AN: In exchange for being a shit and not ever updating, I give you a slightly longer chapter - jam packed with the feels.

Big thank-you to Sammichbatch again. She's the best. Literally, you guys have no idea, even with everything she has going on and the new and amazing turns her life is taking she always finds a minute to help me and I appreciate her a ton.

I've already started working on the next chapter, so hopefully it'll only be about a month before I get it all squared away and up on here.

Thanks to everyone who doesn't hate me - and those of you who do, I guess? For reading and enjoying if you have. I still really love this story and I WILL finish it. I promise. I can't promise a time line, but I do say with certainty that it will have an end and I will publish that end.

Have a great day guys, you are loved.
Enjoy.


Emmet crossed his arms and tried again. "Ex-a-ber."

"Ex-cal-ih-ber." Lance annunciated, though he couldn't help laughing a bit at the little boys effort.

The now three-year-old rolled his eyes expertly and gestured to the dog with both hands turned palm-up and fingers splayed wide. "I just think his name should be called doggy."

The Chihuahua barked in agreement.

Emmet pointed at him. "He barked-ded. I-it means he also likes it.. he likes it too."

Regina kissed his head as she passed by on her way to put more gifts along the wall left of the fire place. "Just barked, sweatheart."

The little boy turned back to Lance and nodded, "Barked. Doggy barked. Not barkeded." Emmet picked up the hand that wasn't holding Excalibur and gave it a high five.

He laughed again. "It's okay. I call her Callie most of the time, anyway."

There was a moment where Ruby just grinned to herself and let her mind drift to little caramel babies and the kind of stability she didn't believe in until she saw Emma stick it out for someone who might not even have feelings for her and their weird little family. Her vision blurred from the cute little scene happening in front of her. As soon as she and Lance walked in all the kids went insane over the little dog, and her… guy friend.. was more than happy to introduce her.

"I like him." Emma sat down next to her heavily, making her jump a little.

Ruby grinned. "Me too." She pointed at the unfolding chaos – Lance putting Emmet in a football hold and chasing Alexandra around toward the kitchen. "Looks like the kids are giving him a good rating."

Emma nodded and sipped on her Dr. Pepper. "How serious is this thing, now?"

"He… asked me to be official." Ruby looked at her shoes.

"Really?"

"Yeah." She sighed and angled herself toward her friend without looking up. "We were going for a run after we got off work with the dog.. he stopped me out of nowhere and just said he liked me a lot. And that he didn't want to date anyone else right now."

The blonde squinted at her. "You say it like that's a bad thing."

"It's just kinda overwhelming. I thought I'd take another ten years and then settle for like… whoever's wife died and wasn't super ugly. He's just so nice… I thought he might be in the closet – I've never met someone so polite."

"Being polite doesn't mean you're gay." Emma sat back on the sofa and threw one foot over her knee.

"Em, he's a muscley, well groomed, black man with a Chihuahua that opens doors and still calls people ma'am. He's either gay or Prince Charming , and I didn't have my money on being anyone's Princess." Ruby deadpanned.

Katherine cleared her throat. "Princess Beth is right here. I bagged prince charming (Prince Charming) ten years ago, you back off." She winked at both of them before shaking her head and continuing over to David, who'd already rolled the arm of his shirt up and was ready to arm wrestle Sean right next to Emmet's birthday cake.

Emma smiled, and then let it brighten just a little as her eyes met Regina's.

"Looks like that's going well." Ruby raised her brows.

"It is." The sheriff leaned forward. "You're deflecting – what did you say?"

"To Lance?"

"No to the Pope – Yes, Lance. Idiot." She laughed at her own joke.

Ruby crossed her arms, but smiled softly. "I told him I didn't want to date anyone else either… but I wanted to wait a little longer before we… advertised."

"Everyone in the dining room!" Regina called.

While everyone was filing in, Emma waited behind with Ruby, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "Take it slow – for sure. Nothing wrong with waiting. Just make sure to let him know how much you like him, okay?"

Ruby nodded bashfully. The feeling was new.

