Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or any recognizable characters.

AN: This is a companion piece to A Fine Line, so it is not necessarily a sequel, though it does take place right when Emma and Regina return to Storybrooke. I do suggest you read that before reading this. I had this written because I was going to use the welcome back party prompt within this story, but I realized how specific it was, so I'm just going to give this to you guys. I really hope you enjoy it :)

Emma led Regina by the hand as they climbed the steps up to her apartment, careful not to make too much noise. She breathed out a sigh of relief to realize that Henry had, once again, covered for her mysterious disappearance and was pleased that their fourteen-year old was able to sleep by himself in the small home. She quietly shut the door behind them, the lock sliding into place before Emma led Regina upstairs to her room. It was useless to be leaving in the middle of the night, and there were loose ends to tie before Emma officially left the town for good, accompanied by her family.

For now she was grateful they were all under one roof. Henry was sound asleep in his bed, and Regina was safe, firmly tucked under her arm. What more could she ask for?

Henry stirred when the smell of pancakes and bacon seeped into his senses, causing the ever growing boy to pull off the covers and drag himself out of bed. Emma must have fallen asleep at the line again and picked up Granny's. The only breakfast his blonde mother had managed to successfully whip up was cereal and eggs - and he was being generous with the eggs. His heavy footfalls sounded on the metal staircase as he rubbed sleep from his eyes. "Morning, Emma."

"Hey," Emma grinned sitting at the breakfast bar.

Henry removed his hand from his eyes, eyeing the blonde eating with a full plate in front of her. The shock of brown hair in his peripherals made him gasp out loud when he saw his mother with a frying pan of bacon in one hand and tongs in the other. Her eyes glimmered with moisture when she turned looking up at the young man.

"Mom?" He had no control when his legs took him to his brunette mother, just barely waiting for her to put the pan down and engulfed her in a tight bear hug. He kissed her cheek for the first time in three years. "I missed you."

Regina let a tear fall before burying her face in her son's sleeping shirt, marveling at how much he had grown. "I missed you too, Henry."

Regina pulled back and took Henry's face in her hands. Already they were the same height, and there was a bittersweet pain in her chest from seeing such a drastic change in the baby he used to be who refused to take his medicine whenever he came down with the flu or sleep without his stuffed dragons. He was almost a man now, but the nights she used to cry hating that she couldn't see him grow up were a thing of the past. She was back in his life.

She gave him a small smile before pulling his head to her and kissing his forehead. Making a plate for him, with strawberries cut onto his pancakes, she placed it down on the spot beside Emma's. "Eat. You must be starving."

"Well I've been living with Emma," Henry teased his blonde mother, nudging her shoulder.

Emma glared nudging him back before catching Regina's gaze. "Listen, kid. Can we talk to you for a sec?"

Henry looked up, his mouth full of a lot of everything on his plate, but he nodded along looking from Regina to Emma.

Emma chanced another glance at Regina as she moved from the stove to the island. Emma reached over, squeezing her hand in her own reassuringly as they both looked at Henry.

He squinted at them with a smirk before swallowing. "I know you're together. You told me two nights ago."

"It's not that," Regina said quietly.

"What's wrong?" Henry set his fork down looking worried.

"I assume I still can't stay here. If Snow and David find out I'm here," Regina trailed off just thinking about the repercussions. "Let's just say the last time I saw your grandmother she was less than accommodating."

Emma stiffened at the memory of Snow screeching at Regina from their side of the line.

"So you're going to leave again?" Henry questioned, his eyes wide with worry. "But you just came back."

"Henry," Emma said gently. "We were hoping that, you know, we could all go."

"Leave Storybrooke?" He asked.

Judging by his tone neither women could tell if he was happy or upset by the prospect.

"Yes," Regina nodded, leaving Emma's grasp and moving around the island to put a hand on Henry's shoulder. "You, and Emma, and I, we can all live together now."

"Like a family?" He asked tentatively looking up from under his bangs.

"Yeah, kid," Emma nudged him. "Like a family."

It felt like a long moment for Regina as she held her breath before Henry's face split into a wide grin. "Yeah! We could go to the city and go to amusement parks and go to a real theatre that shows movies after 1983."

