*picks up microphone and clears throat* Hello everyone and anyone reading this, this is the first time I have ever published anything I've written so I hope you'll all be kind, please let me know what you think. Does this need a disclaimer? Well sadly I do not own any of these characters or anything to do with once upon a time, but I do love it very much.

Chapter 1

From her seat, Regina heard the door to her office unlock without a knock. She didn't even have to raise her head from the paperwork she was scribbling away on to know who it was. The brunette continued to work without paying any attention to the intruder in front of her, but the blonde didn't say anything, it was like she wasn't even there. After a couple of minutes, Regina really had quite enough and looked up to see Emma Swan crying. She furrowed her brows in confusion and opened her mouth to say a rude quip, but decided not to. Tilting her head, she watched the blonde woman simply start to sob, not knowing what to do.

"I just..." Emma tried to speak whilst wiping away at her eyes furiously, "Madame Mayor, would it be possible if I stayed at your house tonight?"

Regina stared dumbfounded, and suddenly stood. As she watched the mother of her child cry, she saw the resemblances and felt the need to reach out and wipe Emma's tears.

They were standing face to face, and all Emma wanted was to bury her face into this stranger's neck and cry. Regina could feel it, the way Emma looked at her, it was the same way Henry had before and Regina couldn't help herself. She made the move to envelop her arms around Emma and heard the blonde sob. She heard a small "please" being said against her shoulder, and remembered the question.

"Of course you can."

Emma awoke to the smell of pancakes and the sound of Henry rushing down the stairs. She heard Regina tell him in a raised but motherly voice to slow down. The blonde smelt the sheets and and stretched, forgetting why she was in the Mayor's house. She didn't register the events until she recognized the smell of apples.

"Regina," the name came out as a unexpected sigh, and Emma remembered the embarrassing events of the night before. Emma remembered Snow's face as she'd rushed out of their shared house after telling her mother about her feelings for the woman once known as the Evil Queen. Emma shut her eyes firmly and pressed her face towards the pillow, feeling her eyes cloud with moisture.

A knock at her door distracted her from her thoughts and she was surprised when Henry opened the door and quickly walked up to the bed and kissed Emma's cheek.

"Have a good day Mom," Henry gave her a big smile before quickly leaving again as to not get in trouble.

Emma couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face, as she heard the front door downstairs close shut. Soon after that she heard a car, Regina's car, drive off. She sighed.

She slowly got out of bed and made her way downstairs, stopping by the bathroom and noticing herself in the mirror. Walking closer, she noticed Regina's worn out sweater and her red, puffy eyes. Emma looked around the bathroom, taking in the grandeur and cleanliness of it, shaking her head and walking out.

In the kitchen she found a plate with a massive stack of pancakes, coated in maple syrup and a hot chocolate with cinnamon on top left untouched on the table. She felt the tears once again, building up in her eyes, and looked up and sniffed. Pulling the chair back and sitting, she took a tiny bit from her plate and put it in her mouth.

She heard herself moan and closed her eyes. Taking another bite, this time much larger, she realized how much of a great cook the Mayor was. Just as she was finishing up her hot chocolate she heard the door open and close, causing her to freeze in place.

"Emma, you're awake," the brunette seemed surprised and looked flustered, Emma noted the kindness in Regina's voice, and it warmed her up inside.

Regina sat across from the blonde, watching as she sipped the last of the hot chocolate in her hands, trying to form the perfect questions in her head. Apparently Emma must have noticed because she looked down and started to tell Regina what had happened.

"I fought with Snow. We were cooking dinner and I asked her why you two hated each other in the first place, and Snow gave me this horrified look and said you killed her father, but I just simply couldn't believe her, and I-" the blonde realized she was words away from confessing her feelings to the brunette, who looked down with guilt in her eyes.

"It's true Emma... I did kill Snow's father." Emma's eyes widened and Regina immediately started to explain her motives. "Emma your grandfather he, he did bad things to me, Snow- she could never understand, and I didn't have the heart to tell her. She was just a young girl, and I was just playing a role. After my mother killed Daniel, I couldn't help but loathe Snow, and then Mr Gold- Rumpelstiltskin - he appeared in my life and promised to teach me magic. Dark magic. Power destroys people, it destroyed him, it destroyed my mother, it destroyed me. I just wanted to get my revenge, I was so young and foolish, thinking I could simply gain everything I desired using the power I attained. I was so wrong, and-"

Emma couldn't believe what she was hearing, thinking that fairy tales we're supposed to have happy endings, but then she remembered the evil queens and those who never got what they wanted or expected in those stories at the expense of someone else's happy ending. Regina was misunderstood, outcast and destined to a lifetime of unhappiness. Emma noticed how uncomfortable the Mayor felt, and how horrified that she had explained herself to the Sheriff.

Regina never had to explain herself to anyone, but there was this gentleness about Emma. She was so utterly glad for this Savior who gave her a happy ending, Henry.

"Thank you, Emma." Emma realized at the cost of her own happiness, all those years in the system, all those foster homes, everything she endured up to the moment of going to jail and giving birth to Henry, Regina Mills had been miserable. Unknowingly Emma had brought Regina the greatest happiness, a break from her own curse. She truly was the Savior.

Emma looked up confused. "What for?"

"Bringing Henry into the world, making me a better person, caring about me..." as Regina trailed off she noticed the blonde lowering her head, trying to hide a small smile and blush. Regina felt herself relax at the sight of the younger woman showing affection towards her, a person that had been cruel and killed ruthlessly. The thought ripped the smile right off her face and brought on a terrible headache, and horrible feeling.

"Well then Miss Swan, I expect you'll be overstaying your welcome?" Emma looked at her, a little panicked, and the Mayor almost laughed.

"I wouldn't want to do that Madame Mayor," the quip left Regina more than pleased. Emma was returning to her normal self after a quite unexpected outburst of emotion, which left both women feeling extremely affectionate towards the other, regardless of how much the brunette denied it.

They smiled at each other knowingly, but Regina looked away first, noting the time. "Well Miss Swan, I have a job to get done and a town to run so if you'll excuse me." They both stood and Emma walked with Regina towards the door and the Mayor handed her a key.

"It's an inconvenience but since you have no where else to go," Regina watched Emma frown, ready to retort and probably say something like "I'll stay in my bug" Regina scoffed out loud at the thought and finished her sentence, "you can stay here for now."

The blonde's features softened at the normally harsh woman's kindness and without thinking embraced Regina. The older woman froze before returning the action and walking out quickly after that, only to re open the door and warning the Sheriff to stay out of her stuff and to use the guest bathroom down the hall from the guest room. Emma smiled mischievously at the closing door and ran to the Mayor's bathroom.

The small jingle of the bell atop the door Regina had just opened, brought Gold to the front of the shop.

"Hello dearie," he said disgruntled at her visit.

"You lied to me." Rumple lifted an eyebrow in confusion.

"I did?"

"You told me she was the Savior, that Emma was the Savior, but what exactly was she meant to rescue?" She noticed his lips relax into a devilish smile.

"Whatever could you mean? She was to rescue us all from your curse of course!" His eyes sparkled knowingly.

"Your curse." Regina's affirmative tone would scare anyone out of their wits, apart from this imp, and the blonde she had tried so hard to hate.

"Look dearie, I have said before that I see the future, but I can't see the details of it, so perhaps there's something more to this savior- after all life is a mysterious thing." He spoke with an joyous tone and Regina couldn't bear it. She threw him a cold look and left the shop abruptly.

Rumple laughed, understanding at last what the Savior's purpose was.