Well… this is the end of the babbling barbarian saga. Thank you all so much for the support. Your reviews, favs and follows made me so happy that I would keep this story going forever if I could. It's been a real fun ride, I hope it was for you too.

Leave a review in case you have suggestions for an extra chapter, or even a sequel.

So… Have fun, guys!

3 years later

Emma opened her eyes slowly.

The bedroom was grayish, and very little light entered through the curtains. She pulled the covers closer to her body, missing the warmth presence next to her.

Regina left the bathroom tying her robe around her waist. She gave up on keeping her hair short, and now it had grown a lot, cascading down her shoulders as she moved around the bedroom, trying to find her slippers.

She came to the edge of the bed when she noticed Emma was awake.

"Good morning," she whispered with a smile, kissing the blonde softly.

Emma pulled her and made her fall on top of her body very ungraciously. "You should get back to bed."

"You should get up to put salt on the front drive," Regina kissed her again and then straightened up next to their bed. "It's snowing a lot."

Emma buried her face on the pillow, groaning.

"I'll make you pancakes!"

"Fine," she said with a muffled voice, rolling over the mattress and noticing Regina was wearing her Darth Vader slippers the moment she exited the bedroom. Excellent. That meant Regina forgot her froufrou silky lacey ones somewhere in the house and Emma would have to wear them, because apparently only Mr. Vader's head could keep Regina's feet warm.

Yawning, Emma went downstairs and entered the kitchen, where delicious smells hit her senses all at once. Regina was humming something absently minded as Emma watched her with a sleepy smile from the doorway. She did that every morning, and yet every time it felt like the first time she stood there, not knowing what to do.

The brunette turned around and grinned, gesturing for her to sit down, and brought her coffee and a tall stack of pancakes. As Regina leaned on the counter to serve her, Emma took in her favorite scents – usually, it was that faint trace of after sex that came from Regina's skin, but sometimes it was the scent of soap Regina used in the shower before bed – all this mixed with strong coffee.

It smelled like home, and it made her half-heart pump gladly inside her chest.

XXX

It was a lazy Sunday. As Emma went outside to handle their slippery sidewalk, Regina decided to head to her office and finish some paper work. Since those envelopes addressed to Henry arrived, she would take a few moments like this to distract her mind a little with Storybrooke's business.

Emma never complained about that, which was a blessing, because Regina was not sure she would be able to handle the news if she didn't have Emma being absolutely rational for both of them.

Henry had been accepted to most Colleges that he applied, and even though New York was not that far, she could not believe her little boy would live with them only until summer was over. Regina hated the summer, and she wished it could snow forever.

Suddenly she felt a little cold and went searching for Emma's clothes upstairs. Regina felt a pang in her heart when her hands felt the fabric.

She pulled the white sweater from the bottom of a messy drawer. Somehow it always seemed to come back to haunt her. It was the sweater that Emma was wearing the night she became the Dark One and died.

She put it on, feeling warm so suddenly that it almost felt like magic. Emma's clothes had that odd power over her. When she returned to her office, she saw Emma through the window, walking to the backyard with a bag of salt and a shovel. Minutes later, the blonde found her in her office.

"Hey."

"Come in," Regina smiled, noticing the way Emma looked at the particular piece of cloth.

"I thought you threw it away," she said, sitting on top of the desk in front of Regina's chair.

"It's so warm."

"It makes you sad."

Regina smiled, holding her hand in hers and squeezing it gently. "Good thing you're here, then."

"Do you want me to do a striptease dance like in 2014?"

The brunette burst out laughing.

They came home from a date, late at night, and sure that Henry was still out with Violet, Emma snapped her fingers and turned the stereo on. As Annie Lennox's music boomed softly from the TV room, Emma started to strip off her clothes at the entrance hall, doing a dance that Regina had never seen in her life, but found oddly sexy despite the fact that Emma was a dork.

It only took a shirt removal for the blonde to go from clumsy to extremely hot. Regina loved when she wore the black bra and how it highlighted her muscled arms and abdomen. When Emma touched the zipper of her jeans, Henry walked out of the kitchen with a glass of water.

"Night, Demi," he said, laughing and cringing at the same time as he hurried upstairs.

Desperate to hide, Emma turned around quickly to flee the most embarrassing moment of her life and slipped on the carpet runner, falling on her side with a loud rumble.

