Last Thing You'll Do

Chapter 1

The gentle opening and closing of the front door might as well have been slammed as the noise carried through the silent house. Regina stiffened, bracing herself for the inevitable row that was about to explode once the blonde reached the kitchen. The older woman could hear each movement Emma made in her journey towards her position, each step getting louder the closer she got.

The dishevelled Sheriff appeared in the doorway, now her signature red jacket and boots shred, Regina assumed in their rightful places. Emma looked exhausted. The former queen had watched her love get more tired and stressed as her work load had increased in the last month. That stress and anxiety had manifested in tension headaches in the young blonde, something Regina was well accustomed to in her days as Mayor. Snow made no exceptions or allowances for her daughter now she had taken the position of Mayor. Emma was her town's Sheriff and would do the work that was needed, even if the result was the drained woman stood in their doorway.

Regina allowed herself a moment to enjoy the other woman's presence; nearly two years together hadn't lessened the feelings of butterflies at seeing the woman she loved. The moment however passed as she remembered her irritation. Emma had been working herself to the bone, and Regina had wanted to make the night special. Make Emma feel special and looked after. Loved. And the woman hadn't turned up! "You're late" Regina stated her tone carrying years of authority.

Emma seemed to sag slightly against the door frame, it now keeping her up. "I know. Sorry, I didn't expect things to go on so long" the blonde explained looking genuinely guilty.

"What's our rule, dear?" Regina asked ignoring the fatigued stance of the other woman. She wouldn't be angry for long. Emma had softened her, depending who you asked; both for better and worse. The "Evil Queen" had been tamed, and right now it wasn't something Regina was too happy about. The blonde had done something wrong and would be held responsible...for now.

"I know... You know what Mary Margaret has been like lately. Things just got the better of me and before I knew it I was late. I didn't mean to be", Emma explained; it seemed missing the point of this faux interrogation.

"What is our rule Miss Swan", she repeated her tone even to her own ears sounded deadly. "If you had better things to do all you had to do is call. You should have called to inform me that you wouldn't be here on time. I wouldn't have put the effort into a meal for us both, had I known you did not want to be here", Regina's voice commanding an almost lethal calm, while she felt her heart pound in her chest.

Emma seemed to sag under scrutiny; her arms were tightly crossed across her chest. Regina saw the moment the blonde cracked. Instead of Emma crumbling beneath her regal glare, she saw the flame erupt in the blonde's returning glower. "It's Miss Swan now? Sorry I don't think so. We haven't travelled back three years, just because I wasn't here exactly on time. As for rules? I wasn't aware I was in a relationship with my mother, Regina. I'm not five! I've said I'm sorry damn it. I didn't mean to be this late. Of course I wanted to be here!" Emma all but screamed at her. For a moment it felt good. Emma had always been her equal in their arguments. She had been the first person to challenge her, to stand up to her in almost thirty years.

The buzz of the argument however fizzled out as soon as it had come following the blonde's next words, "I didn't want to ruin your meal... I'm so sorry". Her voice cracking, whether with emotion or tiredness Regina didn't know. The teeth worrying the Sheriff's bottom lip suggested the former.

Rising from her seat Regina couldn't help but shake her head. "It's not ruined. It can be warmed. It wasn't my meal Emma", she explained emphasising the blonde's name. No she was no longer "Miss Swan" though Regina did sometimes revisit the name in the bedroom quite enjoying the effect it had on the younger woman. "I know how hard you've been working and I wanted to do something special for you. Give you the night off...to be taken care of", the brunette continued, coming to a standstill in front of the blonde. She could feel the static pouring from the other woman.