AN: Many thanks to giftofamber for all her help with this story.

There is also a gifset on tumblr for this story. You can find it on SQGifs . tumblr . com.

Let me know what you think.


To most outsiders, Regina Mills looked like the epitome of success and a woman in control of her life, and she was all of that. She was the sole owner of an international pharmaceutical company; she was a force to be reckoned with. She dated celebrities. She loved her job, she loved what she was doing, and she actually felt she was making a difference in the world. But her professional life left her with little to no time for herself. Long hours at work meant long nights and little to no holidays. It's probably why all her relationship failed, although she's pretty sure her lack of real interest in a relationship was to blame. They just didn't feel right and in the end she told herself she would rather not date than be with someone she didn't actually care for.

But this also meant that when she was able to take time off to go on a holiday, she would have to decide whether to go alone or drag her friend Kathryn. Her sister and niece were also an option, and they were eager to join Regina on holidays.

Now, she's on a one month getaway to Europe. She went alone this time, her own choice, trying to break away from everyone and everything and hopefully just be. She goes to small towns around the Mediterranean, enjoying the simple things: late night strolls, hanging out in cafes reading a book, lounging on a beach, taking small rides to places of interest.

On one such night, she ends up strolling the lit town center of a small Italian city. She stops by a fountain and decides to sit down. Wearing heels was probably not a great idea, even if for a small walk. As she sits there in silence, her thoughts catch up with her. It really hurts to be stuck in a job that allowed very little time to no time at all for romance. After her last relationship ended, she realised that it's going to be a while before she'll have any time to go back in that dating pool. Not that poor Kathryn hasn't tried. Oh she has, but Regina's not interested in any of the dates her friend sets up. There's no spark, no butterflies, and maybe she should let go of that notion; after all, she's not a teenager anymore, but she can't help but think that maybe someday she'll meet the one. She sighs in disappointment. She's starting to sound like one of those cartoons her niece makes her watch whenever Zelena visits.

"As if, but I wish I met you, if you are out there somewhere," her smile is somewhat nostalgic as she stands up and takes one last look at the fountain.

All of a sudden, the fountain makes some noise, and the water bursts forth towards Regina. The brunette looks on hopeless and braces for the impact of dirty fountain water to hit her. Seconds pass, and she doesn't feel any splash hitting her. She peers an eye open and looks around. She sees leaves. She opens both eyes and looks around more closely: she's in a forest. Her clothes are also completely dry. She pulls out her phone hoping that the GPS will tell her where she is, even though she has a feeling it won't work. The no signal, emergency calls only displayed on her lock screen confirms her suspicion. She looks around trying to find a landmark, anything really, and then she sees it. A large statue standing tall and proud at a cross road. She approaches the statue and reads 'Here Snow White and her Prince defeated the Evil Queen.'

Regina starts to laugh.

"Fantastic. I'm stuck in Disneyland or something," she's annoyed, very annoyed, but starts to pinch herself to wake up.

"Great, who in the blazes thought pinching yourself is a good way to wake up? It's not working and now I'm talking to myself. Great."

She makes her way down the road, hoping she'll find a town or something more that will offer her a clue of where she's at. For the brunette, this is all just a dream anyway, so she thinks there's no point in sitting around waiting to wake up. After minutes of walking, she hears it, someone singing somewhere off the beaten path. She gets closer, hoping that the person might be able to help her. As she approaches she hears a female voice sing something that sounds like 'Someday my prince will come' and Regina can't help but snort. Great, looks like she found Snow White.

Except that when she sees the girl, it's not the black-haired Disney version she sees, but a beautiful blonde with long curly hair. Regina's breath catches in her throat and how cliché is this that she sees a woman sing in the forest and she's instantly captivated by her beauty. Her footsteps carry her towards the blonde woman, and there's an inexplicable magnetic pull between her and the blonde. The noise alerts the woman to Regina's presence. She stops her singing and the picking of flowers and hides behind a tree. Regina has a sudden urge to face palm because could this be more reminiscent of Sleeping Beauty or what, even if the song was from the wrong Disney movie. Maybe she's in a weird Disney fusion universe like Shrek.

"I mean you no harm," Regina approaches with caution, and the blonde woman peeks from around a tree. "It seems I got lost in the forest, and I was trying to find a town nearby."