"Oh God, are you okay?" Regina hurried and kneeled down next to her, a worried expression quickly replacing the amused one.

Henry came back, covering his eyes with his hand so he wouldn't see his mother on her bra.

"You were not supposed to know that movie," Emma grunted, and then groaned when she tried to laugh and it hurt.

She broke her left arm and a rib that night.

"I need you in one piece," Regina shook her head, chuckling. "I'm sorry, dear. That was memorable."

"I know it was," Emma grinned, loving that she had managed to make her laugh. "Come on, this sweater is like a Horcrux. Take it off and let's get out of here."

"What do you mean, get out of here? It's nine in the morning," Regina pointed out.

"Yep. Good thing about the time is that we can eat breakfast at Granny's," Emma said, pulling Regina from her chair without any resistance.

"You just ate!"

"I'm hungry again," she muttered.

"I'll bake some more-"

"Gina? Baby?" Emma pulled her back in front of her as Regina was already hurrying out of the office. She held both of her hands in hers.

"What?"

"I just want to take you out of the house. Okay?"

A lot of emotions flashed past her deep brown eyes, and Emma hated that she was in that much pain because their son grew up.

"Thank you," Regina whispered, placing both hands on Emma's chest and kissing her.

"Sure," the blonde winked when they withdrew. "Okay, hand that over-"

"Fine," Regina grunted like a spoiled child, lifting her arms and taking off the sweater, shivering the second the wool left her skin. "See? I'm cold now!"

"I have tons of sweaters in that closet. Pick another one."

As Regina grumpily marched towards the staircase, Emma sighed, crumpling it into a ball. She threw it one of the TV room's armchairs, trying to decide what to do with it. She went towards the kitchen and wrote Henry a note, which she attached to the fridge with a magnet in case he woke up and didn't find them home.

She grinned broadly when Regina showed up wearing a thick, dark grey hoodie twice her size, with a large print of Batman's symbol.

"Shut up," Regina warned her. "What are you, a twelve years old?"

"Says the lady actually wearing it," Emma chuckled, enveloping Regina in a hug and kissing the top of her head. "Are you warm in there?"

"Yes," the brunette grumbled.

"Good. Let's go, then."

They got inside the Mercedes and Regina let Emma drive, so she could merely watch the landscape. It was weird that something created inside her mind, meant to be a prison and a punishment, transformed itself into a place she loved with all her heart. Half of her heart, that is.

Granny's was not full, and that was probably because of the intense cold on the streets. Ruby looked grumpy behind the counter, rubbing her hands together in order to keep them warm.

"Morning, Regina. Morning- Wow, you look exactly like your dad!" Ruby said, referring to Emma's padded vest and the flannel shirt she was wearing.

"Shut up."

Chuckling, Regina slumped down on the nearest stool and took one of the many greasy menus. She had been through it over a million times, but she found the task soothing, even though she knew it by heart at this point.

"We're having bacon and eggs today. And black coffee," Emma said, shutting away any possibility of Regina ordering something else.

"And catheters. To go," the brunette said to Ruby with a fake smile, and then turned to Emma. "I'm not eating this!"

"Yes you are," Emma said unaffected by her reaction. "We're going for outside activities today, and you'll need energy."

Regina rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine," she grunted, and looked up at a confused Ruby. "Go ahead, bring me a heart attack on a plate."

Ruby offered her a sympathetic smile. "Look, I know it's a bummer Henry's leaving… But instead of being sad about it, why don't we throw a farewell party for him? We have half a year to plan it, and it will keep you busy."

"I don't want to spend six months planning a celebration because my son is moving out and leaving me!"

"I wish you held onto that when you two got married," Ruby grunted. "I had six weeks to plan the wedding of the century because the ladies had ants in their pants-"

Her voice trailed off as she left to the kitchen.

"It's not a bad idea."

Regina's neck actually snapped when she quickly looked back at Emma. "I'm not throwing a party!"

"Think about it. We can ask people to leave a message for him. We'll record everything on tape, and if he so much as forget to call us or don't pick up the phone when we do, we can post the video on Facebook, so his cool, stupid college friends will see what a smothered mama's boy he is," Emma suggested with a grimace. "That or we can shrink him back to ten years old."

Regina grabbed her hand on top of the counter. "I didn't know you were this annoyed that he is leaving. I thought you were just resigned but otherwise okay."