But everything around this town was changing. She watched Regina light the candles and all of the kiddos, teenagers, and adults gather around the table, watching a little boy's face light up as he looked at the frosting like it was gold. Ruby realized that all of her friends were either married or in relationships and she remembered graduating from high school like it was a few hours ago. But she was older now – she didn't need to cover her face in eyeliner to feel comfortable anymore. She was the manager at the diner, and she was living almost on her own, what with Emma spending every other night at the mansion. And she was dating the greatest guy…

So yeah, she thought, why not have hope? Why not just smile and hope for the best. Of course she would be careful but she wanted to see where things would go…

Ruby's eyes stopped scanning the small crowd when she got to Cora's face. Her eyes looked like they were going to pop out of their sockets on giant cartoon springs. That or her teeth would shatter under the pressure of her jaw biting down on them. Everyone else was in the middle of the happy birthday chorus but she was just staring. So like the proper snoop she was, Ruby followed where Cora was looking, and smiled on instinct… and then it faded away, because she knew exactly what that meant.

Emma and Regina's hips were just barely touching, and one of each of their hands were behind Regina's back – obviously linking their fingers together even if they were trying to be discrete. All of the sudden that grainy song from forever ago that Will Ferrell sang in step brother's about standing just a little too close started playing in her head like a hybrid between Jesus and Fergie.

Shit.

Okay, no. Not shit. Her eyes flashed between Cora and the stupidly obvious love birds and she knew that her only option was to do damage control.

Emma and Regina separated without so much as a longing look, like they were so cool – Emma stepped up to cut the cake and start serving it, and Regina went to start scooping ice cream into bowls, and it didn't take a genius to know Cora would stalk Regina, the isolated one, to corner first and probably start asking her question after question about what was going on, or jump to conclusions and tell her what a stupid decision she was making. Or both.

"Nope." Ruby said under her breath.

She plastered on her biggest, brightest, fake smile she owned and marched right over to the older woman, taking her by the arm and laughing like they'd been friends for years. "Oh my God! I can't believe I haven't said hi to you yet. Have I told you what I got Emmet – you'll love it." She dragged her down the hall, vice grip on Cora's bicep until she shut the door to Regina's study behind them.

"Miss Lucas! Do not-"

"Shut up, I… holy shit." She looked around the room. "It's nice in here."

Cora was visibly upset, probably for good reason, but Ruby jumped back to block the door. "Let me out!"

"Hell no. Listen-"

"Out of my-"

"You don't fucking scare me, lady. I don't run in your fancy little circle and I could give a good God damn about the influence you think you have in this town. Four old people listen to you out of boredom, don't flatter yourself. What I care about are my friends. Specifically Emma and.. you know, I guess Regina now, too… weird as that sounds. They-"

"This is none of your concern. She's my daughter-"

Ruby leaned in and got louder. "Your daughter and a grown ass woman! You don't get to ruin this for her. So take a big fucking step back and let them figure out what THEY want this to be on their own. So when she comes to tell you, if they do, and you're supportive, you'll probably get a lot more time with the kids. You know I'm right, even though you want to micromanage what's going on – I can feel it coming off of you like steam off chicken noodle."

Cora squinted.

"Okay. Yeah. That one was a shitty reference, but you know what I mean."

"Do you have a point you'd like to r-"

Ruby held a finger up. "I'm not finished." She smiled again – malice rising behind her expression. "Regina and Emma are happy. It's too soon to say forever for them, but it's a forever thing. Trust me. They are falling hard and fast, and this is it for them. And if you think about it, this is the best fit for Regina that there could ever be."

Cora opened her mouth, but Ruby just shook her head again.

"They trust each other and know each other too well, and they love those boys more than anything. They value each other's opinions and… all that stupid, perfect couple stuff. So. Step one; you're going to go back out there and pretend you didn't notice a God damn thing. Step two; you're going to continue on with your life and don't hint at or pressure or try to dig up information in any convoluted way on them. Step three; if Regina ever trusts you enough to tell you, smile and nod. Step four; reap the benefits. Not only getting to spend time with your grandbabies but knowing that someone loves your daughter and has done a whole lot to make her happy – even before they were dating."

There were a few beats of silence that Cora filled only by staring at the younger brunette with a pursed mouth and daggers in her eyes.

Ruby remained unphased. "Sound good, pumpkin?"

It took a few seconds, but Cora nodded once.

"Good."

-x-

There's a dull ache when your head isn't spinning anymore, but your heart still holds the shock like a hole – a clean cut that won't ever heal because of denial and anger.

