Chapter 7

December 21st

Regina shifted on the couch, pulling the blanket closer around her body to trap in more warmth. She couldn't remember falling asleep, nor could she remember going to bed. She knew that she and Emma had both had a few glasses of wine at dinner, but she certainly knew she wasn't drunk enough to forget going to bed. The sudden snoring coming from the floor beneath startled her awake. That's when she discovered that she wasn't in her bed upstairs, but actually still laying on the couch, the TV turned off and a blanket draped over her. She shifted to look down at Henry, passed out on the floor, a blanket draped over him as well. "Emma?" she whispered, looking around the dark room for the blonde who had been sitting on the couch with her before she fell asleep. But she was gone. She looked at her watch and saw it was still very early, so instead of trudging upstairs she rolled back over and went back to sleep for a few more hours, even though it felt like something was missing.

"Ugh! I'm getting too old to sleep on the floor," Henry groaned as he woke up a few hours later.

"Henry, you're fifteen. You're too young to talk like that," she answered. She stretched as best as she could with the restrictions of the couch, her joints popping slightly.

"Where's Emma?" Henry asked, sitting up and wrapping the blanket around his body.

"I suspect she's at home. I woke up a few hours ago and she was already gone."

"I hope she had a good time. I know she says she's alright, but I'm sure she's hiding how she really feels about Killian leaving."

"Your mother does have a tendency to hide her true feelings and put on a strong face," Regina said, shifting slowly into the sitting position. She knew Emma pretty well after all these years, and something told her she wasn't faking her happy smile, even though her marriage was over. They decided to snuggle on the couch for a little longer before Regina got up to take a shower and get ready for their usual Sunday morning breakfast at Granny's.

"Hey Mom, you might want to take a look at the tree," Henry said once she made her way downstairs.

"What? What's the matter? Did it fall over in the middle of the night? I knew I should have checked to make sure it was in the base correctly before we finished decorating it," she said, rushing into the living room. Instead of the mess she was expecting, she saw her daily Secret Admirer gift nestled beneath the branches. "Where did that come from?" Regina asked, approaching the gift. She tried to sense the magic that would no doubt remain on the objects, but only felt the preservation spell on the rose.

"I don't know. It was here when I came to check the water in the tree," Henry explained.

"No one stopped by while I was in the shower?"

"No. I was down here the entire time watching tv, except for a few minutes I was getting ready. The only person to come and go was Emma. Maybe she found it on the doorstep when she left and put it under the tree?" Henry suggested. Regina could tell her son was telling the truth. Maybe Emma did find it after all. "Well, are you going to open it or what?" Henry asked, his eyes wide with excitement. She quickly picked everything up and carried them to the pristine couches in the rarely used livingroom to open them.

I saw this in Gold's shop, and I didn't even have to ask who it had once belonged to. I hope this brings back wonderful memories!

Love Always, Your Secret Admirer.

Regina didn't waste any time before opening the delicate box, revealing an old tarnished pocket watch with a tree emblem on the cover. Regina knew exactly what it was, but still turned the watch over to inspect the back to be certain, revealing the initials H.M. engraved into the brass.

"H.M. is that…" Henry started to ask.

"Henry Mills…my father…" Regina answered, her voice no louder than a whisper. "This was his pocket watch. I remember he would wear it every day and would always wind it right after dinner, so it never stopped ticking," she reminisced, as she carefully lifted the watch and chain out of the box to discover it was no longer ticking. She took a deep breath and slowly began to wind it, hoping it still worked after all those years.

With a gentle click of the top button the cover opened to reveal the watch face, the second hand ticking away. "I can't believe it still works," Regina said, tears falling from her eyes. "Henry, are you positive no one came by to drop this off? You didn't see anyone?" she asked, with desperation in her voice. She desperately needed to know who her Secret Admirer was.

"No, I swear Mom. I came down here to check the water in the tree and found it." She would definitely have to talk to Emma when she saw her again to confirm she found the gift on the doorstep when she left.

She wound her new pocket watch completely and set the correct time, slipping it into her pocket as she rushed upstairs to add her new rose to her ever growing collection, before Henry starved to death.

The rest of the day was a haze of emotions as her brain desperately tried to figure out who her Secret Admirer was. But each time she came up short. Whoever they were, they knew her very well, better than even her own son knew her. And they had magic, which should have made the list significantly shorter, and yet she still couldn't figure out who it was.

