Rating: This will be multi-chapter, so it's going to range from G to M. So I'm setting it as M just for safety, but this chapter is tame.

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, nor do I own anything from the show. I just have crazy ideas. So shoot me if I wanna write them down!

Author's Note: This is the sequel for One Is The Loneliest Number. Long time coming, but finally posting the first chapter. I know it's starting out a little rocky, but I can promise you I have big plans for this story. =) Thank you to every single person I talked to about this story. It's not over yet, so be prepared for me to bombard you with many more question. LOL!

If anyone had asked the citizens of Storybrooke three years ago that Emma and Regina would become a couple and move in together, they would have laughed in their face. No one would have guessed that the two who hated each other the most would fall into a relationship. Not to mention that Emma was not one who did well with commitment.

No one had even thought Regina would find someone to settle down with, but they had all been wrong. Regina had met her match in Emma. The blond was the only one who could give her a run for her money. Which was probably why Regina had eventually found Emma alluring. Regina had never been one to back down from a challenge and Emma constantly presented her with one.

It was that challenge that had made her become Emma's secret admirer. Well, one of the challenges. Three and a half years ago, Regina had suddenly found herself jealous of Ruby Lucus. Emma had found herself interested in the waitress and began spending most of her time with the woman. Regina had immediately became jealous, finding herself hating the waitress more than usual. She'd even found herself more frustrated with Emma than usual.

So, Regina had taken the initiative, the challenge if you will, of making herself Emma's secret admirer and driving a wedge between the two. If she couldn't have Emma, no one could. What she hadn't expected from being Emma's secret admirer was being outed by her own son. Henry had recognized her handwriting and mentioned it in front of Emma.

Regina couldn't remember the last time she had felt her face flush so quickly. It was after that that she admitted to being Emma's secret admirer. Of course, Emma reacted a little differently than she had hoped. Of course the blond would think she was trying to make fun of her, make her feel ridiculous. Regina had been trying to do the exact opposite though. It had started out rocky, but the way that night had ended after Regina had confessed, well…it still brought a smile to her face. It had been the first time, of many, that they'd made love. She had been stunned to find the blond harbored deep feelings for her as well, but was not complaining in the least bit.

Somehow though, three years later, they had fallen into a life of complete domesticity. Oh sure, they weren't your typical couple and they still bit back at each other at every turn, but they were happy. In fact, Emma had moved in a year after Regina's confession. Regina had decided it would be better for her to move in since she was there all the time anyway. She had mentioned it in a casual way, making like it wasn't a big deal. But Emma had known. She had seen right through Regina and knew it was a very big deal.

It was the first time anyone had ever invited Emma to move in with them. Well, without getting money out of it anyway. It had made her nervous. She was sure she'd screw something up, but Regina kept assuring her that she wanted her there even with her quirks and mess ups. It was scary for both of them, but they'd done it. They'd made a commitment and stuck to it. Regina even found it nice to have Emma with her every night. The safety she felt in the blonds arms was addicting and she found herself clinging to Emma every night. She'd never been a cuddler and neither had Emma, but there was just something about what they captured while in each others arms that made them exactly that.

Now naturally, they did have their quarrels. Both being absolutely stubborn creatures, something was bound to happen that made them mad at each other. For instance, this morning after Regina had finally come down from getting ready for work, she walked into a kitchen that was a complete disaster. There stood her blond lover in the middle of it, spots of flour dusted all over her. Emma had given a nervous smile, already looking guilty. Regina had blown up, clearly pissed that Emma had ruined her immaculate kitchen.

"What the hell have you being doing this morning that caused all of this?" That vein in her forehead was popping out as she lifted her hands to sweep around the room.

Emma frowned, forehead crinkling in guilt. "I was trying to make breakfast for you and Henry. I got a little…carried away." That nervous smile of hers came back, but not for long. It dropped immediately when Regina stalked forward into her personal space.

"Clearly you got more than a little carried away." Regina growled, emphasizing on little. Her eyes bore into Emma's, face turning a little red. "My kitchen has always been clean and well kept, always. And yet somehow you come in and destroy the whole thing. You're just like a child. Instead of gaining a girlfriend, I gained a child!" The longer Regina spoke, the higher her pitch became. Her body even kept leaning closer and closer to Emma, almost like a lion after its prey.

