spoke much about anything to be honest.

"Why did you?" Regina asked after a while. "Give him up, I mean. Why didn't you keep him?"

Emma sighed and ran her hand through her curly hair. "How could I?" she shrugged. "I was eighteen, in prison, and had no qualifications. Even if he'd been in the prison nursery for the last few months of my sentence, what sort of life could I have offered him once I got out? Finding work as an ex-con is almost impossible and it's not like I had a family or even friends to fall back on. My last foster father was, well, not a nice man so I ran away. Neal had disappeared on me. And the one girl I considered a friend lied to me and I hadn't spoken to her in years. I was completely alone. To keep Henry would have been selfish. I'd have been doing it for me, not him. I knew I had to give him his best chance, even if it wasn't with me."

"And you think he found it with me?" Regina asked, bracing herself for unkind words.

"Yes," Emma nodded. "You love him. You've given him all he's ever wanted. He's had toys, an amazing chef for a mother, the garden is great and your house is amazing. You help him with his school work, you comfort him when he's upset. You're a great mother Regina. I'm not saying you're perfect and I know the relationship between you two has been up and down. But I don't regret for a second that Henry ended up in Storybrooke because you've made him who he is and he's a wonderful young man."

"Thank you," Regina said, a tear falling unbidden from her eye as she heard the blonde's kind words.

"You're welcome," Emma smiled, offering Regina the tissue box. "I get the feeling you need to be complimented more often on your parenting."

Regina chuckled softly as she dabbed her eyes.

"You know," the brunette said after a pause, "Henry's made me who I am today too. Before I had him, my life was empty, meaningless. The same day repeated itself over and over again. That's what the curse does. But with Henry, my life had purpose. It was exciting, colourful, interesting, funny, and full of love. This curse was supposed to be my happy ending but Rumple was wrong about that. My happy ending is Henry."

"I thought happy endings were meant to be men," Emma said.

"You really believe that?" Regina asked, surprised at the blonde's comment.

"Or women," Emma added quickly.

Regina hesitated before continuing, not sure what to make of the addition. "Relationships make up our lives. We can't be happy alone. I read somewhere that happiness is only real when shared. But that doesn't mean we have to share it with someone in a romantic sense. I'm the sort of person who's never needed a man, or woman," Regina shrugged.

"Me neither," Emma grinned. "Not just because I never found the right man, or woman, but because I think there is more to life than True Love. Family, friends, work, hobbies, they all make us who we are, right?"

Regina nodded her agreement but said nothing. Emma too fell silent. The two women looked at each other, their eyes locked. Brown studied green, reading the swirling emotions in the crystalline depth. Emerald stared back at the coffee coloured orbs trying to decipher the curious, unfamiliar look in them.

"Are you-,"

"Which do-,"

Both women laughed at the awkwardness before Emma waved her hand, indicating Regina should speak first.

"Which do you prefer?" the brunette asked. "Men or women?"

Emma was unsurprised by the question. She hadn't deliberately kept her sexuality a secret but she had been beginning to wonder when someone in Storybrooke would notice how completely disinterested in male attention she was and how Ruby's skimpy outfits always caught her eye.

"Women," she said, simply.

Regina nodded slowly.

"My turn," Emma said, licking her lips slightly. Her mouth was suddenly very dry. "Are you gay?"

Regina wasn't surprised by the question either, but she was surprised that Emma didn't already know the answer. Back in the Enchanted Forest, her sexual preference had been common knowledge. She had always assumed Snow or Charming had already told Emma.

"Yes," the brunette answered, a small smirk on her lips as she did so.

"What about Graham?"

"What about Neal?" Regina replied.

"Fair point," Emma nodded. "So are you seeing anyone now?"

"No," Regina shook her head. "I don't have time for anyone other than Henry."

"Must be lonely," Emma commented.

"Sometimes," Regina admitted. "What about you? Are you dating?"

"To be honest, until today I thought Storybrooke was woefully void of lesbians. I'd resigned myself to a celibate lifestyle."

"You'd be surprised," Regina said with a light laugh. "Homosexuality was very common in the Enchanted Forest. There a lots of women who favour the fairer sex here."

"And yet you chose Graham as your sex slave?"

