a/n: I know it has been ages since I updated this. I sorely apologize. Not even going to make a long speech about it... just enjoy the update and thanks for sticking with me. Reviews = love. Thanks

Chapter 14

After a shower and getting changed, Regina made her way downstairs and stopped in the entryway to the kitchen. Emma was standing there fixing scrambled eggs, stirring them as they grew fluffy, when the toaster popped. Regina leaned her shoulder against the wall as she watched the blonde fumble with the plate so she could get to the toast.

"Ow!" Emma picked up and threw the toast onto the plate before bringing her finger up to her mouth to suck on it where she burnt herself. Hearing a chuckle behind her, she whipped around to find Regina leisurely leaning against the entrance way. The brunette was there in a pair of black slacks with a sleeveless royal purple blouse, tucked in; she had yet to put on a pair of shoes and for some reason, Emma found the entire sight of this woman flawless. "Breakfast is almost done," she gave her a shy smile.

Regina pushed off the wall and headed over to where the blonde was standing. She reached out and took Emma's hand and brought it up to kiss the finger that had been burned. "Well I see your grumpiness went away."

"Coffee first, then we'll see," the brunette's answer caused Emma to laugh as she turned around to make a cup for her. Regina just regarded her quietly as she moved about the kitchen with ease returning with full cup in hand. Regina thankfully took it and brought it to her lips, sipping the hot liquid cautiously. A satisfying moan came from her lips as she closed her eyes and savored the first taste of the morning.

Emma smiled as she reached out and moved a stray strand of hair from the brunette's face and placing it behind her ear, caressing her cheek after. Upon opening her eyes, Regina was met with soulful, loving ones looking back at her. Before she could speak, the blonde moved in and kissed her tenderly. Regina blindly set her cup down so it wouldn't spill, then wrapped her arms around Emma pulling her against her as the kiss continued, slow and gentle. There was no lust, no urgency in that moment. All that was there, were two people realizing they had found that happiness they thought they would never find, or deserve.

Regina was the first to stop and rest her forehead against Emma's. She whispered with the slightest amused smirk on her face, "you're burning the eggs."

Emma stood there in her arms, still reveling in the feel of being held and loved by this woman, when the words slowly clicked in her head. "Shit!" She jumped back and glared at the other woman when she heard her begin to laugh. "Regina! It's not funny," it almost came out in a whine as she went over to the stove. "I can cook, you know! You just distracted me."

Regina walked over and took the utensil from her. "They are still salvageable, no worries. They just need a bit of doctoring up and they will be fine," she stated and went to work on them.

Emma stood there like a child with hurt feelings but eventually got over herself and came to stand behind her. She wrapped her one arm around Regina's waist as her other hand pushed dark locks away from the woman's neck, placing a kiss upon it as she dropped her now free hand to join the other around her waist. She nuzzled into the crook of her neck and breathed in the scent that was only Regina. "I don't want to go back to work or reality after last night and this morning," she mumbled and felt the vibration of the other woman chuckle.

"Neither do I dear," Regina commented softly, giving into the embrace and relaxing back a touch, all tensions gone. "But I need to get to work on this whole Marian situation and find a fix so I can put that mess all behind me… behind us," she corrected herself.

Hearing the last word, Emma moved her head to rest her chin on the brunette's shoulder. "Us… I like the sound of that."

Regina shut the stove off and set the pan off of the burner, then turned in the blonde's arms to look at her. "I'm growing quite fond of the idea myself," she smiled before kissing Emma. It slowly intensified before Regina uttered in a hushed whisper against the other woman's lips, "Move in with me."

Emma heard the words but it took her brain a moment before registering the request. When it did, she looked a bit in shock. "Wow. I guess you take that whole U-Haul thing seriously." Regina furrowed her brow and regarded the blonde, wondering what that was supposed to mean. Emma arched her own brow. "You know… the whole lesbian joke…" She trailed off when she realized Regina continued to not understand what she was going on about.

"Do you or do you not want to move in? If you don't want to, then just forget I said anything," Regina stated with a stern undertone, laced with hurt, and went to create space between them.

