I don't own these characters; ABC/Disney does.

9: Familiar

Henry was knocked out on the floor in the living room. Lady was sleeping on his back, her legs just hanging off to the floor. Emma had to take a picture from her spot on the couch. Regina could not help smiling at the sight, but then something sorrowful settled in her eyes.

"Ready to rush off?" Regina inquired from her perch on the sofa with her legs tucked underneath her.

"We gotta go home sometime," Emma pointed out. She guessed that Regina either got lonely when they left or had grown used to them being there as she and Henry did spend most their time at the house now.

"Is that not what this now? Home? I've seen you have the revelation more than once and it looks like it bothers you. Is it that you're waiting for me to lose it again or waiting for me to become the Evil Queen again?" Her voice was calm, actually a bit scared. She swallowed hard at the end of the question, so much so that Emma saw her throat move.

Emma shifted, leaning over to pull Regina's legs into her lap. She took a moment to gently rub Regina's calf. "It's not like that," she softly vowed.

Regina licked her lips and glanced away briefly. "I've been seeing Doctor Hopper again."

Emma's eyes went wide. "What? When?"

"For a few weeks now. I have so much time when you're at work and Henry's at school. Lady and Pongo seem to get along, so I think it's good for her, too. She's seeing more people."

"Not that I don't think it's great, but why?"

"You know why. It's why you tend to look terrified when we all sit down for dinner. We both have journeys to make and I'm starting on that path."

The blonde was dumbfounded that Regina had picked up on that. "Uh … I'm not terrified. Just shocked that we're not killing each other." That's not a total lie, right? I mean, I'm not terrified per se. She honestly was not sure what it was, but she would not label it terror.

The skeptical look on Regina's face was almost exaggerated. "Emma, I think we have come to a place where we can be honest with each other. You know things about me that no one else does and you've told me things about myself that I didn't know, like I could get better. So, please, be honest with me about it."

"Regina, I'm not ready to deal with … dinner." It was beyond her comprehension right now. She had just settled on having parents and she was just getting the hang of being a mother. She did not want to think about things beyond that right now.

"All right. I understand. I will see you tomorrow." The disappointment in those alluring brown eyes was fairly clear. Emma felt like an ass, but she could not force herself to be ready to discuss something that she barely thought about.

"Bright and early. Breakfast?" the sheriff asked with hope.

"As long as it keeps you from inhaling five donuts, yes, I will make breakfast." She said that as if she did not make breakfast every morning now. She did claim that it was because she wanted Emma to eat better and breakfast was the most important meal of the day. Emma never argued that because she felt that was how Regina dealt with their newfound friendship.

Emma leveled a faux-glare at her. "None of that oatmeal crap."

"Why? Once I put brown sugar, raisins, and nuts in it, you inhale that, too."

Emma could not deny that charge. She had been of the mind that oatmeal and other hot cereals were all unflavored gruel until Regina made it. She did not mind such breakfasts and found that they did give her more energy to get through the day than inhaling a ton of donuts as Regina liked to put it. There's something underneath all of this, too, that's probably connected to dinner, which I don't want to think about, so I'm going to stop now.

"See you in the morning then," Emma said, getting up off of the couch. She got Henry up, so they could go home.

"Could I just go to my room?" the boy requested through a yawn, rubbing one eye with the heel of his hand. His mothers' mouths dropped open.

"Uh…" Emma said ever so eloquently.

"I miss my room," he admitted shyly. "And you don't have to sleep on the floor if I stay here. It'll be fine."

"Fine?" Emma echoed, glancing at Regina.

Regina opened her mouth, but closed it again. They knew what she wanted. She just did not seem to want to voice it, out of fear. Emma was not sure what to do. She was not sure if Regina was ready, or if Henry was ready actually. So much could go wrong and she was not sure if she wanted to chance that.

"I'm going to bed," Henry declared. He made his way to the stairs with Lady at his heels. His mothers did not say a word.

"He'll be fine," Regina vowed.

"It's you I'm more worried about. Are you up to this?" Emma asked. Everything would be fine as long as Henry did not suddenly snap. Regina would cater to his every whim because she wanted to hold him close, wanted him to know how much she loved him. Henry understood that Regina was healing, but he was still a kid and by definition thought the world revolved around him.

"He's already going to bed. By the time he wakes up, you'll be here," Regina pointed out.

Emma nodded because that made sense. She planned to be there early. But, for now, she had to go home and get some sleep. She bid Regina farewell by patting her on the shoulder. Regina touched her hand and that was that. But, now that Emma was thinking about things she did not want to think about, she wondered if there was more to those simple gestures like everything else with her and Regina.

-8-8-8-8-

Regina was not surprised that Emma was early for their morning walk. She had breakfast made. It was oatmeal because she was starting to learn sometimes when Emma said she did not want something, she actually did. So, she made oatmeal with fruits and nuts that Emma pretty much inhaled as soon as Regina placed the bowl in front of her.

"Henry still asleep?" Emma asked.

"Yes, but he'll probably wake up when we go to get Lady," Regina answered.

Emma arched an eyebrow. Regina put down her tea and motioned for Emma to follow her. The blonde did not put up an argument. They crept upstairs and Regina eased Henry's room door open. Emma poked her head in to see that Lady was sleeping on Henry's stomach. She was big enough now that she would wake him up if she stepped on him.