Mary Margret thought that it might heal if she didn't see what caused her sleepless nights driving around in a police cruiser every other day – that pang of regret fresh every time – but she couldn't move away. She was sure the only thing worse than wondering what could have been every time she saw the sheriff, was not seeing her at all, and not knowing she was happy.

She didn't spend any of the rent money. The past years she just stashed it away. Emma explained once that looking your landlord in the eye while you handed them cash was an easy way to know you wouldn't be accused of shorting them or having a check bounce and then too much go missing out of her account suddenly. She was smart, she thought.

That night she could only do a few hours at the hospital. December meant lots of babies, and the vicious tornado of regret swirled again.

The walk home was further than the walk from the school. Even more so when you can smell the ice crystals start forming and apple pie from the diner.

"Hi, there."

She looked up from staring at her feet. That voice, again.

Regina nodded. "Hello, Miss Blanchard."

Mary Margret smiled and tucked her scarf down from her nose. Her eyes flashed down – Regina's arm hooked through Emma's. It could be innocent, but the glance they shared said more. "Good evening!" She winced at how high her voice came out.

"What are you doing out so late?" Emma's sheriff (Sheriff) voice took over.

"I volunteer at the hospital on weekends." She pointed behind her. "What about you two?"

They smiled at each other.

"A movie." Emma said.

"Which one?"

Regina shrugged. "That… wasn't planned. Dinner was finished earlier than expected so… why not? Whatever is playing next, I assume."

Their heads all nodded lazily for a few moments, like solar bobble heads on a cloudy day.

The teacher stood up a bit straighter. "How's Henry? Still brilliant, I'm sure."

"Well.. we think so." Regina beamed.

We.

Emma took her free hand out of her jacket pocket to gesture with. "Actually he took creative writing as an elective and said that you encouraged him to read some of his favorite fiction at his conference."

"He did." Regina agreed. Then her eyebrows went up. "You should run for the school board chair on the Town Council. Tom is thinking of stepping down soon."

"Oh… I-"

"I bet I could read your emails easier. He replies from his phone… so many typos. That man is all thumbs."

Mary Margret shook her head. "I don't know if I would have time.. between grading and the hospital. But thank you for the thought."

"Of course." Regina nodded and sighed. "Let me know if you change your mind."

"I will."

Then that pregnant pause. Emma and Regina looked at one another with happy but reserved smiles before turning their respective gazes back to her, and the teacher bowed out, offering a small wave as she side stepped their path.

"Have a good night." Mary Margret moved too quickly to hear if they said anything back or not, but it didn't matter. It didn't matter what she thought. She didn't get to have an opinion. She forfeit that right before she even won it.

-x-

Tonight was supposed to be the night. Regina knew it.

And Regina was terrified.

The kids had a sitter overnight, Ruby was away, they'd been on a few dates, and everything pointed to the next step, so to speak, happening between them. A physical step. Not that Regina wasn't attracted to Emma – good god (God), quite the opposite – but it was more than just the wanting being present. She didn't want to disappoint, or not live up to the standard Emma might have in her mind. And the physical part of a relationship was important. Not only for the obvious intimacy factor, but for trust and-

"Space ranger?"

Regina blinked. "Pardon?"

Emma waved a hand in front of her face. "What's up with you tonight?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I've been sitting here through the credits and you haven't moved." She frowned. "You tired? Long week?"

"Oh.." Regina looked at the title screen coming back up on the television and cleared her throat. But even angling herself toward the blonde she struggled for words. She just nodded. "I guess so."

Emma squeezed her hand. "You okay?"

She couldn't answer right away. She knew she should be okay. It was fine. But Regina looked down at their hands that had long since been intertwined, their fingers slipping through each other's calmly as they watched the movie. Emma's favorite movie in fact, that she wanted to share. Regina reached down Emma's wrist and traced the little yellow stones in her bracelet.

The blonde dropped her free hand off the back of the couch and squeezed Regina closer, and Regina saw the easy, unassuming curiosity in her eyes. "Talk to me."

"I.." Regina gulped and put her feet under her, turning fully toward the Sheriff. "I'm nervous."

"Why?"

"This.." She looked around them for a moment with a raise of her eyebrows. "I know where this is going an-"

"Sex. You mean you're nervous about sleeping with me." She clarified.