"Believe me, you're not alone on this boat. I hate it as much as you do, I just… I want to encourage him to go while in secret I want him to stay."

"Can we shrink him back to a baby?"

Emma went back to the day she gave him up for adoption, and how close she was from meeting Regina if she had stayed a little while in the hospital. "I would have loved to raise him with you."

"I wish you had been here," Regina whispered, squeezing her hand in an affectionate way.

Emma smiled sadly, but she patted Regina's back excitedly when their food arrived. She hated those intense moments of could-have-been's. "Look, this will cheer you up. I promise."

"I don't know how it could possibly – God!" Regina closed her eye in pleasure as she took a bite from her plate. "Mmmm… God!"

"And this, ladies and gentlemen, is what my wife sounds like when she comes," Emma muttered, grinning as she attacked her food as well.

"I hate you," Regina told Emma through a mouthful. "This is going to clog my arteries-"

"You're welcome."

After eating, they left Granny's and climbed into the car. Regina noticed Emma was driving towards the old town line, and she frowned.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see. We're almost there."

Regina looked around, and frowned deeper when the blonde made a turn to the left and they were actually inside the woods. They drove for a few more minutes, and Emma parked when they arrived at the clearing. There were fallen tree trunks and two axes stuck into one of them.

"Are we becoming a secluded couple of lumberjacks because our son is moving out?" Regina asked.

"That's an idea, but not right now," Emma pulled her out of the car and then toward the axes. "Pick one and watch. This is my anger management class."

She placed a log on top of a chopped tree, adjusted it at the center with the tip of her boot and swung the axe. The log split in two, both halves falling to opposite sides. David had taught her a few years back, and she found out quite recently how soothing to the nerves it could be.

"Now it's your turn," she said, placing another log and beckoning Regina to come closer.

Regina sighed. Whenever Emma came up with some absurd idea, it was impossible to make her let go. She swung the axe up to her shoulder and tried to copy the movement. What she didn't expect was the tool to be so heavy; it slipped off her hands and flew a few feet past the log.

"Hold it tighter," Emma picked it and offered it back to her.

"I don't want to do this."

"Come on. One more try."

Regina rolled her eyes and did it again, aiming for the log. The axe actually made the right course, but it didn't split it completely.

"Awesome!" Emma said excited. "Again."

In one hour, Regina was puffing and grunting, swinging the axe like a professional wood chopper, Emma rounding on her, whistling and clapping.

When she couldn't stand to lift her arms any longer, Regina slumped down the ground, resting her back against the Mercedes.

"This actually made me feel good," she said, holding Emma's hand as soon as the blonde sat down next to her. "Thank you."

"I'm glad I could help. Here," she offered her a beer.

"Where did that came from?" Regina asked, accepting it with a frown.

"I have a secret stash buried right over there," Emma pointed at a trapdoor.

Regina closed her eyes as she sipped her beer, smiling. When the first gulp hit her stomach, she reminded why she didn't drink this sort of beverage. "This tastes awfully good and makes me look like I'm pregnant."

"You can't seriously refuse beer for that reason," Emma rolled her eyes, finishing hers in a few sips.

"I can, actually. If I had your metabolism, I wouldn't be complaining."

"But you're hot!"

"Curvy."

"I love your curves!"

"Then why did you date that… underfed… girl… before me?"

Emma laughed out loud when she remembered Nadia. She was skinny as hell.

"For the same reason you were with a dude before me. Should I be worried I don't have a pack inside my pants?"

"Point made," Regina chuckled. "I'm just… feeling a bit old."

"Aw, c'mon…" Emma pulled the brunette to her, and passed one arm around her shoulder. "You're the most beautiful woman in Storybrooke!"

"Ass kisser."

"Since when you have such a sailor mouth, lady?"

"Since you dragged me to chop wood with an ax and drink beer, dear."

"You're right. We need to find something less masculine for you. Have you considered going back jogging?"

"I should get a horse from the stables and ride again. I was really good at that. I'm not a huge fan of running around town like an idiot."

"So, after four years, you finally admit you just jogged that day to spy on me naked."

"Oh my God, Emma…"

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," the blonde winked to annoy her. "Okay, I'll think of something else to keep you happy even when Mr. I-Was-Approved-In-Every-College- Smartass is gone."

