A/N: Let's see how that week went then … Oh and note the rating change to M - NSFW. And mentions of abuse (because angst and fluff and sex in one chapter is the best!)

Sunday

Emma woke with a smile on her face. So did Regina. And when Henry rubbed the sleep from his eyes and saw the evident happiness on his mother's and Emma's faces, he grinned too. The three of them spent most of the day in the penthouse, rain lashing at the window. They were content to just be with each other. Chatting, playing games, laughing and joking. Emma even helped Regina cook dinner. Well, she washed the lettuce. Their evening ended with the pair locked in a lazy, gentle kiss, leaning against Emma's bedroom door. Yes, both women had already come to consider the guest room Emma's.

Monday

Henry waved goodbye to Emma when she dropped him at his nursery and then hurried off to play with his friends. Emma watched until his disappeared into his classroom and then headed back towards the penthouse. She stopped at a couple of restaurants on the way to drop off the resumé she had completed the week before. Regina had printed them at her office and Emma was more hopeful than she'd been in a long time about finding work.

Back at the penthouse, Emma cleaned. It wasn't even dirty. But she felt like she needed to do something with her time before she picked up Henry and the two of them inevitably made a mess. Regina didn't seem to mind though and the three of them happily tidied away the pillow fort Henry had insisted the pair build before they all sat down for dinner.

After Henry had gone to bed, Regina handed over the cell phone she had bought Emma on her way back from work. Emma tried to protest but the woman wasn't having any of it. "I need to be able to contact you when you're with Henry," she had said before smothering any protests with her lips pressed firmly against Emma's.

That night, the kisses ended in the doorway to Regina's master suite, Emma forcing herself to turn away and walk back to her own room after over half an hour of bliss.

Tuesday

Regina found herself, as always, knee-deep in papers at her office. Yet another case involving Gold and Locksley had landed on her desk and she was already silently cursing her mother for lumbering her with the deal. She really couldn't wait to get home. She even texted Emma saying as much, ignoring the fact that butterflies danced in her stomach at the realisation that the two of them were already very much acting like a couple. But when her meeting with Robin threw up all kinds of problems, she reluctantly texted Emma to ask if she could put Henry to bed as she wouldn't be back in time.

Henry loved his mother and often wished she was home more but he didn't mind it when Emma put him to bed. After all, she was far easier to manipulate. Which was why, at almost nine o'clock, Regina returned home to see Emma backing quietly out of Henry's room.

"He's only just gone to sleep?" she asked, surprised and a little annoyed.

"I said he could choose a story and he picked literally the biggest book in the world," Emma sighed, following Regina into the lounge. "I tried to stop reading whenever I thought he had fallen asleep but he kept waking up and grumbling. He's just too cute. You know that, right?"

Regina had conceded to that fact and after a passionate make-out session on the couch, Emma had to have a cold shower before she went to bed that night.

Wednesday

"I hate waiting," Regina huffed, her breath hitting Emma's lips as she smirked at the frustrated brunette.

"Me too," Emma assured the older woman, kissing her again until they both forgot that they were waiting for anything. After all, what more could they possibly need aside from that perfect moment as they lay on the couch, side by side, in each others' arms.

Thursday

It was inevitably going to happen although they had been trying to avoid it for now. But when Regina walked through the door that night, Emma hadn't resisted kissing her there and then. Neither heard Henry's arrival in the hallway.

"Mama?"

They sprang apart. Emma's back was to Henry and her green eyes were wide with fear. Regina offered her a reassuring smile and sidestepped the blonde to crouch down in front of her son. Henry looked between the two women, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Good evening, sweetheart," Regina said. "How was your day?"

"Are you two married now?"

The simplicity of the question somehow diluted its inappropriateness. Emma even smiled at how the boy's view of the world had analysed what he had just seen. She leaned against the wall and waited for Regina's explanation. The brunette had already mentioned that Henry knew something was going on between the two women but to have witnessed a passionate kiss was a little different to being told … well, she didn't actually know what Regina had said to her young son.

