(One Year Later…)

Regina sat on the park bench, watching Emma and Henry as they tossed a football around not too far from where she was sitting. It was hard to believe a year had gone by in the blink of an eye, but it had, and there they were, happy and in love and a family.

Regina had been reflecting a lot about the things that had happened in the past year, especially with Emma's one year clean coming up in just a few short days. There had been some ups and downs, but Emma had stayed strong and held on. Emma didn't slip, but there had been a few moments when she nearly did and some moments when she was more than ready to give up her fight. Emma didn't slip, and not just because Regina was there to make sure she didn't, but because she had grown stronger and more in control of herself over the months. After what had happened when she'd run off to New York, Regina became the first person Emma went to when she felt like she was starting to slip and Regina always kept her from slipping off the edge, one way or another.

Their relationship as a whole was strong and the bond they shared only grew deeper as the months went by. Their relationship wasn't easy by any means. They still bickered and had petty little fights over things that didn't matter at the end of the day, but even on days where they couldn't stand to be around one another, they never went to bed angry. It was one of the things Emma had promised her early in their relationship that they would never go to bed angry with one another no matter what they'd been fighting or bickering about that day.

They had almost grown dependent on each other, more Emma than Regina, and their sex life was healthy and thriving in the best of ways. Despite their insatiable nature, they didn't spend every night making love until their bodies couldn't take it anymore, though there were a handful of days every now and then where they just couldn't get enough of one another nor could they sate the hunger of their passion and love. Neither of them wanted Henry to walk in on them, especially after the first time he had when he came home from school early and found them half naked in the study.

As dependent as they had grown on each other, Emma had found her independence slowly yet surely. She returned to work full-time just before Thanksgiving rolled around and she showed up at the office every day to have lunch with Regina. It reminded Regina at the time of the beginnings of their friendship and like she had before, she savored every moment she had with Emma, every little moment.

They had spent Thanksgiving together as a family with the Charming's at the Mills' house. Ruby and her grandmother had been invited and even Dr. Hopper and Pongo had joined them for the feast Regina had spent a while day preparing with Mary Margaret's help. It had been an enjoyable day filled with laughter and far too much food with their family and their friends.

In the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Emma had convinced her parents to move into her old house despite them believing they didn't need the extra space the house would give them to raise Neal. Emma rarely went back to the house aside from the twice a week dinners they had with the Charming's and every time they were in that house, Regina worried that Emma would relapse with the horrible memories she had that originated in that very house. She had longer sessions with Dr. Hopper on the days after those family dinners, and she was quiet and withdrawn on those nights.

Everything really began to change when they joined the Charming's on Christmas Day and learned that they were expecting a baby that was due to arrive early in the summer. Regina had watched Emma carefully after the pregnancy announcement; waiting for her to fall off the path she was on, to slink back to where she'd been before, feeling unwanted and very much the orphan she used to be. Emma surprised her when she didn't slip, and instead helped her mother decorate the third bedroom, transforming it into an adorable nursery for the new baby. She was as excited as her parents were for the arrival of the new baby, if not even more so.

It was shortly after New Year's Eve when they discovered that the spell on the town line had finally eradicated, no longer keeping anyone within its borders and also not keeping any insiders out. Once word had gotten around, people in Storybrooke began to leave, some never to return, other's coming and going and sharing stories of the places they'd travelled to even if the furthest anyone had gone was to New York City. Ruby had been the first to leave and the one that Regina expected never to return, but by the end of January she came back and she hadn't come back alone.

Ruby Lucas' spontaneous marriage to a woman named Amber had shocked everyone, but it only served to put thoughts into Regina's own head about the future of her and Emma's relationship.

While they had talked about their relationship and knew that neither wanted to be with anyone else, marriage had been a topic they both avoided. Regina had always felt that she never wanted to marry again, not after Leopold and what she'd gone through during that time. Her thoughts on marriage started to change after seeing Ruby and her wife around town, but she also knew that she didn't need to marry Emma in order for them to spend the rest of their lives together, happy, in love, and as a family.

