A.N: The lovelier than lovely FaerieTales4ever and I were inspired and this is the result! We hope you enjoy it!

1

Whiskey Therapy

It never failed to amaze Emma Swan how different the atmosphere at Granny's was in the wee hours of the morning. Within the space of a few hours the diner had gone from being crammed to the rafters with the rabble of Storybrooke to a quiet, secluded spot for those wishing to drown their sorrows. Tonight, it was just the blonde who sat at the bar, absent-mindedly swirling a glass of amber liquid as Granny busied herself with dirty dishes and Ruby cleaned out the soda fountain.

"You look as if you've got the weight of the world on your shoulders," the old woman observed as she meticulously polished a glass and placed it on the shelf above the counter. Emma gave a noncommittal shrug and took another sip of her drink, the ice clinking musically against the side of the glass. Truthfully, she felt like she had the weight of several worlds on her shoulders. Most would guess it was because she was the Savior, as everyone liked to say, and they wouldn't be entirely wrong. Emma had never been a leader, nor did she ever want to be. All she wanted to do, all she ever learned to do, was survive. One day at a time, doing what needed to be done to stay alive.

And then she'd landed in Storybrooke.

Within the span of just under a year she'd found the son she'd given away when she was eighteen and discovered her parents were not only alive, but that they were freaking fairy tale characters. Snow White and Prince Charming to be exact. They'd been cursed by a Queen - for as mad as she was right now, Emma refused to call her True Love evil - and she, the lonely orphan, had been the only one who could save them.

And save them she had. Everything was a hazy blur now; a crazy surreal jumble of spells and breakups and rumors and happily ever afters. Emma had managed to save both her son and the woman she loved and for a awhile, she thought she couldn't ever be happier. Everything had finally fallen into place.

Then it all came crashing down. It shouldn't have surprised her by now; nothing good in her life ever lasted. But despite herself, she thought maybe, just maybe, this time, it could.

Emma laughed out loud then, shaking her head rapidly and wiping a lone tear as it slowly trickled down her cheek. How could she have been so foolish? How could she think Regina would ever love her?

"What's wrong Emma?" Ruby asked, shaking the blonde from her thoughts.
"Oh, ya know. Just stuff."
"Stuff?"
"Well, people."
"Has Leroy been spreading gossip again? He's a douche, Emma. Don't let him get to you."
Emma smirked. "For once, not Leroy." She sighed, realizing she needed to speak to someone about it all. Ruby and Granny seemed as good a choice as any. "Actually, it's my parents. And Regina, And Henry. And, well, everything."
Granny came over and sat down, giving the blonde a sympathetic nod, encouraging her to go on, "Maybe you should start from the beginning," she suggested.

Emma sighed as she downed the rest of her drink, "Well, I guess it all started a few days ago…."

Struggling to juggle the four heavy grocery bags, Emma fumbled in her pocket for the keys to the loft. "Little help here kid?" she grunted.
Henry's attention snapped up from his video game, "Oh shit, sorry Ma."
"Language Henry," she reminded him sternly as he took one of the bags from her.
"Oof," he sighed as the full weight of the food made his arms shake, "What's in here, bricks?"
Emma laughed, "You're grandma wanted taco fixings," she replied, pulling out Mary Margaret's extensive list and showing it to him.
"Wow," her son breathed, his eyes widening, "Are we feeding the dwarves too?"
The blonde shrugged, "Don't know kid, I just did what she asked." she replied as she turned the key in the lock.
"Hey, guess what?" Henry called as they entered the apartment, "taco shells were on sale."
Emma laughed at Henry's enthusiasm, "Apparently tacos? Not a big seller in the Enchanted-" They were interrupted by the sound of stifled giggling coming from Mary Margaret and David's "bedroom."

"I didn't know you guys were-" she began, pulling back the thin curtain that served as their privacy. She was greeted by the sheepish grins of her parents who quickly held up up the comforter as a protective shield. Emma stammered a few incomprehensible syllables before giving up.

Henry eyed them suspiciously and scrunched his brow, "What are you guys doing in bed? It's the middle of the afternoon."

His grandparents blushed and Emma shot them a look that said Oh my God I can't believe you were just doing that. Her parents suppressed laughs as they looked down sheepishly. Emma shook her head and ushered Henry back toward the kitchen, "Come on kid, lets start on the tacos." She glanced backward at her parents like, thanks for scarring my kid for life!

From the look on Emma's face, Granny realized it wasn't just Henry who had been scarred for life after his grandparent's little... episode. The blonde's lip had curled up as though there was a sour taste in her mouth and her face was steadily blushing.
"Parents are supposed to be embarrassing," Granny assured her, "they're just making up for lost time!" Emma did not appreciate her attempt at humor.
"I wish that was the only problem. Home is one thing, but now they're trying to take my job!"
Granny's brow wrinkled, "I'm sure they know you're more than capable Emma."
"You'd think," the blonde smirked, "but ever since Hook and Cora came in town, I can't seem to get them off my back! Its driving me insane!"

