Happy Holidays!

Emma hummed and deeply inhaled as she started to wake up. She felt warm and cozy and definitely well rested, but she wasn't sure why. She didn't even remember or recognize where she was or what she was sleeping on. Whatever it was, it was soft and just as warm as her. Maybe even a little warmer. She wiggled around a little before she tried to stretch, but as soon as she arched her back and lifted her arm above her head to work out any kinks, she felt her lower body push into something. Correction, someone. Her eyes popped open in an instant and the first sight she was greeted with for the day was Regina Mills, eyes closed, hair askew, free of makeup, and on her back beneath her.

Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened, afraid of what the brunette would do if she woke up to find Emma on top of her. Had she really fallen asleep like that? She was all over the other woman and all she remembered from the night before was that she'd shyly asked if she could spend the night in Regina's room.

But the longer she stayed in place on top of Regina, the more comfortable and less worried she felt about it. She relaxed and even smiled as she slowly started to lower her head back down toward Regina's chest. In the process, she wiggled around again and shifted a little lower so that one of her hips pressed between Regina's upper thighs. It was twice as comfortable as the position she'd woken up in. Unfortunately, it was only comfortable for her.

"Emma," Regina groggily said.

Emma immediately looked up at her like a pet when it heard the rustling of a food bag and expected to be fed. Regina's eyes were still closed, but her brow was furrowed as though she desperately wanted to stay asleep.

"Either get off me or stay still," Regina ordered.

It took a few seconds before she reacted, stunned by the words she wasn't sure she heard correctly, but when she finally made sense of the words and knew she hadn't just imagined the brunette saying them Emma grinned. The witty remark, "Glad to know you wouldn't kick me out of bed" was on the tip of her tongue, but she resisted the urge to say the words out loud in case Regina changed her mind about letting Emma stay. Instead, she only responded with the grin and settled back down with her head to the other woman's chest. She breathed out a content sigh and tried to fall back asleep, but all she could do was rest with her eyes closed. She was awake for the day, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy being with Regina a little longer.

Several minutes passed and Emma thought they would remain in bed for the first half of the day, maybe keep themselves curled up under the covers for another hour or two at the very least, but Regina shifted beneath her. Emma frowned and felt the moment and their closeness coming to an end. But she didn't want it to end. She liked it and she didn't have any plans for the day. Even another attempt to get a look into the shopping bags Regina and Henry had brought home the night before wasn't tempting enough to get her to move.

But Regina shifted again and Emma knew she was getting restless. The woman had slept with a hundred and two-pound teen on top of her all night and once she'd been pulled from her sleep because that same teen had jostled her around, it wasn't likely she would be comfortable in that position much longer.

Regina sighed and Emma thought for sure the brunette would push her onto the empty side of the bed. But she didn't do that. Not right away at least. She picked her head up and looked at Regina to see that her eyes were finally open, but she didn't look flustered or upset or desperate to get away from her. Regina's eyes just stared back into her own and the brunette looked at her with an unreadable emotion etched on her face.

Emma rested most of her weight on her hands, which were on either side of Regina on the bed at that point, as her upper body hovered just slightly over the woman. She bit her lip as she continued to look at Regina, unsure of what the brunette was going to do or if she should just slide off her before Regina even had to tell her. Regina surprised her though, because she didn't do any of the things Emma expected her to do. The first thing the woman did was rest her hands on the blonde's hips and after a few seconds brought one of her hands up to Emma's hair.

Regina ran her fingers through messy blonde tresses from the teen's ear to the very tips of her hair. It was soothing, but a wildly affectionate gesture. Regina had acted similarly the previous day when Emma had been sad, but that was different. In that moment, Regina had no reason to comfort Emma the way she was. Emma wasn't even sure the brunette knew she was comforting her at all. On top of that, they were in a very intimate position. It wasn't just that Emma was sharing Regina's bed. It was the fact that Regina was under her and gently stroking her sides the longer they chose not to speak yet remain pressed together the way they were. She hadn't noticed the stroking until she watched Regina lick her lips in a very normal gesture. Her mouth was probably dry in the mornings like Emma's tended to be.

It didn't matter how normal and expected the gesture was, she quickly realized, because all her mind had processed was the sight of Regina's tongue flicking the scar above her lip. Regina hadn't even done it on purpose. She hadn't meant to lick her lips seductively, and she really hadn't even done that, but Emma still thought it was sexy. Regina had done something out of necessity and Emma was fascinated by the small, simple, innocent moment. Seconds later, her fascination was replaced with a jolt of sensation where she felt Regina's hands and suddenly, she erupted in a fit of giggles.

