Chapter 1

Six months had passed since the three of them began their relationship. Both Henry and Lily had accepted their mother's' relationship with open arms and minds.

Maleficent had, unofficially, moved in with Emma and Regina. She spent nearly all of her time at the mansion on Mifflin Street. Yet, as far as the rest of Storybrooke was concerned the dragon still lived in her own apartment across town. And that was their only problem.

Mal understood the need for discretion in the beginning, especially because she and Emma were still getting to know each other. However, it had been months since the two became confident in their love for one another. Which is why Maleficent was tired of being kept a secret.

"Poppet? Kitten? Can I speak to you for a moment?" The three of them were finishing getting ready for bed when Mal spoke up. She looked at her lovers while sitting on the edge of their bed.

"Of course, my cariño. What's on your mind?" Regina asked as she turned around in her seat on her vanity.

Emma had just walked in from their ensuite while towel drying her hair, "Anything wrong Beautiful?"

"Well, yes. No. I mean... it's just…there's something that has been bothering me lately."

Both her lovers became instantly concerned when they heard the nervousness in the dragon's voice. They each moved to the bed sitting opposite of Maleficent.

"Whatever it is Mal you don't need to feel nervous talking about it with us," Emma promised.

Mal gave a small smile in return before continuing. "I...I think it's time to share our relationship with the rest of the town. All of the Storybrooke knows that the two of you are a couple and that you love one another, but they all think that I am simply a close friend that you both hang out with often."

She paused and looked down, her hand playing with a loose thread of her t-shirt. "To be perfectly honest, I am beginning to get jealous of seeing the two of you together in public. I am not jealous of the fact that you care for each other, obviously. But, I hate knowing that I can't share in that when out in public. Every time one of you kiss me or hold my hand outside of this house is when there's no one else around. And as soon as anyone appears you step away." She glanced quickly at Emma when saying the last part. Whenever Regina pulled away from her in public, she did so with visible reluctance. Emma, however, would jerk away as if she had been burned. Every time Emma would give her a look to say she was sorry, but that didn't stop Mal from feeling a pull to her heart whenever it happened.

She was thankful that the main light in the room had already been turned out since it helped to hide her blush. Mal was not used to showing such emotion, not even to the people she most trusted. "I'm just...tired of being kept a secret I suppose."

A moment of silence passed before Mal felt a hand under her chin, forcing her to look up at her brunette lover who had made her way over to her.

"I will tell Zelena first thing in the morning. I'm sorry for not doing so sooner my cariño." she grinned as she leaned over to place a soft kiss on Maleficent's lips.

"Thank you," Mal whispered as she smiled and rested her forehead against the mayor's, relief evident in her voice.

Then both Regina and Mal looked over to Emma to see her staring down like Mal was only moments earlier.

"Baby?"

Regina's voice encourages the sheriff to look up. She bit her lower lip as if afraid to speak.

Maleficent became weary at the look on the other blonde's face. "What is it, Emma? Are...are you ashamed of me Kitten?" She couldn't hide the hurt in her voice.

"No! No, no, no." Emma crawled over to the other side of the bed and pulled the dragon into a fierce hug. "I love you Mal. I am not ashamed of you. If anything I'm proud to say that I'm with you, both of you."

She pulled away and placed a quick kiss on Mal's cheek before continuing with her voice soft. "I just...I'm not sure I'm ready to go through that again."

"Again?"

"Emma's parents," Regina placed a comforting hand on Emma's thigh as she spoke. "They weren't exactly accepting when they heard about us. David wasn't thrilled, by any means, but at least he cared enough not to make a huge ordeal out of it. Snow, on the other hand, was much more...expressive of her dislike of out relationship. She refused to believe that her daughter was actually in love with her former enemy."

"I thought you both kept it a secret until your kiss broke the dark one curse over Emma. How could she question that?"

"Loudly…" Emma mumbled.

"What happened?" Mal asked as she wrapped her arm around Emma's waist.

The sheriff took a deep breath and grabbed onto Regina's hand for support as she explained. "The day after we broke the curse my mom came down to the station to confront us. I guess my dad must have mentioned that Regina came by to see me when he met up with her for lunch. Anyway, she started ranting about how something had to have gone wrong and that it had to be some kind of mistake. She...she said there was no way a daughter of hers to could love someone who used to be so dark. Things just got uglier after that."

"What do you mean?"

Regina began to explain, giving Emma a break. "After the remark about her daughter not being able to love someone like me, I couldn't keep quiet. I walked over to her to give her a piece of my mind, but I didn't get two words in before she, well, slapped me."

Mal's eyes widened slightly at what her brunette lover had just said. She wasn't all that shocked that Snow White would do such a thing. She did, after all, steal her child from her and threw her into a strange world. However, she was surprised that Snow would be so violent towards her daughter's lover.

"After that happened," Regina continued, "it kind of set Emma off. Her eyes darkened and I had to poof us both home just as she began to lunge at Snow."

"You should have just let me go. She had no right to touch you." Emma's voice dripped with the anger she still felt toward her mother for hurting Regina.

"Anyway," the brunette squeezed Emma's hand before turning her head to Mal's one again. "It took me the rest of the day for me to calm her down. Although I couldn't stop her from calling Snow up and telling her that if she ever even thought about slapping me again that Emma wouldn't talk to her ever again...and she may have added a few other threats as well," she smirked.