The blonde woman narrows her eyes at that. Regina sighs in defeat. She was telling the truth, but then again if this is a fairytale, then the princess is a damsel in distress. She lets out another long suffering sigh. To her surprise, the woman asks her if she's alone, and Regina gets lost for a few seconds because could the woman's voice be even more perfect.

"Yes." It's all Regina's able to say once she regains her composure.

The blonde clears her throat and steps from behind the tree.

"Ah, well, in this case, allow me to escort you to the nearby town."

Regina lets out a small snort at the offer. Wasn't the blonde scared of her just moments ago? The blonde seems to have caught onto that, and her face takes a slightly annoyed look as if she's offended or something.

"I will have you know I know how to fight."

Regina just lifts an eyebrow in reply.

"Whatever, I know the woods really well."

"I don't doubt you do, princess."

The blonde stops and she puts her right hand inside her cloak.

"How do you know I'm a princess?"

Regina's has an almost jaw drop moment again because "Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously. How did you know I'm a princess?"

Crap. Regina asked that out loud. Regina feels like she's really losing the plot here, and she doesn't understand why. She's always calm and collected, yet this dream person is making her all kinds of flustered.

"Well, if you're the princess, I would assume everyone knows," Regina's reply is delivered with a sort of incredulous tone as she tries to appear in control and not as a love-struck teenager. She's far too old for that sort of reaction. This is not Twilight. She refuses to let her dream turn into a Twilight romance.

"I wear a glamour, so that people can't tell who I am. I'll ask you again, one last time, how did you know I'm a princess?" The voice is cold, almost deadly; long gone is the sweet princess with blonde curls that sings while she picks flowers. Regina's even more intrigued now by the blonde.

"I said it as a joke."

"Do you know who I am?" the blonde's voice is deadly, but Regina can't help but feel amused. This dream is getting interesting.

"I was debating between Snow White and Princess Aurora from Sleeping Beauty, but I can't help but feel I'm wrong; you must be some new princess from like a modern show."

The blonde looks at her, assessing her from top to bottom. She heads towards Regina, basket in hand, and when she's close, she smiles.

"I'm neither. Snow White is my mother and Aurora is a family friend. Now do you know who I am?"

Regina's eyebrows almost reach her hairline as her jaw drops. This is all messed up, and she's pretty sure not even Tim Burton could come up with something like this. This almost sounds like that stupid show her sister Zelena is watching, with fairytales in the modern world, claiming it's so modern and fresh when it's the complete opposite. Ha, as if two white guys would do that story justice.

"I have no idea who you are."

The blonde looks at her confused.

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Oh, ok. I'm Emma. Princess Emma to be more precise."

"Nice to meet you, Emma. I'm Regina."

"So, where to?"

"I don't know. I'm waiting to wake up actually."

"Huh?"

"Never mind."

Emma looks on confused at her companion, such a strange woman, yet so regal, dressed like a prince - her beauty unmatched by anyone Emma's ever seen. She would lie if she said she wasn't attracted to the woman and that she didn't want to spend more time with her. This was the Enchanted Forest after all, yet after all these years she gave up on the hope that she'll ever find the one. Still, here comes this strange brunette, and her world is instantly turned upside down. Yesterday was her birthday, and she made a wish, that she would find her significant other, and now, she meets this woman, and it's like all air left her, and at the same time, all she sees is rainbows and unicorns, and there are butterflies in her stomach every time their eyes meet.

"You said something about a town?" Emma's finally able to gather her bearings.

"Oh, yes! I hope I can find my way home from there."

"Where is home?"

"Umm, very far away, you wouldn't know it."

"Try me," Emma challenges her.

"Fine. New York."

Emma thinks about it for a second.

"Hmm, you're right; it's not a city I know, although… it might sound strange, but I might have heard of it once upon a dream."

"The gleam in my eyes is so familiar a gleam?" Regina almost starts to laugh at the irony.

"Now, that you mention it…" Emma has a hand on her chin, and she really turns and looks at the brunette. Regina groans in response.

"So, about that village."

"Oh yes, let's go," Emma grabs Regina's hand and guides her back to the path in the forest towards the place Regina came from.