Emma lurched forward and curled her body up and inward as she buried her face in Regina's neck and squirmed as the brunette's fingers poked and slid across sensitive spots on her body. She forgot how ticklish she was, but Regina apparently knew what had slipped the teen's mind.

"Regina," she said between laughs. "St- R'gina, stop it."

She lost her breath second by second. She was way too sensitive, always had been, and she hated it. There had been a few times she'd tried to get physical with someone and the person had grazed over a particular area of her body here and there without meaning to, which immediately made her laugh. Sometimes it ruined the mood completely and sometimes it just made things take that much longer to move past the overwhelming sensation.

"I'm- Stop! I'm ticklish," Emma said as she continued to laugh without any control over herself.

Regina started to laugh as well and her hands never stopped their torture. "Clearly!"

Emma bucked, jerked, and twisted all around as she laughed and laughed until she really couldn't breathe. She threw herself onto the bed in the empty space beside Regina and curled up on her side in the hopes that as soon as she was off Regina, the brunette would pull her hands away. Regina didn't do that right away though. She proceeded to tickle Emma and even rolled onto her side to face the blonde as she did it.

"You're not gonna- You're not gonna be laughing… When-when I- When I pee on your sheets," Emma insisted through her struggle to do anything but giggle and try to gasp air back into her lungs. She squeezed her eyes closed, a big smile on her face, and tears spilled out from all the laughter.

Slowly, not immediately, Regina stopped and moved her hands away from the teen. Finally, Emma was able to breathe. The blonde relaxed and took deep breaths before she rolled slightly onto her back, though most of her body still faced Regina. She draped an arm over her own waist and heavily sighed as she regained control of her breathing.

"You said that to me the last time I did that," Regina confessed. "You're just as ticklish at twenty-nine as you are now."

"I've always been ticklish."

"You've mentioned that before as well."

"Before my magical mishap," Emma stated.

"Yes," Regina replied despite the fact that Emma hadn't asked a question. "Do you remember any of that?"

Regina certainly did. It had been the only time before Emma's spell that the two of them had shared a bed. It was the same night she'd agreed to secretly help the Charmings pay for their house. Emma had pleaded her case while they relaxed in Regina's bed after a long day and had a few drinks from Regina's personal stash. The blonde had convinced Regina the favor wasn't for Snow and Charming but for Emma so that she could get the apartment all to herself when her parents moved out. Plus, the older woman couldn't deny the other woman the freedom she desperately wanted and needed when Emma drew lazy circles with her fingertips just above her hip.

Regina still hadn't conceded to helping with the house yet and she liked how Emma's fingers felt against her skin way too much to think clearly so she'd tried to even the playing field a little. When she'd skated her hands up the blonde's sides, the woman instantly squirmed before she burst out laughing and shouted that she was extremely sensitive. Regina had laughed and teased her about it before Emma made the remark about peeing in her bed. Then, she'd stopped tickling the younger woman and caved in to Emma's request for her to help the Charmings.

"No," Emma answered. "Why would I remember that?"

"Right," Regina said and nodded, but she didn't quite believe the teen. She stared into green eyes for a moment before she smiled at the teen.

After a few seconds, Emma smiled back and chortled. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I can't help it," Regina admitted without any hesitation. She realized it wasn't what she should have said to the eighteen-year-old, specifically because she was still too young despite her legal age.

Emma blushed and rolled over so her back was to the brunette. She scooted back toward Regina and pulled the woman's arm across her waist as she snuggled up against the mayor's front, her butt pressed up against Regina's groin. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she released it in a long, slow sigh. She was completely relaxed and ready to sleep just a little longer if she could get away with it.

"We shouldn't stay in bed much longer," Regina said.

"Why not? What do we have to do today?"

"I have to go to work. I've told you before that the town doesn't run itself. Henry might also be up soon and imagine his confusion if he found us like this."

"He's twelve. Doesn't he already know about sex and relationships?"

"It doesn't matter what he knows because that's not what this is."

"Well, it is a relationship. We're friends, right?"

"Wh- I-, Well, yes, but we're also his mothers. You're also not much older than he is right now so I think on both counts seeing us cuddle would make him wonder what exactly we're doing."

"What's so wrong about two people cuddling? Two friends cuddling?"

"Nothing's wrong with it. It's just more complicated because we're his parents and you're a teenager for the time being."

Emma sighed and Regina could tell she wasn't happy. She didn't seem completely upset either. Defeated was probably the best word to describe the blonde in that moment.

"Just a few more minutes," Emma said and tugged Regina closer before she tightly clutched the brunette's hand and wrist.

Regina leaned her head forward and pressed her nose against the back of Emma's neck. "I'll give you ten and then it's time for breakfast," she muttered into silky blonde hair.