Emma took a step back, putting down the bowl she had been holding and holding her hands up in surrender. "Calm down, Regina. Jesus. You don't have to get so damn evil about it. I'll clean it up. No big deal." She was just trying to get out of Regina's scrutinizing gaze and not fall into an argument, but Regina kept on.

"You're damn right you'll clean this up. And I will not calm down. I'll do whatever I damn well please. As for you…well, you better clean this up right now. You're not going to leave my kitchen a mess before you leave. I don't care if it takes all day. Clean. It. Up!" Her tone was demanding, with a tiny bit of 'Mad Mommy' coming out.

Emma's eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched. She hated being spoken to like she was a child. She was an adult and as Regina had just said, she'll do what she damn well pleases. The blonde's stubborn streak roared to life and she took a step towards Regina. "I'm not your child, Regina. So get off your high horse and quick treating me like one. I said I would clean it up. But I'll do it in my own time."

Regina had been walking away from Emma, but as soon as those last words fell from her lovers mouth, she spun on her heels and nailed Emma with the best of her death glares. If she still had magic, Emma would probably be dead on the floor. Emma swallowed, but didn't budge. She kept her strong stance and looked Regina straight in the eye, defying her to the best of her ability.

The blonde had been sure that Regina was about to say something nasty to her. Instead, Regina clenched her fists and closed her eyes. She sucked in a deep breath and when she opened her eyes, there was a calm look on her face that shook Emma to her core. Regina wasn't just a normal calm, but the kind of calm that came before a big ass storm. Emma swallowed, but continued to stand her ground.

"You know what? Fine. Do whatever you like. I'm going to work. I have quite a bit of work to do, so I don't know when I'll be home. Clean up the mess or don't clean up the mess. I couldn't care less." With that, Regina turned back around and stalked out of the kitchen.

Emma frowned as she stared at the spot where Regina had been standing. Just a few minutes later, Emma heard the front door slam loudly. She jumped, head hanging low as she eyed the mess. Her mouth turned down in a large frown, knowing it wasn't good when Regina left without so much as a goodbye. Usually Regina would kiss Emma's lips and mutter 'Have a good day' or 'See you soon' before she left. That was no the case this morning and of course, it was all Emma's fault.

She was still standing in the middle of the mess, feeling like an idiot, when Henry came slinking in. He was rubbing the sleep from his eyes when he finally spotted Emma standing in the middle of the messy kitchen. Henry blinked and then shook his head.

"Good luck getting out of this one." He said, making his way over to the cabinet where his favorite cereal was placed. He looked over at Emma, seeing the crestfallen look on her face. The boy sighed, shaking his head once more as he continued on his way to eat his breakfast before leaving for school.

The kitchen still hadn't been cleaned by the time Henry had left for school. Emma had disappeared up to their bedroom before Henry had even left, only coming out in different clothes just a mere minute before Henry made his way out the door. Emma had given him a hug goodbye and Henry has wished her luck with getting on Regina's good side again. He had heard what Regina had said and knew very well that when Regina stopped an argument abruptly, she was beyond angry, beyond livid. Pissing Regina off into silence was never a good sign. Emma knew this as well and knew she'd have to work damn hard to wiggle her way back into the older woman's good graces.

For the longest time she just stood inside the doorway of the kitchen, staring as she realized just how big of a mess she had made. And all of that for a breakfast no one but her had even touched. Emma scowled at the mess and mentally berated herself for being so damn messy. In a way, Regina was right. She was kind of like a child. She made messes all the time and didn't have the best table manners. She rarely put her clothes where they needed to be and living with a neat freak like Regina, well, then that was bound to turn into an issue. And it had certainly blown up in her face this morning. Although she hated it when Regina treated her like a child, she certainly couldn't blame her for doing so this morning.