Emma laughed, standing from her perch on the barstool and put a hand on both Regina and Henry. "Yeah, the amusement park will be added on the things to do list. Right after you get ready for school."

Henry stood and raced up the stairs. He was halfway up before he rushed back down and engulfed Regina in another hug. "It's great to have you back, Mom."

With that he disappeared upstairs, leaving Regina and Emma alone with the mess in the kitchen. Emma hadn't released her grip on Regina's lower back, but the brunette didn't mind as she settled into the the crook of Emma's arm.

"That went well," Regina said, weaving Emma's hands into her own as she tugged Emma with her to gather the dishes.

They remained side by side as they did the dishes, moving fluidly as if they had been doing it for years. "We just gotta tell my parents and then we can get out of here."

Regina made a noise of acknowledgment knowing for a fact that the hurdle of facing Snow White and Prince Charming would not be as easy as Emma so simply stated. Not only would they overreact to her presence in their town, but once finding out that their precious border was gone, there would be an uproar from the entire town and surely Regina would be blamed. She didn't even want to think about what they would say once they told them that they were leaving town.

The years they had spent at the line made both women adept at reading the other's body language, and as soon as the anxiety flooded Regina's senses, Emma knew something was wrong.

She wrapped an arm around the older woman, pressing her cheek against her ear. Regina shut her eyes still revelling in the feeling of having Emma with her, having her warmth around her, feeling her touch.

"They can't keep me here," Emma whispered, promising Regina's fears wouldn't come true. "Even if they don't like it, they're just gonna have to live with it. They gave me up once already, they can do it again."

Regina nodded, not even attempting to suppress the warmth flooding her heart. She pulled back with a small smile that reached her eyes and leaned up pecking Emma's lips. She grinned when she tried pulling back only to have the blonde tangle her fingers in her hair and deepen their next one.

After long moments, Regina successfully extrapolated her lips from Emma's but kept their bodies firmly flushed against one another's. "You have to go to work."

Emma rolled her eyes. Sheriffing a town where its biggest problem was controlling a drunk dwarf got tedious well before the creation of the barrier. As far as she knew she was done with this town.

"Fine," she muttered. "You'll stay here?"

"Where else would I go?"

Regina was bored and nervous and anxious which was a dangerous combination already. Emma and Henry had left for work and school, Regina making a huge deal about her baby boy going to high school. She had only been in their apartment alone for two hours, but the quietness was unsettling. She busied herself with packing Emma and Henry's belongings, agreeing they would meet with Snow and Charming that night before they left. It still astounded her how much Henry had grown since she first held him in her hands as she folded clothes that were doubled her size, but it didn't surprise her that half of Emma's wardrobe consisted of skinny jeans and tank tops.

She was pulling a suitcase down the stairs when the door to the apartment opened and Snow and David came in, unaware of the brunette's presence.

"-didn't say where she went yesterday."

"I'm sure she just wasn't feeling well," Snow insisted.

"She looked fine this mor-" David stopped when he caught sight of Regina on the stairs. Reflexively he put Snow behind him, body tensed ready for whatever Regina should throw his way. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Regina sneered pulling the suitcase down the rest of the staircase and rolling it to where the others sat by the counter. "Don't worry, dear. I won't be staying long."

"What are you doing?" Snow questioned moving into view.

"I told you, it's none of your concern."

"You are in my daughter's apartment taking her stuff when you're not even allowed in this town anymore," Snow spat. "I'd say it was my concern."

Regina crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, but the look of disgusted disinterest was quickly gone when Charming advanced on her.

Emma had been on a high all morning knowing Regina was back at home and not in her Boston city apartment. It was calming knowing the brunette was so close, and after so many months of looking forward to seeing Regina on a dilapidated road, coming home to her was a dream come true.

She clutched the Granny's take out bag of fresh scones as she turned the key to open the door, hoping to surprise the brunette for lunch. It was surprisingly quiet as she entered the apartment. Suitcases were packed and settled by the island counter. The dishes from that morning were washed and put away. The living room had even been tidied, but Regina was nowhere in sight.

"Regina?" Emma called out tossing her keys on the island. "I brought you scones."

