So once again I didn't get this sent to my beta in time, in fact, I nearly didn't have it written for you in time, but it's been such a crazy-arse day.

I hope all my little faeries have been having a wonderful thanksgiving wherever you're

Here is my present for you

Chapter 12

In a very uncharacteristic manner Regina was nervously pacing her hallway. She had been doing and feeling a lot of uncharacteristic things lately. It was 5.43 Friday evening and Emma was due to arrive in 17 minutes time.

"Mom you're making me dizzy!" Henry complained. He was sat at the bottom of the steps watching his mother walk back and forth.

"Huh?" Regina frowned as she was pulled from her thoughts. "Oh, I'm sorry." She said placing a hand on her sons' cheek. Sitting next to him on the steps she patted his knee as they both stared at the door, waiting for it to knock.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Regina listened to the ring of the phone as she cradled it to her ear, she hated how nervous she felt, how vulnerable she was, she hated how off balance Emma made her feel. She let out a slow shaky breath at the sound of the click of the receiver being lifted.

"Emma Swan –" she began before Regina cut her off.

"It's me." She was used to the little speech Emma recited whenever she answered the phone, she wasn't entirely sure if she said it to everyone or just her, either way, what had started off as eye-rollingly worthy was now just plain irritating.

"Ahh come on let me finish, I added something to the end!" She didn't care she was whining, in fact half the time she did it just to annoy Regina or to make her smile, even though she'd never admit it. She could almost hear the eye roll as Regina agreed and she smiled as she leant back in her office chair. "Emma Swan; Sheriff, Saviour, mother and kitten. To report a crime ring David, if Pongo's escaped call Archie, if you need saving look in the mirror and save yourself, if you want a new video game and your other mother won't buy it because it's too violent text me the name and we'll play at mine in secret and if you're looking for an arse to spank I'll be at your office in fifteen minutes. What do think?" Spinning around in her chair she smirked to herself, with her back now turned she was free from David's questioning gaze.

David knew something was up, every so often she got a call direct to her office phone or her cell and she'd light up like Diwali, this was usually followed by the closing of the door and the blinds.

"You missed something." Regina said with a smile. How did Emma's childish side make her heart swell? Was it because it reminded her of her stolen youth and innocence? Or because it reminded her of Henry? Or...

"Oh yeah?" Emma practically purred as arousal coursed through her body in anticipation of Regina's sadistic words.

"Amend the first line to 'Emma Swan; Sheriff, Saviour, mother, kitten and idiot!"

She bit back the 'yours' she most desperately wanted to say and just smiled. "So Madam Mayor to what do I owe the pleasure? I'm assuming you didn't call to hear the new draft of my voicemail message!"

"Indeed I did not." She paused, once more her stomach turned in knots as she tried her best to form a coherent sentence in her head. "You know it's Henry's school play Friday evening..."

"Of course."

"Are you going?" Regina asked mentally chiding herself at the long-winded way she was going about what it was she really wanted to ask.

"Of course."

"I was erm... I was wondering if you'd erm..." Regina shook her head, trying her best to get a grip as she stuttered over her words. Over the years she had addressed courts of royals, villages of peasants, city councils and more with no problem, yet here she was struggling to articulate a single conversation with the town's sheriff.

Emma smiled to herself, she couldn't help it. Since finding out who her parents were she had struggled to find any similarities between her and them, to find anything they had in common. But now she'd found it. Since her last night with Regina, when she'd asked her to stay, when she'd told her 'not yet', and now. Listening to the educated and eloquent former Queen and current Mayor of the small town of Storybrooke she smiled, she finally had something in common with her parents, hope.

"Did you want to come with me?" She rushed out. "I don't mean as a date I just... I thought it would be nice for Henry. This is his first performance, and for us to show our support united, I just thought..." Regina trailed off, it sounded stupid and desperate out loud. She knew she should have practiced in the mirror, but she had decided against it, it sounded too much like something Mary Margaret would do.

"That sounds great!" Emma wanted to squeal, she wanted to run around her office punching the air with excitement, she didn't. She knew Regina too well; she would have to act like this is merely a practical solution, anything more and she ran the risk of frightening her off. To anyone else the brunette had barely given an inch, but in Regina language she'd given a mile, and then some.

"We could drive together, or we could meet you there, it's up to you." She could hear how nauseatingly like a nervous schoolgirl she sounded. She cringed, glad there were no eyes on her to see her embarrassment.

"I'll meet you at yours for six?"

"Perfect."

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"Have you got your lines in your bag?" Regina asked her son as they sat waiting for Emma.

"No…"

Sighing to herself Regina's eyes fluttered closed, "well don't you think you should fetch them just in case?"