It was amazing how sorry and guilty Emma could feel in a matters of seconds when it came to Regina. She used to not give a shit about anyone's feelings, but hers. That had all changed after she came to Storybrooke though. And certainly even more had changed since she'd made the sane (debatable) decision to be in a relationship with Regina. There were times when she wondered how she'd fallen into this domestic life with the woman, but one look in Regina's eyes and she was always reminded. She hadn't seen that look when the angry older woman had left moments before. Oh yeah, Emma was in some deep shit. So instead of continuing to stand and stare at the kitchen like an idiot, Emma got to work. Not only did she work on the kitchen, but she also began to plan something so she could show Regina just how sorry she really was. Emma knew she could be a screw up, but she was determined to show her girlfriend that she could do some pretty awesome things.

Regina was indeed late coming home later that night. She'd taken to avoiding Emma all day. It was easy to run into your girlfriend when you lived in such a small town. Thus the reason she'd stuck herself in her office and never came out. Not to mention, she had a pile of paperwork that needed great attention. So, when Regina had stalked off to work, she'd thrown herself into all of that paperwork. But try as she might, she couldn't get the sight of her messy kitchen with Emma standing in it out of her head.

On one hand, she felt terrible for blowing up at her blond lover. On the other hand, she felt she had a right to be mad. Emma knew how she was, knew she was a clean freak to rival all clean freaks. So why in the hell would she make such a damn mess? There were days when Regina just couldn't understand why Emma did the things she did. Sometimes she was far less mature than Henry. And she was a damn adult!

Those were the things that kept plaguing her mind as she tried to focus on her work. She'd sat at her office until 10:30, finally finding her eyes were too tired to look at the piles of paper anymore. So she'd decided, begrudgingly, that she'd finally go home. She still didn't want to see Emma. Wasn't in the mood with putting up with her usual apologies. Today was just a bad day to do it.

However, when Regina finally made her way up to their bedroom, she was surprised to see her bed empty. Her heart stopped in her chest, mind telling her that she'd yelled at Emma for the last time. She was sure Emma had left her. It was a constant fear that was always in the back of her mind. But now, oh now she was positive she had screwed up royally.

"Mom?" Henry questioned from behind her, finding it odd she was just standing in the doorway. Regina jumped, turning towards Henry in a flash. Henry took a step back, looking at her like she was crazy

Regina blinked, mind trying to catch up with her. "Where's Emma?" Was the first thing that came tumbling from her mouth, unable to keep the fear from reaching her eyes.

Henry poked his thumb downstairs before speaking. "She's in the dining room. She cooked dinner for us tonight and has been waiting for you ever since. She only moved to come tuck me in. The boy frowned a little, feeling he was too old for that now.

The relief that was over Regina was like taking a breath after being held under water. She smiled down at Henry, taking him by the shoulders and hugging him tightly. "Thank you, Henry." Love dripping from every word. She kissed the top of his head, then turn him around and pat his back. "Now go to bed." She said sternly, watching as he rolled his eyes and padded off to his room.

Regina wanted to run into the dining room and sweep Emma into her arms. She wanted to apologize for blowing up this morning and then fall asleep with her lovers arms wrapped around her. However, Regina's pride got in the way, as per usual, still battling to win now that she knew Emma was not actually gone. So, instead of raving downstairs and apologizing, Regina turned back to the bedroom and took her time with showering and putting on her pajamas.

When she finally emerged from her room, she calmly walked down the staircase as if nothing had gone wrong this morning, as if she hadn't thought her happy ending had been ripped away from her once more. She walked into the dining room with her head held eye, face schooled into almost no emotion at all. However, when her eyes caught sight of Emma sleeping and slumped over the table, mouth open and hair flung out around her, the softness immediately came back to her features.

Two set of plates were set side by side, a rather delicious looking chicken sitting with decorated vegetables on them. There was a candle lit, light flicker and begging to be snuffed out. Regina wondered how long Emma had been sitting there waiting for her. Guilt flared in Regina's chest, making her feel like the Evil Queen she used to be. Not that she had done anything that bad in quite some time. But it seemed Emma had gone through quite an effort to apologize to her for this morning.

Quietly she walked over to Emma, ever so slightly running her hands through blond tresses. Emma stirred, but did not wake. Regina bent down to kiss Emma on her head, a soft smile dancing on her lips. With Emma asleep and looking so innocent, there wasn't an ounce of Regina that could be mad at her. Regina's stomach growled at her, telling her that she hadn't eaten since grabbing a bagel at Granny's that morning. She huffed and turned away from Emma, giving her one last glance before moving to make her way into the kitchen.