Emma smiled brightly and bit her lip to contain her enthusiasm even though Regina couldn't see her face. "Okay," she agreed and then happily wiggled around in the other woman's embrace.

"Emma," Regina groaned. "Be still or we get up right now."

Emma stifled a laugh and settled down before she closed her eyes again in an attempt to rest. "Thank you, Regina," she quietly said and couldn't wipe the smile off her face if she tried.

The next few days passed without incident. Emma didn't cry about anything and even started to smile more. She helped around the kitchen, spent time with Henry when Regina had to attend to things at the office, and didn't outright flirt with Regina anymore. Although, the same could not be said about her nighttime antics. It wasn't the teen's fault, though. Regina knew that and was very understanding, but that didn't mean she wasn't a little concerned.

The blonde had spent the past several nights in her bed. She always welcomed the younger woman into her room with limited questioning, which she only used to identify why it was Emma came to her, and the girl had seemed more relaxed each day following a night spent curled up together in the master bedroom. She always quickly learned that it was entirely possible Henry got his cuddling habits from his birth mother because Emma could certainly smother her like a koala bear clinging to a tree.

Each morning she woke up to Emma wrapped around her, always positioned differently than before yet always sprawled out on top of her. Feet were hooked around ankles and hands were set on and buried in specific places all over her body. Knees were either slipped between legs or they poked at her sides and ass. And then one morning Emma wasn't on top of her.

That morning, Emma was instead curled up with her knees almost pressed to her chest. Regina was molded against her back with a hand between the teen's shoulder blades. When the blonde shivered and tried to curl further into herself, Regina moved her hand and started to rub Emma's back without even realizing she was doing it.

Her eyes remained closed as she continued to slide her hand along Emma's spine. The teen started to stir, but after a few small movements seemed to find a comfortable enough position. Regina inhaled through her nose and smelled her shampoo on the blonde tresses in front of her before she dipped her head and pressed her nose to the base of Emma's neck. The girl emitted a soft sound but remained still for at least a few more seconds before she shifted and rolled onto her back. She had to pull back before the teen could lay across her face and chest and finally opened her eyes. As soon as she did, she saw bleary green eyes stare back at her.

"Morning," the blonde groggily said.

"Good morning," she greeted in response, her own voice a little gravely from sleep. Her hand was crushed between Emma's back and the bed, her palm pushed into the sheets and her knuckles against the blonde's cotton tank top. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," the teen replied. "Warm. Comfy. I'm okay."

Emma smiled and Regina found the expression to be infectious. The younger woman then turned onto her side, which then gave Regina the opportunity to slide her hand out from beneath her, and lay face-to-face with her on the bed.

"You weren't having any nightmares just now," she just then thought to ask the blonde.

"No nightmares. Why? Did I do something or say something in my sleep?"

"You were shivering."

"Oh, I was just...I don't know. I guess I was uncomfortable? I'm sorry. Did it wake you?"

"No, I was already starting to wake up. And you don't need to apologize."

"Okay," Emma said before she bit her bottom lip and looked over Regina's face from forehead to chin and everything in between.

"What," she had to ask after a moment.

"Nothing," Emma said before she locked eyes with her again. "You look really beautiful like this."

Before Regina could even think of a response, Emma brought a hand up between them and cupped the side of her face before she pushed back a few stray, and probably frazzled, strands of hair. Usually, Henry didn't even see her as disheveled as she must have looked in that moment. Not since he was little and used to barge into her bedroom at all hours of the day and the night whenever he wanted or needed something from her. The fact that Emma of all people had the opportunity to see her vulnerable like that, without makeup and with bags under her eyes as her hair did whatever it damn well pleased, was a shock and yet made sense. Of course Emma would be the one to see her in such a vulnerable state, whether it was emotional or physical. And the fact that Emma thought she was beautiful in a moment that Regina almost always thought she looked the worst in made her feel a sort of shock to her system and a flare inside her chest. She never thought it would be the irritating blonde, but ever since Neverland she couldn't imagine things any other way. She couldn't imagine having shared that kind of close space with Snow or even Tinker Bell and she and the other blonde had already spent plenty of time in close quarters together.

But things were different. They had changed. She had changed. And as Emma lightly trailed her thumb across her cheekbone as the morning light crept in through the partially sheer curtains, she was content. Maybe even happy. For years, she'd only ever wanted moments. Moments with loved ones and someone to hold her on good days and bad. Moments basking in the sunlight before inevitably being dragged away for work or some other mundane duty she wished she could avoid, but only ever did because she was determined to get home and relive more of those moments she enjoyed so much. With Emma beside her in bed on a chilly winter morning beneath warm covers and aware of the fact that Henry, their son, was just down the hall, she finally had what she'd been looking for and craved before, with, and after Daniel.

