The first day of school was never just another Monday. It was the one morning of the year that carried a particular kind of chaos—the sharp edge of nerves, the sound of alarms shrieking like battle cries, the smell of hastily buttered toast mixing with fresh coffee and the frantic rustle of backpacks. It was, without fail, the day every parent dreaded.

Regina and Emma were no exception.

Regina had set the alarm for 4:00 a.m.—a time that practically required a signed agreement with the devil. But the alarm never got the satisfaction of going off. She was already awake. She lay still beneath the comforter, arms folded loosely across her chest, eyes on the woman beside her.

Emma lay half-buried in the sheets, face smushed into the pillow, her blonde hair a tousled halo of stubborn curls. She rolled onto her stomach and draped one arm over Regina's waist like it had a claim. Regina didn't move—not yet. She let herself watch. Let herself exist in that perfect, suspended moment before reality came knocking.

She leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to Emma's head.

Emma didn't stir.

Somewhere in the distance, the digital clock clicked from 3:59 to 4:00—and the alarm burst to life with merciless enthusiasm.

Emma jolted upright like she'd been tasered.

"It's okay, sleepyhead," Regina said calmly. "Just an alarm."

Emma flopped back onto the bed with a groan. "I thought I was dreaming. There were pancakes. And silence. And no children."

Regina stood, already tying her robe. "That was your first mistake. You believed in peace."

Emma gave her a one-eyed glare. "You're enjoying this."

"I'm awake, out of bed, and marginally in control of my life. Of course I am."

"You're a monster."

"And you love it."

Emma grumbled something incoherent as Regina disappeared into the ensuite. A moment later, the shower started.

By 4:15, Emma stumbled in, still muttering to herself. Regina turned to raise a brow. "You're late."

"I had to negotiate with the bed. It tried to hold me down."

Regina rolled her eyes and turned back, testing the water once more before getting under the spray. "It's a bed, not a wrestler."

Emma stepped in behind her, warm palms sliding around Regina's waist. "Well. If I die from a sleep deprived, bed-related accident, what would you do?"

"I'll miss you terribly," Regina said flatly, then let out a soft gasp as Emma's lips found the sensitive spot just beneath her ear.

"You'll miss the sex," Emma whispered.

"That too," Regina admitted, turning to face her with a smile she couldn't suppress. Emma's hands slid up and down her skin, over her stomach and hips, and she found herself leaning into the touch.

Emma's lips trailed across her jaw and down, coming to rest at the base of her neck. "You love this part," Emma said, voice a low murmur as she moved against Regina's skin.

"I do," Regina breathed, then felt a sharp nip on her shoulder. Her hands came up, tangling in Emma's wet hair. "I'm going to be late if you keep this up," Regina muttered as Emma's hands moved up and over her breasts.

"I'll write you a note," Emma said before pressing a kiss to the skin above Regina's nipple. "Absence due to good sex."

"I think you mean great sex."

"Oh, I'll write that down too, you know, for the sake of honesty. I'm all about the truth."

Regina gasped as Emma's hand slid down and between her legs. "That's not true at all," she said, struggling to speak as Emma's fingers worked against her, and it was all she could do to keep her knees from buckling. "You lie… all the time. You lie about how much sugar is in Azura's cereal. You lie when you tell me my hair looks good, and we both know it looks like a rat's nest, and you still lie about—" Emma's fingers slid inside, cutting off her words. "Oh god."

"See, this is what I love about you," Emma murmured, her lips brushing against the shell of Regina's ear. "You're so chatty."

Regina let out a shaky breath. "I'm chatty?" she asked.

Emma's other hand moved down, fingers brushing over the small of her back, then lower still until her fingers pressed into her from behind. "You like to talk," Emma said with a smile. "A lot."

Regina's arms slid around Emma's neck, pulling her closer. "And you… like the… way I talk… oh..." The words trailed off into a whimper. Emma's fingers were relentless, working against her and inside her until she felt her body shaking with it.