"Regina, wait." Emma grabbed the brunette's arm as she went to step away from her. "I do, but… I just didn't want to move too fast. Then if it didn't work out, it'd be all extra awkward and.."

"Miss Swan," Regina interrupted the ramblings of the blonde, "if you intend to break my heart I suggest you do it now because I will not be responsible for future consequences if you are leading me on."

Emma began to smile as she grew amused at Regina getting worked up over nothing. When the brunette was done with her little rant, Emma gave a quick tug to pull her back to her, then reached up and cupped Regina's cheek. "I wouldn't dream of it. And I vow to never let you feel unloved, ever again," she stated before descending her lips upon Regina's to keep her from making a smart ass comment back.

A throat clearing behind them got their attention as they moved apart and turned to find their son standing in the entrance way. Emma blushed and distracted herself by going and getting the plates, starting to spoon the eggs onto each, along with a piece of toast and some bacon.

"How long were you standing there, Henry?" Regina questioned their son and folded her arms.

"Long enough to hear the mushy stuff," he answered with an amused chuckle before moving past her to the refrigerator to grab the juice. "So? Are you moving in with us?" He questioned as he whirled around with the container of juice and waited for an answer.

Emma looked between her son and his other mother. "Oh, I see. Teaming up on me now." She folded her arms, an amused expression on her face. "Look, how about we leave things the way they are, for now, and if by the end of the week your mother isn't beyond annoyed with me and kicking me out, I'll move in."

"Fair enough," Regina responded, as the corner of her lip twitched upward, trying not to laugh. Henry however did let out his own laugh and shook his head at Emma before leaving to head to the dining room table. Emma dropped her arms and went to grab two of the plates, handing one to Regina with a kiss upon the cheek, then snatched up the last plate and walked off into the dining room with the brunette close behind.

Emma arrived at the station and took a deep breath before walking in. She was stopped in her tracks though, when she saw who was taking up residence in the holding cell. Hook was laying on his side, facing toward the wall and sound asleep. Feeling anger boil inside her she tightened her jaw and clenched her fist as she turned and headed into her office.

When he had heard the door open, David looked up from his own desk and was about to say something when he saw the look in his daughter's eyes as she viewed the man in the cell. Instead of risking the man waking up from hearing their voices, David stood up and followed Emma into her office, shutting the door quietly behind them.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Emma almost spat as she flopped down in her chair behind her desk.

"Well you told me to come get him, and since he was clearly intoxicated, I couldn't well leave him to roam free." David stated, folding his arms as he leaned against the wall.

Of course, Emma chided herself. Stupid question. Seeing his face had triggered her anger and she wasn't thinking clearly. "Right. Well I guess you better let him out." She looked at the clock. "We usually let Leroy out about this time and we have no reason to hold him. Plus, I'd rather not see his face longer than I have to."

David didn't move as he glanced at the clock himself. "He technically assaulted Regina."

"True, but we never pressed charges," Emma stated as she straightened some paperwork on her desk that had been piling up since her absence.

"Well…" he drew the word out as he pushed off the wall. "I may or may not have convinced her to do just that."

Emma stopped what she was doing and looked up at him with furrowed brow. "When? I was with her all last night and I just left."

"You apparently had just walked out the door when I called her this morning," David explained as he walked over to the desk. "You know, I almost didn't believe your mother when she told me about you and Regina." Emma could feel her cheeks heating up. Awkward would be an understatement. "But looking back since you arrived, it started to make sense."

Emma creased her brow in confusion. "How's that, exactly?"

David grabbed the empty chair that was in front of Emma's desk and pulled it over to sit. "All the things that we've gone through since you arrived... through that, you've both become important to one another. Whether you even realized it or not, who was the one you thought about, the one person you went to find when you were worried, the one that you seem to promise to help, no matter what."

"Regina," the word whispered upon Emma's lips. "But she was Henry's other mother, of course I would have thought of her." David just gave her a look, clearly not buying it. "I didn't want to lose her," she finally admitted, mostly to herself.

"We sacrifice everything for those we love," David stated as he stood up. "You and Regina have both sacrificed your own lives and well being for one another countless times, in just this short time you've been here." He moved to kiss the top of Emma's head. "That speaks volumes," he added before walking out of the office, leaving her to think.