Authors note: I should've maybe given a little heads up last chapter, but... Yeah. Hereby the last chapter of Side by Side. I can't tell you guys how much I've enjoyed writing this story, and how I loved every one of your kind words. Don't worry, the end of this story doesn't mean the end of me (that sounded more dramatic than I would've liked), I have a couple other Swan Queen stories (also oq, if anyone is into that), finished and unfinished, so if you want to check that out, be my guest.

Hope you guys enjoy! ;)

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~ 10 years later ~

"Henry, you're going to be late for school, kid!" Emma yelled from the bottom of the stairs, in one hand holding her cup of coffee and in the other a half eaten bearclaw.

When no answer came, Emma grumbled and stepped a couple of steps higher. "Henry! If you're not coming down that means you're going to be late. And if you're late that means your mom is going to kill me!"

"You're the sheriff, I'm pretty sure you can fight off mom." Henry sighed, swinging his backpack on his back as he appeared on the top of the stairs. The fourteen year old was wearing baggy jeans (Regina hated those jeans) and a t-shirt, his dark hair was as unruly as ever, though today it had apparently decided to hang more to the left than to the right.

"Did you finally get Henry out off bed, dear?" Regina asked with an amused grin when Emma stepped into the kitchen again, followed by their teenage son. She was sitting on one of the chairs and Amelia was standing in front of her, patiently waiting until her mother was done braiding her hair.

"What can I say?" Emma grinned, taking the last swig of her lukewarm coffee and putting the dirty cup in the sink. "I have a magic touch."

Amelia giggled from where she was standing, trying to turn her head so she could watch her blonde mother, but the soft tug on her hair had her staring at the wall again.

"Keep still, darling. You want it to be perfect, don't you?"

"Sorry, mom." Amelia sighed and Regina was instantly reminded of her younger self. Amelia really was a carbon copy of her, something Emma liked to joke about.

"Wait, so I had to hurry up, even though Amelia isn't even ready to go yet?" Henry grumbled, grabbing a bowl and filling it with fruit loops and milk.

"What can we say, kid? We know you have a knack of standing in the bathroom for ages."

"I do not!" Henry almost yelled, sounding scandalized.

"Now now, children." Regina chuckled as she tied the last bow in Amelia's hair. "Don't fight."

...

"Knock knock." Emma joked as she stepped inside the mayor's office, closing the door behind her again.

Regina looked up from her paperwork, sliding the glasses from her nose and smiling when she saw the blonde. "Well well, what can I do for you, sheriff?"

Emma chuckled and lifted the white paper bag up higher. "I thought I'd bring my wife some lunch to celebrate our eight years anniversary." She lifted her other hand, showing the bouquet of dark red roses. "And I of course had to bring some flowers for my queen."

"Is this all to get into my pants tonight, sheriff?" Regina grinned, standing up from behind her desk and making her way over to her wife.

"I thought I was guaranteed to get into your pants tonight?" Emma chuckled. "Or better yet, skirt."

Regina bit her bottom lip through her smile, wrapping her arms loosely around the blonde's neck and leaning forward to lightly peck her lips. "They're beautiful, Emma." Her voice was low and soft, it caused warmth to spread out in Emma's belly.

"Not as beautiful as you, my love." Emma was the one to lean in this time, kissing those full, dark red lips that had been taunting her since breakfast. She lightly ran her tongue over the flesh, coaxing them open to gain access to Regina's mouth. Access the brunette eagerly gave.

"You know what." Emma breathed as she let go of the white paper bag and let it fall on the floor with a dull thud. "Fuck lunch, you're far more tasty."

The response she got was a low moan.

...

"You look like you got laid." Graham said with a deep chuckle when he saw Emma walking into the station, wearing a big grin on her slightly flustered face.

Emma huffed, dropping on the chair that was next to the man's desk. "I don't kiss and tell, Humbert."

"Oh yeah, you definitely got laid."

"It's my wedding anniversary and my wife the hottest woman in town, of course I got laid, what do you think." Emma chuckled, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Oh man, I gotta find me a wife too." Graham sighed, dropping the pen down on his mountain of paperwork.

...

It was four pm, the exact moment on which Regina Swan-Mills had promised herself to go home this morning. To go home and see her family. Emma would drop the kids off at Katherine's for the night at about 6, so she and Emma could have a nice romantic dinner and some alone time for the night.

So now it was four pm, and Regina was grabbing her purse and pulling her arms through the sleeves of her black coat, ready to head home.

...

"Maybe we should skip dessert." Emma was slightly stuttering, her breathing quick as she felt Regina's bare foot run up higher and higher on the inside of her leg. She hoped to God no one was incidentally looking under their table.

"Yes, that's a great idea." Regina grinned, loving the affect her touches had on Emma.

It was not even ten minutes later that they were standing on the porch of their house, passionately kissing as Emma fumbled to try and get the key in the lock. They stumbled though the door and Emma quickly kicked it shut, not caring on scratching the wood with her boots.

"We need to get this dress off of you." The blonde breathed harshly, moving her hands to Regina's back and grabbing the small zipper, which she rushed to pull down the length of Regina's body.

"Emma." Regina softly moaned, pulling at the sheriff's blouse, trying to get the buttons undone and failing. So instead she resulted to ripping the fabric apart, sending the small buttons everywhere.

The pair stumbled up the stairs, pulling off clothes and kicking off shoes until they finally made it through their bedroom door.

Regina was almost naked, wearing only a lacy black thong as she was pushed on the bed, Emma quickly crawling on top of her. The blonde was still wearing her black cotton bra and a pair of matching panties.

"Emma, please." Regina moaned, grabbing the bedding with one hand and burying the other one in Emma's hair.

Emma grinned, placing open mouthed kisses on the caramel skin of Regina's chest. "Patience, sweetheart." She murmured against the skin, moving lower and lower, kissing every silvery, faded stretch mark, birthmark and freckle she could find.

Regina groaned softly, her hips bucking when she felt the hint of fingertips ghosting over her center.

"Regina, patience." Emma whispered, moving up higher again until she was looking into those captivating brown eyes that were now dark with arousal. Her hand moved lower again, allowing a small flicker over the brunette's clit as she watched her with a smile. Watching how Regina's breath hitched and her eyes fluttered.

She moved the lacy underwear aside and rubbed a tight circle over Regina's bundle of nerves, her eyes full of love as she watched her wife react to her touch. Emma dipped two fingers inside and started a slow pace, watching how Regina let out a quiet whimper, feeling how her muscles contracted and how fingernails scratched the back of her head.

"I love you, Regina." Emma softly whispered, kissing the brunette's lips.

It was hearing those words that pushed Regina over the edge.

Hearing 'I love you', from the person she loved more than anything.

~ FIN ~

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I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I did writing it. Thank you for joining me on this journey and I hope it isn't goodbye. ;)