"Hey Mom, I don't mean to be rude, but we have to be at Grandma's for her Yule dinner by five… and you promised to make an apple pie."

"Crap, I totally forgot," Regina said, jumping off the couch and rushing to the kitchen. If she started right then she would have just enough time to make the pie and get ready while it was baking. She rushed through the steps, hoping she didn't incorrectly measure any of the ingredients, her mind continuing to wander to her Secret Admirer.

As soon as the pie was safely tucked away in the oven she rushed upstairs to get ready. She had originally planned to straighten her hair for the dinner, but decided she didn't want to. It was so rare that she left her natural curls, and if truth be told, she didn't feel like ironing them away tonight. Instead, she spritzed them with a little water to activate them after being pulled back in a ponytail all day, and ran some gel through the fresh curls to prevent them from getting frizzy. She opened her closet and stared at her clothes, and immediately hated every piece of clothing she owned.

Instead of a sensible dress, she pulled out a pair of jeans along with a stylish belt, two things she rarely wore. She opened her drawer and pulled out the purple sweater she had received earlier that month, the one that fit her like a glove and felt as soft as a cloud, her new necklace fitting perfectly in the V-neck. Getting dressed quickly she moved to pick out jewelry to accompany her outfit, subconsciously picking out her new earrings and the matching bracelet she had also received a week ago. Pulling on a pair of calf length boots she added the finishing touches on her new look, and attached the chain of her new pocket watch to the belt loop, tucking the watch into her pocket. She looked like a new person, and she really liked the person she saw in the mirror. She made it downstairs just in time to hear the timer go off, indicating her pie was finished baking, with just enough time to let it cool a little before they left the house.

"Wow, Mom! You look…different," Henry said as he entered the kitchen, his teenage nose following the scent of pie.

"I thought I would try something new. Not good?" she asked, looking down at her outfit.

"No, I love it. You look really nice," Henry said, giving her a tight hug.

"Thank you, Henry. Now we better get going before your grandmother scolds us for being late," she said, covering the warm pie with foil to keep it safe.

As expected, Snow greeted them with a warm smile as she took the pie from Regina's hands the moment they crossed the threshold. Usually, she would find these dinners at the Charming's home to be bothersome and tedious. While she and Snow had mended their ways over the years and many many adventures together, she still found the woman's cheerfulness to be grating. But tonight, she found herself in a wonderful mood.

"I apologize for the delay in dinner. Emma had to respond to a call a little while ago. She should be here any moment though," Snow announced, handing Regina a glass of wine. Not even the delay could bring Regina down.

"Hey, sorry I'm late," Emma said as she practically tripped into the apartment, stumbling over her own two feet.

"Finally! Ma, I'm starving, can we eat now?" Henry grumbled. Regina had never met another human that got more hangry than her son.

"Of course. Come everyone, sit down," Snow instructed.

They all made their way to the small table, and somehow Regina ended up sitting next to Emma, who leaned over while everyone was piling their plates with food, to whisper something into Regina's ear before anyone saw them. "You look beautiful tonight," she whispered before reaching for the bowl of mashed potatoes, leaving Regina shocked.

"Regina, are you alright?" Snow asked once she realized Regina's face had turned a deep shade of red.

"Yes…I…ummm…I think….I think I've had too much wine," she stammered, accepting the bowl of vegetables that was making its way around the table. It took her a few minutes to recover from Emma's statement, and even longer for her face to return to its normal color.

"Emma, we're sorry to hear that Killian couldn't make it to dinner tonight. I do hope he's feeling better soon," Snow said, breaking the silence that fell over the table as everyone was enjoying their food. Henry's eyes shot towards Emma, who seemed to sink into her chair at the sound of Killian's name.

"Well…I was going to wait to say this, at least until after tonight's dinner…but…" Emma started to say, her voice cracking at the end. Regina didn't know what came over her when she found her hand gently placed on Emma's knee, squeezing it softly for support.

Emma took a deep breath and straightened her posture. "Killian and I are no longer together. He left town a few weeks ago."

"Emma, I'm so sorry," David said, with sympathy deep in his voice.

"Thanks Dad. I'm ok actually. It was a relatively peaceful break up," Emma explained, only lying slightly.

"What did you do?" Snow asked, her voice slightly harsh.

"What? What makes you think I did something?" Emma asked, her head snapping to her mother's direction.

"Killian was a good man, and a loyal man at that. He wouldn't leave his wife, unless she did something unforgivable. So, what did you do?"