"No," she said. "But we do like each other. A lot," she added.

"Is Emma going to live here with us forever?"

The fact that Emma had said she was going to stay for a couple of days and had been living with the Mills' for almost two weeks had been the elephant in the room. As Regina swivelled on the balls of her feet and raised an eyebrow at Emma however, the blonde knew the dancing, purple, hula hooping elephant could no longer be ignored.

"I'm having a really great time with you guys," Emma said, bending down beside Regina so all three sets of eyes were at the same height. "Now, how about we go and check if the pasta bake is ready?"

Henry, always thinking about his stomach, nodded his approval to that plan and scuttled off towards the kitchen. Emma followed quickly, in case Henry tried to open the oven by himself. Regina went too, already trying to work out how the conversation about their living arrangements was going to go.

"I like being here," Emma began later that night. "I love it, Regina. And I'm so grateful for everything you've done for me. But we do need to think about the future."

"I know," Regina nodded. "But let me first just say that you are welcome to stay here with us for as long as you like. I don't want you throwing your wages away on rent when there's always going to be a place for you here."

"Thank you," Emma said. "That means a lot. The kid made a good point though. What exactly are we doing right now?"

"We're dating," Regina suggested.

"And how many people who are dating live in the same house?"

"Few," Regina conceded. "But our circumstances are … unique."

"You can say that again," Emma chuckled. "And much as I am enjoying our time together, don't you think it might be important for us to have space from each other as we move forward?"

"You want space?" Regina asked.

"No," Emma replied immediately. "I love spending all this time with you. And I'm sure if things between us go well then we'll end up living together. But when everything is so new, perhaps occasional time apart is a good thing."

"So you want to move out only to move back in again as and when we decide we're ready."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Well now you've made me sound crazy," she huffed. "You know what I mean though."

"I do," Regina nodded. "And if you think being here and looking after my son is too intense this early in the relationship then I totally understand and I would be more than happy to help you find an apartment. But I need you to know that as far as I'm concerned, this, us, is perfect."

"Perfect?"

"Perfect," Regina nodded.

"No one's ever called me perfect before," Emma said, her eyes shining. "I don't think for a second I am either. I'm flawed and fucked up and damaged and all kinds of broken and -,"

"But I don't see that," Regina said. "Not any more. When I first met you, I was captivated. I didn't know what it was at the time and I thought I just felt … sorry for you. But now, I think it was something more. Something deeper. I've not felt like this about someone in a long time, Emma, and I'm really excited to see where the future takes us. You're not broken; you're healing. You're not flawed; you're individual. You're not damaged; you've just been through a lot of shit things but you've come out the other side stronger than before. You're amazing, Emma. Don't you see that?"

Emma didn't see it. But she let Regina try to convince her with her lips, teeth, and tongue until long after midnight when, reluctantly, both women returned to their respective rooms, a steady throb emanating from between their thighs.

Friday

Emma took a deep breath before she opened the door to the diner. Henry raced ahead and straight into Ruby's arms. Emma followed, glancing around and already nodding her head to a few of the regulars who sat in their booths. It was the first time she had been back since she had lost her job.

"Afternoon," she greeted Ruby. "How's things?"

"Slow," she said. "Which is good because it means I can chat with my favourite little boy," she added, tapping Henry's nose before leading the way over to their usual seats. "What shall it be?"

"Chocolate milkshake, please," Henry said. "And a hamburger. And fries."

"Woah, kid. Your mom is going to kill me if I let you eat all that. Pick one and we'll substitute the others with healthy things."

Ruby raised her eyebrows at how diligent Emma was being when it came to Henry's diet. No matter how many times her best friend lectured her on not giving him junk food, she always ignored her.

"Hamburger," Henry decided after a pause.

"Ok, then you can have either orange or apple juice, and a salad or some peas."

Henry wrinkled his nose. Ruby laughed.