"Don't call him that," Regina sighed. "And it was simply easier as I already controlled his heart. He would do as I wished without me having to romance him. Plus I knew I couldn't hurt him, at least not more than I had done already. I've never been good at real relationships. It's better if feelings aren't involved. That way, I won't hurt anyone again."

Emma listened to Regina's words and wondered whether the older woman heard herself, heard how heartbreaking her life had been.

"Don't you want something real?" Emma asked. "Don't you want someone who loves you truly, honestly, with all their heart. And not just because you're telling them to do so."

"That's what Henry is to me, or was."

"He still loves you," Emma assured. "It will take time but you guys will get your relationship back on track."

"I hope you're right."

"I'll help you," Emma said. Regina's eyes widened at the offer. "I never wanted to take him away from you Regina, despite what I may have said in moments of anger. You're a great mother to him and he needs you, even if he's acting like he doesn't right now. He has two mothers and he needs both of us. We're going to raise our son together."

"Like a family?" Regina asked, hardly daring to hope for something she hadn't had since she was a little girl.

"Exactly," Emma nodded.

Regina smiled wider than Emma had ever seen. The effect was incredible. The older woman lit up with happiness and hope, her beautiful features more striking than ever before. Emma felt something twinge low in her abdomen.

"Erm, I'm sorry but I have a lot of paperwork to get back to," Emma said, trying to distract herself from the slow throbbing between her thighs and picking up her discarded pen.

Frowning at the sudden dismissal, Regina picked up her handbag and got to her feet. When she got to the doorway she paused and looked back at the blonde whose face was now hidden by a curtain of long blonde hair.

"Emma," she said, waiting until green eyes raised to her face before continuing. "Would you maybe like to get a drink this evening?"

Blonde eyebrows raised slightly. "Like a date?" she blurted out before she could stop herself.

"Like two women who like women meeting over a glass of wine to chat and maybe discuss the son they share," Regina said, a slight smile on her lips.

Emma grinned back. "Sure," she said. "Granny's at 8?"

"The Rabbit Hole at 9?" Regina countered.

"I'll see you there," Emma replied, her mind already frantically searching her wardrobe for an appropriate outfit.

Emma took a deep breath and pushed the door to the bar open. Scanning the room, she could see Regina was yet to arrive. Of course the Evil Queen would be fashionably late, the blonde mused as she walked over to the bar and ordered two glasses of Cabernet Sauvignon. She wasn't herself a fan of red wine but she knew Regina had a penchant for the dark red liquid.

Just as the bar tender set the glasses down in front of Emma, accompanied by a lecherous grin, the door swung open and Regina strutted into the room.

Emma froze with the glass halfway to her lips as she took in the sight before her. Regina wore a navy blue dress which stopped mid thigh. Her toned legs however seemed to go on forever thanks to the killer black stilettos she was walking perfectly in. The halter neck plummeted scandalously between her breasts, her long neck exposed as her hair was pinned back into an elaborate but messy style. Her lipstick was a little darker than it had been earlier that day and her smokey eyes glittered as they met Emma's.

It was Regina's turn to take in the blonde. Emma wasn't exactly the type of girl with a closet full of dresses so she'd spent the better part of half an hour pouring herself into her skinniest black jeans. She had even dug out her high heeled boots, wanting to maintain her height advantage and knowing full well Regina would be punishing her feet in ridiculous shoes. Emma's top was a silver, sleeveless shirt, shimmering in the light as the fabric ruffled when she moved. The top three buttons were open, allowing Regina a tantalising glimpse of pale flesh beneath. Her hair was down, curled carefully to fall over her shoulders and cascade down her back.

"Good evening," Regina said as she approached and slid herself elegantly onto the bar stool next to Emma.

"Ugm … Huu … Hello," Emma managed to say at last.

Regina laughed lightly as she reached for the wine glass Emma pushed towards her. "Lost for words dear?" she asked as she sipped the drink.

"Sorry," Emma said, blushing profusely. "It's just I've never seen you wear something quite so … sexy."

"You think I'm sexy?" Regina asked, placing her wine back on the bar.

"I think you know the answer to that question," Emma said, grinning slightly.

"Then why did this take so long?" Regina asked.

"What do you mean?" Emma frowned.

