A/N: Sorry, it took so long this time - life and all that. I hope to be on a regular updating schedule by Monday. Hope you like.

It wasn't even 6 a.m. when Regina and Emma sneaked downstairs. Emma was still in her jammies, Regina in yesterday's clothes with her shoes in her hand. She slipped into them at the foot of the stairs.

"Do you think he knows I spent the night?" she asked with a look at the upstairs.

"Oh, I'm sure of it," Emma answered and at the questioning look of her lover:

"Don't worry, he sleeps with his headphones a lot." Emma grinned and Regina caught on to what Emma was talking about. She blushed and gave Emma a light jab.

"Ow," Emma whined and rubbed her arm.

"If I was really that loud, I'm sure it was your fault," Regina told her.

"You were pretty loud and I'm glad I was responsible for it," Emma gave back and lay her arms around the dark-haired woman. She alloted tiny kisses to Regina's face and made her girlfriend squirm in her arms. They started giggling and then their lips found each other and all sound was muffled.

"I just can't get enough of you, woman," Emma murmured and applied more kisses to Regina's neck. "You smell so good... and you taste even better."

"Mhhh-mh. If you keep this up, we'll have to go back upstairs."

"There's a couch down here, you know. We have a kitchen counter. And this door looks pretty damn comfortable right now, too," Emma argued as she pushed Regina against the latter.

"I wouldn't say comfortable, really," Regina said and put her hand flat against Emma's tummy. "This is not going to happen, sweety. Not with Henry upstairs and us already having had too little sleep."

Emma sighed but then grinned.

"Did I tire you out?"

"Completely. You're sooo good," Regina said with a sarcastic wink.

"Now you're making fun of me? Good luck finding someone tending to your desires next time you might need it," Emma gave back but couldn't keep a straight face. She smirked.

"Do you really need reassurance of how much I enjoy your... ministrations?"

"No, I can still hear you begging me to..." but before she could finish that sentence Regina shut her mouth with another passionate kiss.

"I think we both know that you are that good," Regina whispered into her ear as she embraced her. "Will I see you later?" She asked as they parted.

"I hope so but I'll be trying to see if I can meet with my parents at some point."

"You want to tell them today?"

"Yeah, no reason to put it off... other than being scared as hell," Emma tried to joke but Regina could see the truth behind it and pulled Emma back into her arms.

"They love you, Emma. And they want you to be happy, I'm sure of that," she told the blonde holding her tightly.

Emma buried her face in Regina's neck as Regina stood a little taller than her when she wore heels.

"I don't know about David... he's been so... antagonistic these last few days. I'm not sure he's going to handle this well," Emma uttered her fear.

"And you think Snow will?" Regina asked surprised and lifted Emma's face to hers. They looked into each other's eyes.

"I think she will, as strange as that might sound."

"If you need me, you call me, okay? I'll just... ride up on my broom and rescue you," Regina half joked but Emma knew that the other woman would indeed do that if she needed her to.

"Do you even have a broom?" she asked with a slight smile.

"As much of one as you have a white steed, savior. But that won't stop me, you know that."

"I know," Emma answered and cupped Regina's cheek. They shared loving kisses that now conveyed their emotions rather than their passions. "I love you, Regina."

"And I love you. How about you come to the mansion after work, or after you talked to your parents, whatever takes longer and I'll make dinner. Don't worry, I won't take out the good china this time? What do you think?"

"Sounds like home," Emma said. "I like it."

"I should go or someone might yet see me."

Regina kissed Emma one more time and then turned to the door.

"Woman?" Emma whispered into her ear and lay both of her hands against the door, trapping Regina between her arms.

Regina turned her head, smiling.

"Darling?"

"Thank you," Emma simply said and kissed Regina on the cheek.

"You're welcome," Regina gave back and opened the door after Emma took her hands away. "Be brave, savior," she told the blonde before she slipped out the door.

Emma closed it behind her lover and leaned her head against it.

"I'll try," she vowed quietly.

When Emma reached the pier that led to the Jolly Roger, she could see David strolling toward her. She had tried to reach him on the phone for most of the morning and then run into Leroy who had told her that he'd seen Davind on Hook's ship, talking to the pirate. Emma stopped and waited for her father to catch up with her but she could already see that he wasn't too happy she'd found him.