She furrowed her brow when she got no response then moved to the bottom of the stairs calling out again. "Regina!"

An unsettling feeling washed over her, her gut sensing something was off. She sprinted upstairs calling out the brunette's name, but the apartment was empty. Shit. She wouldn't just leave and wander Storybrooke. She couldn't even ask for anyone help. Regina wasn't supposed to be here. Emma was just going to have to look the old fashioned way.

Running down the stairs and jumping down the last three steps, Emma quickly grabbed her keys and sprinted out the door.

Emma had a knack for finding people, supposedly a genetic trait passed on from her parents, but it was difficult to find someone whose very existence was feared upon in a town who wanted her head on a pike. She tried calling her cellphone but was sent to voicemail before it could even ring. Regina's phone was turned off, and that left a sour taste in Emma's mouth. She went to Henry's high school hoping the teen had seen his brunette mother, but he just shook his head, worried something had happened and had insisted on coming along to find her. Emma refused saying they shouldn't cause a scene, but as the hours dwindled on, and with Emma searching all of Storybrooke and returning to her apartment twice hoping that Regina was there, Regina was nowhere to be found.

She was even desperate enough to subtly hint at Kathryn if she had had any visitors. When Kathryn had shaken her head confused, Emma had thanked her and made one final stop to the station. Maybe now was the time to tell David that Regina was in town but currently missing. That would go well.

She walked into the station, mentally preparing herself for the conversation she was about to have with her father when a familiar head of brown locks caught her attention behind the jail cell bars.

"Regina?" Emma stopped dead in the middle of the entrance, unable to comprehend the woman she had been looking for was sitting in a cell.

The brunette's scowl was quickly replaced with relief as she sat up from the cot and stepped to the bars, grasping them in her fists. "Emma, where were you?"

"Looking for you," the blonde defended finally getting her feet in motion as she jogged to the cell. Her own hands clasped around Regina's as her brows furrowed in confusion. "What the hell?"

"Your parents." Her tone indicated her disdain, and even Emma couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Hold on." She jogged to her office, pulling out drawers in search of the key.

"They're strapped to your father's belt," Regina provided scornfully.

"Shit," Emma muttered coming to stand in front of Regina again. Her forehead leaned heavily against the bars, and the brunette couldn't help but do the same. "They've gotten the council together haven't they?"

Regina's shining eyes were all the answer Emma needed.

"Do they know about the barrier?"

"I assume they've sent their minions to examine how the Evil Queen was able to bypass their only line of defence."

Emma shut her eyes and weaved her hands through the bars, holding Regina's in the process. "This is not what I had in mind when we agreed we would tell them that we're leaving."

"It beats an invisible electric fence, dear," Regina said softly with a slight upturn to her lips.

Emma smirked unable to contain the single laugh from escaping. "Now this is just getting ridiculous."

Regina sighed dejectedly, bringing her palm up to cradle Emma's face.

"Don't touch her!"

Neither woman had to turn to know that Snow had entered the station and was marching towards them no doubt followed by David. Still, Emma turned, glaring at her parents, and the insufferable Blue Fairy, keeping her body positioned in front of Regina's.

"Emma, come away from the bars," Snow ordered.

Emma stuck out her chin looking past the petite brunette to David. "Give me the keys."

"No, she's dangerous."

"And what exactly did you arrest her for?" Emma wasn't even trying to contain the volume of her voice.

"She was banished and she's here now." Snow accused sounding like a petulant child.

Regina growled lightly behind Emma, her body tense as it took all of her control not to grab the image of innocence and slam her head first against the steel bars.

"Are you aware the barrier has been broken?" Blue asked keeping her eyes trained on Regina. "Anyone can just come into town now."

"Yeah," Emma scoffed. "I had a hand in taking that down."

"What?" Both David and Snow shrieked.

Emma slowly enunciated her words making sure Snow and David heard her loud and clearly. "We took it down."

Snow's eyes immediately narrowed and turned towards her daughter. "Where were you last night?"

"Boston."

"God, Emma," Snow groaned putting her hands over her eyes. "You brought her here. Here? Regina?"