"You're handling it absolutely well for a moron," Regina pulled Emma to her and kissed the side of her head. "Thank you for that."

"What I won't do to make Your Majesty happy?" Emma stood up and offered a hand to pick Regina up as well. "Let's go home. Henry must be up already."

"I think I'll ask him," Regina said, accepting the help and grabbing Emma's arm to steady herself. "About a farewell party."

"I think he'll like it. And I think," Emma opened the passenger door for her. "We'll like it too. It's been a while since there was a party in this town."

"Maybe I'll make Storybrooke Parade an official holiday. And yes," Regina chuckled and rolled her eyes as she got in the car. "I miss seeing you in that uniform."

"I can wear it anytime you want, why do we need a Parade?" Emma rambled all the way to the other side and slumped down behind the steering wheel. "I can make a dance with the uniform!"

"Honey, if you'll do a private parade just for me, what's the fun?" Regina squeezed her right thigh as she maneuvered the car out of the clearing and through the woods. "I want to exhibit my little hot sex toy to the whole town."

"You definitively know how to flatter me," Emma grinned broadly. "Fine, I'll parade my muscles for you. Don't babble on your speech."

"I'll try my best," the brunette chuckled.

Maybe it would not be so bad. Emma would keep her so busy and entertained that, some days, she would probably forget a little that she missed Henry. And with time, she would catch up with the idea that kids grow up and belong to the world, but they would always come back for Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and whenever someone broke their hearts or fired them from their first job.

"So…" Emma brought her back from her thoughts. "Do you feel like cooking or should I stop at Granny's for takeout?"

"Are you hungry again?"

"I'm always hungry."

"I know that," Regina smiled at the blonde, recognizing the first signs of impatience due to lack of food. "And what does your rumbling, bottomless stomach craves?"

"Fries. And burgers. And more fries. And extra pickles. And onion rings. Oh Jesus, I'm dying…"

"And that, ladies and gentleman, I my wife having an orgasm…"

XXX

Ruby Lucas was not a romantic person and did not believe in love at first sight.

The moment the doorbell to Granny's rang, she lifted her sleepy eyes from her fingernails and saw a square jawed woman standing there, looking to her sides and then marching towards her.

Ruby Lucas hated Monday mornings with all her heart.

"I'm looking for-" the brown haired woman looked down at a clipboard "-Miss Wolfie."

Ruby's eyes snapped open in surprise. "How dare-"

"Ha," the woman chuckled, ignoring her visible irritation. "Regina told me you would react like this. She hired me to help you plan her son's farewell party."

"Who are you?" Ruby asked grumpily.

"Dorothy Gale, party planner on my free time."

"And what do you do on your busy time?"

Dorothy grinned at her defiant tone. "You don't wanna know, Wolfie."

"I do. You smell like dogs, and if you're gonna spend time inside our restaurant, then yeah, I wanna know."

That seemed to take the woman off guard; she pulled the collar of her shirt and sniffed it.

"Must've been Toto-"

Ruby blinked several times. "Toto? You're Dorothy from Oz?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You sounded nicer in the book. Are you always so arrogant?"

"Only when I have to. What book are you talking about?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"The Wizard of Oz book. It's my favorite. I know all about…" Ruby's voice trailed off as she noticed she was blushing, fangirling over a woman who looked at her like someone looks at dog shit under their shoe. "Anyway, the party. What do you have in mind?"

Dorothy sat down slowly, eyes glued to Ruby and her poorly covered body parts.

"Aren't you cold?"

"Aren't you supposed to worry about your job?"

"It's difficult to concentrate on that when you're half naked in front of me," Dorothy said, looking down at her clipboard and going through a few pages.

"You talk like you never saw a woman naked, Kansas," Ruby spat, serving two cups of fresh coffee.

"Oh, I have, Wolfie," she muttered, eyes on the pages, trying to focus on Regina's overly refined handwriting.

XXX

"I hate her!"

Emma looked up from the monitor. The station was quiet, with David out on street patrol, but now that Ruby was inside, the air changed. She seemed angry, her face was red, and she was wearing clothes that didn't seem to match the description of snowy weather.

"Who do you hate?"

"Your party planner! She's a… bitch! She's so annoying with that clipboard and those fancy shirts-"

Emma was smiling, and that made Ruby even angrier.

"What's so funny, Emma Swan? You're supposed to help me with- God, I hate her," she walked past the blonde's desk and came back a few more times.