"Hey, dad."

"Hello, Emma. What brings you out here this early? Official sheriff business?" he asked and tried to be his usual good-natured self; he failed as did his smile.

"Official mom business, more like. Walk with me?" she asked him and they set out in the direction of the town's center.

"Did you talk to Killian about portals?"

"Yeah, I did. He told me how he and Cora got here, though that won't help us any, I'm afraid."

"So no new intel for your mission?" Emma asked as she wondered how to broach any of the subjects they needed to talk about.

"My mission? I thought it was everybody's mission, actually."

"You know what I mean," she gave back and pushed her hands into the pockets of her jeans.

"Yeah, I guess I do. You mean that you're not interested in leaving here now, don't you?"

"Dad, can we not..." but she stopped herself and then him. They faced each other. "Listen, I haven't really thought about leaving. The Enchanted Forest is just not my home. I consider this realm my home."

"You were born there," he argued.

"I know but I lived here all my life and that's probably not gonna change. I mean I might change my mind yet but I don't really see that happening now."

"As long as you're happy," he said with a shrug and wanted to resume their walk but she stopped him.

"We have to talk about Henry, dad. You know, I thought that when you were taking him on a camping trip you would make sure he was back for school the next morning, but he wasn't."

David looked at her for a long moment.

"We kind of overslept. I called Snow and told her that he wouldn't be at school," he then explained off-handedly.

Emma felt her anger stir at this. She wasn't sure if he just tried to go the way of least resistance with her, or if he acutally thought it was alright for him to do this but, either way, his attitude rubbed her the wrong way.

"And you didn't think of calling me, too? Or Regina? We're his mothers, you know?"

And now she could plainly see that he got angry. He pushed his hands into his side and worked his jaw. He looked around himself for a moment, then back at her.

"I am aware," he said through clenched teeth.

"You are aware of what, dad? You are aware that you just up and took Henry on a camping trip without talking to me about it first? Or, you are aware that you should have told me when you knew he wasn't going to make it to school? Are you aware of these things?"

"Are you aware that Henry is unhappy, Emma?"

The sheiff took a step back as if she'd been slapped.

"Excuse me?" she asked perplexed.

"Henry needed to get away from you... and Regina. I didn't get him to talk about what exactly was bothering him but I think it has something to do with... the both of you," David told her with a meaningful look.

"Do you really wanna talk about this? All of this?" she gave back and for a moment he looked a little unsure of himself. But then he nodded.

"Yeah, let's talk."

"All right, then I'm gonna tell you why Henry was so unhappy. He... he was sure that.. Regina and I had fallen in love with each other but I told him that it wasn't true. That's why he was upset. He wanted us to be together, see?"

David raised his eyebrows disbelievingly at his daughter.

"He wants for you to... be with Regina?"

"Of course he does, dad. Isn't that what every kid wants? For his parents to be happy together under one roof, as one family? That's what I wanted," she added and now he felt her words as a blow.

"We wanted that, too, you know that," he told her and she looked contrite.

"I know... well, that was what Henry was upset about."

David thought about it for a moment.

"I thought he'd rather see you and Neal together," he then said.

"No, that's what you and mom would rather see."

"He's a nice guy. I talked to him the other day and I'm certain he still wants that, you know? For you all to be a family."

Emma shook her head.

"It's not gonna happen, dad. I'm sorry but... no, I'm actually not sorry. Henry isn't upset anymore, you know? Because... because Regina and I are together. I'm in love with her - and she with me."

The look of utter horror on David's face hurt Emma. She had known it would be a shock for him, that he would maybe deny the truth of it, but she never thought she'd see him so distraught over the fact that she loved someone.

"This is supposed to be a good thing," she said meekly.

"Have you forgotten what she's done?" he asked in a similarly defeated voice.

"No, I haven't, dad. But I love her despite what she's done. I love her for who she is now. She's changed."

"I don't believe that. I think that maybe you're under her curse right now. Or maybe she seduced you to get back at your mother and me. Regina can't love, Emma, she just can't," David said shaking his head.