With a grumble in response Henry stomped to his room to fetch the script from next to his bed. As he zipped his bag closed he noticed Emma's yellow bug parked beyond the hedges at the end of their drive. He ran down the stairs taking two at a time in his excitement for his biggest family milestone to date. Once his mom's would have done anything to kill each other, now they were choosing to spend time together, even if it was only for his benefit, or so he thought.

"Henry no running, how many times!" Regina chided. She was growing ever more anxious as she waited for the blonde to arrive and as a result more frustrated with herself for being so anxious.

"Sorry, but mom's cars outside, can we go?"

As Henry's went to grab the handle of the door, Regina somehow appeared, holding his hand still, stopping him. "No." She whispered softly. Her brain worked in overdrive as she moved to the window of the sitting room. Her hand still holding Henry's, he was dragged too, though deep in her thoughts she didn't even notice, because there on the steps of her house was Emma Swan. She looked nervous as she hopped from one foot to the other, her left wrist raised as she stood staring at her watch.

"What's she doing?" Henry asked as he watched Emma in amusement, wondering why both his moms were both acting so strangely.

His words once again brought Regina back to the present and she looked at him, dropping his hand as she saw how tight she was gripping it. "I don't know." She answered honestly, looking from Henry to Emma and back to Henry again. "I stopped trying to understand Emma's actions a long time ago."

Henry's eyed his mother for half a second, before seeing the twinkle in her eyes and the soft smile on her lips, he laughed and soon she did too. At six pm precisely the clock above the fireplace chimed, at six pm precisely Emma rang the bell.

So that was what she was waiting for. Trying as she might to repress her smile, Regina failed, as she walked to open the door. "Miss Swan." She greeted the very smug blonde. "Right on time I see." She raised her eyebrow as her lip curled, with their son stood behind them there was little more she could say or do.

"I know how much you appreciate punctuality." Inwardly high-fiving herself she knew she'd earnt some brownie points before they'd even started. She had planned on doing everything in her power to make this non-date-date better than Regina could have imagined.

She held out her hand, hanging from her fingers were the handles to a gift bag. "For you." She said to Regina before smiling at Henry. "Hey kid, excited?"

Confused he thought, but he just shrugged as he looked between his two mothers, watching the scene unfold.

"What is it?" The brunette asked as she took the gift.

"I don't know about the Enchanted Forest, but in America the gift giving custom, is usually a surprise to the reciever. The receiver opens the present and is overcome by gratitude and says 'oh how wonderful I always wanted that'." Emma teased receiving a customary eye roll.

Opening the bag Regina smiled at the contents, "Oh! How wonderful, I always wanted that." Two could play the sarcasm game. "Coffee?" She asked curiously, as Henry snatched the bag from her, desperate to see what Emma had bought his mom.

"Yes, it's a symbol of my appreciation, dedication and determination."

"Have you been reading the thesaurus at work again, this wasn't entirely a jest, she had walked into the station two week ago to find Emma thumbing through the tattered pages of a combined dictionary-thesaurus whilst she drank her morning coffee.

"Maybe, but that's not the point. I appreciate you asking me to join you to attend Henry's show, I know it's the first time we've united as parents to support Henry academically, so thank you." She smiled at the grin on Henry's face before looking back at his mother. "I am dedicated to not f-luffing,"

Both Henry and Regina rolled their eyes at Emma's attempt to not swear in front of him.

"-this evening up, or in fact any of the progress we have made to overcome our differences and to put Henry and his needs first. I am determined to make sure you have a good time, I can't express how much it means to me that you asked me today, but I want you to see I'm not just here for Henry, hanging out with you is not all that bad." She teased. "Finally this is a symbol of hope, that you'll invite me back for coffee at the end of the night."

"I don't 'hang' Miss Swan." She smiled, her gaze dropped as she took the bag back from Henry, she couldn't look at either of them right now. "Thank you for the gift, and the sentiment Emma, we shall see. Now why don't you both get in the car whilst I put this away and lock up."

Alone in the kitchen she rested her hands against the sink as a solitary tear rolled down her cheek, the softest of smiles upon her dark pink lips. She looked at the bag of coffee on the side, running her thumb absent-mindedly over it. It was such a small gesture, but it was the most perfect gift she had ever been given, hope.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Thank you Emma." Regina whispered as she stared forwards at the stage waiting for the curtain to rise. They were in the school auditorium waiting for Henry's first play to start.

"You already said that." Emma couldn't help but smile as she watched Regina's expression, the room was crowded and between the car ride with Henry and the hall they hadn't had an opportunity to talk candidly.

Turning to face the blonde she smiled. "I thanked you then as Henry's mother, I am thanking you now as more." Her voice was soft, barely audible so as no one else should overhear, but Emma heard every word. In fact Emma continued to hear every word in her head over and over again during the opening of the show.