"That is so freaking cute!" Emma hissed in a low voice.

"I know, but when we call her for her walk, she's going to wake him," Regina pointed out.

"He needs to get up, anyway."

"But, not yet." He had another half hour of sleep.

Regina stepped away and got Lady's leash. All she had to do was shake it because there was a bell on it. Lady heard the bell and was up with a start. She bounded off the bed, waking Henry up in her excitement. Emma smiled a bit.

"Go back to bed, kid. We just need to walk Lady," the blonde explained.

"I wanna come," he muttered, stumbling out of bed and rubbing his eye.

"Better hurry up," Emma ordered.

Henry was ready in moments, knowing they had to stick to Lady's schedule. They all exited the house with Henry taking command of Lady's leash. Henry gave Lady much more slack on the leash than Regina did, but Lady seemed to enjoy the freedom. She wandered onto lawns, sniffing everything, and then when they got to the park, Lady bounded into some bushes. Henry chased after her, ready to get her some real exercise.

"You know, we might need to start looking into flea and tick protection. When it gets really warm, he'll probably spend a lot of time playing with Lady in the park," Emma said.

"I'll look into it," Regina replied. She would get on the Internet as soon as she and Lady were alone.

"Mom, you could take Lady to the vet. They'll tell you want stuff to get and make sure Lady's healthy," Henry volunteered, emerging from the bushes with Lady in his arms. Lady was wiggling, twisting, and turning while pretending to nip at the boy.

"Have you ever taken Lady to the vet?" Emma asked curiously. After all, she knew how Regina used to shop.

"There's no need to. I've taken care of her with magic … and the Internet," Regina answered, nervous to admit to that with Henry standing there. Would he condemn her again? Her stomach fluttered at the thought.

"But, you don't have to do that. We can take Lady to the vet and you don't have to use magic," Henry argued. Well, he was not angry, which was good, but he was still clearly opposed to her use of magic.

"Henry, magic…" Her voice trembled as she tried to tell him that using magic was not always a bad thing. She could not say those words, though. "The vet may not be kind to me, and thus may be unkind to Lady," she whispered. She could not bear the thought of harm coming to Lady, especially as revenge against her. She also was not sure how she would react to someone hurting Lady and she did not want to snap in front of Henry or Emma. They believed in her so much; she did not want to do anything that might drive them away.

"Regina, we wouldn't let that happen," Emma promised, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze.

Regina was not sure when Emma got so at ease with touching her, but she enjoyed it. It was nice to have human contact again, especially without having to force. I like this. I like this! She supposed it would be nice to have something positive to discuss with Doctor Hopper when she saw him later on. She could only wonder if this admission would finally get him to change his calm facial expression.

"Yeah, Mom. We love Lady, too. We want the best for her," Henry declared. Lady licked his hand, as if telling him that he was all right, too.

Regina had to hold back tears. Not long ago, she would have worried that they were going to take Lady from her, but now, this was all her world. They were all she had and she was grateful to share with them. She was grateful for them. She gave Emma's hand a squeeze. Emma smiled and just held her hand a little tighter.

"All right. We can make an appointment," Regina said, stepping closer to the sheriff to the point where their arms were touching.

"We'll all do it," Emma said and Henry cheered. Lady barked, if only not to feel left out.

-8-8-8-8-

They made it a project to find a vet. There were not many in Storybrooke, but there were more than Emma expected after it seemed like Whale was the only doctor on Earth, forget in town. Thankfully, they managed to find one that Regina believed might not hate her too much.

"Just tell me the vet isn't, like, Goldilocks or something," Emma commented as they loaded into Regina's car. Henry held onto Lady because they did not own a pet carrier.

"No, she's not the vet and none of the bears are either," Regina answered.

"But, they're wandering around Storybrooke somewhere," Emma figured.

"Of course," Regina answered seriously.

For the entire ride, Henry played "guess the fairy tale character" with the vet. Regina did not confirm any of his guesses. He was ridiculously curious by the time they got to the office.

There was chatter in the office that totally stopped when Regina stepped in. She ignored the silence and heated stares while going right up to the reception desk. The woman at the desk gulped and lost all the color in her face. It looked like she might pass out.

"Breathe, dear. I am only here for my dog. I believe I have an appointment," Regina stated.

The receptionist nodded, but did not look any better. "P-p-p-please, have a seat. She'll be-be-be with you shortly."

Regina smiled and they all had a seat. Lady watched the other animals curiously, but did not move. The waiting room was quiet and still, as if waiting for all Hell to break loose. They were to be sorely disappointed if they did think that was going to happen. The receptionist quickly got up and rushed to the back. She was out just as quickly.

"Your Majesty, the doctor will see you now," the receptionist said quickly.

"Can we stop at the pizza shop next to cut the line?" Emma joked as they stood.

"And maybe even get free pizza," Henry chimed in.

Regina rolled her eyes, but she was a bit shocked by Henry's casualness with what just happened. She supposed that he was following Emma's lead and Emma was trying to make the best of it. Again, Regina could not believe how grateful she was to have these two people in her life. Their reactions alone kept her calm.

They went into the back, which was where the examining room was located. Henry almost swallowed his tongue the second that he saw the doctor. The gagging noise that escaped him made Emma look at him.

