A/N I thought I should mention that I'm adding a major character death warning to this fic, so please be warned.

Chapter ten

"I can totally cook," Emma pouted.

"Ah-hah," Regina replied, feigning interest as she placed a plate of pancakes in front of their son.

"Perhaps you can make breakfast tomorrow then," the mayor replied, turning around when she felt arms encircle her waist.

Emma instantly shook her head, "that is way too much pressure...how about brunch?"

"You still believe that 'brunch' is a real thing?" Henry asked with his mouth full of delicious chocolate chip pancakes.

"Henry," Regina scolded.

The boy took an audible gulp, and with a wry grin, replied, "sorry mom."

Regina turned back to Emma with a raised eyebrow, "see what you've done to him?"

Emma blanched and said, "how is that my fault?"

"You are quite uncouth, sheriff."

Emma rolled her eyes, with a slight smirk, she pulled Regina closer to her, "so why do you love me?"

"I find it to be an endearing trait in you, ten years of teaching social etiquette has been destroyed after one year with you," she smirked, leaning closer despite her insult.

Emma grinned and shook her head, leaning forward their lips met.

"I'm eating!" Henry shouted.

Regina rolled her eyes and turned back to the boy that had devoured his breakfast.

"You're finished," she pointed out.

Henry looked down at his plate and sighed, "okay then, do you want it to come back up?"

"I thought that you were happy Operation SwanQueen worked," Emma laughed, as she walked over to the coffee machine that had finally seemed to have done its job.

Henry nodded, "I am, but nowhere in the operation did I mention that I wanted to see it."

"We'll keep that in mind," Regina chuckled, taking the to-go coffee cup offered to her by Emma.

Henry grabbed his backpack and stood to follow his mother, and Emma shouted, "wait, am I making brunch?"

Regina turned and offered her patented smirk, "you can if you wish, but I would suggest finding someone else's kitchen. I do prefer mine to remain unscathed by flames."

-One month later- (from the last chapter)

Henry stared intently at the pancakes that Emma had made, they were slightly burnt on the edges, and not for the first time he longed for his brunette mother to have made them.

"Where's mom?"

Emma sighed, her shoulders tensed as she placed her coffee down on the counter, and replied, "she had to go to work early."

"Again?" Henry asked in disbelief.

"She's a busy woman."

"Well until two months ago she always went to work after I went to school," he complained.

"Well two months ago she wasn't..." Emma stopped herself and took a deep breath.

She had truly believed that she would be okay with Regina being her girlfriend who just happened to be the Dark One. At first it seemed to work perfectly, Regina acted as she always did.

But over time Emma had found that her quips lost their good nature, she was less attentive to her family, and she never even bothered to spend any time with Snow and Charming

Emma kept telling herself that the woman was just adjusting, but that didn't change the ache in her chest when she woke up to find Regina had already left for work.

"She just needs time, Henry."

The boy shrugged, and began to dissect his breakfast to find something edible, making Emma roll her eyes.

"Will you just eat kid?"

Henry nodded, and hopped off the stool to grab some cereal, which made Emma put her head in her hands as he got the milk out of the fridge.

Regina stared distastefully at her laptop screen.

It was way earlier than she would ever need to be in her office, but being here meant she didn't need to be near her family.

She was legitimately terrified of what her sister had planned, so she had been evading them at all cost. Then there were the thoughts that she was sure had nothing to do with the Wicked Witch.

At night she would snuggle up to Emma and for a moment be truly happy, but when she woke up in the morning the adorable sleeping face would immediately become irritating for no apparent reason. It was becoming increasingly difficult, however, to tell if this anger came from her own mind or had been concocted by the darkness taking residence within her.

"What do you want?" she asked without looking up from her hands.

A tutting sound was her response, and she desperately wished that she could just incinerate the intruder that she had sensed.

"Come now sis, is that any way to talk to your master?"

Regina finally looked up to see Zelena seating on the arm of one of her chairs, waving the dagger with an incredible smirk on her face.

"I suppose when your master commands no respect, it makes quite the suitable response."

Zelena rolled her eyes, and stood, making her way over to the desk.

Laying both hands on the glass surface, she placed the dagger within Regina's reach, and revelled in how the brunette's eyes flicked to it, knowing there was no way she could take it.

"What do you want?" Regina finally sighed, "I'm quite busy."

"I know for a fact that's not true, if my estimations are correct you just finished the last report for the next couple of months. You have been quite the good little mayor recently, Gina."

Regina clenched her fists, mostly because the witch was right, and she had purposely used a nickname that Regina only allowed Emma to call her. Coming to work so early and finishing as late as possible meant that running out of work was bound to happen, and it finally had.

"Do you have a command for me?"

Zelena tilted her head in amusement, "someone is eager to serve."

"You know the moment you lose that dagger I will crush your heart," Regina growled.

Zelena raised her eyebrows in surprise, with only a hint of fear upon her features, "someone is harbouring irrational hate."

"Irrational?" Regina scoffed, "you have ruined my life."

Zelena shook her head, "actually, you did. If you recall I haven't issued a single command in a month, but the fear of me doing so had ruined your relationships. Quite brilliant, don't you agree?"

Regina's eyes widened as she considered this, "why?" she asked with a shaky breath.

"Doubt is a powerful thing, sis," Zelena chuckled.

"Was that your whole plan?"

The Wicked Witch shook her head, "oh, of course not. I simply am choosing to enjoy this for as long as possible."

Regina gave her the evilest look that she could, "don't you think that people are going to notice that you're not actually in the institute."

"It appears that the sheriff is too preoccupied to notice the correlation between my mute clone and the missing dwarf," Zelena waved dismissively.

Regina sighed, wishing she could tell Emma everything, but her sister's only command meant that she couldn't.

A knock at the door interrupted the brief silence and Zelena smirked as Emma's voice came through the door, "I brought you breakfast Gina."

Emma did this almost every day, though she had yet to be allowed into the office.

Zelena smirked at her sister's look of hope, and picked up the dagger.

"Go ahead little sister, I'll allow you this one. Who knows when you'll ever get a chance once phase two begins?"

With that she disappeared in a cloud of green smoke.

Regina looked at the door. She knew that she wanted to allow the saviour in, but she just couldn't do it, despite her sisters words, the doubt lingered. It was a lot easier to deal with when the blonde was in a different building.

"I'm too busy Miss Swan."

She heard the dejected shuffling of boots, and after a few minutes she went to the door.

Opening it, she saw the to go container as she had expected.

Leaning down she picked it up and made her way back to her desk. Popping the lid off, she found the regular post-it note, that read 'I love you.' With a sad smile, she reached into her bottom draw, and pulled out a folder, adding the message to all of the others.

A/N Hope you guys enjoyed, sorry for the long wait, I'll try and update soon XD

Reviews would be much appreciated