A/N: Looks like the charging cable for my laptop is finally retiring - meaning: I'm not sure when I can update next. I need a new one and money's tight... oh my god, I'm gonna be without laptop! 'psycho-theme playing'
Emma entered the kitchen where Regina was making a sandwich.
"Hey," she said and walked behind the other woman to lay her arms around her.
"Hello, darling. Where's Henry?"
"Remember, I told you that he would be at my parents' tonight? That dinner thing with Gordon?"
"If I remember correctly, you were invited, too," Regina gave back, ignoring Emma's attempt at nuzzling her neck.
"I was but... well, you weren't invited and I wanted to make a stand. I also didn't want to deal with my dad looking disappointed at me over dinner."
"So you left our son to deal with it alone?" Regina asked.
"He said he was gonna be okay," Emma argued with a pout. "He's sleeping over, by the way, which means we're gonna be alone tonight," she added and tightened her embrace on Regina.
Regina leaned back into her, her arms going around Emma's at her middle.
"What would you like to do tonight, lover?" Emma whispered into her ear.
"Mhm, cuddle," the answer came and Emma had to laugh.
"Cuddle?"
"Yeah, I like cuddling," the dark-haired woman gave back. "What?" she then asked because Emma was still laughing. She turned within the embrace to look at the blonde.
"Nothing, it's just... I never would have pegged you for the mushy kind, you know?"
"Well, I never had this. Someone I could just be... comfortable with. And I like my mush, I have a right to my mush," Regina claimed and now they were both laughing. "Do you want a sandwich?" She then asked Emma and turned again.
"Hey, wait. I thought I was going to get my 'hello, love, how was work'-kiss first," Emma pouted and now Regina laughed.
"Right, and I'm the one who's mushy," she said but turned toward Emma again. She put her hands flat against Emma's collarbones. "How was work, darling?"
"I wasn't at work today, remember, I had the night shift?"
"Don't tell me you got the night shift again tonight?"
"No, I actually recruited Jack from the car shop for tonight. We really need another deputy if the station's supposed to be manned at all hours," Emma said.
"Do you still want your dad to get that job?" Regina asked her.
"That would only be temporary at best since he and mom're gonna be the first ones to leave for the Enchanted Forest when we've found a way."
"That could still be months even years away, Emma," Regina said. She could see that her lover was conflicted about this topic and she leaned forward and kissed her. "They'll only be a step through a mirror away, darling," she told her.
"I know. It's just so weird. Tonight I didn't even want to have dinner with them but when I think about them leaving... I miss them already."
"They're your parents and you love them. That's not weird," Regina told her. "Come on, let's go into the living room. Do you want a sandwich now?"
"I just take half of yours," Emma said with a small smile as Regina put the food back into the fridge.
"Fair enough," Regina answered and they went into the living room.
"How do you feel about everyone leaving?" Emma asked as they settled down on a couch.
"I'm not sure everyone will be leaving," Regina gave back.
"Well, probably not everyone but... most of them, don't you think?"
Regina shrugged.
"Not everyone was a princess or king, most of the folks who live here weren't. I'd expect your parents, Arielle and Eric, Cinderella and Whatwashisface? to leave. Then probably their closest friends, Ruby, Granny, the dwarfs and I suspect the fairies as well... about everyone else, I'm not so sure. Especially the women who have jobs here, who can decide for themselves who they want to marry, if they want to marry at all."
"I never thought about that," Emma said.
"Medieval Europe, remember?"
"Yeah, I guess that makes sense. On the other hand, it's their home," the sheriff argued.
"Storybrooke is home, too. Mostly everyone is two people here."
Emma thought about this.
"Must be hard to decide," she mused.
"For some, for others it isn't," Regina acknowledged.
They had both finished their dinner by now and Emma leaned back. She held her arms out.
"You wanted to cuddle?" she asked with a grin.
"Yes," Regina answered and snuggled into the embrace. They were silent for a while.
"You really don't want to go, right? I mean, you don't want to live there?"
"No," Emma answered without hesitation. "What about you?"
"No," Regina answered just as confidently. "Life here is so much better than it has ever been back 'home.' There are too many painful memories."
They made love that night. Slowly. Lovingly.
Emma had never felt so at peace with herself and the world. She wasn't running anymore, neither from nor to. She was home. There was little wanting and she felt that the things in life that were not perfect yet would be okay in time. Or maybe they wouldn't be. She could let go of little things, she could let go of grudges and offences that had bothered her in the past and could live in the moment. This moment, in Regina's arms.
