A/N And here's the final one-shot from the Back to the Start competition, and it's for Becky'sGirl, 'I'd love to see one where Pongo keeps running away from Archie and going to Regina, and of course Emma has to go after him. Eventually someone figures out that Pongo knows they are each other's happy ending and is trying to get them together.'

Hope you guys enjoyed and thank you for all of the interest in these competitions, it means alot XD

Match-making Dalmatian

-Pre-curse-

Emma rolled her eyes and threw the phone down.

"Stupid dog," she muttered. As much as she loved being deputy sheriff at first, she was beginning to fall into an irritating pattern.

Graham didn't look up from his computer, "it's your turn Swan."

"Why?" she whined.

"I found him yesterday."

"I didn't have work yesterday," Emma frowned.

"Exactly, go and find the dog slacker."

Emma shook her head, with a small grin and grabbed her jacket.

Henry and Regina walked in an awkward silence, just as they often did these days.

The mayor desperately tried to think of something to say that wouldn't result in a huge argument that would end in a certain statement that hurt her deeply every time the boy said it. Nothing came to mind, and the barking of a certain annoying dog distracted each of them from looking at the ground.

Pongo ran at full speed towards the mayor, with a stumbling blonde not far behind.

"Pongo!" Emma shouted, "come here now."

The dog came to a full stop and sat in front of the two brunettes, accepting a stroke from the smaller of the pair.

"Stupid dog," Emma breathed, attaching a leash.

"Our tax dollars hard at work I see, Miss Swan."

Emma looked up, only just realising that there were people in front of her, and she simply scowled at the other woman, "I'll have you know, madam mayor, that was very hard work."

Henry looked between the two women and rolled his eyes, "hey Emma."

"Hey kid."

Regina set her jaw, and made to walk away, "can I have dinner with Emma?"

The brunette swallowed hard, and trying to keep the hurt off her face, she turned around, "bring my son back at seven Miss Swan."

Emma nodded, feeling completely dumbfounded. Even though Regina had been allowing her time with Henry recently, this just seemed somewhat on a different level. She couldn't help but see the resigned look in the woman's eyes, and she had half a mind to turn Henry down, but she couldn't resist his excited expression.

Regina walked away, and after a moment Emma looked away from her, "Granny's?"

Henry nodded, and led the way.

-Post curse-

Regina sat alone on a bench.

She couldn't help but feel that she had now completely and utterly lost everything.

Henry had his 'real parents', she had lost her mother, and as much as she hated to admit it, the fact that she hadn't talked to Emma in a few weeks was actually bothering her.

Looking around, she saw no one, so she allowed her head to fall into her hands.

A moment later she felt something, and jerked her head up. What she found genuinely surprised her, Pongo lay his head in her lap, and instead of shooing him away as she believed she should have, she lay soft strokes on his head.

Surprisingly, in that moment she felt her problems fall away, if only for a moment.

"Hey," a voice interrupted and Regina couldn't even bring herself to scowl at the sheriff.

"Is this really all you do, Miss Swan?"

Emma smirked at the woman that she had secretly missed, and shrugged her shoulders, "maybe I should make a formal complaint to the mayor."

"And who would that be?"

Emma frowned, and sighed, "it was a joke Regina."

"Well it was a poorly constructed one. As far as I can tell, your parents are in charge. But honestly, it's anyone's guess."

"Well for what it's worth, you make a way better leader," Emma replied, throwing the leash onto the bench, she turned away. "I'll let Archie know that Pongo's safe."

-During Operation Mongoose-

Regina decided that today, she would pour through blank pages in the sun.

She was sick of sitting in the Author's library waiting for any of these books to have even a spot of ink in them. Sitting under her apple tree, she smiled fondly at the missing limb before quickly shaking her head.

She had long since embraced her attraction to the sheriff, but she was certain that attraction didn't equal happy ending. Emma had Hook after all, she was already happy.

Pongo ran up to her, and sat expectantly in front of the bench.

Regina smiled fondly at the dog. Though she was never too keen on the Dalmatian before, over the past few years he had afforded her a lot of time with the sheriff.

As expected, Emma walked into view, but instead of a leash, she was holding a paper bag.

Regina raised an eyebrow at the smirking blonde, who took a seat without pretence.

"Brought you lunch," she explained.

"So instead of calling me, you just waited for Pongo to find me."

"What can I say, the dog has taste."

Regina blushed and blinked a few times as Emma began to unpack the bag, "what was that?" she asked.

Emma furrowed her brow, "what was what?"

"Did you...never mind," Regina took the usual kale salad, and placing the books next to her, she popped it open.

Emma handed her the root beer, and produced a bottle opener, which caused Regina to let out a small laugh.

"You seem awfully happy for someone who just had follow a dog."

"What are you talking about? It's the best part of my day," Emma chuckled, unwrapping a grilled cheese that she knew Regina would turn her nose up at.

Regina continued to look at her, until she finally explained, "I get to see you during my shift without you shouting at me about some paperwork."

"Wouldn't that make more sense if it were Hook that Pongo led you to?"

"If that were true, then I wouldn't let him run away every day," Emma's eyes widened, and she turned to see Regina's shell shocked expression.

"What?" Regina managed to ask.

"Well at first, I hated the dog for making me chase him every day. But then I realised that 9 times out of 10 he always led me to you. So on days that he didn't get away, I kind of let him off his leash because you would refuse to talk to me if I just called you," Emma said in one breath, while also blushing profusely.

"But...Hook?"

Emma tilted her head, "what about him?"

"You're dating him, aren't you?" Regina asked in a small voice.

"No...we broke up ages ago. We're just friends now, didn't Tink tell you? They've been together for like a month."

Regina shook her head, everything the blonde had said seemed to make complete sense.

Emma watched the mayor's expression morph between confusion and happiness, and she suddenly realised that the woman felt the same way.

So with some doubt, she leaned forward and captured her lips.

Pulling away, she looked at the brunette, honestly expecting a slap, but instead she received another kiss, once the woman's surprise melted away.

"Wow..." Emma breathed, before she turned to Pongo, giving him the whole grilled cheese, she stroked him and whispered, "thank you."

Regina rolled her eyes with a small grin, though she felt like she should thank the dog for doing something no human had been able to do...make Operation Mongoose a success.

A/N Reviews would be much appreciated