"Now you're staring," Emma noted with a bright smile.

Regina pulled herself out of her thoughts at the sound of the teen's voice and the feel of fingers pressed to her collarbone. At some point during her revelation, Emma had moved her hand from her cheek and hair to gently caress and trace patterns on her exposed sternum and shoulders.

"You're beautiful like this, too," she replied and watched as the younger woman's cheeks flushed a rosy shade of pink.

While the teen had her eyes averted, Regina took the time to admire all the little freckles she spotted on Emma's cheeks and nose. She'd seen them before, but she'd never been as physically close to the woman at such a still moment in time to truly appreciate every minute detail. It felt like she'd stared at Emma for hours before she noticed the flutter of lashes and saw green eyes focused on her again. She caught the blonde's gaze and gulped.

Emma placed her hand on the front of her shoulder after another moment and gently shoved her backward. She was rolled onto her back before the blonde followed her and lay on top of her. The teen's chest was pressed against her torso while the girl rested a cheek just above her breast. The hand that had pushed her onto her back then slipped beneath the strap of her silk top and her fingers loosely clung to it as the strap then hung off her upper arm.

"Emma," she nearly gasped.

Just then her phone rang and she didn't get the chance to hear if Emma actually had a response. The only thing the blonde did was sigh and burrow her hips between Regina's thighs. She felt Emma relax a little more and assumed the teen was ready to fall back asleep as she kept the brunette pinned beneath her.

Thankfully, her phone was on the nightstand next to her and it didn't take much effort to grab it without pushing Emma away. She unplugged the phone and held it above her head, careful not to elbow Emma, and blinked a few times to adjust her eyes to the screen. Panic jolted through her like a shot of adrenaline when she read the caller ID. If Emma felt her tense or cringe, the blonde hadn't let on and instead remained perfectly still and content on top of her.

She had two options. One, she could ignore the call until a more convenient time or two, she could answer it and potentially avoid a later conflict. She didn't want Emma to overhear any of the conversation, whether or not the blonde would be able to hear the person on the other end of the call, but she also didn't want to hide anything from the younger woman. And if she didn't answer right away, she risked the chance of the woman calling her again or showing up at the house. If she was lucky and decided to ignore the call, the other woman would show up at her office while she was at work, but Regina wasn't lucky and the other woman had a knack for interrupting her at the worst times.

She sighed and answered the call. "Good morning, Snow." As soon as she spoke the other woman's name, Emma squirmed. Instinctively, just as she had when Emma had shivered earlier, Regina ran her free hand through blonde tresses and let it slip through her fingers over and over again. The effect was calming for both of them. Emma even hummed as she went limp again, but not before she tugged the strap of Regina's shirt further down her arm. "I assume there's something I can do for you?"

"Good morning, Regina," Snow carefully greeted. Regina immediately picked up on the hesitation in her voice, the nervousness and uncertainty the other woman tried but failed to hide from her.

"Are you home from the hospital?"

"Wh- Uh, yes. I am."

"And you're alright? You and the baby are fine?"

"Y-yes," Snow croaked out. "But do you really care?"

"Despite my many and best efforts, we're family, dear. Your health matters," she said as passively and casually as possible. As long as she ignored the fact that Snow's own daughter was on top of her in her bed with their lower bodies far too close to be completely innocent, she was able to act as if nothing had changed between them. She didn't have to feel that panic or guilt and continuing to run her hand through Emma's hair helped keep it that way. "Even if I don't agree with most of what you say and do, especially lately, that doesn't mean I wish you harm. Although watching you squirm is something I always enjoy."

"Well, thank you," Snow slowly said. "Um, listen, I... David and I have spent the last few days talking about it and we know that things are still...rocky with everyone, but we really want to see Emma and Henry for the holidays."

"And?"

"And we thought we'd invite them over for Christmas? They can always say no and we'll understand if neither of them want to see us, but this is the first Christmas we'll all be able to spend together. As a family," the woman stressed. "It's not the first Christmas we've had since Emma came to Storybrooke, but it's the first one that doesn't have us going off to other worlds and fighting villains."

"I see."

"You're welcome to come with them, if they agree to spend the day with us."

"Well, that's a given. They're my family, too. Don't you think I would like to spend the day with them as well?"

"Right. Of course. We- Regina, please. I know this is hard—"

"Hard for you two maybe, but it's not hard for me."

"Because you get to spend every day with her," Snow raised her voice. She wasn't angry, but Regina could tell she was desperate and hurt. "And Henry! The last time we saw either of them was at the hospital and we both know that could have gone better. I just... We just want to start making things right. We're willing to do whatever is necessary to have Emma and Henry at the house this Christmas. So, can we expect them?"

"I don't know."