Regina hesitated, but nodded.

"If you don't want to-"

"No! I want to. I just… I think.."

Emma moved her hands away and put them under her thighs, looking at the screen instead of Regina.

"I've never actually… this is all very new to me. Not… the act of, but-"

"Regina." She put her head back against the couch with a sigh. "I don't need you to have sex with me. This can work without needing to have sex. I mean, I don't prefer it. But if you're not comfortable with it, I mean I kinda get it."

"What are you talking about?"

Emma turned her head toward her. "I get it. Like.. you can want to be with someone and not.. want to be with them, ya know. I don't expect you to suddenly be attracted to women because you have feelings for me. And if-"

Regina laughed lightly and shook her head.

"What?" The blonde's eyebrows furrowed together.

"Let me, just.." She moved over carefully, placing herself in Emma's lap and put Emma's arms around her middle before she started playing with the ends of the yellow hair hanging down one of her shoulders. She watched her fingers start a loose braid before she spoke, this time quieter.. "I am very attracted to you."

Emma nodded.

"I'm just scared. Believe me I've thought a lot about it… about us." She smiled for a moment. "There are a lot of things that worry me. Like… my lack of experience. With women." Regina gulped. "And the fact that… my body had changed so much since having Emmet, I'm not as appealing as I may have been whe-"

The words died on her lips as Emma pulled her closer and pressed their lips together with purpose.

Emma waited until Regina hugged around her neck before she pulled away. "You are the sexiest damn woman I have ever seen, do you understand me?"

She nodded.

"I'm happy just getting you to myself for a whole night either way, okay? Tell me you want to wait and I'll wait as long as you need me to."

Regina had already started to feel her heart start to quicken. She rested her forehead against Emma's. "I think we've both waited long enough."

A slow grin spread across Emma's mouth in her half-lidded haze, so she kissed her again. And again.

They let the heat rise in their cheeks as Regina's fingers threaded through Emma's hair and pressed into her scalp, or as one of Emma's hands rolled down Regina's dress and her thumb ran over the dimples and ridges of her knee, her other holding her waist firmly, even as her back arched so their chests were pressed together tightly.

Emma groaned with a smirk as she moved both hands under Regina's knees and stood, hoisting Regina up so her hands were clasped under her butt with a leg on either side of her.

Regina yelped and held on tighter.

"Relax, I've got you."

"You better." Regina ducked her head to the side of her neck with a purr, placing her lips on Emma's skin slow, searing dots toward her shoulder. "I didn't know you were so strong."

"How am I supposed to make it up the stairs with you doing that?"

"Carefully," Regina murmured against her pulse point. "I hope."

Emma's hands moved to grasp the underside of either of Regina's thighs, adjusting her a little higher before heading up the stairs, and this time, all the Mayor did was slide her fingers inside the neck of Emma's shirt, her palm pressed against the smooth swatch of skin she found there.

"Can you-" Emma backed toward her bedroom door after the top step.

Regina kissed her and nodded, turning the door knob with her free hand, and they all but fell into the room as Emma stumbled back to the bed until the back of her legs hit the comforter. Her hands gripped Regina's hips and she sighed when she went back to kissing her neck, and lower until Regina's lips pressed into the little space between her throat and her clavicle.

Then one by one, Regina's tiny kisses made a line back up to Emma's lips.

Their breath came in deep, labored huffs after they broke apart. She could see Emma's features in the residual light spilling in from the doorway, and felt all of the nerves she had downstairs the few minutes before. But Emma was just there, her eyes deep and kind as she waited patiently for Regina to make the first move with the softest smile on her face. This woman she knew and who knew her, and she didn't know anyone who she'd want to share herself with more.

So she reached down between them and pulled the hem of Emma's sweater up and over her head, and Emma put her arms up to let her.

Clothes came off slowly accompanied by lingering touches and feather light kisses exchanged as they fell to the floor.

Emma followed Regina up toward the head of the bed as she backed up, meeting her lips again as her hand reached to ease a bra strap from her shoulder.

One of Regina's hands held Emma's elbow in encouragement, but the other hovered over her bare stomach. Maybe it was subconscious, or perfectly plain in everything she knew were her own insecurities, but the brunette's shoulders tensed a bit at being so exposed, and for the first time in this skin that no one had ever seen before.