She had expected to find her kitchen still a mess. Regina had been sure Emma's stubborn streak would flare to new heights and make her defy anything Regina had told her to do this morning. But that apparently that had not been the story. When Regina opened the door to the kitchen, what greeted her was exactly what it should have been this morning…only better. The kitchen was masterpiece, all spotless and completely clean. Everything was in its rightful place, light from the kitchen gleaming off all the glasses and pots and pans.

A smile crept over Regina's lips and tears formed in her eyes. It must have taken Emma forever to get it this clean, if the mess from the morning had been any indication. Regina shook her head, eyes floating over to the white roses sitting in a crystal vase on the counter. She stepped over to the roses, finger grazing over one of them ever so softly. Just as she leaned in to sniff them, she felt a hand on her back. Usually Emma would come up behind her and wrap her arms around her waist. It seems she was still treading on broken glass. Not that she could blame her.

"I'm so sorry, Regina." Emma whispered, hand slowly moving up and down Regina's back. She moved her hand when Regina turned around to her. However, she frowned when a tear streaked down Regina's face. She was about to kiss it away before Regina quickly got a hold of herself, wiping the tear away on her own. Emma gave a shy smile, apologizing with her eyes now.

"Yes, well, perhaps I was out of line myself." Regina said after clearing her throat. Emma just smiled, holding back a chuckle. She knew that was Regina's way of apologizing. And she was not about to take that lightly. Emma finally reached for Regina, wrapping her arms around her waist and pulling her into a soft hug. Regina melted into her, a small smile breaking out on her lips. "The roses are lovely." She whispered softly into Emma's hair, her own arms coming to wrap around the younger woman.

"Got them just for you." Emma replied, pulling Regina back only to give her a soft kiss to the lips. Regina leaned into the kiss, smiling into it as well. These were the moments she savored. It was things like this that Emma did that kept her from regretting making the decision to commit to a relationship with her. It wasn't just that though, Emma kept her happy. A word she hadn't been able to use to describe herself in ages.

When the kiss broke, Emma tilted her head a bit and smile every so slightly at Regina. "I made dinner. Even had a candle burning while I waited for you. You know, want to be all romantic and shit." Regina narrowed her eyes at the crudeness, but let it go. "I just wanted to make up for the mess. I was home all day cleaning everything up. And going by how you were smelling the roses instead of throwing them, I'm assuming I'm forgiven?" Emma gave a nervous smile then while trying to pull off her best puppy dog eyes.

That was when Regina had to laugh. She threw her head back, laughing as she let the amusement wash over her. When she looked back at Emma, her eyebrows had disappeared into her hairline. She apparently hadn't expected that kind of response. Regina let her laugh die down and she leaned towards Emma, noses nearly touching. "Nearly forgiven, dear. But not wholly." Her finger slowly ran down the front of Emma's tank top seductively as she watched the frown form on her lovers lips.

"But don't look so sad." Regina started, lips turning up into a seductive and devilish grin. "You just have to do one thing for me and you'll be completely…forgiven." She whispered the last word, lips half an inch away from Emma's.

Emma's green eyes turned dark as she swallowed, shuddering from Regina's seductive little moves. "A-anything." She managed to mumble, stumbling over the simple word. Regina had a way of turning Emma into a stuttering mess when she turned from casual house mom to full on seductress.

If at all possible, Regina's smile turned even more evil. "Take. Me. To. Bed." With that, her tongue flicked out to lick at Emma's lips, an alluring little moan escaping her just for effect. Regina did not move from Emma's personal space. Instead she just continued to wait for Emma to heed her demand.

Emma's brain nearly short circuited when she heard those words come from Regina's mouth. However, her brain quickly snapped back to attention and told her that this meant she was indeed forgiven. Emma wasted no time in sweeping Regina off her feet, carrying the woman up to their bedroom in quite an impressive amount of time. The door was shut and locked behind them as they disappeared into their bedroom. Forgiveness, Emma knew, was a sweet, sweet victory.