"It's Swan-Mills," she corrected her friend, showing her golden ring on her left hand. "And we thought it would be good to get someone to help you after almost giving you a stroke over our wedding ceremony-"

"You could have asked anyone to help me but her! She's a pain in the ass and she has that smug smile on her face. Ugh! She annoys the hell out of me, Emma. I can't stand her!"

"Well, I once felt pretty much like you towards someone," the Sheriff said carefully. "But after we worked out our personal issues, we figured out how to co-exist in the same place for a long time."

"And how did you do it?" Ruby asked sardonically.

"I married her."

"Shut up, Emma."

"Well, you asked," she shrugged. "But the party was your idea. What do you want me to do? Regina's finally on board, I can't talk her out of it now. I'm in her good books and I wanna keep it that way."

"You can't stand one night sleeping far from your sex goddess, can you?" Ruby scoffed. "God, I hate love and I hate people in love!"

XXX

"Mind if I join you?"

Regina looked back at the door and found Henry, and for a split second he looked like he was five again. If it wasn't for the deep voice, he could have fooled her for another half second…

"Absolutely not, honey," she beckoned him in with a warm smile. She usually didn't watch TV, and when she did, she would merely let Emma or Henry lead the way and pick something.

Tonight, it was the first time she was doing it by herself, but she loved that Henry wanted to join her.

"Your mom looks so nervous," Regina commented, eyes on the screen as Henry sat down close to her.

"She was shaking," he chuckled, watching intently as he and Emma walked down the aisle, arm in arm, wearing pretty much the same outfit, with the exception that Emma's suit's cut was a lot more feminine.

Regina looked at her wife and son on the TV, recalling her own moment of panic on the backstage of that video, feeling like her heart was going to escape through her throat if she so much as breathed. She remembered David walking Snow up to the altar and then returning to get her.

That was not planned. She had prepared herself to walk down the aisle alone. Ruby thought it would be metaphorically and allegorically more dramatic, but now she didn't feel powerful or intimidating enough to do it on her own.

"Every girl should have their dad doing it," David said with a gentle smile as he saw her in her white, gorgeous dress. "I would be honored if you would let me."

He offered his arm and Regina felt her throat burn at the same time that her heart calmed down, as if David being there suddenly could soothe her nerves. She laced her naked arm to his and allowed him to lead her out of the car.

"You're going to ruin my makeup and I want to hate you for this, Charming," she said with a thick voice, removing the tears from the corner of her eyes with the tip of her manicured fingers as they walked up to the central aisle that Ruby had adorned with white roses.

"I'm glad you're still trying," he winked, and he looked infuriatingly smug, just like Emma. He offered her a handkerchief and smiled. "You look beautiful."

"Here comes you, mom!" Henry pointed at the TV screen, and there she was, with her makeup immaculate and a huge smile on her lips. "Grandpa cried a little, look!"

Regina re-winded the video and saw as David discreetly wiped his left eye with the back of his hand.

"He's a softie," she said, smiling fondly at the man. It was weird to love someone that much when you made a hobby of hating and chasing them in the past. "Your mother is just like him."

They watched the ceremony with the volume down, talking about everything they could remember that wasn't caught on camera, except for Emma's silent and constant tears of joy - that had been caught by everyone.

She wouldn't stop smiling and shedding tears, and Regina felt a jolt in her chest, just as if she went back there at that moment, and smelled Emma's perfume, and the freshly mown grass, and heard the violins on the background, and felt Emma's warm hand on hers, promising to never let go.

The camera moved past Snow, who offered Charming one of her own tissues, then at Ruby, Archie and Laura, and all the rest of Storybrooke, who magically - and exceptionally - fit into Regina's backyard for the ceremony.

"I'm gonna miss living here."

Regina looked at Henry, surprised that he sounded so insecure.

"We're going to miss you too, sweetie."

He looked at her, and the brunette could verify that Emma had taught him how to shave correctly. She had no idea how Emma could have done that without having a beard herself, but well, the blonde knew so much about so many things…

"You think New York is the right choice? It's not far, but-"

Regina knew that, if Emma had been there, she would agree immediately that he dropped college so they could start a small business to sell lumber during the winter and paint houses over the summer, wearing matching overalls and ball caps.

Since the blonde wasn't, Regina did what she thought she had to do.