Emma stopped immediately, looking for what was wrong.

Regina tried to kiss her again but Emma ducked out of the way and kissed her forehead and grabbed both of her hands. Then she kissed her cheek and her chin. "You're perfect."

She rolled her eyes.

Emma shook her head and kissed the tip of her nose. "I'm serious." She whispered.

Regina took a shuddering breath as Emma reached behind her and unclasped her bra, and held it as Emma's eyes glittered when pulling it away. Her knuckle slid along the underside of her breast and Regina felt it catch every ripple, every tiny scar that had once been angry and purple when they grew to feed her son. Her knuckle turned into all of her fingertips, ghosting over the tender peak for just a moment before falling in the middle of her chest, and following that line bisecting her torso down to her navel. She knew what Emma would see and couldn't help the knot in her throat. What was once her tanned, toned stomach was littered with little, jagged, white stripes and an ugly brown line just above her underwear between her hip bones where Emmet came into the world.

Regina looked at the ceiling instead of Emma's face, fearing the expression there or perhaps lack thereof if she wanted to hide it.

But the blonde took her hands again and pulled her to sit up. And Emma kissed her, not as though she was trying to distract her, but the exact opposite.

"They're beautiful because they're you." Emma stood at the side of the bed and pulled her to sit at the side, and she turned so the light caught the side of her hips, and the tops of her thighs.

She pointed first, tugging at her own skin before she grabbed Regina's hands and letting her touch the similar markings Emma owned as well. There were a few just above her navel, almost the same color as the rest of her skin.

"Henry did a number on me, too."

Regina stared, and traced the lines just like Emma had, finding them fascinating and somehow just as alluring as the rest of the blonde.

"You don't need to be worried. I want you, Regina." Emma covered Regina's hand with her own. "Tiger stripes and all."

So she kissed her. Harder and deeper than before as she pulled Emma down on top of her again, and rolled them over, and as they stripped each other the rest of the way. She let Emma do everything right, moving slowly enough to be stopped if need be, but not slow enough to be misread as hesitation. She let go as Emma kissed over her stretchmarks and her c section scar, and dragged her tongue over her nipples, and her navel, and bite at the inside of her thighs. Regina let herself feel every thrust and lap and nip, and finally burst at the seams with Emma all but pinned between her legs by the time she was spent.

Then she let herself try and fail, and let Emma guide her hands between the guesses of her nervous fingers. She paid attention, and kissed Emma's skin, and watched how her face twisted, how her lips parted, and listened for those breathy groans. She felt the tightening and the sweat sticking to them both, and let herself revel in Emma's trembling and the expletives falling from her mouth. She kissed Emma's face as she had to hold on to her shoulders with the tremors that wracked her body.

And after it all, she let herself fall on top of the blonde and kiss her face as they both caught their breath. She felt Emma's hands still roaming her body under the sheets, lazily mapping out every curve and dip, and Regina just closed her eyes and hugged her around her shoulders.

"Ya know, I kinda like you." Emma whispered in that unique way that sits somewhere between completely sarcastic and absolutely genuine. "I'm going to let you stay, for now."

Regina hummed happily. "I'm so very grateful."

-x-

Emmet came yelling into the station with a tub of salad in his hands and nearly threw it on Sean's desk before hopping into Emma's arms.

Regina and Henry came in after with the rest of dinner.

"What's all this?" Emma adjusted the toddler and kissed his head.

Henry flipped the chair around and sat on it like a regular James Dean. "You were too busy to come home for dinner, so we brought it to you."

"Awweee…" Emma leaned over and kissed Regina on her cheek as she met her half way. "Thanks you guys."

"Oh please." Regina started passing out napkins and forks for everyone. "If we didn't feed you, you'd live off of bear claws and French fries."

Henry rolled his eyes at both of his mothers smiling at each other – a new tenderness in their eyes as they teased, but smiled all the same.

Emma jabbed her fork at him from across the table. "What do you want for your birthday?"

He shrugged. "Nothin'."

-x-

Emma shoved her face a little further behind her scarf as Regina rang the doorbell to her mother's house. This was either going to be great or a horrible disaster. One or the other. No in between.

But looking down at Emmet's hand wrapped around Regina's first two fingers and Henry hopping from foot to foot holding the bag of presents, it brought a smile to her face. This was her family now. No more settling for being welcome in their little circle, she was there and there to stay.