Emma's free hand moved up, fingers tangling in Regina's hair. She pulled her head back, her teeth nipping at her earlobe, her neck, and her shoulder, then moved lower still, until her lips closed over one breast. Regina let out another cry, and she could feel the vibrations of Emma's answering chuckle through her skin.

Emma pulled back, a wicked glint in her eyes. "Do you want me to stop?" she asked.

Regina glared up at her, and it took all her self-restraint not to grab Emma's shoulders and push her against the wall. She knew exactly what Emma was doing; she was taunting her, teasing, knowing it would push her over the edge. It was a dangerous game, and it had backfired more than once in the past.

Regina swallowed hard, then reached down and grabbed Emma's wrist. She pulled Emma's hand out from herself, then brought it up and sucked Emma's fingers into her mouth. "No," she breathed after pulling Emma's slick fingers out of her mouth. "I don't."

Emma's eyes fluttered closed, and Regina could feel her heart pounding against her ribcage. Emma's lips pressed against Regina's once more, and then she was sliding inside her, her hands holding her hips, her tongue sweeping over hers. Regina was lost, her fingers digging into Emma's shoulders as she held on.

When the orgasm hit, she felt like her entire body was trembling, like the force of it might rip her apart. She gasped against Emma's lips as the tremors moved through her, shaking her down to her core. Emma held her until it was over, until she could breathe again, until her body stopped shaking. When Regina finally pulled back, she found Emma watching her, a smirk on her lips.

"What?" Regina said, reaching out to pull Emma close once more.

"That was amazing," Emma whispered before pressing her lips to Regina's. "I love watching you come apart. It's my favorite thing in the world."

Regina smiled and reached down to touch Emma, but Emma caught her wrist. "We're gonna be late," Emma said.

Regina raised an eyebrow. "Don't you want to come?"

"I want nothing more, but we're probably already late." Emma pressed one last kiss to Regina's lips.

Regina shook her head.

After their shower, they stayed a moment longer—steam curling around them, foreheads pressed together, morning stress forgotten. Then, reality knocked again, this time in the form of the digital clock blinking 4:37 from the bedroom dresser.

"Time to look presentable," Regina sighed, stepping out of the shower and into the chaos once more.

By 5:27, both women stood in the kitchen. Regina looked perfectly composed—dark slacks, a silk blouse, lips painted in a subtle plum. Emma was still towelling her hair dry, tugging a T-shirt over her head with one hand while the other attempted to butter toast.

"She's gonna freak out, isn't she?" Emma asked, glancing at the hallway.

Regina didn't look up from Azura's lunchbox. "She's six. Her world ends at the sight of a green crayon in the blue box."

Emma winced. "Right. And we're sending her into a room full of thirty other emotional grenades."

"With a magic suppressing cuff."

"You know, we could fake a fever."

Regina snapped the lunchbox shut and turned to her. "Emma."

"I'm just saying, we're sending her into the wilderness unarmed!"

"She's going to kindergarten, not battle."

"Same thing."

Regina softened slightly, her tone quieting. "She's going to be fine. We've done everything we can."

Emma sighed and leaned against the counter, rubbing the back of her neck. "I know. I just... it's her first day of everything. School. Friends. Chaos. Mean kids. Didn't work out too well with daycare."

Regina crossed the room, touching Emma's wrist. "That's because of her magic, which is controlled now. Besides, she'll be back before you know it."

They shared a breath. A quiet. A calm.

Then the clock ticked over to 5:30.

They made their way down the hallway, the soft click of Regina's heels muffled by the thick rug. The door to Azura's room stood ajar, just a crack. Inside, the little girl was still tucked into her bed, face half-buried in her pillow, curls like ink against pale pink sheets.

Regina approached first, brushing a gentle hand down Azura's back. "Sweetheart," she murmured. "Time to wake up."

A whine.

Emma grinned.

"Azura," Regina said, voice low and coaxing. "Today's the big day."