"Cruella de Vil is the vet!" Henry shouted incredulously, even pointing at her. The hair made it too easy to guess. Emma was the one that pushed his hand down, but Regina had to close the sheriff's gaping mouth.

"Oh, please, do call me by the simpering name that our dear queen sought to give me, Doctor Charity Whyte. It's cute, don't you think?" the doctor asked with an amused, but wicked grin and a strange glint in her eyes. "In this world, I'm completely opposite of what I was and continue to be so … mundane."

"That's not sarcasm," Emma realized.

Regina could hardly believe it. In fact, she could hardly believe that Cruella had continued on with her cursed-life after the curse broke. It had been a surprise when she called to make the appointment to find that the office had not been converted into a fur store, freshly stocked with the pelts of the animals she was supposed to treat.

"Oh, no! I loathe to admit, I've grown happy with this work for some reason that I can't explain!" the doctor grinned. "It's extremely difficult to wear the skin of a creature that has a name and you recently cured of an illness as it stared at you with big, caring eyes. Although, if I ever catch that damned Peter Rabbit, I'm skinning him, rabbit or no."

Regina smiled slightly. "And what did dear, old Peter do to you?"

"That's between me and him. But, other than that, this life and this work has somehow mellowed me out a bit," Cruella admitted as if it pained her. And, maybe it did. Maybe she wished that she could go back to the way that she was, disliked the fact that she changed, but she seemed quite content to remain as her cursed-self.

Emma and Henry looked at Regina for an explanation, but all she could offer was a shrug. She could only guess that Cruella found something that fulfilled her while working with the animals and had somehow managed to let go that avarice and indulgence that had once driven her. She was slightly envious in that. No matter what she did, nothing filled the hole inside of her until she was hollow husk that collapsed in on herself. But, she was certain that she could be filled with what she had now, rebuilding herself up and taking in what Lady, Henry, and Emma gave her.

Despite Cruella's shockingly pleasant personality, the trio all watched her carefully as she examined Lady. Henry asked a million questions, some bordering on accusations when needles were involved. Cruella took it in stride, laughing as she answered everything. Lady was given a clean bill of health, surprising everyone that Cruella de Vil was actually competent. She gave them prescriptions to guard against several pests and diseases.

"You might also want to consider getting Lady spayed. She's maturing into a dog and soon she'll be able to have puppies," Cruella informed them.

"What? She's just a puppy herself," Regina argued.

"I'm sure you look at her that way, but in a few months she'll be able to carry puppies. Do you really want to go through that?" the vet inquired.

"I can't even imagine Lady giving birth," Emma remarked.

Regina looked down at Lady and caressed her head. Lady whimpered a bit and nipped at Regina's fingers. The former queen leaned down and kissed the top of Lady's head.

"I don't think we have the right to make the decision about Lady having puppies. She may want them," Regina argued.

"She might want them?" Emma asked incredulously. "Regina, Lady's a dog. They don't so much want puppies as just have them as nature demands it. You really want to deal with having a house full of puppies?"

"They may make a nice coat," Cruella chimed in. Apparently, she had a sick sense of humor.

"But…" Regina gathered Lady in her arms and felt her stomach twist for the dog. "She may want puppies. I can't stop her from never having babies. That's not fair."

Emma gave her a look, understanding that this probably came from a place more than Lady having puppies. Regina made a mental note to discuss this with Archie. Clearly, something from her past was haunting her now and making her look strange to those around her. She would talk to Emma about it, too, if the blonde wanted to.

"Well, I guess it is something we can revisit. Maybe do some research on it," Emma offered.

Regina nodded, liking that idea. She did want to weigh the pros and cons of such a procedure, but she doubted it would change her mind. Creulla regarded them a strange smile, as if she knew something they did not, but she did not say anything. She just shrugged, letting them be on their way. She held Regina back for a moment when it was all done, wanting to speak to her alone.

"Regina, don't doubt that I'm upset with what you did, but somehow … this thing … it actually did bring me happiness once I stopped fighting it. When I accepted this and opened myself up to it, I changed and felt better," the vet explained.

Regina nodded. She had to believe that if the woman standing before her could heal, then surely it was possible for her to do the same. She just had to be open to it and she was certain that she was. She would keep at it and work for it as hard as she had worked to cast that damned curse.

"My sins are greater and I have much to atone for," Regina stated.

"But, you can't atone in misery," Cruella pointed out.

Regina conceded that in silence. She gave Cruella a smile in thanks and was surprised when Cruella smiled in return. She left to join Emma and Henry. Henry was congratulating Lady on a good check up. Emma took Regina's hand and Regina gave it a squeeze.

"Henry wants to go to the pet store and get some new toys for Lady," Emma said.

Regina smiled. "She has been bored with her other toys. According to the articles I've read, we should only give her a couple because she will get bored with them."

Henry smiled, as if proud. "What else did you read?"

Regina went on about what she had learned from the Internet and her months as a dog owner as they left for the pet supply store. Henry hung on her every word for the first time in years. Regina felt something inside of her glow warmly and she found herself looking forward to buying dog toys. Maybe Cruella was correct, but I suppose I knew that already.

-8-8-8-8-

Emma did not say a word as Henry yawned for the millionth time and decided that he was going to sleep in his bedroom without asking. Lady followed him upstairs, dragging behind him. They had worn each other out in the park after buying a Frisbee. Watching them made fetch seem like the most intense game on the planet. Regina smiled a bit as she watched them go.