Cora opened the door with her overpowering grin that only faltered slightly when she saw Emma standing behind her grandson.

The older woman held out her arms, "Merry Christmas!" She said, pitch a little higher than she may have intended.

They all shuffled in, hanging up coats and kicking shoes off. Emma followed suit and helped Emmet with his little scarf that he surely would have only tried to pull at if it were left to him alone. Regina smiled at her through her reflection in the mirror behind the coat rack.

Cora enveloped Henry and Emmet and Regina in their own respective hugs before taking her place at the far end of her fancy couch that would almost count as a clone for the one in Regina's office if it weren't for the brassy knobs at the bottom holding the whole thing up.

"How was Italy?" Regina asked, leaning against the couch next to Emma instead of sitting.

"Florence," Cora smiled down at the boys, "was beautiful. I have the pictures on that frame you got me if you'd like to look through them later."

Henry nodded like he might really be interested, but how wide his eyes got gave him away.

"How was your birthday, dear?"

His hair was getting a bit shaggy, and his fingers running through it made Regina squint a bit. "It was cool. We went down to Boston and got pizza. Saw the Nutcracker.. and I actually kinda liked it."

"Really?"

"Yeah!" Henry laughed. "Emma even said it was fun to watch."

Emmet nodded, his curls bouncing around his eyebrows. "A-and some girls are in poofy skirts and-" he motioned with his hands around his hips, "like this, watch! They spin and spin and their arms are up in the sky and they stomp on their feet, Gah-ma." His knees raised up high and tried to point his little toes, but seemed to stumble every other step he took.

Presents were opened and played with while Cora and Regina exchanged small gifts, more as a sentiment than anything substantial, and Emma let herself drift off to that morning – getting to wake up with the Mayor in her arms, exchanging their good mornings over kisses before Emmet came in shrieking about how Santa brought the presents.

"Emma."

She blinked toward Regina, seeing both her and the older brunette giving her nearly the same look.

"Would you join us for a moment?"

Henry was helping Emmet open a new action figure on the floor as they stood and made their way to the kitchen. Before the door closed on the boys she looked back, Henry laughed at her with a wink.

Regina didn't bother leaning against the counter, but Emma stood behind her anyway, leaving more space from Cora just in case things went sour.

"Mother," Regina gulped and looked back at the blonde for a moment. All Emma could do was nod and take a very deep breath. "I-"

One more look back, and this time Emma held her eye and took a step closer, resting her hand on Regina's upper back in support, if not to urge her on.

She turned back toward her mother with her most professional tone. "We – Emma and I – we feel it necessary to inform you of our… relationship."

Dead air. Cora's expression didn't change past the tight-lipped curiosity that she entered the room with.

Regina cleared her throat and took Emma's hand from her back and clasped it in her own, fingers laced firmly through the other's. "We - I.. I wanted to wait to tell you until I knew it was serious, but you're a part of my life, and it's only fair to tell you that we-"

"That's all?"

Emma and Regina looked at each other at the same time, horrified expressions mirroring each other.

Cora smiled and folded her hands behind her back. "Darling, you aren't as discrete as I think you'd like to be. The whole town knows, and therefore, I know."

She squeezed Regina's hand, seeing the awful deer-in-the-headlights look on her face.

"In any case, as long as you're happy, I'll be happy for you." She gestured back toward the living room. "Now, would you round up the children? I think we should start on brunch before it gets stale."'

It took a few moments for Regina to regain herself before nodding and blinking in Emma's direction. Even then, the blonde had to push her in the direction of the door before she moved away from her mother in the same state of shock.

After the door closed, however, was the reaction Emma had expected.

Cora's nostrils flared at her and it was Emma's turn to take a breath. Her mouth formed a hard line as the other woman stepped into her personal space.

She kept an air of grace, but the malice in her voice couldn't be denied. "I'm not sure what it is you're trying to accomplish here, but let me make it perfectly clear that if my daughter is ever hurt in any way, I will ruin you."

"Let me stop you." Emma rolled her eyes.