The little girl rolled over slowly, eyes blinking open, confusion wrinkling her brow. "Huh?"

Emma crouched beside the bed, grinning. "You ready for your very first day of school?"

Azura's eyes widened. Then her jaw dropped.

"I forgot!"

Regina chuckled, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "Well, lucky for you, we didn't."

By 6:00, the three of them stood by the front door. Azura held her backpack like a sacred artifact, feet bouncing with nervous energy. She looked up at her mothers—one on either side, dressed and steady and full of more emotions than either would ever admit.

"Do I look like a big kid?" she asked.

Emma bent down, brushing a braid behind her ear. "You look like a star."

Regina took her hand. "A brave one."

xxx

The morning air still carried a bite of early fall—crisp and clean, filled with the smell of dew and chalk dust from the playground.

Regina slid into the passenger seat of Emma's bug, exhaling slowly as the door shut.

Emma dropped into the driver's side, both hands gripping the wheel, unmoving.

A beat passed. Then another.

"She didn't even look back," Emma said finally, turning her head just enough to glance at Regina.

"She was ready," Regina replied, her voice soft, steady in that practiced way of hers. But there was fragility in her eyes—like glass just beginning to crack.

Emma leaned her head back against the seat. "I wasn't."

Regina let out a quiet laugh. "Neither was I."

They sat like that for a moment—two very competent, capable women completely undone by a six-year-old with a sparkly backpack and the courage to let go.

"You know," Emma said, turning the keys in the ignition, "I thought I'd feel free or something. Like—'Hey, we finally get our mornings back!' But now I just feel... weirdly abandoned."

"It's kindergarten," Regina said, lips twitching. "She didn't join the Navy."

Emma shot her a dry look. "Don't minimize my trauma."

Regina smirked but reached out anyway, her hand covering Emma's on the gearshift. "I thought this would take longer. We still have time before work. Wine?"

"God, I love you."

xxx

Regina's office was quiet—her secretary hadn't even arrived yet. Emma and Regina settled into their usual stance, Emma on the couch with Regina pouring wine.

Emma wrapped her fingers around the wine glass and stared down into it like it held answers.

"I kept thinking she was going to cry," she said.

"She almost did," Regina admitted. "Right before she hugged you. Her lip wobbled."

Emma's eyes flicked up. "Really?"

Regina nodded. "But she didn't want us to see."

Emma blew out a breath. "God, she's already stronger than me."

"You say that like it's a surprise."

Emma narrowed her eyes. "You're not even pretending to be comforting anymore."

"I'm trying to distract you," Regina said, sipping her wine and taking a seat next to Emma. "You're the one spiralling."

"I am not spiralling," Emma muttered. Then, after a beat, "...What if she doesn't make friends?"

"She will."

"What if she gets pushed on the playground?"

"She'll push back. She's half you."

"And half you," Emma added. "Which means she'll push back with flair."

Regina tilted her glass in a mock toast. "Exactly."

They fell into silence again, but this time it was softer. Warmer. The kind of silence that came with knowing the worst was over, at least for the morning.

Emma glanced at the time on her phone. "Twenty-three minutes."

Regina arched a brow. "Counting time?"

"Yeah. It's been twenty-three minutes and a half. It may be time to storm to the school and pretend she forgot her inhaler."

"She doesn't have an inhaler."

"Well," Emma said, shrugging, "she could."

Regina laughed—really laughed this time—and the sound made Emma smile in spite of herself.

"Okay," Regina said, setting her cup down. "We can't hover. We have seven hours. We should do something productive."

Emma leaned forward. "Like nap?"

"I was thinking work."

Emma gave her a scandalized look. "You want to spend our first child-free morning working?"

Regina leaned closer, voice low and suggestive. "If we're done early, I can meet you back at home before we need to pick Azura up?"

Emma gave her a raised eyebrow, feigning innocence, "And do what, exactly?"

"Laundry."