By the time Regina arrived, only an hour after she said she would, the three were still sat in the booth but now with playing cards scattered all over the table. Even from the doorway, she could tell Henry was losing. She sighed and moved towards her pouting son.

"Hi gorgeous," she said, placing a kiss on his head.

"Hi," Emma said, winking at the brunette.

"Hello to you too," Regina laughed, bending down and placing a peck to Emma's lips. The blonde practically beamed rays of happiness at the public display of affection.

Regina joined the table and the four of them played several more rounds of cards, deciding it was probably time to leave after Henry finally won one and was bouncing up and down on the seat in celebration. Seemingly he had forgotten about the string of defeats which came before. The three said goodbye to Ruby and headed home in the town car, Henry chattering all the time about how good he was at cards. Regina rolled her eyes at Emma over the top of his head and the blonde smothered her giggles.

Graham glanced in his rear-view mirror and couldn't help but smile at what he saw. He had been Regina's driver since she moved to New York and he couldn't remember seeing her look so happy since Dani had died.

Saturday

Emma spun the cell phone around on the kitchen counter, willing it to ring. It was almost five in the evening and Regina was getting dinner ready. Henry and Marlo were watching television and Emma was waiting.

"Just call the clinic," Regina suggested.

"But what if they haven't called because it's bad news?" Emma said, worry evident in her voice.

"Isn't it more likely that they'll call earlier if it's bad news?" Regina pointed out. "Emma, honey, you're going to be fine. But please call them. They probably just forgot or were busy and you're starting to drive me a little crazy."

Emma snatched up the phone and quickly scrolled through her limited contacts (Regina, Ruby, Henry's school, Henry's childminder, Henry's doctor), until she found the clinic's information. She left the room. Regina watched her go before turning her attention back to the onion she was chopping.

"Hello, how may I help you?" came the cheery receptionist's voice.

"Hi. My name's Emma Swan and I came in last week for some tests. I was told you would call me today but I've not heard anything."

"Oh, we only call you if one of your tests comes back positive," the receptionist informed her. "So if you've not heard anything, that's a good thing."

"Really?" Emma breathed, her body sagging against the hallway wall.

"Yes but let me double check your file. What did you say your name was again?"

Regina squealed in alarm as arms wrapped around her waist and kisses rained down against her neck. She turned into Emma's embrace and her lips were immediately captivated by the blonde's.

"Well?" she asked, breathless, minutes later.

"I'm clean," Emma grinned. "Nothing came back positive at all. I'm good to go."

Regina smiled widely and pulled the blonde back towards her. She had hoped Emma would receive good news for the younger woman's health, of course. But she could also already feel the familiar coiling in her core, her body aching to be touched once more.

"Let's put Henry to bed early tonight," Regina suggested as she reluctantly broke the kiss and returned to preparing their dinner.

"Really early," Emma smiled.

It wasn't until Emma slipped quietly from Henry's room, leaving his mother to kiss him goodnight one more time, that she remembered there was another conversation she and Regina needed to have. She headed for the apple cider and poured herself a generous serving. Gulping it down, she was on her second when Regina's footsteps sounded in the hallway.

"He's already asleep," she said, walking towards Emma and picking up a glass for herself. "I think all those card games tired his brain out."

Emma nodded but didn't say anything. Instead, she turned towards the couch and sat down heavily, waiting for Regina to join her. Which she did, with a frown on her face.

"Ok, what's wrong now?"

Emma sighed. Regina was right. There was always something to talk about with their relationship, always something to discuss. Whether that was a good sign that they were open and honest with each other or a bad sign that between them they had issues, Emma wasn't sure.

"Before anything happens," Emma said, "there's something you should know."

"Go on," Regina said slowly.

"Back in one of my old foster homes, I … suffered some abuse," Emma bit out. "Physical abuse. There are scars and I just think you need to know what they are before you see them."

"Where?"

