The tree had remained undecorated for a few days during which time Emma and Henry both went in search of all of their decorations from the year before. Neither of them took into account that all of them were in the basement along with the furniture from the study. Between the two of them it took longer than they had anticipated to pull all the boxes out, but they managed to do so by the end of the week. They agreed to wait to decorate the tree until the weekend when Henry wouldn't have to worry about school. So for now the tree stood in the living room undecorated, but non the less impressive looking.

Regina had spent the morning in bed, and when Emma left for work it was clear her wife planned to sleep for a while longer so Emma left without disturbing her. She left food for the puppy before she left and on her way to work she dropped Henry off at school. Emma didn't like leaving Regina alone after everything that had happened with Gold, but she had no choice in the matter. She spent her morning rushing through paperwork and she figured if she skipped lunch totally she could go home early. Around midday she did a quick run around town to make sure all was well and at the end of that trip she parked her car in front of Gold's shop and made herself confortable. From her seat she could see him walking around the shop and eventually she made eye contact with him through the window. Her intention was never to hide from him, but rather make it very clear that he wouldn't pull the same stunt twice and get away with it. Her stare down with Gold ended when someone knocked on her window and effectively scared Emma half to death. Emma looked up to see her mother looking slightly apologetic for startling her daughter.

Emma unlocked the car and allowed her mother into the front seat. "Any reason you are on this side of town sitting in her car?"

"Just keeping an eye on things."

"Wow, that was wildly unhelpful information, but I'm guessing you did that on purpose. Henry asked me to tell you he was going to stay at school for a bit to work on his English project and David said he'd drive him home whenever he wanted."

"Fine." Emma was still looking throwing the shop at Gold and had heard nothing of what her mother said.

"How's Regina?" That part Emma heard.

"She's tired, but can't sleep at night so she ends up sleeping most of the morning. It's driving her nuts, but having the dog around helps. Gives her someone to focus on without having to be moving around too much."

"If you are done trying to scare Gold maybe you and I could go pick up some groceries for you to take home. The weather isn't going to get any better and you'll want to have some more stuff in the house." Emma didn't want to leave her post, but she wanted desperately to go home so she agreed and threw the car into drive and headed toward the store. Snow had a point, the weather was only going to continue to get colder and there was always the threat of more snowfall so Emma loaded up on emergency supplies as well as regular groceries. They packed the car to the brim and finally made their way to the mansion. Emma could hear the piano from the front door and smiled.

"When she gets restless she plays that piano until we get home. If we're lucky she won't notice us come in and she'll keep going. Guess it depends if Apollo starts to bark." Emma finally found her keys and opened the front door. As predicted Apollo was snuggled in his dog bed that had been moved from the kitchen into the living room, right next to the piano bench. The puppy heard the door open and he shot his head up, but after seeing it was simply Emma and Snow he resumed his relaxed position at Regina's feet. Emma and Snow unloaded the car without Regina noticing, or if she did she simply didn't stop playing. They started unloading the food and Snow looked at the scene in the living room and asked.

"Isn't he supposed to bark when people come in the house?" Emma looked up to see the puppy still totally content to sit and nap at Regina's feet.

"He barks when he's excited or when we are all home and he knows someone new is at the door, or if he perceives the person as a threat. You should've seen him the other day when Gold was hassling Regina. Never thought I'd see a three-month-old puppy look like an attack dog, but he knew Gold was bad news and he could feel Regina get stressed. He just wanted him to go away."

"I guess I should be flattered that he doesn't bark at me." Emma rolled her eyes at her mother.

"You aren't a threat to anyone and since you and Regina have calmed down you don't stress her out, at least not usually. He has no reason to bark at you." The conversation was cut short when the music changed and Emma could hear Regina singing, still not knowing she was no longer alone in the house.

Someone to hold you too close

Someone to hurt you too deep

Someone to sit in your chair

And ruin your sleep

And make you aware of being alive

Someone to need you too much

Someone to know you too well

Someone to pull you up short

And put you through hell

And give you support for being

alive - being alive

Emma smiled to herself. "Streisand. Figures."

Make me alive, make me confused

Mock me with praise, let me be used

Vary my days, but alone is alone,

not alive.