"You always felt connected to New York, just as you always felt connected with the Enchanted Forest, Henry, even though no one believed you. Please, honey… If there's one person who can follow their heart, that's you. It won't mislead you."

"Does Ma agree with you?"

"Like me, she hates to see you go. But she knows deep in her heart that this is what you should pursue. And no matter what, you can always come back. This will always be your home."

"I'm gonna miss you, mom," he squeezed her hand. "I'm even gonna miss Ma waking me up early to wash the car or do something with tools on Sundays. Don't tell her I said that."

Regina laughed and pulled him to her arms. He was so tall now that she felt small next to him. But when he stammered I love you, mom… He was just her little boy again, even if only for a fleeing moment…

XXX

Pretty much like her curse on reverse, those six months flew by in the blink of an eye. Regina watched through the window as Emma took the last bag to the bug and locked the trunk. The blonde made her way back inside and met Regina on the TV room.

"Hey," she said softly, sitting down next to her. She didn't feel ready to this road trip, either. Regina grabbed her hand in silence and exhaled deeply. Emma went on. "Ruby and Dorothy didn't kill each other, the diner is all set up, Henry's bags are in the car… It smells like success."

"I love when you are positive just to cheer me up," Regina touched Emma's face, smiling sadly. "But it's okay if you want to just sit and sulk for a minute."

"I love that you know exactly when I need to drop the act. This is killing me."

"We're going to be fine, dear," Regina squeezed her hand, adding more pressure to her fingers. "Until then, let's hate college, and let's hate New York all we want."

Emma sighed, caressing Regina's hand with her thumb. "Hey, do you wanna get wasted before the party starts?"

"That sounds like a terrible idea," Regina sighed. "Yeah, let's do it."

And they drank – beer and wine – and they watched homemade videos that showed Henry growing up. When it was time to get dressed, they helped each other up the staircase, took a quick shower together that involved a quickie, and then came back downstairs looking happier than they had been all day.

The party at Granny's was incredible. It was packed with the youngest public of Storybrooke, but the old faces started to show up eventually. Emma had insisted on bringing a camera, which she used to follow people around relentlessly.

Regina was sitting in one of the outside benches, grinning as she watched the blonde terrorize people with the equipment. Snow sat down next to her, offering a plastic plate with a hotdog and mashed potatoes.

"My daughter is a dork."

"Oh, look at that-"

They watched Belle dodge Emma like a bullet – and Belle was one of the most polite people in that room.

Regina accepted the plate and started to eat. She had been so worried about the last details that she barely touched the food since the party started. Not to mention that other mothers decided to make it a communitarian celebration to send away their kids to college, too, and Regina had to constantly remind Ruby and Dorothy that they could not neglect the other parents' opinion.

Which they did.

All the time.

"We could not have found a grumpier pair than those two to organize it," Regina said. "Where are they?"

"I have no idea," Snow said, attacking her plate as well. They had been all too engaged with keeping Ruby off Dorothy's throat that they barely ate that day. "If they wanna strangle each other, fine. I'm hungry."

"Snow?"

"Mm?"

As Regina opened her mouth repeatedly to speak and didn't get to elaborate her sentence, Snow White figured what that was about.

"It is awful to send a child away," she said before the brunette could even bring back their old wound. "But Henry will be fine, like Emma did. Okay?" she insisted, squeezing her arm softly.

"Okay," Regina swallowed hard, not sure what bothered more, the food or the stuck up tears.

Emma tripped over someone's foot and stood up quickly, saying repeatedly "I'm okay! I'm okay!"

Regina burst out laughing, and the tears rolled down her cheeks, freely. Snow was laughing a lot more than a mother should, but she just couldn't help it – not when Emma had been a jerk with that camera.

David came outside, holding Neal's hand, but the little boy disentangled from his father and ran to his mother, not before making a quick pause in front of Regina's knees. He stuck his fingers into her mashed potatoes and shoved it into his mouth.

"Neal!" Snow chastised him. "That's wrong! What do we say when we do something wrong?"

"Sorry, Gina," he mumbled, but with a little smile that made him look like Emma.

"Little rascal," Regina muttered grinning, unable to resist. "I'm going to tickle you-"

"I think we have a situation in the ladies' room," David said. "Someone is locked in there, and there's a huge line of angry women wanting to break in."