"You think I'm under some kind of love spell? That's... ridiculous, dad! I... I could tell you of all the things she's done, all the things she is, the reasons I fell for her, as well as the moments I realized my feelings for her. This is not... a spell. And I know she loves me, too. This has nothing to do with you and mom... it's just... two people who realized that they're better together - and not just at saving their son. It's... she loves me, dad. And it makes me happy," Emma pleaded for him to understand.

"You weren't even an hour old," he seemed to remember something and Emma looked back at him, puzzled. "You were so tiny, all red and squawking, when she came to the castle with her soldiers and her curse. She came to kill you, Emma. Did you know that? The only chance we had was to put you in that magical wardrobe so that you would live."

"She wouldn't have killed me. I don't believe that."

"Then what do you think she would have done? You were destined to break that curse," David argued.

"Then I was destined to escape her, too. But Regina wouldn't have been able to kill an innocent child, not even when she was the Evil Queen," Emma gave back, the desperate need to convince him written in her eyes.

"If you believe that then you don't know her at all," was his answer.

They looked at each other for a long moment and Emma knew this wasn't going to be resolved in a single conversation. She would have to come back, she would have to talk to him over and over again to convince him that she was right - and he was wrong. And she would do it because there was no way she could just let her father believe she loved someone who was unworthy of her love.

"I know her, dad, and I love her. And that's not gonna change... even if you don't like it," she told him.

He looked at her sadly.

"I don't like it," he said and lifted his hands as if he was powerless to change it. Then he turned and walked away, leaving a heart-broken Emma behind.

Regina didn't even look up when the door to her office opened. She kept looking at some report and then said:

"I know you've been a king in your former life but even peasants know how to knock." Then she did look up and right into the red-rimmed eyes of her love.

"Emma, what...?"

"I talked to dad," the sheriff said and fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Oh, darling, I..." Regina got up from behind her desk and came over to Emma. She put her hands to the blonde's cheeks and brushed the tears away. "Come here, let's sit."

She led Emma to the couch and they sat down. Regina immediately put her arms around Emma and held her while the younger woman cried.

"I don't know... I mean I know... but...," she got out in between sobs.

"I know, sweety, I know."

"Do you?" Emma asked looking up at her. She looked into sad caramel-colored eyes that still held all the love for her.

"Of course I do. He thinks I'm not good enough for you... that I'm no good at all. I'm not saying he's wrong... but we tried not loving each other and... that was a bust. So I figured I'm not letting you go ever again," Regina told her with a small smile. "No matter, what your parents say."

"You're good, Regina. You're... MY good, okay?"

"That doesn't make any sense," Regina said.

"No, it doesn't but you're all mine, the good, the bad, the wickedly sexy and no one's gonna take you away from me."

They kissed but were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Urgh, that's Eric... sorry. Let me just get rid of him," Regina said as she got up from the couch.

"You don't have to...," Emma was about to say but Regina put up a finger.

"Just a second."

Regina opened the door just a bit and looked through.

"Madam Mayor. We... erm, have an appointment," Eric said with an unsure smile as if she needed reminding.

"I'm aware but... well, something's come up and I don't really have time right now. We'll have to reschedule," she told him.

"I specifically made time today. I'll have to be on the dogger again tomorrow," he argued and it didn't seem like he was going to let it go.

"Well, I have a family emergency and I can't make time right now," she told him plainly and he seemed to consider this.

"I can't just up and leave work every time you see fit to maybe see me. I have a business to run and a family of my own."

Regina pushed her upper body through the door and got into his face.

"If I recall there's something you want from me, Eric, so you better drop the act or I might reconsider giving you that new fishing permit you need to run that little business of yours. Call me tomorrow and we'll reschedule."

"You know if you weren't the may..."

"But I am, Eric. I'm the mayor. If you seek to change that you can always run for the job yourself at the next election. It's only another year. Of course, by then you all might not be here anymore so you'll probably have to just let me get away with it... again," Regina said lifting an eyebrow at him. "If you'll excuse me now."

It wasn't a question and she didn't wait for an answer, either, she simply shut the door in his face.