"I think he's home again," Emma commented. She and Regina were on the couch. She had Regina's legs in her lap, absently massaging her calves.

"Home is happy to have him," Regina replied.

"Yeah, it's good for him and for you." Emma nodded, as if that made her words more concrete. "Have you spoken to him at all about anything?"

Regina shook her head. "Unfortunately, no. He's adjusting on his own. He doesn't look at me as if he's expecting me to rip a heart out. He gets close to me, never shows signs of being afraid or thinking that I'm going to hurt him. He hasn't mentioned the book or the curse or even magic really, except when I brought it up. I don't know what to say to him, anyway. I think this is what he needs."

"You might be right. He seems fine, for once. He's not planning some outrageous operation and he's waiting for the next huge disaster."

"Are you?" Regina asked. Emma did not seem like she was totally fine, but she did not seem to be able to put anything into words for Regina to be able to help her muddle through anything.

"My disasters are still right in front of me. Even though I talked to my parents once, we still have a lot to sort through, especially with David so sure we'll be going back to magic land soon." Green eyes rolled and the sheriff scoffed.

The brunette nodded. "You don't want to go back?"

"After what happened when I was there, believe me, I am in awe of no ogres, running water, and microwaves, among a million other things I never thought to appreciate."

"Are you going to talk to them about that?"

Emma shrugged. "Maybe when it's a real possibility and not a fairy tale." She laughed at her own joke.

"You really aren't as funny as you think you are."

"You just haven't found your sense of humor yet. Maybe you'll get one when Lady has a dozen puppies running around and you'll have to sell them to Cruella de Vil," Emma remarked, tickling herself once more.

"Lady deserved a chance to have puppies," Regina commented, completely serious.

"Regina, is this something you wanna talk about?"

"No, I'll discuss it with Doctor Hopper. He has more background information. It would take far too long for me to catch up on this particular quirk of mine."

Emma smiled and grabbed Regina's hand. "I've got time. Besides, after that, you can help me get to the bottom of my quirk of why the hell I can't call my own parents 'mom' and 'dad,' even though I care about them and accept that they're my parents. Hell, you might even be able to help figure out how to talk to them about this magic land stuff."

Regina gave her a small smile and they began talking. They did not even scratch the surface, of either of their problems. But, it was nice to have someone to talk to about things, someone interested, invested, and willing to help. So, they talked, about nothing, yet about everything, which had become their habit.

-8-8-8-8-

"Emma, where's Henry?" Mary Margaret asked as the blonde entered the apartment. She was sitting at the counter, clearly having waited up for the other occupants of the place to return. She rushed over before the sheriff even had a chance to shut the door.

Emma shrugged. "In his bed where I left him, I imagine. Or so I hope anyway."

"Emma, we talked about this," David said, marching over and standing by Mary Margaret. Emma barely had both feet in the apartment and she doubted that she would get more space to do so.

"Yeah, we did, so can I come in or are you going to leave me cornered in the doorway?" Emma inquired with an arched eyebrow.

"It's not safe," David insisted.

"To come in?" Emma joked.

"Don't be obtuse. This is serious," Mary Margaret declared.

"Yeah, it is. We did talk about this and for a while I thought you had listened, but clearly I was wrong. You two aren't trusting me or respecting my decisions, as an adult and as a parent. Henry's my kid and he wanted to sleep in his own bed again. He's slept at home a bunch of times and woke up to tell about it. Regina's not going to do anything to him. The most she'll do is make oatmeal for breakfast instead of letting him have Fruit Loops, which I know, is just terrible," Emma argued, throwing her hands up.

"You can't trust her," David practically shouted.

"Yeah, I can because she trusts me. She's trying to do better. It's been over three months and she hasn't done anything magical beyond create a doggie door since we couldn't figure out how the hell we would install one ourselves. Have you ever known her to be this patient with a plot?" Emma pointed out. Never mind the fact that she had personally witness Regina walk away from several situations that in the past would have left many people in tears, in pain, or dead.

"She could be learning from her mistakes," Mary Margaret countered.

Emma scoffed. "Not likely. That's not one of her strong points, which she will readily admit now. She admits to having flaws. Look, Regina bottomed out. She totally shattered into herself after she lost her mother." She purposely used the word "lost" because she did not want the conversation to go off-topic, as it often did with her parents.

"I had to," Mary Margaret chimed in.

Emma put her hand up. "I don't even want to talk about that right now. Let's focus on Regina and what you guys don't seem to understand. She's slowly rebuilding and having Henry at home helps her and him. He's finally able to see his mother as more than the Evil Queen."

"She is the Evil Queen and you're his mother," her deputy argued.

Emma scowled. "She raised the kid for ten years and loves him as her son with every shard of her heart that she was able to get back. To me, that counts for something. She's tired of fighting and so am I." She threw her hands up and walked away. Thankfully, she shocked them enough that they did not have time to object.

Emma went to take a shower and tried to stop thinking about the conversation. Of course, that did not work. She did not know all of the history between her parents and Regina, but she wished that they could move on. While Regina had not moved on, she had definitely given up. She did not even talk about Mary Margaret unless Emma or Henry brought her up.

