"Thanks again for coming," Emma spoke softly, nudging his shoulder as they walked. "Are you sure you don't want to stay the weekend?"

"I'll be fine. I have to feed my cat and all." August helped Emma fold up the chair and place it into the trunk of the car.

"It's a long drive," Emma noted.

"It's your last weekend here, Em," he reminded. "Enjoy it."

"We didn't get to hang out a lot, did we?" She asked guiltily.

"Hey," he rapped her chin with his knuckles. "Don't sweat it. Next time you bring Regina and Henry to my neck of the woods."

Emma smirked at his implication, but she nodded. "Okay."

They lingered by the open passenger door, and Emma could feel an array of emotions fighting one another to dominate the blonde's features. She was indescribably happy yet the sorrow filling her seemed to hit back with a harder punch. She caught August's eye, and he held it for a second before motioning his head to himself and opened his arms with an expectant grin. Emma rolled her eyes, shimmying from foot to foot for a second before relenting and stepping into his embrace.

He hugged her tightly, his scruff scraping her temple as she buried her face into his chest. "Take care of yourself," he ordered gently, placing a kiss to her temple.

Emma nodded and pulled back, her eyes watery but with a blink she was immediately composed save for a trickle of moisture lining just under her eye. "You too."

He slid into the car, and Emma helped to close it shut. She waited as August rolled down the window and stuck his head out the window. "Oh, my birthday gift to you is free babysitting whenever you and Regina want to..." He waggled his eyebrows with a smirk.

Emma snorted and crossed her arms. "Yeah, Regina doesn't have the best track record with babysitters."

"Kid thinks I'm a cyborg," August argued. "You really think he's gonna sneak candy with me around?"

Emma laughed and patted the top of the cab. "Can't argue with that one."

He smiled earnestly and leaned back into the seat. "Think about what I said."

The taxi drove off leaving Emma to stand on the sidewalk, holding herself with a content smile on her face. "Can't argue with that one either," she muttered to herself before turning and walking back up the path.


By the time she entered the mansion and locked the door behind her, the sound of the dishwasher was already running, and she could only assume Regina had already finished up the rest of the cleaning. She took one final sweep of the main floor, shutting off each light as she deemed it clear and confirmed her suspicion that Regina had tidied up the few plates and cups that still littered the tables. The hallway light was the last to go as Emma ascended the stairs, reaching the top just as Regina was peaking her head into Henry's room.

Her palms sweat as she observed Regina check in on her son, and the voice in her head that had started out as August's but slowly faded to her own screamed at her that for once in her goddamn life to do something good, something just for her. The wall held her up for support as she tried to gather the nerve to approach Regina, but before she could even formulate another thought, Regina deemed her inspection satisfactory and closed Henry's door gently behind her.

She smiled when she noticed Emma and raised a curious eyebrow, silently questioning what was running through Emma's head, but the blonde held out her hand, and Regina latched onto it because it was something they had grown so familiar with in the past week alone that the natural tendency to be close was just as innate in Regina as it was in Emma.

Neither woman questioned when they made their way into Regina's room, their go-to late-night talking spot when they managed to remember to remove themselves from the couch before falling asleep. Emma claimed Regina's bed was the prime location if the brunette didn't want to lose any of those pillows both women were so fond of. They navigated their way into the room in the dark, Regina dropping their hands in favour of retreating to the bathroom as Emma moved to the corner where her sleep clothes lay folded on the chaise.

She changed quickly into a tank and shorts, and the sound of a toilet flushing and the faucet turned on was her cue that she could knock on the door and enter the master bathroom where they both brushed their teeth.

"Have I thanked you yet?" Emma asked shoving her brush in her mouth.

Regina spat and rinsed her mouth, catching Emma's eye in the mirror with a wry grin. "Perhaps once or twice."

The blonde laughed and finished brushing, placing her toothbrush on the counter and turning to Regina.

"You had fun?" Regina asked uncertainly, her palm coming over Emma's on the counter.

"It was the best birthday party I ever had," she answered honestly, linking their fingers before turning and leading them out of the washroom.

