Immediately sensing a presence, Henry reared his head back before his eyes widened comically, his eyebrows disappearing behind his bangs as his mouth formed a perfect 'o'. His hands flew to his mouth as he gasped in surprise. "Emma!"

Without so much as a warning, Henry leaped off the bed and wrapped his arms around Emma's neck, weaving his legs around her waist in a vice-like grip as he continued to cheer excitedly, and very loudly, in the blonde's ear.

His weight was familiar is Emma's arm, but god did his hair always tickle her chin? He was the same Henry she had left nine months ago, but he had grown since then. He was sturdier, and god he was so tall, and why the hell couldn't she see his eyes? Laughing happily, she rested him into her side and used a hand to push up Henry's bangs until twin pools of golden brown stared up at her. "That's better. I was beginning to worry you were going blind."

"See?" Regina gave Henry a look as she came to sit on the edge beside the hugging pair. "You need a haircut."

Pulling back to remove Emma's hand from his hair, Henry shook his head profusely then ran a hand upward until it stuck up and out of his face. Satisfied, he stood and hopped happily on the bed with his arms raised in victory, the adults bouncing with every jump. "Emma's home! Emma's home! Emma's home!"

Emma grinned, catching Regina's eye as they both watched Henry chant and cheer. "Yeah," she said almost to herself. "I am."


Their lunch hour was filled with constant chatter as Henry moved between sitting with August as they marathoned cartoons and crawling into either Emma or Regina's lap as the women curled into the large single recliner in the room. It was surreal, this moment, as Henry insisted that Emma watch his super cool magic trick, making the bed rise and fall with sheer will. Five years ago, Regina never thought that she would be here, right now, with a son she thought she would never have, with a girlfriend she should have never met, and a quirky friend she could never get rid of. It was disorganized and unsystematic and sometimes so difficult, but they were hers and hers alone, and it was perfect.

She was happy.

As Emma oohed at Henry's impressive parlour trick, nodding in amazement when the boy let her in on the source of his wizardry, Regina smiled, shifting so that her legs tangled with Emma's as she rested her head onto sturdy shoulders. The blonde turned at the shift and returned Regina's expression, adding a light kiss to the top of her head. Their fingers found one another, lacing through the spaces until they connected instinctively, their hands squeezing in reassurance to remind the other that they were there. Together. Finally.

Regina surprisingly managed to remain cuddled up with Emma for at least three episodes of Justice League before Henry crawled off the bed and pulled Emma to her feet, proclaiming she be the one to escort him to the bathroom. He was a big boy and could do everything himself while at home, but seeing that he needed help to scoot onto the toilet and reach the sink, Emma was the lucky winner to accompany the kid.

As soon as the door shut, Regina leaned closer to August who was more lucid than he was upon her arrival since it showed in the way he winced whenever Henry leaned too heavily on his injured side.

"About time?" Regina repeated his earlier words with a raised eyebrow.

"Too long, I think," he smiled boyishly.

Regina smiled softly, her hand coming over his arm in sincerity. "Even drugged out of your mind, how are you able to play the puppet master?"

"The same way Tolkien wrote The Hobbit while on opium."

"So we're just some characters in your story?" Regina clarified bemused.

He nudged her chin. "You're better than that."

She rolled her eyes affectionately before leaning up and kissing August's temple. The man smirked but hollered a cat-call nonetheless. "Don't let your girlfriend see."

This time when Regina rolled her eyes, it was out of annoyance more than anything, but the smirk never left the man's face, and Regina wouldn't have it any other way.


The elevator dinged as it arrived on the fifth floor, its doors opening to reveal a knocked out Henry lying limply in Emma's arms and Regina rolling a small briefcase out of the elevator and into the hallway where the diamond design of the carpeted flooring made the length of the hallway look slanted than it actually was. The smell of different dishes fused in the air as grease, fish, and curry combined to create a smell so strong Regina could almost taste it and made her wrinkle her nose.

The blonde chuckled, catching the movement, and nodded her head down to the left where August's apartment was located. "You get used to it."

Regina murmured a noise of acknowledgement as they made their way to the very end of the hallway and stopped dead upon what was sitting outside August's door. "That's a cat."

"Yeah," Emma nodded, shifting Henry to one side so she could retrieve the keys August had leant her. "He's real."

The small cat that was predominantly black save for one white boot at its front right paw and a white circle around it's left eye sat on its haunches, its ears pointed up, and stared expectantly at the new humans then at the door then back again.

"Meet Figaro," Emma introduced as she turned the key into the lock and opened the door wide. As soon as the smallest sliver opened, Figaro raced into the apartment and perched possessively on the living room chair which had a blanket draped over it. Even from her distance at the door, Regina could see the cat hair that littered the blanket and deduced that this cat certainly was a regular among the Booth household. "He's pretty good, if not a bit of a fatty," Emma explained. "Don't let his size fool you. That thing will devour your cereal the second you leave to get the milk."

"Cats shouldn't eat cereal."

Emma turned suddenly, an absolutely serious expression on her face despite the sleeping boy in her arm. "I know." She disappeared into the single bedroom briefly and returned empty handed before motioning to a spot on the rug in the middle of the living area. In the pale shades of brown fabric, a harsh orange stain stood out like a beacon. "He did that."