Meanwhile, Mary Margaret and David flinched every time Regina sneezed. They were going to drive themselves crazy over it and take her along for the ride. She wondered if Regina needed to wave a white flag and formally sign an armistice to get them to understand the war was over and they freaking won! They were like the world's worst winners, trying their best to shove the trophy back and keep the game going.

"Doesn't make sense to me. Why can't they just be normal?" Emma sighed. "Because nothing around this crazy place is freaking normal." Well, no, but she did have her own little slice of normal. More normal than she had ever imagined. So normal it's frightening!

The thought of her bit of normal made her stomach flip. She took a deep breath to calm herself down and stuck her head under the shower spray to wash the thought from her mind. It worked until she flopped down in bed. In the dark room, wrapped in her favorite comforter on her bed, where she could now sleep since Henry had reclaimed his own space, her mind drifted to the people across town, her slice of normal.

A house, a kid, a dog, and a … well, she was not sure. A friend? She wanted to use the tag "friend," but it seemed inaccurate, stunted, and plainly incorrect. She did not want to think about what the appropriate term would be, if there were one. So, she allowed her mind to drift.

She wondered if Regina was sleeping or still awake and reading. She wondered if Henry ever woke in the middle of the night and played games with Lady. She wondered if Lady were woke and wandered into Regina's room. Every now and then, when they went to walk Lady in the morning, she was sleeping in Regina's bed, but other times, she remained with Henry. Sometimes, Emma wondered what went through the dog's mind and what made her pick who to spend the night with.

"Emma?" Mary Margaret called, stepping into the room, interrupting her daughter's musings.

Emma groaned. "Yeah?" She really did not to deal with her parents again.

"I'm sorry if it seems like we're going over the same things over and over again. It's just hard to trust or forgive Regina considering all that she's done," Mary Margaret explained, stepping at the foot of the bed.

"Well, I don't know everything you know, but I do know that we did our own bit of dirt here. We broke Regina, first me, then you, and lately Henry. She's done. If you go see her, you'd know."

"It could be another plan to manipulate you onto her side."

The blonde sighed and ducked her head for a moment. She had to resist the urge to pull out her hair. "But, it's not. Here's the thing that should help you understand her better. She heard you knocking on her door after the thing with Henry and she couldn't even get off the couch to come do what you were begging her to do, what you believe she's still planning to do. If she was going to kill you, why not then when you're alone and on her doorstep and literally begging for it?"

Mary Margaret's eyes went wide. "Sh-she was home?"

"Yup. She heard you the whole time, but couldn't get off the couch to do anything, didn't want to get off the couch to do anything. She's done. Hell, I bet if you came by her house right now, the most she'd do is slam the door in your face. She's emotionally drained and she doesn't want to fight anymore. She's done. You won."

Mary Margaret nodded slowly. "Her mother had to be stopped…" she whispered, trying to convince herself that she had done the right thing. For some reason, it was nice to know that Mary Margaret felt some guilt still. For Emma, that truly showed that Mary Margaret was a good person rather than everyone just saying she was.

"Mary Margaret, I'm not saying that's the only thing that broke her and, honestly, Regina needed to bottom out to start over. She needed to break down, so now she can build up. Of course, it would've been better for her to not kill her mother. That was far from okay and I don't care what anybody says, it wasn't the right thing to do, but we can't change the past. We can try to build the future, though, and you don't have to worry about someone trying to kill you or curse your entire kingdom to some place worse than Maine. We can all build and try to do some healing of our own, including her."

A smile crept across Mary Margaret's face and Emma felt good to have said her mind. She was also glad that her mother did not get upset over it. This was a woman that she could trust to always be there.

"When did you get so wise?" Mary Margaret asked, tone only slightly teasing. Clearly, she thought about her actions with Cora, what she had done, and what she could have done. Again, Emma was glad for that because it showed that her mother was a good person because she did not just accept that killing someone, especially the way she had, was the way to go.

Emma groaned. "Talking with Regina."

"That has to make for interesting conversation."

"More than either of us like." But, sometimes, their conversations were not heavy. They spoke about movies, Regina teased her about books, she teased Regina about music. Sometimes, they – dare she even think it – just had fun.

"You know … you can talk to me, too."

Emma smiled a bit. "I know. You have to give me time. I'm more used to having a friend than having a mom. Me and Regina are on the same level in a way. A mom is something totally different."

"So, you're friends with her?" the teacher asked, even though Emma had told her that more than once. Of course, that might be less than accurate now, but Emma did not want to travel that road again.

"Yeah, I think so. She needs a friend and I think I need one, too. Don't worry, though. I need a mom, too. I just need time to adjust," Emma tried to assure Mary Margaret because she believed her words were true. She wanted a mom, felt like she needed one even as an adult, and she would get there to where she could treat Mary Margaret like the mother she was.

Mary Margaret gave her a watery smile. "Do you know how much time?"

"I don't think I can say, but I'm here for the long haul. I want you."

"I want you, too. And, David wants you. You're our daughter," Mary Margaret said.

"You're good at this mom thing." That was exactly what Emma needed to hear, after all.

Mary Margaret smiled, but she sniffled a bit. "I could've been better…"

"Hey, don't dwell on the past. We can't change it. We just have to focus on the future. I keep telling Regina that. Hell, she's been telling me stuff like that, too. Like I said, we both need friends. This is good for us, all of us."