"My back," Emma shrugged. "The guy who we were supposed to call dad liked to use his belt if we were disobedient. They've healed of course and they don't hurt now but they look … ugly. I just … I don't want you to see them or touch them and be repulsed."

"Emma, darling, I'm not going to be repulsed by your body. Quite the opposite, I'm sure," Regina said, trying to soothe the doubts away she could see radiating from the blonde's green eyes.

"You say that now," Emma shrugged. "But these scars are … well, there's a lot of them. I can't even bring myself to look in the mirror. I don't expect you to like them, or accept what happened to me because I know that was fucked up. But … can we just ignore them?"

Regina leaned forward and gave Emma the softest, sweetest kiss the two had ever shared. Emma trembled at the depths of the emotions she was feeling and her heart rate quickened as Regina's fingers laced through her own. She felt herself being tugged to her feet and stumbled blindly after the brunette until they reached the master bedroom. Regina released her hand and moved to turn on the bedside lamp. The light was dim; not quite dim enough for Emma's liking, but the room was still dusky. Regina turned back to Emma and smiled softly.

"I want this, Emma," Regina said, walking slowly back to the blonde who was stood stationary by the door. "I want you. I don't care about your past. I don't care what you look like, even though you are gorgeous. I just want to feel you."

Emma surged forward and kissed Regina hard. Their teeth knocked clumsily together but neither woman cared as they staggered towards the bed. Regina landed on her back, Emma on top of her, and their lips still fused together. Tongues had joined in, swiping and teasing at each other as hands already began to reach for clothes fastenings.

Regina allowed Emma to undress her first. The sweater was peeled off, leaving her hair splayed out over the bedcovers and her shin shivering at the abruptly cool air. Or Emma's intensely hot kisses. Regina wasn't sure which. Pale fingers ghosted down her arms, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake before hands cupped her breasts. She arched into the touch, her chest pushed against Emma's palms and she squeezed, feeling the generous globes spilling from her hands. Her slacks and socks went next, pulled off and tossed aside leaving her in just a strap top and black lace underwear. Regina had changed just before they put Henry to bed. Emma's hungry gaze roved over her body until they landed on dark brown eyes. She climbed back on top of Regina, her tongue plundering her mouth in a needy, desperate kiss.

Emma could feel her own centre throbbing, her underwear already damp. It didn't matter what she had confessed to Regina earlier, at that moment in time, all she needed was the brunette's naked flesh against her own. As soon as the strap top was tugged over Regina's head, eager hands fumbled for Emma's own clothes. Her hoodie was thrown aside, her jeans unfastened and wrestled down her legs, the tight material causing both women to huff in frustration. Once free however, Emma pulled her own tank top over her head before she knelt over Regina and kissed her once more.

Regina sighed into the kiss. It was slower and more tender than those they had shared so far, and she delighted in the way Emma was above her, surrounding her. She could feel the blonde's body heat radiating down, her own skin burning hot where the blonde's thighs pressed against it. Without thinking, Regina reached up and wrapped her arms around Emma's back.

The kiss stopped.

Through the dim light of the bedroom, Regina watched green eyes blown wide with a mixture of arousal and fear. She didn't move, her hands splayed over the blonde's back. Beneath the smooth skin of her palms, however, Regina could already feel the ridged, scarred, puckered tissue of which Emma had spoken about. She tried not to react but she felt her features momentarily contort. Emma saw it. Pity. Again. She gave the tiniest shake of her head. Regina understood and lifted her hands from the blonde's body, placing them on the mattress beside her head.

"Thank you," Emma whispered, leaning down and kissing Regina again.

It was hard. Really really hard. Regina so wanted to touch Emma. She wanted to tell her she didn't mind. She wanted to tell her that she was still beautiful. But she didn't want to push too far. So instead she gripped the sheet beneath her fingers, willing herself not to touch the woman who had begun to lay a trail of soft, sucking kisses down the column of her throat. As a tongue swirled into the dip of her collarbone, she let out a throaty moan.