"Snow, perhaps this isn't the right time for this conversation," Regina said, jumping in to try and defuse the situation before it got out of hand.

"No, it's okay. The truth is, he found out something about me that no longer made us compatible as a married couple," Emma said, her voice strong and defiant.

"You cheated on him, didn't you?" Snow accused.

"No, I didn't. I'm not like that. I would never cheat on a significant other," Emma said, the volume of her voice rising.

"Then what was it?"

"I'm gay, Mom! Killian found out that I'm gay so he left me. I don't blame him," Emma blurted out, tossing her fork onto the table to prevent herself from throwing it at her mother for causing her outburst. Regina squeezed Emma's knee one last time, to let the younger woman know she was still there for her a few seconds before Emma stood from the table and stormed out of the apartment so fast she didn't even grab her jacket.

Snow started to get up to follow her daughter, but Regina stopped her. "I'll go. Stay here and finish dinner," Regina said, pushing her chair out and rushing towards the door, grabbing both of their jackets on her way out.

"Emma?" she called out as she exited the building, finding the savior pacing the sidewalk, already shivering from the cold. She didn't say a word as she handed Emma her leather jacket, quickly pulling on her own and wrapping it around her body.

"Sorry about that…" Emma said after a few minutes. "That wasn't exactly the way I envisioned making that announcement," she said, laughing slightly to herself.

"Well, it certainly added an extra spice to the dinner." Regina laughed as she took a tentative step towards Emma. "For what it's worth, I'm proud of you," she added, causing Emma's head to snap towards her.

"You are?" Emma asked, looking more like a scared child than a grown adult.

"Of course. You stood up to your mother and you told her your truth. I know how hard it is to keep secrets from those you love, especially secrets about who you really are. It eats you alive. You don't have to do that anymore–you are free to be your true self now."

"Yeah, you're right," Emma said, a wide smile spreading across her face.

"I'm always right, darling," she laughed, taking another step toward Emma, opening her arms to invite the blonde in for a hug. Emma stepped into her and wrapped her arms around Regina's body, holding the woman so tight it was hard for her to take a deep breath.

"Thank you, Regina…" Emma whispered, her warm breath tickling Regina's neck.

"You're welcome, Emma," she whispered back, her heart pounding in her chest as she felt Emma's body press against hers.

Their moment was cut short when they heard Henry's voice calling them from the front door of the building. "MOMS! GRANDMA WANTS TO KNOW IF YOU'RE COMING IN SOON!" Emma pulled away and Regina felt a strong emptiness for a moment at the loss of Emma's body against her.

"Yeah, we're coming right now," Emma said, looking over her shoulder at a stunned Mayor.

"Regina? You coming?" she asked. Regina's body shuddered slightly as she snapped out of it, following Emma back into the building.

The rest of the dinner went smoothly, and by the time dessert was served Snow and Emma had made up, Snow going so far as to ask if she could set Emma up with a woman she works with who is also gay. Regina was telling the truth when she told Emma she was proud of her for coming out. She knew all too well what it felt like to hide your true self to those around her, and she wouldn't wish that upon the blonde.

As soon as she got home she realized she never had a chance to ask Emma if the gift had been on the doorstep when she left the previous night and immediately pulled out her phone to text the younger woman.

"Emma, may I ask you a question?"

"Sure Regina, what's up?"

"When you left last night, did you find a gift for me outside the door?" Regina asked, her heart pounding as she waited for the response. She didn't know why she was so nervous.

"No, why?"

"Because there was a gift under the tree this morning and we can not figure out how it got there."

"You really have no idea how it got there?"

"Not a clue. And there is no magical signature left on it so it wasn't magically placed there."

"Well, this certainly is a mystery," Emma responded, typing a second message before Regina could read the first. "Thank you for your support tonight. You have no idea how much I appreciate it. And thank you again for yesterday, and for including me in your Christmas traditions," she texted, quickly changing the subject.

"Of course, Emma. You're a part of this family. And I meant it, you are always welcome here whenever you like. Our home is always open to you."

"Thank you, Regina."

"You're very welcome, Emma. Get some sleep, as I'm sure you are on call tonight."

"You're right! I'm heading to bed right now. Good night, Regina."

"Good night, Emma. Sleep well!"

December 22nd

More snow. More of that dreadful stuff that turned every surface into an ice skating rink. Regina sighed heavily when she looked out of the window behind her desk to see the white flakes falling from the sky. She pulled out her phone and quickly cued up her weather app, checking the most recent forecast. And it didn't look good. She cursed herself for choosing Maine, of all places, to locate Storybrooke. I should have chosen someplace warmer, she thought to herself, as she pressed the intercom.