"Perhaps we can top it next year."

"About that..." Emma drawled, turning down the covers to what had become her side of the bed.

"You'll be back," Regina insisted, pausing her own actions to stare expectantly at Emma as if daring her to contradict Regina's words.

"I know," the blonde smirked, and despite Regina's acquiescent nod, her hands remained tensed as she focused on turning down the comforter and sitting on the bed to lotion for the night. The faint smell of Regina's lavender cream wafted over to Emma as Regina moved her lotioned hands over her bare legs one limb at a time. It was a habitual nightly routine Regina did before bed, and it wasn't the first time Emma noticed how sensual Regina looked, her palm massaging a firm calf, fingers rubbing deep along her elbow.

She swallowed hard and crawled width-wise along the bed, falling onto her stomach and elbows beside Regina who raised a questioning eyebrow before moving those lithe fingers to her neck to moisturize there.

"You smell good," the blonde commented lamely but took a deep inhale anyway.

It was Regina's turn to smirk as she dotted Emma's nose with a thin line of lotion before putting away the case. "Thank you, dear." When she turned back from the side drawer, a long, golden wrapped, rectangular box was in her hand and a shy smile on her face. "Happy early birthday."

Emma moved onto her side facing Regina with surprised eyes. She should have known Regina would spring for a gift on top of throwing her a birthday party, but the gesture never ceased to amaze the soldier. This woman before her was supposedly the scariest woman in Storybrooke, and maybe she was but Emma could understand why. She knew Regina's story and knew how cautious Regina was, and despite the fact that closing herself off to the masses led to a frosty disposition, it allowed Regina to give herself fully to those she truly cared about, and right now the only people on that list were herself and Henry, and that was pretty freaking mind blowing. "Regina..." Emma said softly, half scold, half amazement.

"It's for your birthday, I'm allowed."

"You can only use that card so many times."

Rolling her eyes, Regina placed the box in front of Emma and urged her to open it with imploring eyes. The blonde adjusted herself on her side to balance more effectively as she slipped a nail under the tape of the wrapping. She repeated the move until she was able to remove the wrapping entirely, revealing the box beneath it. Emma opened it carefully, holding in the small intake of breath when she found a long silver chain with a circle pendant at its end. She held it up to the glow of the bedside lamp, the circle swinging back and forth as the silver caught the light.

"You wrote how you saw one like that when you were sixteen," Regina explained. "I don't know if you still wanted it or-"

"Jesus, Regina," the blonde said breathless, staring past the necklace now to the brunette whose usually chocolate eyes glittered honey. "I really can't accept this."

The brunette looked crestfallen for half a second before her face turned neutral. "I can return it if you don't like it."

"No." Emma sat up, fingering the chain between her thumb and forefinger. "No, I love it."

"Oh," Regina said confusedly, but her mask was gone in place of a pleased smile.

"You've given me so much, I don't even know where to begin with that list," Emma sighed, shaking her head at herself.

"You don't have to give me anything, Emma," Regina consoled, her fingertips lifting up Emma's chin to make eye contact.

"But I want to," the blonde groaned exasperated. "I want to take you out, and show you and Henry Boston or wherever you guys want to go, and I want to give you flowers on your birthday, and I want to see your face light up on Christmas morning, and-" She clasped her hand over her mouth as her brain finally caught up with her tongue, Regina's paralyzed stare having the same numbing effect as her brain.

She fell back on the bed, her arm coming over her eyes while her hand, still clutching the necklace, muffled her voice. "Oh dear god, this was a better plan half an hour ago."

The sound of silence filled the room as Emma continued to berate herself. She certainly took the bull by the horns on this one, but she had a feeling this wasn't exactly what August meant about making it the right time. Regina hadn't said a word. Hell, Regina hadn't even moved from her position. Jesus, she shouldn't have said a thing. At least not now. Not when she still had to face a week with Regina. Oh god, was she reading this entire situation wrong? Maybe she could leave for Boston and catch up with August in the morning. But Henry. The B&B always had open rooms, didn't they?