Mary Margaret gave her a look, but did not say anything. "Well, be careful. Don't drain yourself on this."

"I won't." "This," her time with Regina, was one of the few things keeping her invigorated. She latched on her bit of normal to keep her from going crazy in a town of make believe and help her deal with her newly found, and still somewhat overbearing parents. Sure, her bit of normal was uncharted and somewhat scary, but she enjoyed it enough to embrace it and move through it.

"All right." Mary Margaret patted her foot, which Emma understood was a show of affection. Mary Margaret then stood up to leave. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Emma fell asleep with a small smile on her face.

-8-8-8-8-

"You're both forgetting your lunch," Regina pointed out as Lady walked Henry and Emma to the door. Lady seemed to like pretending that she was leaving with them, but she knew better than to cross that threshold without her leash.

"Just looking for an excuse to come back," Emma joked as she and Henry made right turns to the kitchen instead of going out the front door.

Henry snickered as Regina handed them both their respective lunch bags. Regina then walked them to the door with Lady at their heels. Emma smiled at Regina as a farewell and just sort of ran her hand down Regina's arm. Regina smiled and touched her fingertips to Emma's retreating hand. It felt like sparks passed between them, but they did not have time to think about it. Henry moved in and hugged his mom tightly, drawing a smile out of her. He then leaned down to pet Lady before following Emma to her car. Regina waved at them as they pulled off.

This is like some 50's show. It's weird, but I think I like it, Emma realized. Henry going through her lunch bag interrupted her thoughts.

"Hey! Hands off! You got your own," Emma pointed out, gently slapping at his grubby mitts. He had spoken a couple of goodies from her lunch bag recently.

"I want to see what you got. I bet your lunch is better," he argued with an innocent grin, even though his eyes danced with mischief. He was definitely looking for items to snatch.

"It's dinner leftovers, as always. You're the one that gets sandwiches and stuff. There's no mystery as to what I have. And, if there is, it better stay there until I eat lunch."

"I think it's cool that Mom makes us lunch, even though she used to do that before. I never really thought about it then, but it's really nice," he admitted with a small pout.

She reached over and rubbed his head. "It's okay. She knows you appreciate it, but if you want to tell her, I'm sure she'll appreciate it more." She figured that might give Regina a chance to talk about things with Henry if she really wanted to. "She's not going to hold it over you that you didn't think about it before or didn't appreciate it before. That's behind us. Now, we look forward and ahead of us is work and school."

Henry smiled and nodded. "I think I will tell her. She should know and it'll make her feel good."

"Yes, it would. You're a good kid," she assured him.

She had a feeling that he was enjoying their normal routine even more then she was. He was clearly happy to have his mom back. She smiled at the thought. I'm happy to have his mom, too. Wow, that sounds dirty … but, damn, I like it.

"Emma, you okay? You're kinda red," Henry said.

She yelped. "Let's just get you to school."

Henry arched an eyebrow, but thankfully he did not ask questions or read minds because hers was merrily on its way to the gutter. She doubted that she would be able to get it out once Henry got out of the car and she really did not want to. I have taken a left turn into the gutter, but how could I not? We're practically a married couple without ever going out on a date! Okay, stop thinking like that and just stay in the gutter. That way leads to madness and the gutter is … well, the gutter.

"Hey, David," Emma greeted the deputy as she entered the station. Bye, bye gutter. It was hard to keep her mind in the gutter while sharing the area with her father.

"Hey," he replied, sitting at his desk. "How was the morning walk?"

He could be civil at work, sometimes, especially when no one was calling about Regina doing anything. She did not understand why he could be that way at work, but not at the apartment. Maybe he thought he needed to be riled up to protect Mary Margaret or he thought Mary Margaret was more outraged than she was.

"Lady's getting big. So's Henry for that matter." She had their pictures on her desk, provided by Henry, who thought her desk was "too boring." She liked looking at them. They kept her calm and centered. She was reminded that people, and a dog, cared about her.

He nodded. "And Regina is still, well, Snow said you called her drained last night. Is she still drained?"

"Yeah, I told Mary Margaret that she's going to stay that way. She's tired and everything she wants is at home. She's not going to bother anyone."

David arched an eyebrow to those words, but did not ask. "Well, I'm still going to keep an eye on her," he stated with a solid nod.

Emma laughed and nodded, too. She knew where she got her stubbornness. Of course, she actually liked that about David. She hoped he got over this thing with Regina. That was her family, after all. Whoa, that is my family! That's the thing with dinner. That's my family. She was lightheaded for a moment, but managed to keep from fainting. She doubted that would remain the case as thoughts from earlier joined that revelation. Thankfully, they got a call before she thought herself into a coma.

-8-8-8-8-

"So, Lady, we have finished appointment with Doctor Hopper and did the grocery shopping. What shall we do until Henry and Emma come home?" Regina asked as she pulled up to her house in her car.

Lady barked from the passenger seat. Briefly, Regina wondered if she went too far in buckling Lady in. That idea was tossed out of her head when she noticed that she had a visitor on her porch. She frowned and opened the door for Lady.

"What can I do for you, Snow White?" Regina inquired, eyes locked on her unwanted visitor.

"Kill me," Snow White declared, daringly marching up to Regina.