Regina found a different kind of peace in their love-making, in the warmth and safety of Emma's body. She found love, all the love she could ever want - apart from the one of her son - all the love she could ever crave or need, Emma would give it to her. And she would give her own to Emma without hesitation. It was marvellously simple, the concept, and yet she had never given and taken so completely. She filled herself up with Emma's love like taking a breath, and gave the same amount back as if breathing out again. And while their mouths fused, their bodies trembled against each other in ecstacy, tears left her eyes. Tears of joy.
"Are you okay?" Emma breathed heavily against the side of her face.
"Never better, and I mean it," Regina gave back and wasn't even trying to hold back the bubble of laugher that burst forth.
"That's wonderful," Emma said and kissed her cheek.
Regina turned her head and gave the kiss back and their lips moved wordlessly, endlessly, over each others faces until they found each other and nothing else existed beside the kiss they shared.
They were sitting at breakfast when the front door opened.
"Henry, is that you?" Regina called and a moment later he stuck his head into the room.
"Morning," he said and smiled at the sight of both his mothers in their jammies and eating omelettes.
"Morning, kid. What're you doing here? I thought Snow was gonna take you to school today?"
"I forgot a book, David's waiting for me outside. He's gonna give me a ride over," he said. He came into the room and took the fork from Emma. He took a bite of her breakfast. "Good," he said, grinning.
"I know and it's mine," Emma chastised him but not seriously.
"Go get your book and I make you your own," Regina told him. "Didn't your grandparents feed you?"
"I had cereal but I could do with an omelette," he said innocently. "I'm growing, you know?" he said cheekily and then turned to leave the kitchen.
Regina looked at Emma.
"What?"
"Your dad's outside," she said.
"And what am I gonna do about that?"
"Well, you could go and invite him in," she said as she busied herself with Henry's breakfast. "And if he doesn't want to come in you could at least talk to him," she suggested.
Emma wanted to argue, she wanted to tell Regina that she wasn't going to indulge David in his pouting because she had done nothing wrong. But she didn't. Instead she took a deep breath and blew it out explosively. Then she slipped from her stool and went into the hall. She slipped into a pair of sneakers - Henry's apparently - and left the house. She went down the paved walk in Regina's red pyjama bottoms, her tank top and those borrowed Sneakers that fit her suprisingly well.
When she stepped through the hedges and onto the sidewalk she came face to face with David who had been waiting just beyond Regina's domain.
"Do you wanna come in? Regina's making omelettes, they're good," she told him.
"Henry's already had breakfast," David said.
"He says he's growing. So do you wanna come in?"
He shook his head.
"Is this how it's gonna be from now on, dad? You standing outside the hedge because you don't wanna give the impression that you approve of our relationship? It doesn't matter, you know, because I won't stop loving her just because you don't like it," she told him.
"You told me that already," he answered.
"Then I'll just keep repeating it until you understand."
"I understand," he gave back but she knew he didn't. There was a certain set to his jaw, a defiance in his stance, in his look, that spoke of denial. The need to not accept them as a couple seemed more important than her happiness somehow and that was something she didn't understand.
He was looking at her and his brow furrowed.
"You look tired," he noticed.
"We didn't get much sleep last nght," she said and her intonation made it perfectly clear why they hadn't slept much. She looked him straight in the eyes, not wanting to be sorry that she'd said it. But she saw the hurt in his eyes and took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry, David. I'm... in love, okay? Madly in love and... you know how that feels. You know how much you want people to be happy for you and when they're not...," she pleaded for him to understand. She felt suddenly cold as a gust of wind engulfed her and she put her arms around herself.
"You shouldn't be standing out here in your... jammies," he said and his voice seemed even cooler than the air.
"No, I shouldn't," she agreed. "Tell Snow I said hi, and drive carefully. I'm gonna bring our son to school myself," she told him.
"That's not..."
"Yes, it is necessary, dad. You're not gonna out-righteous me with your silent indignation. People will side against us as it is, I don't need them pitying you because you play strong, wounded hero at the defiance of your daughter. I won't have it. If you want to see Henry, fine! But you won't play the martyr while our son is watching on," she yelled at him. Her arms had come undone from around herself and her hands were balled into fists now.
He looked at her for a long moment then he looked down at the pavement. She thought that maybe he was ashamed but then he nodded.
"Alright," he said and then turned toward his truck. He got in and started it.
Emma was sure he would look at her, was sure he would look back and let her know that it wasn't as bad as it seemed now. But he didn't, he simply rode off without another glance at her.
Emma re-entered the kitchen. She tried to look like she may have when she left but she wasn't sure how to do that and yet she didn't want Henry to see how hurt she was.
"I'm almost finished," Henry said.
"Take your time, I still need to get dressed," Emma answered.
