"What are you doing?" asked Emma, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She had woken to find the TV off and Regina gone. Thankfully, the brunette hadn't gone far, only making it to the kitchen.
"Making dinner," replied Regina without looking up as she continued to chop the vegetables on the board in front of her. "I thought it might be a nice way to say thank you to Mary-Margaret for letting me stay."
Pushing herself up, Emma came to rest against the island on the opposite side to her girlfriend, whose hair had dried naturally into the cutest little waves. "Whatcha making?"
"You had all the ingredients for a vegetable lasagne," said Regina, finally looking up, frowning at the look on Emma's face. "You don't like the sound of it?"
Quickly rearranging her features into a more pleased expression, Emma shook her head. "No, I'm sure it'll taste amazing...But you know me and vegetables..."
"I do," smirked Regina. "But I thought you might feel different about them in a lasagne." She shrugged. "And if not, have fun cooking."
"You wouldn't let me starve," pouted Emma.
Regina shook her head. "Of course not, but you won't as long as you eat this."
Emma let out a snort of laughter before dragging herself around the other side of the island. "Anything I can do to help?"
"You could see if you have any chilli flakes," said the older girl, her attention back on the vegetables in front of her. "It gives it a little kick."
"Something smells wonderful," said Mary-Margaret as she stepped into the house. "Regina, did you make something?"
"Hey! Why the assumption it wasn't me?" piped up Emma from the sofa.
"Emma, sweetheart, you have many skills, but cooking is not one of them," said Mary-Margaret as she put her things down. "The frozen pizza you somehow managed to set on fire last week is proof of that."
The blonde blushed, burrowing down into her sweater as Regina raised a questioning eyebrow.
"It's a vegetable lasagne," replied the brunette. "And it should be ready soon."
"Coming home to a cooked dinner," smiled the teacher as she settled into an armchair. "What a treat. I know I said it before, but really Regina, stay as long as you like."
The younger brunette simply smiled. "I enjoy cooking, but mother usually doesn't let me. She says that's what we have a cook for. I'm always in the kitchen when she's out though."
"Well if there's anything you'd like to make just add the ingredients to the list on the fridge," said the teacher. "You spend as much time as you like in my kitchen if the results smell like that! Maybe you can even teach Emma a few things?"
"Miss Blanchard, I can cook, but I can't perform miracles," chuckled Regina, avoiding the playful swipe from Emma.
"I don't need to cook anyway," smirked Emma. "I have you to do it for me."
Mary-Margaret watched the pair bicker like an old married couple, once again wishing Cora could open her eyes enough to see just how good they were together. A sharp knock at the door, however, had them all in silence.
"Regina that's your mom's car!" hissed Emma as she glanced out the window.
The brunette paled.
"You two, upstairs," said Mary-Margaret. "I'll answer the door."
"Thank you!" whispered Regina as she was dragged upstairs.
Emma quickly pulled her into her room, closing the door behind them. She quickly moved to the window, pulling it open as quietly as she could.
"What are you doing?"
"Your mother is not going to take Mary-Margaret's word that you're not here," said Emma. "She's not exactly the type. So, if she comes up here, you need somewhere to hide." She pulled a set of keys out of her bedside table. "My car keys. If we hear her coming up the stairs, you're going to get your second experience of climbing out of a window."