Emma groaned, "Let me get this straight...You want me to leave work early so I could meet you at home at help you fold t-shirts?"

Regina leaned closer, voice low and suggestive. "I may or may not answer the door naked."

Emma blinked. Then broke into a grin. "God, you're evil."

Regina stood and gathered the empty glasses. "And yet you proposed to me."

"No one said I make good decisions," Emma muttered, following suit.

xxx

They did, in fact, manage to finish early. And true to her word, Emma got to the mansion to find an entirely naked Regina in the front foyer.

"Welcome home," Regina said, smile devilish.

Emma laughed as she closed the door behind her. "You really weren't joking."

Regina stepped closer and grabbed Emma's hand. "Come on. We do have laundry and I made a game of it."

Regina was nothing if not inventive, Emma mused, as she watched Regina retrieve a set of dice from her drawer– One red and one blue.

The rules were simple: Regina would roll the dice and whatever number was on the blue dice determined minutes and the red determined the number of clothing items. If Emma failed, she had to do something of Regina's bidding and if Regina failed, she had to do a task of Emma's choice. Each task had to match the minutes on the blue die.

It was absurdly fun and ridiculously sexy. And in that moment, Emma realized just how much she loved their life together. Not just the little things, but the way they built on top of one another—like this moment, born of a hectic morning and Azura's first day of school. It was perfect.

"Okay, I have a good one," Emma said when Regina diced 1 minute and six items. She paused for dramatic effect. "You have to do that thing."

Regina gave her an unimpressed look. "That thing, huh?"

"Yeah," Emma said, nodding, "That thing."

Regina crossed her arms over her chest. "I think you'll need to be more specific."

Emma laughed and tossed a pillow at her. "That thing with your tongue."

Regina rolled her eyes. "In a minute? Are you sure you can handle me pulling away?"

Emma shrugged.

Regina bit her lip to stifle a smile. "I guess I can oblige."

Regina grabbed a pillow and flung it at Emma.

Emma caught it and grinned. "What?"

Regina moved closer and began tugging at Emma's clothes. "I can't do that thing if you're dressed."

She was dressed, but only barely. Her pants were still on, and her shirt was draped over the arm of the couch.

Emma stood, removed her pants and sat on the bed.

Regina knelt in front of her. She parted Emma's thighs, running her hands along her skin and giving her a lazy kiss along her inner thigh.

"Start the timer," Regina said, voice low.

Emma swallowed and gave a nod, and Regina leaned forward and kissed Emma's clit, drawing her into her mouth and circling her tongue around the bundle of nerves.

Emma threw her head back and gasped. Regina took the reaction for what it was—an encouragement—and continued.

Regina was relentless, licking and teasing and coaxing until Emma could feel the familiar heat building in her lower belly. Emma was close to the edge, close enough that she could see herself toppling over it, but not close enough to tip.

Regina pulled away with one final lick, leaving Emma panting and desperate. Emma could only stare down at her with wide eyes and a slack jaw.

"Regina," Emma whispered. "Fuck. Please."

Regina smiled. "Your minute's up."

Emma stared at her incredulously. "What? That wasn't a minute."

Regina looked at her phone on the side table. "The timer says it's been exactly one minute."

Emma groaned and let her head fall back to the pillow. "That wasn't fair."

Regina grinned. "Sure it was. Those were the rules."

"Yeah, well," Emma said, sitting up. "The rules are stupid. I'm changing them."

Regina raised a brow. "To what?"

Emma smirked. "I want a full minute, and you have to use your fingers."

Regina shook her head. "That's not what I rolled."

Emma rolled her eyes and sat up, standing and walking over to Regina. "I'm changing the rules. So what's it going to be, a full minute or a penalty?"

Regina was about to protest, but then she thought better of it and nodded. "Fine. A full minute."