The brunette wrinkled her nose again. "Why is it orange?"

"I have no idea," the younger woman said gravely. "I tried everything. I can't get it out."

"Sit it in baking soda."

Emma smirked. "After making me wait two days to call you, I'll consider it payback."

Regina chuckled and commended with a nod. "I like the way you think, soldier."

Regina rolled her suitcase to what she assumed was the closet door and removed her peacoat, opening it to find her suspicions correct. A small smile graced her lips when she found Emma's uniform, newly laundered and worse for wear. Her fingers trailed over the rank stitched onto the bicep then over the jacket completely. The elbows, despite the thicker padding there, was worn and torn in places, and there were some stains over the body which Regina didn't even want to know what the cause was.

An arm weaved around her waist, and soon her back was pressed hotly against Emma's firm body as the blonde sighed contently, her warm breath tickling Regina's neck and ear enough to make her giggle. "I've really missed you."

Quickly hanging up her coat, Regina placed a hand over Emma's wrapped arms, allowed her head to fall back onto Emma's shoulder where the blonde began grazing her lips and nose against Regina's smooth neck. She used her free arm to find the back of Emma's head, fingers tangling in loose locks as she pulled the blonde closer. "I missed you too."

In the quiet of the room with cars honking below them, the wind bristling slightly through the partially opened window, and muffled conversations happening one floor above them, the ladies began to instinctively sway together, hips moving against hips, and their breaths mingling in the minute space between them. The white noise was their symphony, and their hearts orchestrated each movement.

They had danced away from the closet, swaying to and fro into the living room, their bodies never once separating. When Emma stepped, Regina followed, and when Regina squeezed her hand in yellow curls, Emma held her waist tighter, her fingers of her free hand tickling the small sliver of exposed skin at Regina's hip.

Regina sighed contently, letting her head fall back completely onto Emma's shoulder, and to Emma, that was all the invitation she needed to press soft lips against the juncture of Regina's neck, feeling her pulse jump in heated anticipation against her skin. Up and down, Emma's lips traced Regina's neck, following the contours of the veins there, kissing a path from her shoulder right under her ear. As soon as the whisper of her breathing tickled Regina's ear, the brunette giggled again, attempting to move away and push closer all at the same time. When she pressed a kiss right on Regina's ear, the quiet giggling turned into a humming before a breathy little moan escaped painted lips, and Emma darted her tongue out, tracing the shell of her lobe to make the pleased sound continue longer.

"I've missed this too," Emma whispered, placing one parting kiss on the shell of her ear before peppering the length of Regina's arm draped around her head.

"We never did this," Regina sighed breathily.

Reaching just shy of Regina's wrist, Emma pulled back enough to disentangle Regina's fingers from her hair, and in one fluid motion, had the brunette facing her. Emma latched onto the hand she had removed, weaving their fingers together before guiding Regina's free arm over her shoulder lazily and taking hold of the older woman's waist, not once faltering in their swaying movements.

"We should make a habit of this," Emma said as they both stepped in closer, the foreheads connecting like magnets.

"Of what?"

"Dancing."

"There's no music."

"That hasn't been a problem for the last twenty minutes."

Regina pulled back and looked around the room as if evidence of Emma's statement could be found in the changes of the atmosphere. The cars below were still honking, the wind had quieted down some, and the neighbours above were laughing. The only thing to back up her claim was the fact that the cat had moved from its spot on the chair to the open window, and the time on the VCR proclaimed it to be nearing 9:30. Having Emma's warmth and her scent and her arms wrapped around Regina again made time stand still, so with a gentle smile, the brunette nodded once, placing a chaste kiss on pink lips before resting their temples together.

"We should," Regina agreed.

It wasn't until Figaro started pawing at a container full of cat kibble did the two women ease apart.

"Duty calls," Emma informed her as she moved across the room to pick up a food bowl from the floor and filled a scoop of kibble in it.

"All that training put to good use," Regina quipped, removing her heeled boots and placing them by the front of the door before excusing herself with her suitcase to change in the bedroom out of her pantsuit for the evening. Ten minutes later, Regina exited the bedroom in a baggy US ARMY shirt and silk pyjama pants, carrying Henry's winter jacket she found draped on the bed and replacing it in the closet.

"Nice shirt," the blonde grinned from her spot on the couch where two glasses were poured and waiting on the coffee table, and a very content Figaro curled in the space between her legs.

"Well I didn't expect to see you here, did I?" Regina asked in a flushed haughtiness as she took a seat as close to Emma as possible.

When the couch dipped, jarring Figaro from his nap, the cat looked up and very nearly glared at the brunette woman before standing and repositioning himself again, this time his butt to Regina and his head draped over Emma's thigh. Regina raised an eyebrow at the quite purposeful behaviour of the feline, but Emma just laughed with the back of her hand to her mouth in barely restrained amusement.

"Nine months apart and you've already replaced me," Regina said in feigned offence as she sat forward on the middle cushion, purposely keeping to herself as she leaned forward to take a sip of wine. "With a cat, I might add."

"I could say the same for you." Emma scooped Figaro in an arm and gently put the cat on the floor where it glared at the blonde woman before finding his spot again at his designated sitting area. "What's this I hear about a New Year's Eve bash and half the town partying at your place?"