Brown eyes rolled and she turned to gather a bag of groceries. She picked up a bag while Lady stood in front of her, eyeing Snow White and growling. Snow White stepped out of the way as Regina went up the walkway.

"Regina, this is your chance. No one's around," Snow White pointed out.

Regina did not even bother to engage. She opened the door and put the bag inside. Lady ran in and then back out as Regina went to get more bags. Snow White, the pest that she was, would not go away as she did.

"Regina, come on, this is everything you want," Snow White insisted.

Regina ignored her until all the bags were inside, as was Lady. "I have everything I want," she said before slamming the door shut. She was not going to ruin the closest thing she had to a happy ending. For once, she would follow good advice and accept what she had.

She suspected that was a test from Snow White, anyway. She was not in the mood to be tested or played with. She just wanted to enjoy her little piece of … well, peace. She would not allow Snow White to interfere this time or any other time. Her world no longer revolved around the bothersome girl. She had moved on.

"I wonder what Archie would say about this," Regina muttered and, of course, she would bring it up at their next session. Do I tell Emma about this? Probably not. It doesn't do her any good and she's getting along with her parents as best she can. I don't want to trouble her.

It did not surprise her that she cared about Emma's emotional state, even if Snow White was the one at fault. She cared about Emma point blank. She did not think about the manner or the length of her caring. Emma mattered to her and it was that simple to her. She wished it were that simple to the sheriff.

"Hopefully, she will figure out how to voice her troubles or at least work through things on her own," she said, but decided not to think about it. She could only do something beyond what she was already doing when Emma was able to admit what was bothering her.

She put the groceries away and played with Lady before catching up on her reading. She still read aloud to Lady, but no more Steinbeck. A half-hour before Henry was due to arrive she made snacks. When he came in, the living room transformed from her domain into his as he spread his schoolwork out to do his homework.

"Mom, can you help me with my math homework? I wanna get it done before Emma comes in because she said we can play video games if I'm done by then," he explained.

Regina chuckled, but sat with him to help. Lady made a nuisance of herself by nudging their hands, stealing Henry's pencil, and taking the textbook more than once. Henry encouraged her by laughing and petting her.

"No, Henry, no. We've talked about this. You have to correct her bad behavior," Regina gently reprimanded him.

"What? This isn't really bad. She's just playing," he argued.

"But, she needs to know that there is a time and a place for everything. Correct her when she does this or she's going to think that every time you do your homework it's playtime."

He nodded and the next time Lady acted out, he did correct the behavior. Lady did not seem heartbroken over it and simply moved onto the next thing, as she tended to do. Lady tucked herself Regina's arm and nipped at Regina's fingers. Regina allowed because it kept Lady from bothering Henry.

These were the types of things she and Henry did instead of talking, but she felt it was so much more productive. He asked for help with his homework, he followed her lead with Lady, he still playfully complained about afterschool snacks, and every now and then they would sit on the couch and read. While she was usually reading a book and he was reading a comic, there was something that she could not put her finger on. That time was precious, though, and more healing than anything she could say.

"Oh, Mom, I wanted you to know that I appreciate you making me lunch everyday," he said out of the blue. "Thanks."

She smiled. "I'm glad you appreciate it, but those are the types of things I'm supposed to do. No thanks necessary."

He gave her a bright smile in return. "I know, but I still wanted to tell you. I … I just appreciate it. Oh, and Emma does, too."

Regina chuckled a bit, wondering where that came from. It was nice that he said something, but then he went right back to his homework. She did not push for anything and just continued to help him.

Homework was done and dinner was made by the time Emma came in. The blonde flopped down on the sofa with a huff. That was abnormal, but Regina let it go for the moment as Emma managed to sit up and pay Lady some mind. The puppy cuddled into Emma and rolled around her lap for a little while before releasing Emma to play video games with Henry. Emma had convinced Regina to let her hook Henry's Xbox up to the giant living room TV and they played until Regina called them to dinner.

The evening was normal, but Regina could tell that something was bothering Emma. The sheriff did not say anything about it and was willing to walk out of the door after Henry went up to his room to go to bed. Regina did not allow it, especially since it only said something was definitely wrong. Emma usually stayed over now until it was clear that she was going to nod off at the wheel.

"Emma, come, sit with me," Regina beckoned her.

Emma did not put up any fight, as if she really wanted that. Regina poured them both a glass of a wine. Emma took a gulp to start off. Well, that can't be good. I hope this is something I can help her resolve.

"Talk to me," Regina requested softly as she moved close enough to touch Emma. She placed her hand on Emma's shoulder, giving her a tender caress.

"It's too much," Emma whispered.

"What's too much?"

"Everything. There's so much to lose. It's too much."

"Did something happen today?" Regina asked. She figured since she had to deal with Snow White, maybe Emma did too, or Emma had to deal with something equally as annoying. Heavens knew that there were no shortages of annoyances in town.

"Yeah, first off, thanks for not indulging Mary Margaret," Emma said.

"And how did you discover our encounter?"

"She came to the station to tell me about it. I was happy that you did exactly what I told her you'd do if she came to see you. I'm not happy that she tried to bait you and I'm doubly not happy that David defended that crap. He always backs her up, which I understand that's his wife and True Love and all that crap, but there's gotta be limits. You're not bothering anyone and you haven't for months. I keep telling them to let it go, but they want to show that you're playing me."