As the months passed by and spring arrived, Henry got his learner's permit and Emma was teaching him how to drive. Although he was only fifteen, Emma had argued that he should start to learn, the earlier the better, she had said. Regina had been adamant about it right from the beginning, yet she knew it was one of those rites of passage that Henry needed to experience in his life, one that would keep his life as close to normal as normal was in their small town.

Every evening, for an hour, Emma took Henry out in her Bug to teach him how to drive, stressing how important it was for him to learn how to drive manual as it would enable him to drive any type of vehicle in the future. Regina worried endlessly whenever they were out driving, she stressed about all the things that could go wrong, and her anxiety was extremely high when her phone would ring, always thinking of the worst.

After weeks of learning, Henry had talked Regina into coming one evening for one of his lessons. Up until that day, she refused endlessly to get in the car with Henry behind the wheel. Regina had sat in the backseat, clutching on to Emma's shoulder tightly the entire time. While she had admitted, and only to herself at the time, that Henry was indeed a good driver, she vowed never to get back in the car until he was more experienced and had his full license.

As spring turned to summer and Mary Margaret's due date approached, Regina noticed that Emma had started to revert back to where she'd been nearly a year before. Emma put on a happy face most days, but Regina saw right through her. She did what she could to give Emma her space and it had started to put a strain on their relationship for a few weeks before Emma finally snapped out of the mood she'd been in and surprised Regina with a bouquet of flowers from Game of Thorns one afternoon and promised that after the baby was born that she'd take her and Henry to New York City for a week.

Mary Margaret gave birth to a healthy and thriving baby girl on the first of June just mere minutes after midnight. Emma had been reluctant to go to the hospital the following morning, but when she held her baby sister for the first time, everything changed and she went back to being happy and excited as she had been months before when she helped her mother set the nursery up.

For two weeks following the birth, the newborn baby was without a name. The Charming's couldn't agree on what to name the adorable blonde-haired, green eyed baby and everyone in town seemed to be eagerly awaiting the reveal of the baby's name. Regina saw Mary Margaret and the newborn baby almost every day. Emma joked that she had become the baby whisperer since the baby had taken a strong liking to her next to her mother.

Regina shifted her focus back to her son and her lover, watching as Henry threw an almost perfect spiral that Emma fumbled. Early in the spring they had started coming to the park on Sunday afternoons before they would go to the Charming's for a family dinner and Regina had watched Henry go from being unable to throw or catch the football to being able to do both flawlessly.

"Come on, Ma!" Henry laughed and he walked over to her and picked up the football from the grass. "You never miss! What gives?"

"Must be tired today, kid," Emma shrugged and she bumped her shoulder into his as they headed over to the bench where Regina was sitting. "Hey."

"Hey," Regina smiled, allowing Emma to sneak in a quick kiss before she sat down heavily on the bench next to her. "Tired already, my love?"

"Little bit."

"You had a late shift last night. Perhaps we should go home and you can have a nap before we join your parents for dinner?"

"Yeah?" Emma smiled as she slipped a hand into Regina's. "I'd like that."

"Can I drive home?" Henry asked and Regina shook her head no. "Come on, Mom. It's like five minutes away. You know I'm a good driver and I'm getting better with every lesson Ma or Grandpa gives me. Ma, tell her."

"It's true," Emma said with a nod of agreement. "He is getting better, Regina, and it's only a five minute drive. Let him drive."

Regina gave in and once they were in the Bug, much like the first time she'd been in the car during one of Henry's lessons, she sat behind Emma and gripped tightly on to her shoulder the entire five minute drive from the park to the house. She didn't loosen her grip until Henry pulled the Bug into the driveway and came to a stop, grinning widely as he pulled the emergency brake and killed the engine.

"Well?" Henry asked as he turned in the seat to look back at Regina. "I'm a pretty good driver, aren't I, Mom?"

"Y—yes," Regina replied shakily and she managed to let go of Emma's shoulder so that Emma could get out of the car. Emma helped her out of the backseat and she felt a little uneasy on her feet. "I'm not ready for this," she whispered as she held on to Emma's shoulders to keep her balance. "I'm not ready."

"He won't be able to drive on his own for another two years, Regina," Emma reminded her and she pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "Don't worry. He is a good driver and he is only going to get better, okay?"

"I'm still not ready."