"Please," the woman quickly cut in to beg a little more.

"I don't know because it's not up to me," she clarified. "I'll have to ask them. It's their decision and I'll respect whatever they choose to do."

A few seconds passed before Snow said, "Okay. You'll ask them and let one of us know?"

"Yes."

"Thank you," Snow replied. That time it was firmer and sincerer than the first time she said it, which had been with some insecurity. "H-how is she?"

"Good. It's been good lately." She heard a heavy sigh of relief a moment later.

"He was right," Snow quietly said.

"Who was?"

"David. He said-" the other woman stopped herself short.

"What did he say?"

"Nothing. I- He just told me you two talked at the diner the other day. I wasn't sure if... I'm glad she's doing well. I'm...glad she has you."

She tried to say something, a little shocked at Snow's confession, but the line went dead before she could get out a single word.

"What did she want," Emma grumbled against her chest.

"She wants you and Henry over for Christmas," she answered with only slight pause as she set the phone back down on the nightstand.

"Oh." Emma shifted again and she stifled a groan as the blonde accidentally rubbed against an extremely sensitive part of her. The teen knelt between her legs on the bed and stared down at her with a small pout and indecisive eyes as she seemed to consider the offer. "How long do I have to decide?"

"Seeing as how Christmas Eve is less than a week away, I'd say not long."

Emma bit her lip and nervously played with the hem of her tank top.

Regina pulled herself up to lean back against the headboard then took both of Emma's hands in hers before she shook the blonde's arms a little to get her attention. The teen took the hint and moved toward her a little more before she sat down on her butt and left side between Regina's open legs. The girl's side was pressed against her front and she wrapped an arm around Emma's waist to hold her just tightly enough that let the blonde know she was supported but could walk away at any time if she needed space.

"You don't have to go," she reminded her.

"But…I should go. Or…at least I shouldn't keep Henry from going. He's invited too, right?"

"You don't have to go," she more firmly repeated. "You don't owe them anything. You owe it to yourself to do whatever makes you comfortable and happy."

Emma stared at her for a long moment before she asked, "What would you do?"

"That doesn't matter."

"It does to me. If you were me, what would you do?"

She sighed and rubbed her hand up and down Emma's side a few times before she started to extricate herself from the blonde. "I don't know. There are so many things I've done regarding my parents and most of them weren't the best course of action. But at the time I thought it was."

Emma frowned while Regina made her way to the closet. She pulled out clothes for the day and looked at the teen again who had made herself even more comfortable in Regina's bed while the brunette had her back turned.

Emma had the covers pulled up to her chin and her knees pulled in toward her body as her thighs seemingly almost pressed flat against her torso beneath the sheets. She leaned against the pillow propped up against the headboard and kept her eyes on Regina as the woman moved around the room. Her eyes were wide and her body position made her look so small.

Regina set her outfit on the foot of the bed and sat down on the edge just in front of Emma. She didn't say anything, didn't push the teen to talk at all and didn't reach out. She just sat with her in silence for a little while before the blonde finally spoke again.

"I think…I want to spend some time with them before I decide. Maybe breakfast or lunch. But I want you to come with me."

"Okay. I'll call your mother later to agree on a time," she said.

"Really? And you'll go with me? Just like that?"

"Yes, just like that. Although, that means Henry will have to come along as well. I don't want to leave him here alone and with everything going on, I don't think he wants to go back to Neal's."

"I'm okay with that. Are you okay with dragging him into this," Emma asked and suddenly she looked nervous about the answer.

"He's already involved. We're all connected, Emma. When you hurt, we hurt."

Emma winced. "Sorry. I don't mean to make things worse for you."

"How do you make things worse?"

"You're stuck watching me and taking care of me and apparently, what I feel causes you pain. I don't want to cause you pain. Either of you."

"I'm not stuck. It's my choice to help you. I don't have to. I want to. Henry and I care about you and we wish you didn't feel the way you do, but we can't change how you feel. We don't blame you for how you feel either. We just want you to be okay."

"Yeah, and I'm not. I'm not okay and because I'm not, you two are suffering."

Regina shook her head. "Don't rush things just because you think it'll help Henry and me. If you don't want to see your parents at Christmas, don't. If you don't want to set up a breakfast or lunch or whatever with them, don't."

"But I've been such a burden."

"No. Maybe you're still not used to people caring or putting you first, but that's what this is. That's what Henry and I are doing. Your needs come first. What do you want? Don't worry about us. You do that enough when you're not eighteen and in so many ways. It's time someone worried and cared for you so let us keep doing that."

Emma rolled the sheets between her fingertips and stared down at the movement for a few seconds before she looked at her again. "I want to have breakfast. Or lunch," the teen said with determination. Her mind was made up.