Emma's insides tightened at the sound. She had wanted this to be slow. She had wanted this to be special. But at that very moment, all she needed to do was take Regina Mills for her own. Her hand slid behind Regina's back, expertly undoing the bra fastening and pulling the lace cups free. Without even looking, her mouth covered a dark, erect nipple, her tongue swirling over the peak before her teeth trapped it lightly between them.

Regina's hands flew to Emma's head, holding the blonde tight against her breast. She could practically feel the younger woman smirking against her flesh but she didn't care. Fingers came up to play with her other nipple and Regina cried out.

"Shhh," came the mumbled reply.

Regina wasn't used to having sex with Henry in the penthouse. In fact, now she came to think of it, this would be a first. She wondered how on earth she was going to be able to stay quiet just as Emma's mouth began to make its way southwards.

A tongue danced along the edge of the black lace, wetting the skin and making Regina squirm.

"Ticklish?" Emma asked.

"Perhaps," Regina replied.

Emma just smirked and placed a final kiss to the middle of Regina's lower abdomen before she hooked two fingers into the panties and slowly slid them down silky, toned legs. As Regina's sex was reveal to her, Emma felt her mouth go dry. She had always preferred it when Lily was cleanly shaven and she wasn't surprised to learn that Regina groomed herself that way too. The skin was hairless, smooth and perfect. Dropping the last scrap of clothing on the floor, Emma gently nudged Regina's thighs apart and settled herself between them. She licked her lips. Dark pink flesh, glistening with the brunette's essence greeted her, a heady scent of wanton lust rising from Regina's core. She placed her hands on the older woman's inner thighs, spreading them further apart, and dipped her head.

Regina, who had propped herself on her elbows to watch this moment, collapsed with a shout. Quickly clapping her own hand over her mouth, she gasped as she felt Emma's tongue part her folds. The hot, slippery muscle moved strongly and with purpose, swiping up from her entrance straight to her clit before repeating the move. The lapping bumped her bundle of nerves and sent jolts of delight through her body. But she needed more.

As if she had read Regina's mind, Emma sealed her mouth around Regina's clit, sucking carefully on the sensitive area before her tongue laved it soothingly. Regina's fingers threaded through Emma's hair, needing to keep the blonde exactly where she was. But Emma wasn't planning on moving any time soon. She pushed her face even closer into Regina's cunt, her taste and smell overwhelming her senses in the most delicious way imaginable. Using the flat of her tongue, Emma covered Regina's clit, pressing firmly down as she increased her sucking. The bucking hips towards her face confirmed that Regina enjoyed Emma's move so she did it again, the pressure from her tongue harder still as her lips surrounded her core.

The thighs surrounding Emma's head began to shudder and she broke away, not wanting Regina to peak too soon. Before Regina could complain however, Emma moved her tongue to the pulsing, wet hole, circling it once before pushing inside. Regina's taste was stronger here, the juices coating Emma's chin as she slowly tongue-fucked the brunette, making sure her nose touched her clit with every thrust. Regina thrashed on the bed, her sensations overwhelmed with pleasure. She could feel Emma's tongue inside her, hot and slick, and it felt amazing. Her fingers tightened in Emma's hair and the tongue went deeper, lapping at her insides as more come flowed from within her.

Emma couldn't wait any longer. She moved her hand to Regina's neglected clit and used two fingers to rub tight, hard circles over the nerves, quickening her pace as she felt the muscles of Regina's inner walls begin to spasm against her tongue. She thrust harder, her fingers speeding up as she felt the first flood of juices spill onto her tongue. She drank greedily, knowing as she did so that she would never get enough of the woman on the bed.

Regina had thrown a pillow over her face and was all but screaming into it, her hips bucking so wildly that Emma pinned her down so she could fuck her through the rest of her orgasm. Her heart pounded in her chest as she felt her body convulse again and again, every touch from Emma's fingers or tongue seemingly causing another mini-peak. Eventually she lay limply on the bed, her body spent and covered in a light sheen of sweat. Emma slowed her movements and finally stopped, carefully pulling back from Regina's sex and crawling up the bed to collapse beside the brunette.