"I'm sorry, darling," she said when she turned to Emma. "Oh, don't look at me that way. You don't know how insolent these guys have gotten since they remembered they were kings and princes. They're always trying to tell me how to run this town."

Emma attempted a smile but it failed.

"Okay, tell me what David said to you, just so I can throw it back in his face the next time I see him." Regina came back to the couch and took both of Emma's hands in hers.

"He thinks that you put a spell on me, a love spell."

"Really?"

"Well, I don't think he really believes it but... I guess to him it's better than thinking I really loved you," Emma said with a sigh.

"And suddenly they're all experts on magic. I mean, a spell... could never produce what we have. You know that, right?"

"Of course, I do. I mean, I'm no expert on magic either but... I figured it would be different. You have to teach me these things at some point, you know."

"And I will... though maybe not love spells," Regina added with a raised eyebrow.

"You jealous?"

"Well, sometimes. But seeing as every other male - and I dare say some female - inhabitants of this town are all over you, I don't think you'll need any love spells," Regina explained.

"That's an exaggeration," Emma said but smiled just a little. "And who are those female inhabitants anyway?" She added with a smirk.

"Well, there's the mayor for one, she's got both eyes on you, always."

"Is that so?"

They leaned toward each other, their noses almost touching.

Regina nodded.

"Mh-hm."

"I'd love to have her hands on me, too. You think she'd be into that?"

Regina put her hands to Emma's shirt collar and let them slowly slide down the sheriff's front.

"Oh, I know she is. I bet she wouldn't mind if you were to..." Regina put her lips to Emma's ear and whispered to her.

Emma purred appreciatively at the suggestion Regina made. Her hands went from her lover's waist to her thighs, letting her thumbs slide along her instep.

Regina sighed.

"Are we really going to do it here?" Emma asked with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

"You want to head home? It's not even noon but I'd be up to it," Regina said with a wink.

"Are you just doing this to cheer me up?"

Regina looked a little offended at this but then she sighed again, not from pleasure this time.

"I want to cheer you up, yes, but... I would never do it 'just' to cheer you up. I'm pretty selfish that way."

"I appreciate the effort but... you have to get back to work and so do I.. and... I don't know, I already feel better. Just seeing you and knowing that you care, cheers me up," Emma told her.

"Now that's disappointing. Are you just going to leave me high and dry?"

"Oh, I bet you're anything but dry," Emma said with a wicked grin.

"How very delicate," Regina said with a disapproving frown but already smiled again a moment later. "You're not wrong. Do I get another kiss, though? That would cheer me up, you know?"

She didn't have to ask twice, Emma leaned in and captured her lips immediately, pulling Regina close. For minutes they let their lips get reaquainted before the ringing of Regina's telephone interrupted them.

"Some days, I really hate my job," Regina grumbled.

"No, you love it," Emma disagreed with a smile.

"Don't go anywhere," Regina instructed and walked back to her desk to answer the phone. "The mayor's office, Mayor Mills speaking."

Regina listened intently into the phone for a moment.

"Why call me, call a plumber," she told the person on the other end and then listened some more.

"I see... I'll call him myself. Thank you, Bridget." Regina disconnected the phone and then called a number from memory.

"Everything okay?"

"A problem with the hospital's plumbing," Regina answered. "Yes, Mr. Briggs, this is the mayor speaking. As you may have heard...," but she was interrupted and started frowning.

Emma got up from the couch and came over. She rubbed her thumb over her lover's brow until the frown disappeared. Regina smiled at her while she listened to the man on the other end of the phone.

"Gotta go. I love you," Emma whispered and kissed Regina's cheek.

"One second, Mr. Briggs," Regina said into the receiver already grabbing Emma's shirt then pulling her in for another kiss.

"I love you and we're gonna talk some more after dinner tonight, okay? We still have a date, right?"

Emma smiled.

"Most definitely," Emma answered and they shared another kiss. "I let you get back to work."

Regina put the receiver back to her ear.

"Yes, Mr. Briggs, you were saying?"

Regina followed Emma with her eyes as the blonde went to the door. Emma turned and smiled at her before she left the mayor's office.