Regina lay down and guided Emma to straddle her face. She could feel the wetness of her mouth as Regina licked her clit and the slow build of heat as she teased Emma's entrance with one hand. She slid two fingers inside Emma's pussy and began a slow rhythm. Emma moaned at the feeling of Regina's tongue on her clit and the gentle thrusts of her fingers. She rode Regina's face, grinding against her, and felt her orgasm building.

Regina's tongue was soft and hot on Emma's clit. Emma rocked against her mouth, chasing the pleasure that was building inside her. She felt her body tighten and her breath come faster.

"Fuck," she whispered, gasping. "You're going to make me—" She couldn't even finish the sentence, the pleasure overtaking her. She cried out, moaning as waves of pleasure crashed over her. Emma's body shook and trembled as she came, riding out her orgasm on Regina's tongue.

Regina's fingers slipped out of her, and Emma collapsed beside her. Emma's chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath. She could feel her heartbeat slowing down, but her body was still buzzing with the aftershocks of her climax.

"That was amazing," she said finally, turning to look at Regina.

Regina smiled, looking smug and satisfied. "I know." She turned her head to kiss Emma, and Emma could taste herself on Regina's lips.

"I think I just won," Emma whispered between kisses. "Or lost, I'm not really sure."

Regina laughed. "I think it's a little of both. Now," she said, glancing down at the clock. "We have about an hour until we need to pick up Azura."

Emma arched a brow, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Yeah, and what are we gonna do with all that free time?"

Regina didn't have the energy to answer, but she pulled Emma down for another kiss. The world narrowed to just the two of them—Regina's hands and Emma's mouth and the sound of their ragged breaths. Emma broke the kiss first and moved to straddle Regina's hips. She leaned down and kissed her again, deeper this time, and began to grind against her. She could feel Regina's wetness against her and knew that she was just as turned on as Emma was.

Emma then kissed Regina's neck, her collarbone, and the curve of her breast. She moved lower, kissing her way down Regina's stomach until she reached her pussy.

Emma looked up at Regina, her eyes locking with hers, and then she leaned in and licked her clit. Regina gasped, her hips bucking up to meet Emma's mouth. Emma licked and sucked, her tongue tracing circles around Regina's clit. She could feel Regina's hips moving, trying to get more friction, and she obliged by sliding two fingers inside her.

Regina moaned, her fingers tangling in Emma's hair as she rode her tongue. Emma kept her pace slow and steady, savoring the taste of her and the sounds she made. She loved the way Regina responded to her touch, the way her body trembled and her breath hitched.

"Emma," Regina breathed, her voice husky. "Please."

Emma knew what she wanted, but she wasn't going to give it to her yet. She wanted to draw this out, to make Regina feel every ounce of pleasure she could. She sucked on her clit, her fingers curling inside her, and then she felt Regina's body tense. She knew she was close, so she increased her pace, her tongue flicking faster against her clit. She felt Regina's thighs tense around her head, and then she cried out, her body shaking as she came.

Emma kissed her way back up Regina's body until she reached her lips. She kissed her deeply, letting her taste herself on Emma's tongue. Regina's arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer.

They lay there for almost half an hour, their bodies pressed together, and then Regina glanced at the clock.

"We should get ready to pick up Azura," she said, her voice tinged with reluctance.

Emma groaned. "Do we have to? I'm comfy."

Regina laughed. "Yes, we do. We can be late to work, but we can't be late picking up our daughter."

"Fine," Emma sighed,sittingup.

xxx

The late afternoon sun slanted across the windows of the school as Emma and Regina hurried through the front doors. The school had mostly emptied, with only a few scattered children waiting on benches and a janitor pushing a mop down the hall.

Emma felt a prickle on the back of her neck. Something was off. Too quiet. Too still.

They reached Azura's classroom and stepped inside. The kindergarten teacher, Miss Halloran, was bent over a stack of drawings, sorting them into folders. She looked up and smiled warmly, wiping her hands on her cardigan.

"Oh—hello, Sheriff Swan. Mayor Mills. Is there something wrong?"