"I still won't apologize for doing that. I'll do anything to defend the women that I love." Emma looked between Mal and Regina, making sure they knew that she meant what she said. "I don't give a damn who they are. If someone touches you, either you, they answer to me."

The other two leaned over and kissed her on either cheek.

"We know Kitten," Mal whispered to her.

Instead of pulling away completely, Regina placed her arms around Emma's neck and laid her head on her shoulder and spoke softly. "I never asked you to apologize to her, Emma. I just told you that you needed to think before you did something you would regret. No matter what she does she's still your mother and she still loves you."

"Yeah...I guess." Emma spoke halfheartedly. She hugged Regina with one arm, her other still wrapped around Mal, with her eyes downcast.

Maleficent bent her head down as she reached to lift Emma's head slightly. When their eyes locked Mal gave her an understanding smile. "I can wait a little longer, Emma. You can tell your parents when you're ready."

"No, Mal." The sheriff squeezed the other blonde tightly, "You're right, you've waited long enough. Plus, I know Regina and I both want to be about to kiss and hold you in public too. It kills me every time we're all out together and I have to keep myself from touching you." Emma could feel Regina nodding against her, she felt the same way. "I just hope my mom learned from last time and can accept that I love you both."

"What brought her around before? She always invites you both for family dinner every Sunday and I know that she talks to you both regularly."

Regina lifted her head from Emma's shoulder, "She came by the next day to apologize."

"Reluctantly."

The mayor ignored the sheriff's interruption, "She said she still didn't like the idea of us together, but she couldn't bear to fight with Emma again like they did when she found out what Snow and David did to Lily."

She paused briefly when Mal grimaced at being reminded of what Snow did to her daughter. Although, it did please her to know that Emma was just as disgusted by what her parents did as she was.

"Luckily," Regina continued as she turned toward the other blonde, "it got to the point where she now smiles when she sees us. She happy for you now Emma. It might take her some time to get used the idea of Mal being with us, but I doubt that she'll lose her temper like that again."

"She better not. Because if she lays a hand on either of you..." Emma could feel the anger coming over her at the thought. She closed her eyes and shook her head to try to calm down. "I don't care if she's my mom, you two are more important."

She opened her eyes when she felt them both hug her tightly while kissing her cheeks again.

"Thank you, Kitten," Mal spoke up, "but how about we start with telling Zelena? I've been wanting for months to tell her anyway. It's been as hard on me keeping this a secret from her as it has Regina," she and the brunette both smirked. "Then we can focus on your parents. I know you love me, but I don't want to come between you and them."

"If anything does happen it will be their fault, not yours." Emma placed a soft kiss on the dragon's forehead. "But, yes, we should definitely tell Zelena first." She looked back Regina, "I can't see her taking this news badly."

Regina smiled at that. She was so grateful for how far she and her sister had come in their relationship since they first met. She finally had the loving sister that she always wanted growing up. She was especially glad when Zelena decided to move from her small farmhouse into the house that Emma stayed in during her time as the Dark One. Regina loved having her sister and niece living closer to her.

Emma quickly gave them both a quick kiss on their lips before crawling over Regina and standing up from the bed. "I need to brush my teeth. Be right back."

As soon as Emma shut the door behind her Mal turned to the brunette. "Regina, do you really think Snow will be okay with me being a part of your relationship?" She spoke quietly, not wanting the sheriff to overhear.

The mayor sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I really don't know Mal. I hope so because, honestly, I couldn't stand to see Emma as...destroyed as she was that night. After she called Snow she just collapsed into sobs. Her heart broke thinking that her mother didn't care enough to be happy for her."

Mal looked down, she meant what she said about not wanting to be the source of Emma's conflict between her parents. As much as she would love bringing displeasure to Snow she didn't want her lover to suffer from it.

"Hey." Regina's soft voice made her look up. "She really won't blame you if something happens. All three of us has put too much into this relationship already to let that little twit ruin it."

The blonde could not help the giggle that escaped her at the use of the term.

"I do know one thing for sure though."

"What's that Poppet?"

She places her hand on Mal's cheek. "If Snow does slap you like she did me it won't just be Emma that will have to be held back."

The blonde smiles and kisses her palm, "I can take care of myself." she said with a smirk.

"I know, but that doesn't mean you have to." her words make the blonde's grin widen.

They look up when they hear Emma coming back into the room. The sheriff walked over to the chaise lounge by their window and grabbed her laptop. "How about an episode or two before we turn in?"

The two nodded their heads in agreement, knowing that Emma needed the distraction to get her mind off her parents. And also because since the three of them had been dating this show had become their guilty pleasure, much to Regina's enjoyment. They would often cuddle up together to watch it when any of them had a hard day.

The three took their usual places in their bed, Maleficent in the middle with Regina and Emma on either side.

"How about the Power Ponies episode?" Regina asked while Emma handed her computer to Mal. She knew the episode was one of the sheriff's favorites.

Mal nodded and pulled up the show on their Netflix account. The dragon was always the one to hold the laptop since the heat that came from it never bothered her. She raised her arms and placed them around her lovers as they all laid down and snuggled up to watch the screen. She was pleased to feel how relaxed Emma was as the first scene began.

Mal smiled and kissed both her and Regina on their foreheads before concentrating on the baby dragon on the screen.