Emma, Mary Margaret and David held their coats over their heads in an attempt to shield themselves from the hammering rain as they sprinted across Main Street towards the Sheriff Station. Gold had called, saying that Belle had been severely injured just before she and Rumple were about to cross the town line to go look for his son. The pawnbroker had managed to apprehend the bastard, freezing him with magic before speeding his beloved to the Storybrooke Medical Center. After making sure she was in good hands with Dr. Whale and the nuns, he'd gone back to get the perpetrator, who as it turned out, happened to be yet another age old enemy of Gold's. Now the two men were waiting at the station, because Rumple refused to explain anything more in person. Emma had begged her parents to stay home when she'd gotten the call, but her father had told her he had a hunch who the man was and they weren't about whether to let her go after him without them. The blonde wanted to protest, but there wasn't time. Begrudgingly, she'd finally agreed to let them come, if only to save time.

As they approached the stairs leading up to the office, Emma's parents remained hot on her tail. They were shaking the water from their soaking bodies and striding quickly down the corridor when the blonde suddenly turned on her heel to face Mary Margaret and David.
"Look, guys, you should wait here. We don't know who this guy is and-"
"That's exactly why we're coming in with you."
David interrupted, "We want-" But Emma cut him off.
"Really, I don't need my mommy and daddy to protect me from a stranger!" she huffed, struggling to keep her composure. How would that look? Certainly not like she was an in control sheriff who was a danger to double cross, She'd dealt with more than a few sick pervs in her life and one thing she learned was to never let them see you sweat. Bringing her mommy and daddy along to save her was not what a situation like this called for.
Her mother winced, but tried not to be offended at her daughter's comment, "Emma, we just need to be careful around this guy. We don't even know how he got here!"
"Let's talk to him," her father continued, starting to step forward, but Emma put her hand on his chest and blocked the door.
The blonde's ability to remain pleasant was rapidly dissolving. "We're not talking to him as a group." she stated firmly, "We're not a group sheriff!"
"But-" her mother sighed when Emma stopped her with an icy glare. Realizing there was no point in arguing with her stubborn daughter, Mary Margaret relented with an enormously forced smile.
"We'll wait right here then."
But they hadn't waited. Mid-way through her conversation with Gold, and apparently, Captain Hook, they'd barged in and, upon hearing who the man was, started questioning him rapid-fire. From them on, Gold found some sick sense of entertainment out of the exchange and the feisty pirate pretty much forgot the sheriff was even in the room. It took all of Emma's willpower not to chew her parents out right there in the office.

Granny patted Emma's hand. "They were trying to be helpful."
"Helpful my ass" Emma grumbled, "If they want to help, they should stay out of my business!"
The older woman eyed her disapprovingly, "Emma," she scolded, "they just wanted to protect you."
The blonde sighed and combed back her hair, "I know... Look I'm sorry to dump all of this on you. Usually I'd talk to Regina but-" she blinked rapidly, No, she was not going to think about that. But she couldn't help it. How could Regina do that to her?! How could she even-. She swallowed a lump in her throat and fought to keep from crying.
"This isn't just about your parents is it?" the older woman asked.
Emma shook her head subtly, unable to stop a few stray tears, the blonde whispered, "She's been sleeping with Sidney."

Regina had barely opened the door when Emma forced her way through and barged into the hall of the mansion.
"Emma," Regina smiled, This is a pleasant surprise. What are you doing home so early?" She could barely see straight, she was so angry and the feigned innocence in Regina's voice was too much to bear.
"Sidney?" She yelled at the top of her lungs with no consideration for Henry who was cowering upstairs having watched his mother storm up the driveway."Really Regina? Sidney? How does that make any sense?" Flecks of spit came flying out of her mouth as she screamed but she didn't care. It was all she could do to stop herself from breaking down and sobbing.
"Emma, I-"
"You- you what? You got bored? Was having a family not enough for you? Were you missing the excitement of the Evil Queen?" She knew instantly that her words had pierced Regina's heart but she didn't care. After everything they had been through, after all the obstacles they had overcome she couldn't believe Regina had thrown it all away. Even the hurt that was so evident on her wife's face could not pacify Emma and she found herself panting heavily with frustration.
"Emma, please!" Regina begged, holding her hands out as if she was afraid Emma might attack, "I'm not her anymore. I'm sorry. We were working late and-"
"And you thought you would ignore your wife's calls and sleep with the editor of the town newspaper?"
"If you just let me explain-"
"I don't want to hear it! I can't stand here and listen to you trying to defend yourself. You've thrown our marriage away, Regina!"
"I don't know why I did it," the brunette was openly sobbing now.

Emma backed up against the wall for strength and took some deep breaths. She felt worse than she had on the way over, after hearing the woman she loved admitting the hideous truth.
"So what now? You just threw away our marriage on a stupid whim Regina! What the hell am I supposed to do with that?"
"It was a mistake! I didn't mea-"
"A mistake? Emma spat, "It was a mistake that you practically forced Sidney into bed with you?"

Regina gasped and put her hand over her mouth, eyes brimming over with tears, "I never... Who told you that's what happened?"
"Who do you think?"
"Emma I swear that wasn't, we weren't-"
"I don't want your excuses, I want answers!"
"I-I don't have any. I don't know what the hell happened!"
Emma scoffed and stomped toward the door, "Well, why don't you call me when you do?" And then the door slammed so loud the house shook. Emma sprinted to the car and sobbed against the seat.

Ruby gasped from the other side of the counter, "But, but- she loves you!"
"Yeah," Emma scoffed, "I thought so too."
Unsure how to respond, Ruby asked, "Want another?" already starting to refill her glass.
"Oh, hell yes."