Emma laughed and wrapped her arms around her tightly. "Me neither, but he's growing up, Regina, and there is nothing we can do to stop that from happening. We just need to roll with it, you know?"

"Roll with it?" Regina asked incredulously. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah," Emma chuckled softly into her ear in a way that made a delightful shiver run through her body. "Come on, let's go inside and—"

"And what?"

"Cuddle?" Emma offered as Regina leaned back to look at her. "We don't have to be at my parents' place for dinner for a few more hours."

"I don't cuddle."

"You do," Emma grinned and they both ignored the annoyed grunt that came from Henry as he left them there in the driveway, bolting towards the house to avoid any further embarrassment from his mothers. "You love to cuddle."

"I do not."

"You do," Emma grinned with a waggle of her eyebrows. "Especially naked."

"That is entirely different," Regina replied with a playful roll of her eyes. "That is post-coital cuddling. Acceptable under the circumstances of which it happens."

"What do you say to creating those circumstances so then we can cuddle?"

"Henry is home. It is the middle of the day. We can't—"

"Henry has a new video game he can't put down and a brand new set of those headphones that cut out all background noise."

"Those headphones cost over three hundred dollars!"

"Hey, it was your idea," Emma shrugged. "You told me to get him a pair that would keep him from hearing us at night."

"I didn't tell you to spend that much."

"He hasn't complained about hearing "weird noises" since I got them for him, has he?"

Regina rolled her eyes even though she knew that Emma was right. She sighed and allowed Emma to sweep in to steal a kiss despite the fact they were out on the driveway for anyone to see. They had been careful to keep their affection private, never showing more than the odd hug or peck on the cheek outside of the privacy of their own home. As the kiss grew deeper, passionate, Regina could feel the shakiness start to disappear and she gripped on to Emma tightly, moaning as Emma backed her up against the side of the yellow bug.

A small cough caused them to break apart suddenly and they both turned to look at a flustered but smiling Archie Hopper as he stood at the end of the driveway on the sidewalk with Pongo at his side.

"Good afternoon," he greeted with a smile and a slight tint of pink on his cheeks.

"Good afternoon, Archie," Regina said and she gently pushed Emma away from her and gave her a pointed look. "Lovely day for a walk, isn't it?"

"Quite," he nodded and let go of Pongo's leash to allow the dog to trot over to Emma to be pet. "How are Henry's driving lesson's coming along?"

"Great," Emma grinned as she knelt down in front of the Dalmatian and scratched him behind the ears. "Regina finally came along for a ride today."

"How did that go?"

"Good."

"It was terrifying," Regina said at the same time and Emma laughed heartedly. "I think I'm going to need a session after that," she said jokingly and Archie laughed and shook his head in amusement. "Highly traumatizing, I tell you."

"We should head off," he said and clicked his tongue at Pongo and the dog obediently returned to his side. "I'll see you tomorrow morning at eleven as usual, Emma?"

"Yep," Emma nodded as she stood up. "Do you want me to bring you a bear claw or something else from Granny's?"

"Ah we ought to skip that tomorrow," he said as he gave a pat to his stomach. "Those daily pastries are starting to show."

"Right," Emma nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow, Archie."

"Have a wonderful day, ladies," he said with a nod and he was off a second later with Pongo happily trotting beside him and nudging at his hand for the treats he kept in his pocket.

Regina led the way into the house with Emma following close behind. Regina had barely made it to the stairs that led up into the foyer before Emma had her arms wrapped around her and was kissing hotly along the side of her neck. Emma's hands wandered freely over her front and Regina felt utterly powerless to stop her.

Emma's intentions were more than clear, clearer than the words she'd spoken in the driveway as a hand went to cup Regina's cunt over her pants and the other snaked up to grasp at her left breast. Regina moaned and she placed her hands over Emma's torn between encouraging her to continue and to force her to stop as Henry was home and it was the middle of the day after all.

She turned around and crushed her lips against Emma's, kissing her deeply as a wave of arousal rushed through her body. For a split second she forgot they were just in front of the door and she grabbed on to Emma's rear and pulled her impossibly close.