"I'm on it," Regina sighed, offering her plate to Neal. "Watch it for me?"

"Okay."

"Don't eat."

"Okay."

She laughed as she spun on her heels, fully aware that he would have his mouth full of her mashed potatoes when she returned.

The inside was warm and noisy, and she had to fight through a small crowd to make her way towards the bathroom. When she finally made it to the door, she smacked it three times.

"Whoever's in there, don't make me use a fireball. Get. Out!"

It took a full minute, but the door finally clicked and Ruby appeared, her face flushed and her hair a ridiculous mess. She walked past the crowd with as much dignity as she could muster.

"Regina," she said, nodding politely, one second before Dorothy followed her, nodding as well and equally disheveled.

"Madam Mayor," she muttered.

Both women walked away as if nothing had happened, and as the line of women finally started to advance towards the bathroom, Regina burst out laughing once again.

XXX

Henry made a mixtape for their road trip, which Emma secretly and bitterly baptized Operation Swallow Your Heart. The tape, however, was the only sound inside the bug as they traveled to New York in the morning after the party.

Everyone was oddly silent, and even during the quick stops for coffee and bathroom they would keep conversation to a minimum. There was a lot of visual contact, though. And holding hands. And a few pictures with Emma's infernal camera.

It was like a dream. They arrived to Henry's dorm, and helped him carry all his belongings upstairs. His roommate would come on Monday, so Emma made him promise to text her with his name the second he arrived – she would run a full check up on her old computer and make sure her son was not sharing a dorm with a potential serial killer or drug addict.

She knew she could not protect him from bad people and all the problems of the world – not even in Storybrooke. It was time to let him go, and this time it felt a million times worse than when she gave birth to him.

Regina held her hand in silence, knowing full well what Emma was thinking.

She gave his small room a once over, considering it too ordinary and too simple and too far from 108 Mifflin Street. She placed the lasagna she prepared on top of a desk so Henry could have his first dinner in New York with a bit of a taste from home.

Emma squeezed her hand strongly in return, telling her they would be okay.

The travel back was another surreal dream. They held hands, and kept listening to the mixtape. The blonde made a mental note to throw it away as soon as they got home – she would never be able to listen to any of those songs again. She might just shove it into the box that held her white sweater and hide it inside Regina's vault.

There were some text messages from Snow on both their cellphones when they arrived in Storybrooke. They could check that on the morning. Hand in hand, Emma and Regina walked inside the mansion.

"It feels weird," Emma said, looking around the entrance hall.

"It feels really weird," Regina agreed, pulling her upstairs and towards their bedroom.

They lay in bed in silence, Emma spooning Regina instead of breathing hard as she ripped off her clothes.

Regina drifted off to sleep first, and when she woke up, in the middle of the night, she realized she was alone. Emma's side was still warm. Regina got up and walked towards Henry's room when she saw the weak light of a lampshade bathing the floorboards of the corridor.

Emma was sitting on his bed, facing the window, hands between her legs as she stared blankly at the curtains. Regina sat down next to her, clasping her fingers around the blonde's.

"Now what?" Emma asked, her voice hoarse.

"Now we… move on," Regina said, resting her chin on her shoulder.

"I can magically try to get you pregnant."

Regina laughed at the possibility, picturing half of Storybrooke passing out and the other half looking politely puzzled. But above all, she imagined David and Snow's reaction.

"Your parents would flip."

Emma chuckled. "We could get a dog."

"Or not."

The blonde smiled and stood up, offering a hand to Regina. "Or-" she waved her free hand and Put your head on my shoulder started to play from Henry's stereo "-we could enjoy the free time to go out on extravagant first dates every week," she said, spinning Regina on the carpet as the music played. "And then we can have all the loud sex we want."

Regina chuckled against her shoulder as she let Emma lead her around the room. She wasn't wrong when she thought she would be busy without Henry.

"I liked it, Sheriff."

Emma stared down at her, a tiny, drowsy smile gracing her lips as they spun around slowly and the music faded.

"I love you, Gina," she sighed, resting her head on Regina's shoulder and closing her eyes as she took in the familiar scent that made her fall asleep every night. "And I love you, Gina's ass," she patted the brunette's buttcheek a few times.

Regina grinned, pulling Emma closer, feeling her warm breath against her neck as they held each other.

"And I love you back," she whispered. "Moron."