So they had brunch two days later. All four of them went to Snow and Charming's house around ten thirty and had quiche that Regina had offered to make, but Charming had insisted preparing himself. Thankfully the dish wasn't terrible and no one suddenly needed to rush to the bathroom at any point during their meal so things were off to a decent start at least. But things were also quiet and tense, however. Henry didn't have much to share and the wide-eyed expression he had gave Regina the impression that he was afraid to say anything in case it might ruin whatever possible progress they could all make together.

In that moment, Regina wasn't sure there was anything to ruin, but she understood his concern. She didn't attempt to find a talking point and say something either, but that was mostly because she wasn't the one that needed to discuss things with Snow and Charming. Emma was the one that needed the brunch, needed to talk and to address her issues sooner rather than later.

"So," Emma slowly started to say. "You're okay? The baby's okay?"

Snow's eyes flicked up in an instant and she flashed a quick smile before she nodded. She waited until she finished chewing before she replied, "Yes, the baby and I are fine. Thanks to you. How…how are you? How have you been…since…?"

Emma gulped and stared down at her plate as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. When no other response was forthcoming, Henry spoke up.

"We went ice skating the other night," he smiled. "Before that we had a snowball fight and made snow angels. We've been having fun. Right, Mom?"

Regina stopped eating. She froze in place with her silverware poised over her plate to cut into a bite of meat, but she never went for it. She just paused and looked around the table at Henry, the Charmings, and lastly at Emma. The girl's green eyes were slightly wide and filled with curiosity.

"Yes, we have been," Regina confirmed.

"That's good," Snow awkwardly said with a forced smile. "We're…happy to hear that."

Snow looked from Regina to Emma and bobbed her head in a stilted nod before silence stretched between them again.

After a long and painful amount of time hearing only the scraping and clinking of silverware, Emma seemed to have had enough with the tension in the room and said, "Regina's been a huge help. I've said that before, but I think it needs repeating sometimes."

The blonde looked over at her and smiled before she turned to her parents and hardened her expression just enough to get her point across but not enough to look mean or sound rude.

"Yes, well…thank you, Regina," Snow slowly said. Her voice was strained and her fists clenched and unclenched around her utensils as though it took a painful amount of effort to thank the brunette in person. It probably was. Even after their phone call, Snow hardly ever thanked her for anything. Even worse was that Snow rarely admitted when she was wrong and thanking Regina for her help with Emma was an admission in itself.

"So, what else have you been doing," David cut in. He surprisingly wasn't judgmental. He was only curious. His demeanor and tone were calm and inquisitive.

Emma chose to take a few more bites and made sure to take her time and swallow each one before she answered, "We decorated the tree."

"Trees," Henry corrected. "We have two. But…you never really decorated yours, did you?"

The question was directed at Emma and she didn't seem to have the heart to give him a response. Instead, she shrugged a second before she went back to eating and from then on the rest of the meal was consumed in silence, awkward and painful silence.

Regina was used to quiet dinners and feeling isolated during various meals, both in Storybrooke and before the curse, so it wasn't particularly difficult for her to get through, but it wasn't enjoyable either. It was even worse to see the way Emma struggled beside her. The blonde had earlier explained to her that she wanted to be comfortable around her parents before she officially agreed to spending any part of the holidays with them. It was understandable, but it also wasn't working.

"Um, I think I'm gonna do the dishes," Emma quietly said after she dropped her silverware onto her mostly clean plate and held out a hand to take hers as well.

"You don't have to do that," she replied before Emma decided to go for Henry's plate instead, which he gave her almost immediately.

"You always make us dinner and even though you didn't feed us today, you're hosting four other people right now. You shouldn't have to clean up. That's not fair," Emma explained as she set Henry's plate on top of her own and then waited again for Regina to hand over her plate.

Regina sighed and gave up the fight. She handed the teen her plate, but she made sure to lock eyes with the blonde and let her know without words just how much it meant that Emma thought to help out instead of just leave her to do everything on her own.

"Thank you," Regina said before Emma turned away with a smile on her face and disappeared into the kitchen.

Most people didn't consider the work, the effort, that went into the things she did and she barely even heard a thank you from those she did it to assist, as was most common with Snow. Emma on the other hand always offered to do something with or for her. She either did what she could in the kitchen or she offered to clean up when everything was finished. It might have been Emma trying not to be too dependent on her and maybe her way of relieving some of the strain the teen thought taking care of her caused Regina, but whatever it was it was something to be appreciated.

She shifted in her seat and toyed with the napkin in her lap just as she cleared her throat and looked down at the table cloth. When she looked up again, she saw Snow and David staring at her with slightly wide eyes filled with what Regina guessed was disbelief or at least something similar.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you that staring isn't polite," Regina asked after a moment of feeling overly scrutinized and unsure as to why.