"Moms, come on!" Henry groaned from behind them and they pulled apart and not quickly enough as they usually did. "Are you trying to make me need to have therapy or something here?"

"Henry."

"Kid, don't you have a video game to be playing right now?" Emma asked easily and Regina, as she did in moments like that, found it hard to believe that Emma could stay so calm and she was so rattled at their son catching them kissing. "Well?"

"Do you have to do that here?" Henry muttered as he pulled the tab on his can of Coke and took a slip, slurping as he did and it made Regina cringe. "Can't you guys like go do that in your bedroom or something?"

"Henry," Regina said again and she shook her head slowly. "Don't you have a video game to be playing right now?" She echoed Emma's words to him and she smirked at the predictable way he rolled his eyes before he headed up to his room as quickly as he could without tripping up the stairs.

"I think it's time for him and his friends to go away for a weekend camping trip again," Emma muttered under her breath as she wrapped her arms around Regina from behind, keeping her hold loose enough for them to walk up the four steps into the foyer together.

"A weekend alone would be wonderful, but…"

"But?"

"He's growing up so fast, Emma," Regina sighed and she turned to look back at her with a small frown. "He already spends so much time with his friends and with Violet."

"He's still home for dinner every night, Regina. He still gives you a hug every day and he still tells us he loves us too. It's better than nothing."

"What if he grows out of it?"

"He's fifteen now, he'll have his moments, but he also knows that family comes first. He won't grow out of it. I promise."

"That's not something you can promise, Emma."

"You made some promises I thought were going to be impossible for you to keep, but you kept them, Regina."

Regina smiled and turned fully in her arms. "I did keep them, didn't I?"

"You are fucking amazing, you know that, right?" Emma whispered. "Even at my lowest, you were there for me and that is something I'm never going to forget. Ever."

"You do know that I kept those promises because I love you, don't you?"

"I know," Emma smiled and she breathed out shakily. "God, I really don't know what I'd do without you, Regina. If you hadn't been there for me…I wouldn't—I—"

"I know," Regina whispered softly. "You have come so far in the last year, my love. I'm so very proud of you for staying so strong, for fighting those urges and cravings for you, for Henry."

"For us."

"For us," Regina repeated and she felt a fluttering in her heart just as she always did when they had moments just like this. "I would do anything for you, Emma."

"As would I. Without even thinking twice about it."

"You have," she smiled as she cupped Emma's face gently with both hands. "In so many more ways than you even realize. I don't know what I would do without you in my life, Emma. You are everything to me. It took a long time for me to realize just what you truly meant to me, but I wouldn't change anything because we are here now. Together."

Emma exhaled sharply and her eyes darkened with lust. "Can I take a rain check on cuddling and just skip right to making love to you right now?" She whispered into Regina's ear huskily. "If Henry wasn't home—"

"He is."

"If he wasn't," Emma continued as she maneuvered Regina towards the bottom of the staircase. "I would take you right here, right now."

"Later, my love," Regina whispered and she immediately kissed away Emma's pout. "I promise to make it up to you."

"Always so full of promises," Emma chuckled and she placed a lingering kiss on Regina's cheek before letting her go. Emma headed up the stairs, turned after a few steps, and winked at Regina before giving her a look that made it so hard for Regina not to become further aroused. "Coming?"

"To cuddle?" Regina asked lightly and Emma nodded with a salacious wiggle of her eyebrows that made Regina laugh. "I'll be up in a little while. I need to make a phone call. Work related."

"It's Sunday."

"I know."

"No work today, Regina," Emma said and she made a come hither motion with both hands and Regina gave in, following her up the stairs and towards their bedroom. "Let's just cuddle for a little while before we have to go to—"

"Cuddle? Is that what you call sex?" Henry asked with a look of horror on his face as they walked past his room. "You know what, maybe it's better if I didn't know."

"It means exactly what it is supposed to mean," Regina said flatly. "And I don't cuddle."

"Oh you are wrong," Emma grinned and she turned to their son. "She really loves to cuddle. In fact, your mom is the best cuddle-partner I've ever had."

"Ma!"

"Emma!"

"What?" Emma looked innocently at them both. "It's true!"