David whipped his head to his wife sensing she knew information she wasn't sharing, but she just continued to look at Emma in disappointment.

"You are aware the punishment for her coming back into Storybrooke will be far worse than exile," Blue piped up, the happiness in her tone didn't go unnoticed.

Emma stepped right up to the nun and stared her down. "You're not gonna touch her." She turned her glare toward David. "Now give me the key, and we'll be on our way."

"Emma, this is for the best-"

The blonde rolled her eyes at his fatherly tone. "I am the Sheriff."

"And I am your father." David's voice matched Emma's as they stood nose to nose.

"You are a Deputy," Emma reminded him. "This town may call you King, but in the real world, I outrank you. Now give me the keys."

"Emma!" Snow shrieked appalled.

Regina couldn't contain the proud grin for Emma standing up to her parents, and of course seeing the aggravated and shocked faces of Snow, Charming, and Blue was the cherry on top.

After an intense staring contest, David reluctantly handed over the keys to Emma who immediately turned and unlocked the cell. Before the door was even fully open, Emma reached for Regina keeping a firm grip around her waist as she ushered them towards the exit.

"Me and Henry are moving out," Emma called from behind her shoulder just as the door slammed shut behind them.

Regina and Emma sat quietly in the cruiser, their fingers interlaced over the gear shift as they drove out of downtown.

"That wasn't the conversation I expected to have," Emma admitted making a turn.

Regina didn't respond and simply looked out the window, her gaze focused and thoughts clearly clouded. "Turn here."

Emma jerked on the brake in her need to see where exactly Regina wanted to go, but when she saw the Mifflin street sign, she already knew. Wordlessly she turned onto the street, a street that was once the nicest part of town. Now it was left to the hands of Mother Nature where lawns were overgrown and weeds had taken hold.

"Are you sure?" Emma asked when Regina gasped lightly at the street she had lived on for twenty-eight years.

"Yes." Her voice was quiet but certain.

Emma nodded and pressed on the gas, and within moments they were parked outside what used to be the mayoral mansion.

Regina and Emma sat on the side of the hood of the cruiser for long minutes staring up at a home that once held the brunette's fondest memories with Henry. The first eighteen years of the curse were empty and cold, the mansion being a very big and cruel reminder of that. Once Henry came into her life it had finally become a home, a place of safety and solace.

Now it stood, all its windows knocked out with no attempt at boarding it up. The white paint was chipped and graffitied with words even Emma was ashamed to see. She didn't even want to think about what the inside looked like.

She shut her eyes, as if she could open them again to see the pristine white mansion that spoke of her intimidation and rule. Instead, when she opened them with the encouragement of Emma's hand on her back, the ruin remained in front of her, mocking her reign.

"It doesn't get any easier to accept the fact that everyone hates you and wishes you dead," Regina spoke quietly. "I thought I had gotten over that in the Enchanted Forest, but I suppose time away from this town has spoiled me."

"Not everyone hates you." Emma moved her hand from around her back to her hips and tugged her closer. "Besides, the people who love you will be with you from now on."

Regina snorted dryly before moving to slip back into the passenger seat. They didn't speak much as Emma drove them back to her apartment, but no doubt Emma could feel Regina's tension with her hand protectively on the brunette's knee.

"I think we can leave tomorrow night," Emma said as they walked up the stairs hand in hand. "The next day at the very latest."

"Good," Regina muttered as Emma shimmied her keys into the door.

When she stepped in, she was eager to see Henry jogging down the staircase with a taped up box marked 'My Stuff', his very presence was enough to brighten up the worst of her days, but she stopped short when she saw Ruby milling about Emma's kitchen and a very pregnant Kathryn sitting by the kitchen island.

"Regina!" Kathryn was the first to move, surprising the brunette as she wobbled toward her with a speed unfit for a pregnant woman before engulfing her in a tight hug. "I knew you were back."

Regina furrowed her brows confused, her eyes moving from her slightly more rounded face to her very obviously rounded belly.

Kathryn beamed placing her hands over her stomach. "I'm having a girl."

"Congratulations," Regina finally managed to get out. She turned her head when Emma placed a hand on her shoulder in reassurance before moving to the kitchen to help Ruby. She looked back to Kathryn, wondering why she was so happy to see her after everything she had put her through.