"Come on Emma," Regina said, boldly reaching to take both of the blonde's hands in her own. Now she knew Emma was interested, she wasn't about to let the blonde slip from her grasp. "We both like each other, are attracted to each other. There's always been this fire, chemistry between us. Why has it taken so long for us to go out on a date?"

Emma looked down at their still clasped hands. Her skin was burning deliciously beneath Regina's touch. She wondered briefly how those fingers would feel on other parts of her body.

"I thought you said this wasn't a date," Emma said, raising her eyes to meet Regina's.

"I think we both know this is a date," Regina pointed out. "It certainly feels like one."

"True," Emma said. "So I guess I should start asking you questions like what's your favourite movie or what do you do in your free time."

"You could," Regina said, nodding slowly. "Or we could just cut all the theatrics and move straight to where we both know this is going," she said with a salacious wink.

"Check please," Emma said, waving the bar tender over.

"Before we go any further," Emma gasped as she landed on her back and a naked Regina climbed astride her. The brunette raised an eyebrow before raking her gaze pointedly over the equally naked blonde between her thighs. "OK, I should probably have said this earlier,. But whatever happens between us, whatever we become or don't become, we have to make sure that Henry doesn't get hurt. He's the priority, agreed?"

"Agreed," Regina nodded. "But right now, my priority is making you come so hard you see stars."

Placing a final kiss on Emma's swollen lips, the brunette backed herself down the bed.

Emma's hands followed the retreating woman and wove themselves into the silken lock. The clips and pins which styled Regina's hair earlier had disappeared thanks to Emma's fingers teasingly pulling and twisting the strands. This time however, Emma was careful not to put any pressure on Regina's scalp, not wanting to push the brunette into something she wasn't ready for.

Emma needn't have worried. As soon as the blonde widened her legs, the brunette's mouth was feasting on the glistening sex before her. Their journey from Regina's Mercedes, through the door and up the mayoral staircase had been punctuated by heavy make-out and petting sessions, leaving Emma's body more than ready for what came next. Regina's tongue swiped through the juices, tasting Emma for the first time and moaning at the tanginess of the blonde. Emma was delicious, just as Regina knew she would be.

The blonde arched off the bed at the first touch, her fingernails digging almost painfully into Regina's scalp at the wonderful, intense sensations. Regina lapped again, her mouth moving steadily all over Emma's sex, sucking her labia before licking her slit and nibbling her clit. Emma's brain was in overdrive trying to keep up but the older woman was wild, unpredictable, and incredibly talented.

As she settled to focus on Emma's clit, Regina reached her hand up to tease the blonde's hole with her fingertips. Coating two of them with Emma's essence, she pushed steadily inside until she was buried up to her knuckle. Regina's breath caught at the sensation of being completely surrounded by Emma's hot, wet heat just as the blonde cried out at the surprising move and the depth to which Regina's long fingers could reach.

Pulling the swollen, sensitive nub between her teeth, Regina began to flick the tip of her tongue over Emma's clit as she set a steady, quick rhythm with her fingers. Emma writhed on the bed, her nerve endings on fire and her whole body alive with pleasure. She was unable to control the small spasms that wracked her body, a sure sign of her impending orgasm. Regina understood and drew Emma's clit into her mouth, sucking it into her warmth as she pushed harder, deeper, faster.

Emma's vision went white and her mouth opened in a silent scream. Her back arched off the bed, leaving her body suspended for several seconds as waves of pleasure crashed over her. Finally, she collapsed back down, breathing hard, eyes closed, and sweat coating her chest.

Regina moved away from the blonde's delectable sex, making a promise to herself she would be back soon. She pulled her fingers out slowly, a twinge in her own sex as she watched them reappear, covered in Emma's juices. Licking them clean, she moved to lie beside the spent blonde. After a few moments, green eyes reappeared, looking hazy with satisfaction.

"Wow," she said, her voice hoarse.

"I'm a little out of practice," Regina admitted.

"That was the best sex I've ever had," Emma said, rolling onto her side and pulling Regina closer to her.

"Then you've clearly been sleeping with all the wrong people," Regina teased, leaning in to place a chaste kiss on Emma's lips.

"Clearly," Emma said as she pushed Regina onto her back and lay on top of the older woman. "And now I'm going to prove the same is true for you."

Bonus points to anyone who knows where "Happiness is only real when shared" comes from …