During the interval Regina, Emma and Doctor Hopper were deep in conversation about the first act, Henry, they all agreed, had triumphed. Though they of course were all biased. An out of breath and frantic Mary Margaret interrupted them as she begged Regina to come backstage to help. "I'm sorry I wouldn't ask, but there really is no one else who can help." She pleaded, desperate for Regina to work her magic, literally.

"Now?" Regina sighed, placing her mulled wine down in annoyance. She had been enjoying Emma's company, pleasantly surprised at how well they got along in public.

Backstage Regina did a little fairy-godmothering as she turned jeans into riding britches and a hello kitty skirt into a pink ball gown resulting in two little beaming faces of the children she had just made over. "Now wipe your eyes and go and practice your lines." She said softly as the children thanked her. She turned to Mary Margret who was offering her own profuse gratitude. "When they said they'd forgotten their costumes I just didn't know who to turn to, Regina thank you!"

"It's no trouble, really!" She said stressing the last word as she held up a hand to stop Mary Margaret's open armed approach. Appreciation was one thing, bodily contact was something all together entirely different, and though she no longer wanted to stab the schoolteacher in the eye every time she opened her mouth, she certainly wasn't ready to become soul sisters.

Straightening her skirt she smiled "I should probably get back the second half is about to start, you should return to your seat."

As she left Regina just smiled, small doses she mused to herself, small doses.

"Finally we're alone." Stepping out of the shadows Emma stalked across the room to where Regina was standing. "I thought she'd never leave." With her hand on Regina's waist she slammed her hard against the wall, jarring the wind out of the brunette before her lips descended on those open in shock, tasting her gasp of surprise. Her hands cupped her lovers' cheeks as their tongues slid against one another.

"Emma?" Regina whispered when they parted, she felt light headed and her heart was racing. She let out a soft groan as the blonde ground her hips into her as a hand slipped into the top of her dress under her satin bra to pull her breast free. Hot lips clamped down around her nipple as she let her head loll back against the wall. "Oh Emma." She repeated with a sigh.

Smirking Emma kissed her way back up to Regina's mouth, pulling at her lip with her teeth till she moaned. "Yes?" She purred as her hands inched the bottom of the brunette's skirt up over her hips, exposing her black panties, stockings and suspenders.

"Not here." She whispered as adrenalin and desire coursing through her body, her senses alight and heightened.

"Yes here." She slid her hand into the front of Regina's panties, two fingers easily sliding into her hot wet center.

Letting out a moan Regina's head fell back against. "Our son is performing." She argued as her body betrayed her, her hips riding Emma's thrusts.

"I practiced lines with Henry for three weeks." She argued as she flicked her tongue against Regina's ear, her hot breath sending cool shivers through the Mayor. "He was in most of the first half, but he isn't in the second half until the final three scenes, we have time yet."

"We could get caught!" Her breathing was heavy and rational was quickly abandoning her, as she was lost to the throes of passion. "Your mother, Henry, anyone…" She jumped as Emma's thumb grazed over her clit, a jolt of electricity shooting through her.

"I know." Was the blonde's only response, which received a whimper in response as Regina gave in. She returned her attentions to Regina's hard exposed nipple; smothering it in tortured affection as she bit, kissed and licked. As Regina's breathing grew more erratic and as she began to ride her fingers Emma smirked, teasing her clit as she thrust harder into her.

Leaning her head forwards she rested it against Emma's shoulder as she bit back her cries of pleasure as she felt herself grow closer to the edge. She wasn't sure when Emma had suddenly taken charge, how she had let her or why, but she didn't want it to stop.

Sucking hard Emma marked Regina's breast next to her nipple until it shone purple. She pressed a soft kiss against the mark, looking before looking up into Regina's dark eyes. "I am yours and you're mine." She whispered as Regina tumbled over the edge into oblivion

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Thank you again for a lovely evening, kid, you did great!" Emma smiled as closed the door to Regina's car as she stepped onto the drive. Regina had been avoiding her gaze after their little tryst backstage of the auditorium and she didn't want to push her luck any further. Their return journey hadn't been awkward due only to Henry being the center of the conversation. The older woman reminded her of a cat, cornered she would lash out, though some would see it as aggression Emma knew better, mostly it was out of fear, or because she was wounded. "See you tomorrow?"

"Wait Miss Swan, aren't you going to stay for that coffee?" Regina asked.

Emma smiled and nodded, "I'd love too."

Thanksgiving will not feature in the fic directly, however I can promise Regina has been making a few Black Friday purchases.

Chapter Thirteen Sneak Peak : The one with the collar's