Regina blinked. "Where's Azura?"

"Azura?" Miss Halloran said, standing straighter. "She already left."

Emma froze. "What?"

"She left just after the final bell," the teacher said, tilting her head slightly. "I assumed one of you picked her up?"

"No." Emma's voice dropped like a stone. "Neither of us have seen her since this morning."

A pause stretched in the room. The teacher's face began to pale.

"But… she left like normal," Miss Halloran said slowly, uncertain now. "She just… walked out. I didn't see who met her, exactly, but I thought—"

"You thought?" Regina snapped, her voice slicing through the still air.

Miss Halloran looked flustered. "I—I didn't think much of it. I mean, she's your daughter. You're the sheriff, and you're the mayor. I just assumed… no one would be foolish enough to try anything."

Emma stepped forward, her eyes sharp, stormy. "You didn't see who she left with?"

"I was helping another student with their backpack," the teacher said, guilt creeping into her voice. "When I looked up, Azura was already walking out the front doors. I didn't see the adult, but she didn't seem alarmed. She looked like she knew who she was going to."

Emma's heart felt like it had stopped and started again in the space of a breath.

Regina turned on her heel. "We need security footage."

Miss Halloran nodded, her voice quiet. "The front entrance has a camera. You can get the footage from the main office."

"We will," Emma muttered, already moving. "But if someone has her…"

She didn't finish the sentence. Couldn't. She didn't need to—Regina was already pulling out her phone, eyes dark and full of purpose.

xxx

The security room smelled faintly of old books and dust-coated wires. The monitor flickered as the school secretary clicked open the main feed. Regina stood behind her, arms folded tight, one heel tapping an anxious rhythm against the floor. Emma leaned forward over the desk, her fingers drumming beside the keyboard.

"Just pull up the front entrance footage from dismissal," Emma said, her voice taut.

The secretary nodded quickly, clicking into the right folder. The screen went black for a moment.

Then something strange happened.

Instead of the expected footage, a still image blinked onto the screen.

A soft chime played from the old speakers—warm, oddly comforting. A pale slide appeared, centred against a white background, with just one line of text written in simple, almost childlike script:

She is safe. I had to take her. There wasn't time to explain.

The image stayed for three seconds. Then another slide appeared.

Please don't look for her. You won't find her. She's being protected.

A third.

I'm sorry. I know this hurts. But it was the only way.

The screen went black. The folder closed itself as though nothing had ever been opened.

No trace of the footage remained.

Emma stared at the screen, her breath shallow. "What the hell just happened?"

Regina's voice was quiet, but sharp. "That wasn't just a message. That was planted. Someone replaced the entire file."

The secretary's face had gone pale. "That's… I've never seen anything like that. It's like it was waiting for you."

Emma turned away from the screen and ran a hand through her hair. "This doesn't make any sense. Who would leave a message like that? Who would take her and… say that?"

Regina sighed. "This wasn't random. That message was personal. They knew us—how we'd react. They didn't threaten us. They consoled us."

Emma's hands were shaking. "Regina… what if someone we know did this?"

Regina didn't respond. Her mind was already spinning. She closed her eyes for a second, grounding herself. I had to take her. There wasn't time to explain.

It didn't read like a kidnapper. It read like a farewell.

Emma's voice broke the silence again, low and raw. "Someone thinks they're saving her."

Regina nodded, but her lips were pressed into a thin line. "We're not going to sit around and trust that. Whoever it is—however well they think they know her—they don't get to decide what's best for Azura."

Emma stared back at the dark screen. Her voice was barely audible.

"They said she's safe."

Regina looked at her. "But we don't know that."

For a long beat, they stood in the quiet room, hearts racing in sync.

Then Emma moved. "I want a copy of whatever that was. We're going to decrypt it. Look for any hidden frames, magical traces—whatever it takes."

Regina nodded, already reaching for the school's USB drive.

Emma's jaw set. "We need to remind them who they're dealing with."