Turning towards Emma, Regina sought out her come-covered lips. She was unashamed to admit that she loved the taste of herself on her lovers mouths. It tasted different on Emma's lips than it had on Dani's, but she loved it regardless and Emma kissed her back eagerly, turned on herself that Regina liked her own flavour. In fact Emma was more than turned on, her insides were practically burning with desire and she didn't think she'd be able to last long when those delicate olive-skinned fingers finally touched her.

"Wow," Regina said breathlessly as she rolled on top of Emma minutes later.

"Right back at you," Emma said, biting her lip as she felt Regina's wet sex rubbing against her stomach.

Regina smiled dopily down at Emma before she kissed her again. She may have just had one of the most earth-shattering orgasms of her life but Regina hadn't forgotten what had happened earlier. So instead of sliding her hands beneath the blonde, she waited until Emma herself undid her bra, leaving her breasts exposed to the older woman for the first time. Regina thanked her by peppering the pale skin with kisses, laving the nipples before twisting them into hard peaks. From the way Emma had behaved with Regina, the brunette guessed she liked things a little rough at times. She was right and it was Emma who had to be told to be quiet when teeth nibbled their way along the underside of her breasts before capturing a tortured nipple and biting.

"Regina," Emma gasped. "If you don't touch me right now, I might explode."

Regina laughed throatily. "Oh, my dear, if you're exploding anywhere, it's going to be with me kneeling between your thighs."

Emma groaned as she watched Regina scoot herself backwards on the bed, practically ripping Emma's panties from her body. They were nothing special; Emma didn't have nice underwear, but from the way Regina was looking at her, the blonde felt like she was wearing the most expensive clothes in the world. And then she remembered she wasn't wearing clothes and Regina was just looking at … her.

A single finger trailed almost lazily through Emma's labia, sliding easily through the essence gathered there. As Emma watched, Regina raised her finger to her lips and sucked. Emma swallowed. She didn't think she had ever seen anything so sexy in her life and when Regina let out a sigh of delight, Emma almost came.

"Fuck, Regina. Please," she said through gritted teeth, canting up hips up in desperation.

Regina knew she had teased the blonde enough. Her finger returned at once to Emma's core, rubbing up and down several times before pinching her clit and rolling the bundle between two fingers. With the lingering taste of herself still in her mouth, Regina dipped her mouth to Emma's sex. It was even better straight from the source. Rich and tangy and so uniquely Emma. She circled Emma's entrance before focusing immediately on her clit. Regina knew it wasn't going to take long. She pushed one finger, then two, into the blonde as she swiped and laved the rigid nerve bundle. Emma's walls stretched around the intrusion, squeezing tight as they pumped in and out. Regina curled them, stroking the ridges until she found that spot deep inside which made the blonde all but scream.

Thoughts of Henry sleeping one room away were forgotten and Regina focused only on Emma's pleasure. The blonde bucked into the thrusts, her hips moving erratically as she peaked. Regina's mouth was unrelenting, her tongue flickering over Emma's clit as her fingers were flooded by a rush of come. She could feel her own sliding down her thighs and knew she was already eager for Emma to touch her again.

A hand on her head told Regina that Emma couldn't take any more. She moved away, sucking her fingers clean and licking her lips. Green eyes blinked open as she settled beside Emma, a lazy smile on both their face.

"That was …," Emma began, trailing off when she realised Regina had fucked her brains out.

"Agreed," Regina nodded, pulling the discarded comforter over their bodies before they got cold.

Emma rolled onto her side, an arm around Regina's waist, and nuzzled into her neck.

"Give me five minutes and you can go again," she murmured, kissing the sweat-slicked skin beneath her mouth.

"No rush, darling," Regina chuckled. "We've got all night."

A/N: don't be shy …