"Aurora, it appears it is snowing once again."

"Yeah, Philip just texted me to let me know. Looks like another surprise storm."

"Why don't you finish up what you're working on and head out before it gets too bad. We both know how quickly a flurry can turn into a blizzard in Maine," Regina said, trying to laugh at her own joke.

"Are you sure? I can take some of the work home with me and work on it this afternoon."

"Don't worry about it. Go and enjoy your day."

"Thanks, Regina. Please don't stay too late this time. I know you were here later than you should have been last storm," Aurora said, concern for her boss evident in her voice.

"I'm just going to wait for the email from the school Superintendent regarding the schools closing, then I'll leave, I promise."

"Fair enough. I'll get out of here in a few minutes. Thanks again."

"Of course. Please get home safe," Regina said, ending the conversation.

True to her word, she continued to work until she received the email she had been waiting for, informing her of the decision to close schools a little early due to the current and predicted weather forecast. She packed up as soon as she replied to the email and made her way home, pulling into the driveway only moments before Henry's bus pulled up in front of the house. They both rushed inside to warm up and change into more appropriate lounge clothes to enjoy their afternoon off. Upon Henry's request, they experimented with their own homemade pizza for dinner, and Regina spent the better part of the afternoon making the dough. The extra steps of making the crust by hand made all the difference, and the final result was two perfect personal pizzas, Henry's piled high with cheese and pepperoni, Regina's with broccoli. They had just enough for a third pizza, and something told Regina to text Emma to see if she wanted it.

"Henry and I are making personal pizzas for dinner, would you like one?" she texted, before her brain could stop her.

"Homemade pizza? Hell yes! But I think I might have to pass. I'm alone at the station and I told David and the dispatcher to go home because of the snow, so I have to stay here in case the phone rings. Next time, definitely," Emma texted back almost immediately.

"Henry, it looks like we have just enough for a third pizza, what do you say we make one for Emma and take everything to the Sheriff's Station and have dinner with Emma while she works?" Regina asked, not quite sure where this idea was coming from.

"That sounds awesome! But it's snowing out, and Ma will get pissed if we drive in it."

"True, but we both have two functioning feet and legs. We can pack everything up and walk to the station."

"Can I have extra game time when we get back?" Henry asked, looking up from the pizza he was assembling, taking extra care in placing each piece of pepperoni in the perfect place.

"Sure, as long as all your homework is done."

"Deal!" he said, reaching for the small ball of leftover dough, quickly rolling it out to the perfect size to begin assembling Emma's pizza, piling it high with extra cheese and pepperoni like his own. Regina snuck in a generous amount of chopped peppers under the many layers of cheese to ensure the blonde ate something healthy before she loaded the small pizza into the oven with the others.

They bundled up in their thick coats and boots and began their journey to the Sheriff's Station, arriving a short twenty minutes after leaving the house. The streets were quiet, as everyone was inside having dinner, and clearly Leroy had not begun to plow just yet. She silently hoped the dwarf was making the smart choice to lay off the booze and did his job.

Emma was perched at her desk when they walked in, buried in a mountain of paperwork, as usual. Emma wasn't always the most punctual when it came to her mandatory paperwork, and based on the size of the piles that surrounded her, she had been putting off this task for a while. "Hey MA!" Henry yelled, startling the blonde as he stormed into her office, trailing snow and slush in behind him.

"Hey! What are you guys doing here?" Emma asked, shock and happiness flashing across her eyes.

"We came to bring you dinner," Henry said, grabbing the insulated bag from Regina's frozen fingers, showing off the food they had brought.

"Hey, thanks Kid!" Emma said, reaching for the bag and ruffling Henry's hair under his hat.

"It was Mom's idea, actually." Henry smiled, looking over his shoulder at his mother.

"Thanks, Regina. You guys didn't have to do this."

"I know. I…we…wanted to…" Regina said, grateful that the cold winter air outside turned her skin pink, so it covered up the slight blush that spread across her cheeks. Emma led them into the open office, claiming one of the empty desks as their make-shift table. Regina handed out the triple wrapped foil packets containing the pizza, hoping there was enough insulation to keep them warm. She smiled when she took a bite, realizing that it was still perfectly warm.