Somebody hold me too close

Somebody force me to care

Somebody make me come through

I'll alway's be there

As frightened as you of being alive

Being alive, being alive

Someone you have to let in

Someone whose feelings you spare

Someone who, like it or not

Will want you to share a little, a lot

of being alive

Make me alive, make me confused

Mock me with praise, let me be used

Vary my days, but alone is alone,

not alive

Somebody crowd me with love

Somebody force me to care

Somebody let me come through

I'll always be there

As frightened as you to help us survive

Being alive, being alive,

Being alive, being alive.

Snow looked to Emma with a bit of shocked expression.

"I'm not sure why you look so shocked, you knew she could sing."

"Yeah, but that, I didn't know she could do that." Again the conversation ended with Regina playing more, but this music Emma almost started laughing at.

"What's so funny?"

"I took Regina out of town right after Thanksgiving for date night and we went and say a movie. Evidently it left it's impression cause she ordered sheet music for it." Emma nodded her head toward the living room and indicated for her mother to listen carefully.

The snow glows white on the mountain tonight

Not a footprint to be seen

A kingdom of isolation,

And it looks like I'm the Queen

The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside

Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I tried

Don't let them in, don't let them see

Be the good girl you always have to be

Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know

Well, now they know

Let it go, let it go

Can't hold it back anymore

Let it go, let it go

Turn away and slam the door

I don't care

What they're going to say

Let the storm rage on,

The cold never bothered me anyway

The song left Emma with mixed emotions. It fit Regina well, a little too well and deep down Emma knew Regina still hurt, but the emotion in her voice would never have suggested it. She sounded powerful and forceful and Emma thought, happy.

It's funny how some distance

Makes everything seem small

And the fears that once controlled me

Can't get to me at all

It's time to see what I can do

To test the limits and break through

No right, no wrong, no rules for me

I'm free

Let it go, let it go

I am one with the wind and sky

Let it go, let it go

You'll never see me cry

Here I stand

And here I'll stay

Let the storm rage on

My power flurries through the air into the ground

My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around

And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast

I'm never going back,

The past is in the past

Regina's voice was powerful as it hit the higher notes with all the emotion behind the lyrics. Even Apollo was no longer able to pretend to be napping and was wagging his tail at all the noise happening around him.

Let it go, let it go

And I'll rise like the break of dawn

Let it go, let it go

That perfect girl is gone

Here I stand

In the light of day

Let the storm rage on,

The cold never bothered me anyway

This time Emma left the kitchen and slowly clapped her hands in applause, gaining Regina's attention s she did so. Regina looked up and blushed deep red.

"I didn't hear you come home." Emma smiled and walked over to where Regina still sat, offering her wife a quick kiss. "That was the idea darling. You looked happy so we decided not to bother you."

"We?" Snow poked her head out from the kitchen and Regina looked mortified.

"I didn't realize I was giving a impromptu concert." Regina looked down at Apollo and frowned. "You are suppose to alert me when people enter the house. You remember me teaching you that right?" The puppy simply sat up and barked before going to Emma and affectionately rubbing his head against her leg.

"Evidently the dog likes you too much to tell me when you are home." Emma picked up the puppy that had grown considerably since they got him, but was still small enough to be held.

"Ah, come on Gina, if we had been robbers he would have barked, but he knows his family, don't you boy?" Apollo barked once again and Emma smiled and put him down.

"We picked up some groceries and I figured I could start making dinner and when my dad picks up Henry we can eat and then decorate the tree."

"You figured out all of that did you?" Regina poked Emma's side and the blonde pouted.

"Oh come on dear, I was only kidding. That sounds lovely. I assume I'll be exiled to the couch or bedroom while you cook."

"Well I figured if you were a good girl and sat at the kitchen table you could help me cut up the vegetables and all that. So long as you promise to stay sitting I don't see any harm in it."

"My cup runneth over." Regina didn't like being treated like a child and Emma hated doing it, but it was for a greater good.

"Hey I know bed rest sucks, but it'll be over soon enough and then you'll be begging for the chance to sleep all morning. The girls won't allow that, I can promise you that much."

"I guess I'll just have to make you be the one to get up in the middle of the night then." Regina walked away with a satisfied smirk on her face and Emma knew she was going to have to adjust how she talked to Regina because those pregnancy hormones were no joke.

"Whatever you say babe."

So EVERYONE I've talked to thinks that Let It Go form Frozen is basically Regina's new anthem and I have to agree and the other song is a Streisand classic called Being Alive. Bit of a filler chapter before we do tree decorating and Christmas but I thought this was a nice breath before we get into all of that. Let me know what you thought. Also, school just started again so if I'm slow please forgive me.