"I thought David would give me a lift."
"No, he's gone." Emma looked at her half-eaten omelette and felt tears threaten to flood her eyes. She turned and left the kitchen again.
"Ma?" Henry asked and was about to go after her when Regina put her hand on his arm.
"Finish your breakfast, Henry. I'll go."
Regina followed Emma up to her bedroom and found the blonde holding herself and sobbing in the middle of the room. She crossed to her and then took her in her arms.
"Shhh, darling, what happened?"
"He will never," Emma began but was interrupted by more sobs.
"But he will, I'm sure of it," Regina argued.
"How can you be sure. You know how much...," but she couldn't say it, instead she held onto Regina tighter and squinted her eyes shut.
"I know because he loves you. And I know because he is a good person - or sees himself as good, anyway," Regina said. She rubbed her lover's back in slow even circles and they calmed Emma more than words could.
"He is good," Emma said with conviction.
"But even good people have been wrong on occasion, sweety. And it's not right, the way he treats you."
"He's just...," but then Emma realized that she was defending David, that she was taking his side when Regina was taking hers. It didn't make any sense and she stopped. "I love you," she said instead.
"I love you, too," Regina said and pulled out of the tight embrace to look into Emma's eyes as she continued:
"And one day soon, your dad will acknowledge it, too. You'll see."
"What if he doesn't?" Emma asked and she looked fearful.
Regina took her hands in her own.
"Then it's just going to be the three of us at family gatherings - or maybe Snow and Gordon, too, if they care to join us."
"We are a family," Emma said and Regina nodded.
"Yes. And... I'm not sure... maybe it's too early but... I want to marry you, Emma. Not tomorrow or the day after but... I want to marry you," she told the blonde and for a moment they looked at each other in wonder.
"Are you... like asking?"
"It's more like I'm," Regina swallowed visibly. "I'm informing you of my intentions," she settled on a phrase and Emma had to smile.
"I want to marry you, too, Regina. I also wanna have more kids and... maybe a dog?"
"Or a cat?" Regina suggested.
"Well, at least you're not fighting me on the kids," Emma said and grinned sheepishly.
"Not as long as you're having them because... I can't."
Emma nodded and wondered at the way she had said it now and when they first talked about it. The meaning had changed for her, for both of them as a couple.
"I know," she said and now she put her arms around Regina.
They stood like that for a long moment, holding each other. Then they heard Henry clear his throat from somewhere outside the room.
"Are you decent?" he called toward the half-open door.
"Yes, Henry, we are decent," Regina told him and they heard him approach the door. He peeked in.
"I'll be late," he said.
"Right, you need a ride to school. I'll be down in a minute," Emma said.
Henry looked at them, they had both turned but were still holding onto each other.
"Is everything all right?" he asked.
"Come here," Regina told him and he didn't hesitate but came into the room. His mothers opened their embrace for him, included him.
"David has his problems with us being together," Emma said.
"I know."
"Has he said something to you about it while you were there?"
"No, he doesn't talk about it at all, he just glowers," Henry said.
"He shouldn't dump this on you, I'm sorry," Emma told him.
"It's not your fault. If he wants to be an... to be immature about it, that's his problem," Henry said wisely.
"We'll probably move in together soon," Regina informed their son and he looked up.
"Really?" He was smiling, looking from Regina to Emma who nodded.
"Yeah. And at some point, we're gonna get married and... and you're probably gonna have siblings," she added.
Henry was laughing.
"That's so cool," he said and tightened his hold on the two women for a moment. Then he let go. "Are we gonna... I don't know, celebrate this? Maybe tonight with pizza and a movie? Or we could go out?"
"Go out? In Storybrooke?"
"Sure. We could go to The Rabbit Hole and have a few drinks," he said and grinned mischievously.
"You do realize that I'm the sheriff, right?"
He laughed and his happiness turned out to be contagious, Emma found herself laughing, too. Regina joined them.
"I'm so happy for you, moms," Henry said.
"You're part of this, kid. You brought us together."
"Then I'm happy for all of us," he gave back. "And now I really, really need to get to school."
"Okay, wait for me downstairs."
Henry went to the door but then turned.
"Are you coming, too, mom?" he asked Regina.
"Why?"
"I figured, ma's getting dressed without you here would probably go faster," he said cheekily.
"Then you're out of luck. But I'll write a note explaining why you're late if you insist," Regina told him with a smirk.
"Yeah, I bet grandma wants to know all about that," Henry said sarcastically and left them.
"He's got that from you," Regina said as she turned to Emma.
"I was gonna say the same thing," Emma answered with a laugh and kissed Regina before she went into the bathroom to get ready.