Regina scoffed. "I don't have the energy for that and I'm actually quite pleased with this odd routine that we have worked up. The highlight of my day is all of us sitting on the couch and watching a movie, even if it is the Avengers for the millionth time. I'm not about to ruin one of the few people that can stand me."

"We definitely need to find Henry a new movie. I mean, even an Iron Man marathon would work," the blonde commented, forcing out a laugh, trying to sound normal. She undoubtedly purposely skipped over the fact that Regina acknowledged how important the sheriff was to her.

She gave Emma a small nod and rubbed her shoulder again while moving her other hand to rest on Emma's thigh. "Well, what's on your mind beyond your mother trying to bait me and your father being predictable?"

Emma sighed and was quiet for a while, taking another gulp of her wine. "I've been thinking about stuff like that for a while. I don't need these thoughts. I already have so much on my plate. I mean, I'm still dealing with this whole 'having parents' thing and living in a fairy tale town thing and the fact that my parents are my age. Now, I have to deal with the fact that beyond them, I have my own little family."

Regina smiled. Yes, they were a family and she was certain that was why she was so happy. All she ever wanted was a loving family and she finally got one. She was certain that was why she did not have the energy to pursue Snow White. All of her energy went into doing for this little family that they had put together and making sure she did not lose them. She knew that she had to try to be somewhat good and do her best not to smite anyone.

"I think you are thinking on it too hard," Regina said, patting the blonde's thigh.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked, brow furrowing.

"You don't have to 'deal' with us, your little family. Take us how we are. It's working," Regina pointed out.

Emma took a deep breath and let out a loud sigh. "And what about when it doesn't work? When we have a fight? Does Henry go back to being your son and you try to tear my mother's heart out?"

Regina chuckled. "No. I've learned quite a bit in these past few months, Emma. You know that better than anyone. I know eventually we will argue, but Henry has shown that he is our son and I don't think I will ever have the desire to take your mother's heart. I truly don't have the energy. I barely want to look at her, let alone do anything else. I know what I have to do to keep you, to keep this little family, and I will do it. But, you have to trust me as I trust you." She reached out, gently caressing Emma's cheek.

Emma's breath hitched and then she glanced away while nodding. "I do trust you. I think I just keep trying to talk myself out of things."

Regina reached out and took Emma's hand. She held on tight, in more ways than one. Emma clutched her hand in return.

"You have thought of running, but you're still here. I'll trust that you won't run, just as you will trust I won't one day rip my own heart out. I'll trust that you can deal with this just as you trust that I have changed for the better. This means a lot to me. This means a lot to you, right?"

Emma took another deep breath and looked Regina dead in the eye. "This means everything to me. I set out trying to help you and somehow you reversed the situation helped me. You've given me everything I wanted. What the hell is that about?" She let out an awkward laugh.

"Indeed considering you have done the same to me. You could have just as easily walked away, let my dark cycle run its course, especially once Lady was gone, but you didn't."

"I couldn't."

Regina could only smile slightly. Emma squeezed her hand again while leaning over. She pressed her forehead to Regina's. It was a strange gesture, but warm nonetheless. Regina smiled again and then Emma got stranger, leaning over and placing a gentle kiss to Regina's lips. Brown eyes opened in surprise and it was over as soon as she realized what it was. Even though it was a fleeting feeling, Regina felt free and like she was gently floating. She could like to feel it again if possible, but she was not sure if Emma would oblige considering how quickly she pulled away.

"Okay, hadn't planned to do that," Emma confessed in a low tone with her eyes halfway open. She looked like she was in a pleasant daze, so it was safe to assume that she did not regret her impulsive actions.

"Well, it's done now," Regina remarked with a small smile.

"Uh … can we do it again, then?" Emma asked with a playful smirk.

Regina laughed again; it felt really good to genuinely laugh. Emma did not give her much of a chance to do it, though, because she was getting that second kiss. Again, Regina's eyes went wide, but the kiss lasted long enough for them to drift shut and she enjoyed the press of Emma's lips against her mouth. It was like whiffs of honey fluttering across her lips, sweet and light.

She returned the kiss, earning a light moan from the sheriff. Emma's hand came up and caressed her cheek and she felt a wave of light pleasure flow through her. Again, it was like she was floating, gliding through the air on a draft of bliss.

"Okay, I meant to do that one," Emma admitted and then leaned in for a third kiss.

This kiss involved a bit more passion and warmth. Emma's tongue brushed up against her lip and Regina almost eagerly allowed Emma entrance. The floating sensation became a plunge, falling into delight and enjoying the descent. Getting a taste of each other caused their bodies to gravitate closer to each other, clutching each other. The whole experience was enough to make Regina feel like she was having a life changing moment. It was over all too soon, but they did need to breathe.

"And that one. Completely meant that one. Did you know kissing you is awesome?" Emma inquired quite seriously.

A deep laugh escaped the former queen. "No one has ever described it in that manner, but I think I am entitled to some payback." She moved in for a kiss of her own. The pair sat on the sofa, wine forgotten, and made out like two teenagers for the night.

It was only in the kissing did they realize what their trust and company had grown into. They cared for each other, beyond being friends, and valued this agreed upon family, this thing they both wanted, needed. They would work to keep their little family together because this was their happily ever after.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the end.