"You were my friend," Kathryn answered Regina's unasked question. "I haven't forgotten that."

Regina floundered when she was pulled into another hug, her hands coming up unsure how to wrap around her pregnant friend. She barely knew how to hug her before she was pregnant, but now this posed a different challenge.

"Welcome back," Kathryn whispered before pulling away and leading them to the island. "I brought spinach puffs. I remember how you always brought some home with you for Henry."

Henry furrowed his brow popping a puff into his mouth. "No you didn't."

Regina bit the inside of her cheek, but nothing could stop them from flushing.

Emma laughed out loud. "You didn't even share with the kid?"

Regina sent Emma a glare telling her to shut it or else, but the blonde simply smirked. The brunette turned towards Kathryn with a small smile. "Thank you."

"And I brought scones," Ruby spoke up pulling out a tray of the pastries from the oven. "Well, I made them. When Emma bought a whole bag I put two and two together."

Regina couldn't help but stare at the tall brunette who organized the scones on a platter. She couldn't remember being particular friendly to Ruby and immediately tensed sensing this was a trap.

"You could have them for your drive back to wherever you guys are going," Ruby explained.

Regina shook her head and crossed her arms looking between Ruby and Kathryn. "I'm sorry, not that the gesture doesn't go unnoticed but what on earth are you two doing here?"

It was Kathryn who spoke first, tugging on Regina's arm with a caring smile on her face. "I missed having you around. I meant it, Regina, you are my friend."

"I had you kidnapped," the brunette responded warily.

"If I let every assassination or kidnapping affect my relationships I wouldn't have any friends," Kathryn laughed. "I am Midas' daughter, after all."

Regina couldn't help but smirk then turn her gaze to Ruby. She knew for a fact the werewolf was not on her side in either the Enchanted Forest or in Storybrooke, and judging by her relationship with Snow, she wouldn't put it past the image of innocence to use her best friend as bait.

Ruby shifted from foot to foot, her usual confidence faltering as she picked at a scone creating a mess of crumbs on the counter. It took a nudge from Henry to get the young brunette to look up nervously.

"I wanted to thank you," Ruby finally responded.

"I beg your pardon?" Regina questioned warily. Even Emma knitted her eyebrows in confusion as she bit into a scone.

"I know our interactions were basically whenever you came into the diner, but you always tipped well, and you weren't unusually mean to me or anything, and just-" Ruby took a breath to ease her rambling thoughts. "The curse was the best thing to happen to me. I got to start over, and for a while, I got to forget all the bad that I did, and for twenty-eight years I didn't have to worry about who I was going to kill every month. And then we woke up in this place where we could all just really start over, and, yeah, I want to thank you for that."

Regina didn't know how to respond to such an admission. Three years ago she would have scoffed and dismissed the waitress for displaying such feelings, but now, all she could think for the first time that maybe casting the curse wasn't the burden she made it out to be all these years. Casting the curse gave her Henry, it gave her a chance to mellow out her anger, and it gave her the chance to wait for Emma to be ready for her. Who knew it gave others the chance to start over as well?

With the smallest of nods, Regina cleared her throat. "You're welcome."

Ruby grinned now that her secret was out. No doubt if anyone else knew she was grateful for the Evil Queen they would call her treasonous. She didn't care, not at that moment.

"See?" Emma piped up coming to take Regina's waist. "Not everyone hates you."

Regina smiled at her, a smile that truly reached her eyes, before grabbing a plate of scones and spinach puffs and sitting down beside Kathryn.

It was when Kathryn was in the middle of telling everyone about how Frederick fainted with joy when she told him she was pregnant that Regina would realize a part of her would truly miss this town. Storybrooke was the first real home she ever had, and ironically, it was the first home Henry and Emma ever had too. She would miss the memories, and she would miss, apparently, the friends who were grateful for her and who didn't cower in her presence.

It eased her to know that all that she had done with the casting of the curse had been for naught. She wasn't the only one coming out the victor, but knowing she would be having a new home with Henry and Emma, a home that would truly be their own in every sense of the word, had her feeling like she had come out on top.