"Okay, this is, by far, the best pizza I've ever had, and we lived in New York for a year," Emma said, her mouth stuffed with pizza.

"Mom made the crust from scratch," Henry said, as bits of toppings slid off the slice he was eating.

"Regina, seriously, this is amazing. Thank you!"

"It was my pleasure, Emma," Regina answered. She could feel her face turn a slight shade of pink once again.

Their dinner flew by far too quickly, and before they knew it the time had come for Regina and Henry to venture back home. "Let me give you guys a ride home. It's really coming down out there, and I highly doubt Leroy has begun plowing yet."

"You need to stay here in case there's an emergency. We'll be alright," Regina said, pulling on her gloves.

"I'll drive fast."

"That's even more dangerous than us walking the twenty minutes back home. We'll be fine," Regina reassured.

"Okay…will you at least text me when you get home so I know you guys made it back safe?"

"Of course." Regina would never admit it, but she was truly touched by Emma's concern for her wellbeing. Emma followed them out, grabbing her jacket on the way so she could stand outside and watch them walk away, throwing a snowball at Henry before he was too far away.

The annoying voice in the back of her head harassed her the entire walk home, chastising her for not giving Emma a hug before she left, knowing the blonde was probably still recovering from the Yule dinner the previous night, and the backlash from Snow after her announcement.

Her fingers were still frozen when she pulled her phone out of her pocket the second they walked in the door. She didn't even take her coat off before she composed a text to Emma to let her know they had arrived home safe, receiving a response immediately, as if Emma was sitting by her phone waiting for her text. They quickly ran upstairs and changed into their pajamas before settling back into the den to thaw and relax before bed.

"Hey Mom, it's freezing in here. Can you light a fire in the fireplace?" Henry asked, as he booted up his Xbox to continue his game.

"That's a good idea," Regina said, placing the book she was desperately trying to finish reading, so she could begin reading her copy of Don Quixote, on the couch next to her before standing and rushing towards the fireplace.

That's when she saw the familiar rose and card, neatly placed on the mantelpiece.

"Henry, did you know this was here?" she asked, trying desperately to trick her son into revealing who her Secret Admirer was.

"Huh?" Henry asked, looking over his shoulder. "No, I didn't know that was there. How long has it been sitting there?" Regina hovered her hand over the objects and felt the familiar buzz of magic. But this time it was different. This time the magic was more powerful. Whatever was inside the long thin wooden box was magical, and powerful at that.

It is such a rare opportunity to see yourself through the eyes of someone else. To see how they see you, how they truly see you. I wanted to give you that opportunity. This moment was the exact moment that I realized I was in love with you, Regina. The exact moment I knew my heart belonged to one person, and that person was Regina Mills. This is how you make me feel, Regina.

Love Always, Your Secret Admirer.

She paused for a moment before her shaky hands reached for the thin wooden box that was holding her preserved rose. The moment she touched the wood, magic vibrated inside her. Whatever was inside truly was a very powerful magical totem. Lifting the lid slowly, she revealed a tiny spyglass, a silver tree similar to her family sigil was embossed on the leather that encased the front.

"What is it?" Henry asked, pausing his game to give his mother his undivided attention.

"It's a spyglass. The note says that this represents the exact moment my Secret Admirer knew they were in love with me," Regina explained.

"I don't get it? Something to do with a ship? When were you on a ship?" Henry asked.

"When we went to Neverland to save you."

"Do you think it was someone on the ship with you to Neverland?"

"Doubtful. The only possibilities could have been David and the handless wonder, and both are already taken."

"Not Hook…not anymore, remember," Henry reminded her.

"Henry, let's be serious, Killian Jones may have feelings for me, but I can guarantee they are nothing close to loving feelings. That much is certain." Her hands shook as she reached into the box and carefully lifted the spyglass. The moment her fingers touched the cool metal, something shifted inside.

Her heart started pounding so hard she was convinced it would explode right out of her chest. She started breathing deeply, as if she were running a marathon even though she was sitting still. Every inch of her skin began to tingle as a kaleidoscope of butterflies took flight in her stomach. This is how I make them feel, she thought to herself as she gently held the magical spyglass.

"Mom, are you okay?" Henry asked, noticing the changes in his mother.

"Yes…" she whispered, stuttering slightly. She slowly opened the spyglass and held it up to her right eye, closing her left so all she saw was the image in the spyglass.