"You guys are gross," Henry rolled his eyes and he reached to close his door, unable to hide the smile on his face that showed just how happy he was that they had found happiness together. "What time are we leaving later?"

"Four," Regina replied.

"Okay," Henry nodded. "Cool. Can I drive?"

"Sure."

"No," Regina said with a shake of her head at Emma. "We agreed you'd only drive when you are having a lesson."

"It could be a lesson," Emma offered with an easy smile that made her look utterly adorable and impossible to say no to. She turned to Henry and smiled at him. "Just be ready to go at four, kid."

Emma wrapped her arms around Regina from behind almost the second Henry had shut his bedroom door. Regina leaned back against her, smiling to herself as Emma kissed along her neck. She knew what Emma was doing and she hated to admit it, but it was working and she was most definitely going to give in to her advances if she kept it up.

Regina led the way to their bedroom and pulled out of Emma's embrace. She slipped out of her heels before moving to sit on the left side of the bed, smiling over at Emma as she watched her kick off her running shoes before jumping on to the middle of the bed.

With a laugh, Regina laid back and Emma moved to lay at her side immediately. Despite Emma's urging to have sex before, she just lay at Regina's side and placed her head on Regina's shoulder with a soft, content sigh. Regina closed her eyes and focused on the way Emma traced her fingers over the buttons on her blouse and over the belt on her charcoal slacks.

Regina placed a hand over Emma's and opened her eyes as Emma lifted her head up and rested it on her hand. Regina mouthed "what" and Emma shook her head with a small smile and leaned in to kiss her ever so softly.

Emma kissed her once more and laid her head back down on Regina's shoulder, sighing softly as she gently tugged at Regina's blouse, pulling it out from where it was tucked into her slacks. Regina tried to stop her and Emma shook her head.

"I just want to feel you," she murmured quietly. "Don't worry, I know you don't want to have sex right now."

"Emma—"

"I know that what we have is more than just our physical connection with each other, Regina. I like the physical side, but I like this too. Just being here with you."

"I like just being here with you too."

"It's been a year, Regina," Emma said after a moment of silence passed between them. "A year since you found me barely alive. A year since I last had a fix."

"You've been doing wonderfully, Emma. I am so very proud of you."

"And now I think I'm addicted to you," she sighed softly and Regina inhaled deeply as Emma's fingers danced along her abdomen lightly. "I'm addicted to the way you make me feel, I'm addicted to kissing you, to touching you, to our connection, to the way my magic feels when we're close, and it's more than that too, more in ways I don't even know how to describe because there are no words to describe all the ways that you make me feel."

Regina didn't say a word; she just smiled and kissed the top of Emma's head, feeling everything she was saying through their strong connection to one another. She ran a hand up Emma's arm and smiled again.

"Maybe addicted is the wrong word to be using, considering where we were before we ended up where we are now. I just—I'm happy, Regina. Sometimes I feel like it is nothing but a dream, to feel this way, to be happy and—and loved," Emma whispered and she lifted her head to look into Regina's tear-filled eyes. "I never thought I'd feel happy again, or happy at all because my whole life, Regina, I've never known what it's like to feel this way."

"Happy?"

"Happy and in love and just…free."

"Free?"

Emma nodded and shifted more on to her side, propping her head up with her hand again. "Free of burden," she clarified. "Free of guilt. Free of nightmares, and free of craving something that was killing me. You saved me, Regina."

Regina smiled because it was all she could do. They'd had this conversation before a few times and each time it moved her to the brink of tears. Happy tears. Regina slipped her fingers into Emma's hair and pulled her in for a deep, passionate and emotional kiss. Emma pulled back after a few short minutes and shook her head.

"Why are you crying?"

"I'm just happy you've made it this far, Emma."

"Yeah?" Emma smiled, her own eyes filling with tears. "I couldn't have done it without you, Regina. It was already a long, hard road, but somehow you made it easier."

"It will always be a long, hard road, Emma. You just know now you are more than strong enough to get through anything that stands in your way."

"With you."

"And Henry," Regina said and she stroked her fingers through her hair. "And your parents. Your baby brother and sister. Your friends."

"You mostly."

"Now you're just trying to get me naked," Regina chuckled light-heartedly.

"Is it working?"