Snow sighed and blinked until her eyes were their usual size. The other woman looked a little defeated once she'd been called out for her staring, but she wasn't defeated at all. Her tone when she next spoke, however, was a little softer than normal and Regina realized that the woman was just tired and having a difficult time connecting with Emma, which had been apparent to everyone all evening long.

"She seems well," Snow said. "I... We shouldn't have pushed her and...we should have believed you. Believed that you were helping and not...keeping her from us."

"That's really what you thought, isn't it," Regina asked. "You thought the only reason I allowed her to stay here was just to spite you?"

"You have to admit that you've given us plenty of reasons over the years to think that was a possibility," David replied. "You stormed into our castle the day of Emma's birth and demanded to know where she was. We weren't sure then what exactly you would have done to her, but we trust that it wouldn't have been anything good."

Snow nodded and added, "It's part of why we put her in the wardrobe in the first place. And now that she's young again... Well, we could have had a second chance. We could have helped her and been her parents for at least a little while. You never gave us the chance to be her parents before casting the curse so we always thought this was another way to deny us that again. She's never had people that love and care about her until she came here and even now that she knows we're her parents, it's never... We've hardly had any opportunities to be there for her as parents."

"The fact that we're all the same age makes it even harder," David confessed. "She met us during the curse when she didn't believe it could be possible for us to be her parents and it's not like we knew who we were so we couldn't help her believe. And then she and Mary Margaret were friends and roommates so the transition to mother and daughter hasn't exactly been easy."

"I understand that I'm partly at fault for some of what's happened to Emma," Regina said. "But being a parent to any child no matter how old you are or how old they are and how you met... It's never easy. There are plenty of books on the subject of parenting, but they're only guidelines. You can read as many of them as you want, but at the end of the day you just have to do what you think is best. And even though you're the parent, you still need to listen to them." She looked beside her at Henry who sat and watched the conversation with rapt attention and then continued. "I didn't listen to Henry and it nearly shattered everything we had. After almost losing him several times either by my own fault or someone snatching him away, I've learned to listen more and listen better. I've listened to Emma and now you need to listen to her as well."

"So you've said before," Charming said a little regretfully like he was finally starting to grasp that she hadn't in fact kept Emma to herself just to hurt them. "I guess you've been a better parent to her than we have."

Regina scrunched up her nose and her entire expression turned sour. "I'm not trying to be a parent to her. That's your job. I'm just doing what I can and being here for her. You don't have to be a parent to do that. That's what friends do."

"So...that's what you two are," Snow asked. "Friends?"

"I...I think we are," Regina said and looked away, uncomfortable.

"You don't know," David asked with audible confusion.

Henry placed a hand on her arm and reassuringly smiled at her before he answered for her. "They're friends."

She felt her heart soar at the simple defense and brightly smiled at him as she reached up and stroked her thumb over his temple and through some of his hair.

David cleared his throat before he pushed his chair out and stood. "I'm gonna see if Emma needs any help in the kitchen."

"Oh," Snow started to get up, but David put a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her.

"I know you and the baby are fine, but you should still take it easy," David said. "It's not like Emma's going to be in the kitchen all night. You'll see her again and have a chance to talk to her soon enough."

"You should rest," Regina agreed and in an instant she had the attention of everyone at the table. "You really scared Emma when she had to take you to the hospital. If you do anything to endanger your health again, she'll be furious."

"She... Really," Snow asked with a hopeful look in her eyes.

"Yes, really. As you've mentioned many times before you're her parents and we all know she's not used to that, but she wants to get used to it. You'd know that yourself if you would just listen."

David nodded and gently squeezed Snow's shoulder before he went into the kitchen.

Regina looked from Snow to Henry and when she saw her son she immediately saw the large smile on his face. He glowed with happiness. It was an expression she hadn't seen on Henry in years, since sometime before finding out he was adopted and then finding the story book filled with fairy tales he just knew had to be real.

As soon as David left the room, the three that remained at the table fell silent again and waited.

"Hey, kiddo," David greeted.

Emma jumped the second she heard his voice, caught off guard by his presence since she hadn't heard him come in over the sound of the sink. She relaxed and set the plate in her hands onto the drying rack with a few other dishes before she shut off the water and turned to face him. "Hey," she replied. "Is everything okay? You're not leaving, are you?"

"No. No," he was quick, and genuine, to assure her. "I just wanted to see if you needed any help."

"Oh, uh, no. I'm actually just about done. But...thanks."