She inhaled deeply when she saw her own face smiling back at her through the spyglass. The room was completely dark except for the few tiny candles that illuminated her face, which was caught in the middle of a deep laugh. Her hair was shorter than it was now, with slight curls, as if she had just washed it and was letting it air dry, and there wasn't a drop of makeup on her face, not even eyeliner. But it was her 100 watt smile that caught her eye. The way her face lit up from the collection of small candles below her face and the way her own eyes sparkled in the dim lighting. She never knew she could look so beautiful without make up or her fancy clothes. She could practically hear her own laughter coming from the picture, as if it were one of those moving pictures from Harry Potter. But, for the life of her, she could not remember this moment.

"What do you see, Mom?" Henry asked, startling her out of her moment.

"It's a picture of me, but I can't figure out when it was from," she said, pulling the spyglass away from her eye.

"Can I see?" Regina hesitated for a second before relinquishing the spyglass to her son's outstretched hand. Henry jumped for a second when she placed the object in his hand, but didn't seem to be affected by the magic. He held it up to his eye and instantly began to smile when he saw the picture of his mother on the other end. "I know exactly when this is," Henry said, handing the spyglass back, his smile even larger. "That was your birthday this year, when Emma and I surprised you with a birthday cake. You were laughing because you thought we forgot about it but then we surprised you," Henry said, his smile continuing to grow larger.

"How did my Secret Admirer see this then? It was only you and Emma there. Do you think they were spying on us that night?" Regina asked, a little creeped out by the intrusion.

"No…I don't think so. You really don't have any idea who this person could be?" Henry asked, his voice very accusatory.

"No, I don't. They must have used a forgetting potion on us so we forgot they were there that night…or maybe they spied on us through a mirror. I used to do that all the time when I was the…when I was Queen. Perhaps whoever this is did the same thing," Regina said, subconsciously raising the spyglass to her eye again, feeling the magical sensation of love as she gazed on her own happy face.

"Yeah…I'm sure that's exactly what they did," Henry said, rolling his eyes. He wasn't convinced. He smiled once more as he saw his mother put the spyglass up to her eye once more, laughing to himself at her foolishness as he unpaused his game and continued to play. She would figure it out sooner or later.

December 23rd

She couldn't focus the next day at work, and found herself staring at her computer screen while her mind wandered to thoughts of her Secret Admirer. Eventually, she decided to take a long lunch, and made her way to her vault, where she kept her magical tomes and equipment, searching through the volumes of ancient texts to find a locator spell, one that could identify and locate someone's unique magical signature. But no matter how many times she cast the spell to locate her Secret Admirer, it malfunctioned each time and kept locating Henry in their house. After an hour she eventually gave up and returned to the office to finish the work she had been neglecting all day. By the time she left for the day, she hadn't discovered the identity of her Secret Admirer, nor had she received another gift from them. She was feeling a little down, and was looking forward to having dinner with Henry when she got home, only to find Emma's car parked in front of the house when she pulled into the driveway.

"Hey, Mom! Emma came over to play video games with me this afternoon," Henry exclaimed when Regina found them in the den, bags of chips and crumbs around them like a protective circle of junk food.

"Hey, sorry. I should have called. It's just…I knew he had a half day of school today, so I gave myself the afternoon off to spend some time with him. I hope that's alright," Emma said, her voice shaking slightly.

"Of course it is. I meant it when I said our home is always open for you. Would you like to stay for dinner? I could make some burgers and fries if you'd like," Regina offered.

"Oh, that's not necessary. I'm on call again tonight so I was just going to grab something from Granny's and hunker down and wait for a call."

"Nonsense. I can make a better cheeseburger than that old wolf. You're staying for dinner, I insist."

"She's right. Granny makes a darn good burger, but Mom's burgers are way better," Henry said.

"Well, I can't argue with that. Count me in!"

"Cool. Can we keep playing until dinner is ready?"

"Of course. I'll let you know when everything is ready," Regina said, smiling at how happy her son seemed, even if it was because of those damned video games. If someone asked her five years ago if she would ever be happy to see Emma and Henry spending time together and bonding, she would have told them they were crazy. And yet, here she was, making her way upstairs to change before beginning to make dinner for her son and his biological mother, the very same woman she had once wished would leave and never come back.

She quickly changed into jeans and a hoodie, pulling her big wool socks over her feet before she made it back downstairs to start making dinner. She popped in her headphones and started working, finding her hips swaying to the music as she molded three of the most perfect burger patties. The music was so loud in her ears that she didn't hear the footsteps approaching behind her, until she caught movement out of the corner of her eye, catching Emma leaning against the doorway, watching her dance to the silent music in her head.