"Later," Regina whispered and she kissed Emma's pout away. "I already promised you to make it up to you later."

"Right."

"Don't pout, dear," Regina chuckled. "You already have me in bed and cuddling and it's the middle of the day. What more do you want?"

"You know what I want."

"You are impossible."

"You love me even when I'm impossible."

"I love you no matter what, Emma Swan."

"I love you too," Emma smiled and she moved to lay at Regina's side once more, her fingers continuing to stroke over her abdomen lightly.

As she always did, Regina basked in the moment with Emma, lying with her as Emma fell into a deep sleep with relative ease. She stroked her fingers through Emma's hair, knowing what a calming and relaxing effect it had on her, and she reflected back once again on the past year of their lives together.

Eventually she too drifted off to sleep and when she woke, it was a few hours later and Emma's hand that had been stroking along her stomach had moved to cup over her left breast. She eased Emma's hand away before slipping out from their embrace without waking her. She changed out of her wrinkled blouse and slipped on another, all the while keeping an eye on Emma as she continued to sleep peacefully in their bed.

Regina heard Henry's footsteps out in the hall and she walked out of the bedroom before he could enter. "She's still sleeping," she said quietly. "Are you all set to go?"

"Yeah," Henry said with a small shake of his head. "Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Can I go out after we have dinner? I kind of promised Vi I'd take her out for ice cream tonight."

"Of course you can," Regina smiled and she ran her hand over his head lovingly. "You are truly happy with her, aren't you?"

Henry blushed and nodded his head. "Yeah, I am. She's…she's pretty awesome."

"She is," Regina chuckled. "Go on and brush your teeth before we leave, dear. I'll wake Emma up and we'll head out and no," she said as she held up a finger. "You are not driving to your grandparents' house. This is not a discussion."

"Fine."

Regina returned to the bedroom once Henry had walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth and she wasn't surprised to find the bed empty, nor was she surprised when Emma all but tackled her down to the bed. She gave in, just for a moment, kissing Emma deeply as their hands wandered freely. She put a stop to things despite her body reacting to Emma's touch, once again promising to make it up to her that night.

They made it to the Charming's just after four that afternoon. David was watching a baseball game on the television in the living room with Neal playing on the floor with some cars. Henry joined them while Regina headed into the kitchen to make sure that Mary Margaret didn't need any help in preparing dinner. Emma had followed her and tried to steal some of the cookies that were cooling on the counter, wincing when Mary Margaret snapped a towel at her and told her that the cookies were for dessert and sent her off to join her father and the boys in the living room.

Dinner went as it always did, smoothly despite the baby waking up from her nap halfway through, hungry and cranky and in need of a diaper change shortly afterwards. After dinner and dessert, and after the baby had been put to bed early and Henry settled in front of the television with Neal to watch a movie, the adults headed out to the backyard to sit around the fire out together.

Regina sat in the Adirondack chair watching Emma as she and her father struggled with the marshmallows they were trying to cook over the small fire. Mary Margaret had disappeared inside and returned with a bottle of wine and four glasses. Though Emma didn't drink much at all, there were a few occasions when she indulged in a glass of cider or a glass of red wine. She just smiled at Mary Margaret when she handed her a rather full glass and she shifted her attention back to Emma, watching in delight as Emma groaned when her marshmallow fell off the stick and into the flames.

Emma's second attempt at her marshmallow was a success and she grinned as she approached Regina, holding out the stick for her to take it. Regina shook her head no and took a sip of her wine, raising an eyebrow at Emma when Emma sat on the arm of the chair and pulled the warm, gooey marshmallow off the stick and held it out towards her.

"Take a bite."

"No," Regina said lowly.

"It's good," Emma grinned and she took a small bite of the marshmallow and wiggled her eyebrows before holding it out to her again. "Just take a bite, Regina. It's not going to kill you or anything."

"Emma—"

"Please?"

Regina had found, in the last year they had been together, that it was utterly impossible for her to say no when Emma pulled out the pout that made her adorable and irresistible all at once. All too aware that the Charming's were watching their every move, Regina tentatively leaned forward to take a bite of the marshmallow Emma held between two fingers and she fought back a small moan as she pulled away.