This was it – the moment she could shut Cora up once and for all. And maybe even exhaust her bad side so there was only positive to gain. At this point, Emma was sure there was no other option. She could go on a big, long tirade about how much she loved Regina and the kids, and how she was going to spend every minute just as she had been, standing by and making sure they were taken care of and safe. But all that was a given. For once Emma didn't need to fight. Her cards were finally on the table, and she had a winning hand.

"Actually, I don't need you to let me do anything, Cora." An easy smile slid onto her mouth. "I'm going to marry your daughter one day."

"You-"

"And chances are, with how much time we spend wrapped around each other, Regina's going to say yes. Who knows, you might get more grandkids. But if you want to get a good seat at the wedding, you should probably start being a little nicer to me, Mom."

Cora's eyes threatened to fall from their sockets.

Emma just laughed and forced a hug on her before she went back into the living room.

-x-

Fireworks were still lighting up the sky as they drove home. The dashboard read 12:47am, and Regina's hand wormed it's way over to rest at Emma's knee as she drove home from Katherine and David's house.

They waited until they were in the driveway to look back at Henry who was staring dreamily out the window.

"You're staring."

Emma and Regina didn't budge.

After a few long moments Emma unbuckled her seat belt and turned to see him better. "Spill, kid. We know something's up."

The half-smile that brought one edge of his mouth up made him look so scarily like Emma, Regina looked back and forth between them until he answered.

He smoothed his hair down over a particularly large pimple on his forehead almost bashfully. "I kissed Ava… right as the clock hit midnight."

"My baby's first New Year's kiss." Regina poked his leg playfully.

"First kiss, period." He shrugged, though he couldn't help the big, red stains rising in his cheeks.

Emma squeezed Regina's hand. "You really like her, hu?"

He just nodded, and started to unclip Emmet from his car seat.

-x-

A sunny day in January hit everyone like cannon fire. But no one more so than Sean and Ashley, who welcomed a precious baby boy into the world.

Regina had stopped to pick Emma up from the station with flowers for the second-time parents in tow, when a bright spot of hot pink caught their attention on the other side of the station window.

"Is that.."

Emma frowned. "Blanchard's jogging?"

"It seems that way."

The both stared for a moment, the teacher blowing into her gloves and keeping pace with her feet as a car rounded the corner, obstructing her path. Immediately after it was past, she picked it up again, head down against the light breeze.

"New Year's resolution?"

Regina shrugged and leaned toward Emma to catch the last glimpse as she went on her way. "Maybe. But do you think she has enough of that god-awful color on?"

Emma shook her head. "Nah, her headband is black. She could definitely have more."

"You're terrible." Regina snorted.

"You picked me."

-x-

"What's the word, Mamma Bear?" Emma spooned some of the spaghetti sauce into Emmet's mouth as Regina came back into the room.

She left her cell phone by the refrigerator as she came around to hug Emma around her waist from the back, resting her chin on the blonde's shoulder. "He said they would be home around midnight."

"They'll be fine." She squeezed one of Regina's forearms.

"I keep trying to tell myself that, but Nicholas only just got his license, and-"

"And his dad has been letting him drive since he was twelve, top of the class in their driving course, and you have nothing to worry about." Emma paused, wiping Emmet's face. "Well, other than Henry getting Ava pregnant."

Regina laughed. "Not while her brother is playing third wheel with them." She kissed her shoulder and went to check to noodles.

"Mommy's being silly."

Emmet laughed at Regina obnoxiously.

The brunette turned around and stuck her tongue out at both of them. "Not to mention they're all the way in Boston, I mean.. they're teenagers. They'll be blasting their music and distracting each other." She sighed, like trying to be up-beat was exhausting.

But Emma placed her actual baby in her arms and pushed her from the noodles to stir them herself. "Ya gotta let him grow up sometime. And he's a good kid – he called you to check in so you knew he was safe, so if anything goes down I'm sure he'll call you for help." She grinned.

"You're probably right." Regina nodded and Emmet nodded right back to her, hands on his hips and an all-knowing look playing on his face.

For once, Emma didn't overdo the noodles, and the meat-to-sauce ratio was just about perfect. Emmet made a mess of his high chair, but Lysol wipes and a bath never failed to make everything look as good as new again. His damp hair air-dried into soft curly-q's while they read him a book. Without thinking Regina read the mommy lines and Emma ready the daddy lines, and it happened.

Emmet pointed toward the sheriff. "Ah-ma's a daddy."

They both looked at each other.