"For fucks sake, Swan! You scared the hell out of me!" she exclaimed as her heart began pounding in her chest from the sudden fright.

"Sorry, I thought you heard me."

"I thought you were playing video games with our son. Did you, what's the term? Rage quit?" Regina asked, proud of herself for knowing the modern lingo.

"I need to give my thumbs a rest after playing all afternoon. I thought I would come see if you needed any help with dinner?"

"I think I have everything covered," she said as the timer went off to remind her to flip the fries she was cooking in the oven.

"Can I open a bottle of wine or something?" Emma asked, shoving her hands deep into her pockets.

"Aren't you on call tonight, Sheriff?" Regina asked, a smirk spreading across her face as she teased Emma slightly.

"Shit, you're right. I can't drink…but you can."

"I'm alright, thanks," Regina said, placing the patties into the pan, each one sizzling when the meat hit the hot metal.

"I'll just keep you company then…" Emma said, awkwardly shuffling to the island, taking a seat. They made pleasant conversation as they asked each other how work was going, and how Henry was doing in school. Regina even found herself inquiring about Snow and David, as well as baby Neal. Before she knew it, dinner was ready, and the three of them were sitting down to eat. Regina found she really enjoyed Emma's company, and she wondered to herself why it took her so long to invite the blonde to dinner. She made a mental note to invite her more, perhaps even making it a weekly occasion, when the ringing of Emma's phone pulled out from her thoughts.

"Sheriff Swan," Emma answered, a professional tone rising in her voice. "That doesn't surprise me...I'll be right there." She sighed, hanging up her phone. "I hate to eat and run, but duty calls," Emma said, wiping her mouth one last time before she stood up to leave.

"Of course," Regina said. She was surprised at the level of disappointment she heard in her own voice when she said those words.

"Thank you for dinner, Regina. Henry was right, your burgers are better than Granny's," Emma laughed. "But, let's not tell her that. She might shoot me in the back with that crossbow she loves so much."

"Your secret is safe with me," she laughed.

"Thanks. I'll see you guys tomorrow for Snow's Christmas Eve dinner?"

"Definitely! And then here again for Christmas dinner the day after, right?" Henry exclaimed, answering for them both.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world! I'll see you both there then! Have a good night." Emma smiled, and even Henry could see the bright sparkle in her green eyes when she looked at Regina. One would have to be in such serious denial to miss that.

Regina found herself feeling a little down once again, and she excused herself to clean up the kitchen not long after Emma left. Shortly after they finished dessert, Henry announced that he was going to go upstairs and get ready for bed and read until he fell asleep, something about all the video games he and Emma had played all afternoon and evening giving him a headache. She took Henry's lead and turned in early that evening, deciding a nice long bubble bath was in order before she settled in for the night. But, no matter how hard she tried, she could not turn off her brain, and she could not think of anything else other than her Secret Admirer. She was so deep in thought that she didn't realize that it was getting late, and she still had not received a new gift.

Thirty minutes later, the bubbles all dissolved and the water turned cold, Regina climbed out of the bath, her mind running no slower than it had before she settled into the bath. She sighed as she climbed into bed, pulling out her new old copy of Don Quixote, excited to dive into the classic, when she suddenly felt the familiar tingle of magic. She frantically looked around the room, searching for any indication that something magical was happening, as the feeling grew stronger and stronger by the second. Suddenly, a cloud of white smoke appeared on the bed beside her, revealing a small box, along with the familiar card and magically preserved rose she had been waiting for all day. Her hands shook as she reached for the card, eager to find out what it said tonight.

I know that yours has not been a story of love and happiness, and I can't even begin to understand what it felt like when you lost your first love. I know that was a literal lifetime ago, and due to unforeseen circumstances, you were forced to sacrifice the only thing you had to remember him by. I know this can never bring him back, I know nothing can do that. Instead, I hope this brings back the memory of him, and with it all the wonderful memories you shared with him.

Love Always, Your Secret Admirer.

"Daniel…" Regina whispered, tears already welling in her eyes as she remembered her first love. She reached for the small box, her hands trembling with anticipation as she opened the lid.

She gasped.

Nestled inside the box was something she never thought she would see again. Inside the box was the engagement ring Daniel had slipped onto her finger a lifetime ago, before he died at the hands of her mother. Before he was killed for simply loving her. Before he died in her arms.