David awkwardly stuffed his hands into his pockets and carefully crept toward her. He left enough space between them that allowed Emma plenty of room to slip past him and out of the kitchen if she chose to leave, but made sure it was clear he still wanted to be there even if he wasn't needed. "So...I don't want to speak for your mother because she'll want to talk to you herself, but while I've got you here I just want to say...I'm sorry. I...I shouldn't have pushed you as hard I have been and I should have believed you when you said Regina understood what we didn't."

Emma swallowed and looked down at the floor for a moment before she turned and wiped her wet hands on the nearest towel. When they were dry, she slid them down over her denim covered thighs and tried to stay calm as she listened to David's apology.

"It hasn't been easy for us. Any of us," he continued. "Not just your mother and I, but you as well. We just...we didn't see that and we didn't know how to fix it."

"Maybe...maybe you didn't need to fix it. Regina didn't fix anything. She's just there when I need her," Emma quietly confessed.

David nodded. "That's what she's been trying to tell us. She's still trying to tell us. We, your mother and I, haven't had a lot of experience with babies or teenagers. We barely know or understand you as an adult. And that's no excuse, because we haven't been trying as hard as we could be, but...I want to try. Your mother wants to try. We just... We love you and we want to try to make things okay between the three of us."

"You could have started making things okay a lot sooner if you'd just let Regina do what she's been doing."

"I know."

"She's doing a lot. Just because she hasn't spent every waking hour focused on trying to undo the spell doesn't mean she hasn't been doing her best. Because what she's doing works."

David frowned and furrowed his brow. "What-?"

"The other night I walked in on her buried in a spellbook," she explained. Her expression was firm, but not upset. She just wanted to be clear. "As far as I know, she hasn't been staring at books for the better part of a month trying to find the magical cure to my issue. Then we see you at the diner and suddenly she's back in research mode."

"I didn't-"

"You didn't have to demand her to do it," Emma cut him off before he could try to explain himself. "If you said anything to her that made her feel like what she's been doing hasn't been enough or was only her being selfish or whatever, you had to know she'd do it."

"What do you mean? She... Regina went back to the books to try to find a way to change you back," he asked.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I mean."

"But...she never listens to us."

Emma scoffed and shook her head. "Yes, she does. She takes everything we say to heart and if she feels any little bit of doubt about herself because of what we say to her, she does what she can to make it better or make herself feel better. She kills herself trying to prove she's worthy of...I don't really know what, but it's what she does. She doesn't deserve to go through that torture. She's doing everything she needs to do."

"That's...a lot of insight for someone that doesn't remember her history with Regina prior to the spell," David slowly said as he seemed to try to work some things out in his head.

Emma didn't react. She just took another breath and added, "I'm not gonna yell at you or tell you that I don't want to come over for Christmas, but I just want you to understand that Regina's off limits. You can't make her feel like that anymore. I've felt worthless plenty of times in my life and it sucks so I want to make sure you know she's not worthless and shouldn't feel worthless, especially not because of something either you or Mary Margaret said. Got it?"

David stood still for a moment and took in what Emma had said before he nodded and said, "Got it."

"Good, because that's step one."

"Step one?"

"If you can manage not to bother or hurt Regina, you're taking the first step to repairing whatever relationship we had or should have had before the spell," Emma elaborated.

David's eyebrows jumped up toward his hairline and after a few seconds he relaxed when he understood there was still a chance. He smiled and nodded again before he removed his hands from his pockets. "That's... Thank you."

"For what?"

"For not giving up on us."

Emma flashed a quick smile that vanished just before she said, "Regina and Henry have never given up on me. So I don't think it would be fair to give up on you."

David's smile morphed into something soft and almost teary looking. Emma wasn't sure what it meant or how he felt in that moment, but it looked like something finally clicked in his mind.

"Well, if you don't need me I'll be out in the dining room with the others," he said and hitched a thumb over his shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm okay. You can go. I'll be out in a second," Emma said and David then slowly started to back out of the kitchen.

She turned to the sink again and cleaned all the silverware before she set them in the basket section of the drying rack meant specifically for utensils. It only took about a minute before she followed after David and joined the group at the table once again. When she walked back into the dining room, she noticed things were slightly less tense than they had been before she'd gone to the kitchen and wondered if David had said anything upon his return. She didn't waste too much time thinking about it, however, and instead took her seat next to Regina again.

The brunette leaned in toward her and then quietly asked, "Is everything okay?"

Emma looked at Regina and then again at her parents before her eyes slid over to Henry who was smiling at her. She smiled back at him and the smile remained on her face as she looked again at Regina and answered, "It's starting to be."

A/N: I've been working on this for about a month, maybe longer. So, SO sorry this took so long, but I hope this chapter was a nice holiday surprise that all you lovely readers enjoyed. Let me know what you think and I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and weekend.