"What, honey?" Regina asked.

He patted Regina's thigh with his little hand. "Mommy is-a my mommy, an Ah-ma is a daddy. Ah-ma my daddy." He said in a very matter of fact tone.

Regina's face fell. She didn't think the moment would have come so soon, or in a way where she would have to correct something so sweet and organic. Maybe now wasn't the best moment. Right before bed time might not be the best to introduce the idea of a man Emmet had never met before as a part of him, a part that Emma had taken over so entirely.

Luckily, Emma didn't wait for Regina to spin even further down her own decision making process as she closed the book and smiled like nothing had happened at all. They kissed him goodnight, laughing off his comment instead, and turned the monitor on.

When they got back to the room, though, Regina sat heavily on the bed.

Emma sat next to her. "He didn't ask about his dad." She said calmly, and kissed Regina's temple before wrapping an arm around her. "He just made an observation – connected dots in the easiest way he could."

Regina nodded.

"There will be other moments, and clearer ones where you can bring Graham up. You don't have to call him his dad, either."

The Mayor chewed her lip for a moment, but didn't face Emma. "You weren't… That wasn't too much for you, though."

Emma couldn't decide if it was a question or not. "Him calling me dad?"

She nodded and glanced towards Emma's feet.

"No! Why would that- Regina.." She crossed her legs and twisted so she was facing the brunette and waited for her to look back at her. "I would totally be Emmet's dad, if that's what you wanted."

"I love you." It was something that seemed to tear its way out of Regina so harshly, as though she'd been holding it back for months.

Emma just smiled wider.

"It's hard… I don't know how to bring up the subject of the future, because technically this is still so new, but I've loved you for years, and before that too." She sighed heavily. Her shoulders were curled over like the weight of the thought was physically pressing down on her frame. "Obviously slow is the only way to take this, you can't move in tomorrow and our decisions have to be thought out before we jump into the next step of our relationship, yet at the same time there-"

"I love you, too." She laughed.

Regina deflated a bit with a smirk and kissed her.

Emma threaded their fingers together and scooted ever closer. "It's weird because we did everything backwards."

"Yes. Precisely."

"But we're on the same page?" She offered. "I want this – all of it. Not just right now. I want to move in, and I want to wake up with you every morning. I want to marry you one day. I want to get all gross and wrinkly together, and pick crusties out of your eyes when you miss them and we're too lazy to get up and go find a mirror, okay?"

Regina's eyes watered, but she nodded.

"And for sure, not tomorrow. We'll know when it's right. But until then, let's not worry about it. We're both in this for the same things and that's good enough for me. The rest will fall into place."

Out of nowhere she pushed Emma away, her brows knitted together but mirth swimming in her eyes. "When did you become the voice of reason, Miss Swan?"

"Miss Swan?" Emma lurched forward slowly.

Regina kept batting her away, but soon enough they were rolling around, kissing and laughing, and generally falling more in love with one another as the tension died away in the midst of increasing nakedness and tender touches. Even when their touches roughened around the edges and sweat built, it didn't make it any less tender or important. By the time they surrendered to sleep, they'd spent their remaining energy on each other, purchasing more of the other's heart.

Around one in the morning, Emma jerked awake by the sound of her phone.

She missed the first call, picking her head up and trying to untangle herself from Regina, but no sooner did the ring tone die, did it sound off again.

Regina blinked groggily as well, pointing over at the end of the bed. "It's still in your jeans." She yawned.

So the sheriff reluctantly got up, shivering as she did.

"Swan." She croaked.

"Emma, you gotta get out here. We're about a mile out from the welcome sign to the town – the ambulance is on its way but th-"

Regina turned on the light, and Emma winced.

"Sean, slow down. What's going on?"

"Nicholas's car plowed into a tree, Emma. It's not good."

"Emma." Regina sat bolt upright.

The words kept swimming through her brain like a dream. "What?"

Regina pulled on her robe and went down the hall.

"Henry was in the passenger seat, Em."

Her footsteps thudded inside Emma's head as her mouth went dry.

"He's not home. What's-"

Emma shook her head, already fighting to get her clothes. "Go get Emmet. We have to go."

"What happened?!"

"The ambulance just showed up."

Emma's throat started to close. "Is he alright? Is he talking?"

Sean didn't answer.