She slowly lifted the familiar object out of the box, holding it up to the light to reveal the portrait of Daniel in the center. Tears flowed down her face as she gazed at her love. It had been over five years since she dropped this very ring into Jefferson's hat to unlock a portal. The same portal that allowed her to retrieve the poison apple that she would then use in an attempt to put Emma under a sleeping curse. She suddenly felt horrible for her actions, but not because it cost her the only thing she had left of Daniel, but because those actions were intended to harm Emma Swan, the woman who quickly became very important to her, and not just because she was Henry's biological mother. Emma had quickly become a close friend, maybe even her best friend, and to think she almost destroyed the opportunity to become close to her because of her thirst for vengeance.

She was so wrapped in her sorrow and joy that she didn't hear the soft knock on her door until she heard Henry's voice. "Mom, are you ok?" he asked when he saw her crying.

"Henry…" she said, snapping out of her thoughts, wiping away the river of tears that were still flowing. "...yes, yes I'm okay," she said, knowing Henry wouldn't believe her.

"Mom? What's the matter?" he asked, crossing the room to sit on the edge of her bed. "You got your gift today? What was it? Why are you so upset?" he asked, firing questions of concern for his mother.

"I was given a trinket I didn't think I would ever see again," she said, holding back her tears, releasing her grip on the ring for Henry to see.

"What is it?" he asked, hesitating as he reached for the ring.

"It was my engagement ring…from Daniel…"

"Holy cra….moly…" Henry said, carefully taking the ring from his mother. "How did you lose it?"

"Shortly before the curse was broken, I had to make a choice…one that I am not proud of…" she said, pausing. "In order to retrieve something from the past, I needed to sacrifice something containing magic to open the portal. I lost the only thing I had of my late fiance to fuel my revenge," she said, more tears falling from her eyes.

"This has magic?" Henry asked, already knowing what item she had retrieved.

"Yes, it is enchanted," she said, taking the ring from Henry. Once her magic made contact with the item, Daniel's portrait appeared in the center again.

"Is that him? Is that Daniel? The same Daniel that I am named after?"

"It is."

"He's handsome." Henry smiled.

"He was very handsome."

"So wait. You said you had to sacrifice this. How did they get it back?"

"I haven't the faintest idea. I thought it was destroyed when I opened the portal. I have no idea how it came back."

"Well, add that to the list of questions to ask your Secret Admirer when you finally meet them, because now I'm dying to find out how they did it." Henry smiled.

"Duly noted," she said, cleaning the tears from her face. "I'm sorry, Henry. Did you need something?" she asked, realizing her son had come searching for her.

"I was just coming to say good night." In that moment she saw it, the biggest similarity between Henry and his biological mother. They had the same goofy smile.

Regina held back tears she didn't quite understand as she reached for her son. "Good night, my sweet Prince. Sleep well."

"You too, Mom. Happy almost Christmas!"

"Yes, happy almost Christmas," she smiled, kissing the side of his head quickly before he could pull away.

"Night, Mom," he said, before rushing out of her room. She stared at her ring for a few more minutes, before giving up and turning out the lights. The light of the nearly full moon illuminated her room as she slipped Daniel's ring onto her finger for the first time in over thirty years. It fit exactly the same as it had the first time he slipped it onto her hand a lifetime ago, and yet something felt different. Something about it felt off, and she couldn't quite place it. Maybe it was because it had been so long since he died. Or maybe it was the fact that her Secret Admirer was the one to retrieve it. Either way, it felt different. She was desperately trying to figure out why it suddenly felt weird to have her beloved ring on her finger again, when her phone chimed beside her, indicating a new text message.

"Hey, Regina. Sorry for the late message. I just wanted to thank you again for dinner, and apologize again for running off like I did." Regina felt a large smile spread across her face as she read Emma's message, typing her reply as fast as she could.

"No need to apologize. You are the Sheriff after all. And you are more than welcome, Emma. I meant it when I said you are always welcome here, including for meals."

"Thanks Regina. I'll let you get to sleep while I tackle this paperwork before my boss gives me a hard time for being late."

"Please remember to write legibly, or I'll be forced to make you fill them out again."

"Yes ma'am. Good night Regina. Happy almost Christmas." Regina laughed at Emma's comment, something she had clearly learned from Henry.

"Happy almost Christmas to you as well. Good night, Emma."

A/N: Come on Regina. You REALLY don't know who has been sending you these gifts?