She was caught off guard when Emma ducked down and kissed her squarely on the lips, the kiss lingering only just a few seconds, but it being longer than the last—and only—time Emma's parents had been a witness to any form of affection between them.

It was Emma's happy and content smile when they parted that made Regina smile in return and forget, just for a moment, that they were not alone. Emma smiled wider before dropping a kiss to her forehead and taking the last of the marshmallow past her own lips before sitting in the chair next to Regina's with a long, drawn out sigh.

Regina had expected to feel uneasy with the small amount of affection they had shown in front of the Charming's, but to her surprise, she didn't at all. She relaxed, sipped her wine, watched the fire, and even slipped her hand into Emma's when Emma reached out for her.

"Evangeline," Mary Margaret said quietly, drawing Regina and Emma's attention over to her. "We're going to name her Evangeline."

"That's a beautiful name," Regina smiled over at her. "I think it suits her perfectly."

"Yeah?" Mary Margaret smiled in return. "What do you think, Charming?"

"It's perfect," he said lovingly as he leaned over to kiss her lightly on the cheek.

"I like it," Emma declared as she stroked a thumb over Regina's slowly. "Evie."

"Evangeline," Mary Margaret said, enunciating the newborn baby's newly given name.

"Evie," Emma smirked and Regina playfully rolled her eyes at her.

"On that note," Mary Margaret said as she rose from her chair with David immediately moving in to help her. "I'm going to check in on Evangeline and call it a night. David, will you make sure Neal gets to bed shortly? It's already past his bedtime."

"Of course."

"Good night," Mary Margaret smiled at Regina and Emma.

Regina and Emma both returned the sentiment and neither moved as David ushered Mary Margaret into the house, leaving them alone out in the backyard in front of the fire. Regina was happy in that very moment and she knew she was feeding off of Emma's own emotions and Emma's own happiness.

Just off in the distance, a soft melody of music floated through the air and Emma rose from her chair and beckoned to Regina with a flourish. Regina downed the last of what was in her wine glass and allowed Emma to lift her out of the chair, their arms immediately falling around one another as Emma led, their bodies swaying to the soft music that could only faintly be heard.

Like all of the little moments they shared, Regina basked in that very moment, of Emma's arms around her securely and their bodies swaying in time of the slow beat of the faint music they could hear. She took a few seconds to just really look at Emma, to look into her eyes, to admire the way they looked in the dancing and flickering light of the fire, and she knew more than anything that she would love Emma Swan for the rest of her life and for many lifetimes after the one they were living in.

She had felt many things through their connection over the past year—longer than that when she reflected on their rocky past together, but nothing came close to what she was feeling in that very moment. It was a feeling that went beyond happiness, and that went beyond love, beyond understanding. It was a feeling that no words could describe and it was the most incredible thing that she had felt in her entire life.

Even though she had been so oblivious to Emma's downfall in the months before she had discovered what Emma had been doing to herself, she had been there for her every step of the way since and she would be there every step of the way for as long as Emma needed her to be.

Even if that meant forever.

She wasn't sure what kind of forever they would have, if any, but it was a long road to true happiness and a road they had found themselves travelling along on together. She sunk a hand into Emma's hair and pulled her in for a kiss. It didn't last more than a second before Emma spun her around and they erupted into laughter before falling into one another's arms once again.

She would happily stay on the road they were on if that meant a life as she now knew it, a life with Emma that was filled with love and small, precious moments she would forever cherish in her heart.

It had been a long road to get to where they were, but the road they were on was far longer and filled with nothing but happiness, family, and love.

The End

Final Notes: I just want to thank those who have been reading the story and have taken time to leave some feedback. While this story didn't take off as well as I had hoped, it was fun to write and interesting to dive into a subject most people don't want to get into. About halfway through, I got rather discouraged because of the lack of response to the story. A gentle reminder to readers how important leaving some feedback (even just one or two words) is for all writers, because sometimes, just following/favouriting a story doesn't tell a writer how you actually feel about a story. I'm not unappreciative to those who have given a moment or two to leave some feedback. Know that I do appreciate you taking the time to do just that and that I look forward to the things you have to say, even if it's not much at all, it still means a lot :)