It isn't something she does consciously anymore, not really. Eating like there's no tomorrow.

Her eating habits are just the way she is, she can't really help it much, unless and until she feels completely and utterly safe. And that has actually yet to happen.

Xoxoxoxoxox

Snow has finally gotten her daughter to join her for a light lunch at a quaint restaurant across town, "So you can actually be aware that there's more to Storybrooke than just Granny's diner."

The blonde doesn't want to tell her that she's well aware of these other venues; however, she just likes Granny's because both Ruby and Granny both make sure she gets the best of the best every single time she's there, and Ruby's her best friend.

"Well look at that Henry, it looks like your mother is actually able to set foot in other establishments. One would think she only ever went to Granny's."

Both Snow and Emma turn towards the voice of the unmistakable Mayor Mills, to find she and Henry both sitting down at a table to their right.

Emma simply rolls her eyes as a grin takes over her face, "Regina." She nods her head by way of greeting to which Regina replies with a smirk and an acknowledgement.

Henry hops out of his seat and makes his way over to his blonde mother and hugs her hello and repeats the gesture with Snow.

"Why don't you join us?" Regina finds herself asking easily. Not just for herself, and certainly not at all for Snow. But for Emma. And Henry, she adds to her thoughts quickly.

The two haven't seen much of each other lately due to the Sheriff being required a lot more recently after the three day downpour of torrential rain, and she isn't about to repress her desire to spend some time with the blonde woman either because they have actually been able to become good friends with each other.

Emma smiles charmingly at the brunette but she shakes her head gently, "That's, no we couldn't Regina, I don't want to impose."

Regina raises an eyebrow, a smile playing at her lips coyly, "I wouldn't have asked if I thought you would be imposing dear."

Henry nods his head enthusiastically at Emma and Snow, trying to get them to say okay. Emma bites her lip as she silently asks Regina if it's really okay, to which the mayor promptly and smoothly stands to bring over a chair for her, her brown eyes twinkling as she extravagantly ushers her into the seat, "Please have a seat."

Emma's cheeks color in a light blush as she grins and rolls her eyes at the dramatics of it all, "Thank you. Snow?"

The pixie haired woman shuts her eyes for a moment to gather her thoughts before resigning herself to her fate and going to get her own chair.

"Yes, thank you Regina."

The mayor sniffs haughtily as she locks eyes with Snow, to which the raven haired woman opens her mouth to undoubtedly say something along the lines of her being invited here, when Emma snorts as she pokes Regina's forearm, "Come on Madam Mayor, stop teasing my mother."

Snow is surprised when a smile immediately makes itself visible on Regina's face, Regina's eyes darting over to Emma's with unveiled glee, "She does make it ridiculously easy though."

Henry grins as he rolls his eyes and nudges his head in their direction while talking to Snow, "This is what I have to deal with all the time."

Snow watches as the two mothers turn to Henry with incredulous looks on both of their faces, and Emma takes the forefront, "Would you rather we were at each other's throats all day every day?"

Henry has the decency to look sheepish as he shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head, "No, I like the way things are now."

Snow feels like she's intruding on a family outing and the thought actually hits her like a sack of bricks because she's Emma's mother. Hell, she's Henry's grandmother, she should be the last one feeling like someone on the outside looking in. Not that any of the other occupants at the table try and make her feel that way. It actually surprises her how even Regina tries to carry amiable conversation with her.

Once the food is finally brought to all of them, Emma is one of the first, after taking a quick look around to ensure they've all gotten their order, to quickly delve into her chicken Caesar wrap, humming in appreciation.

Regina only spares her a passing glance, a small smile on her face, having somehow gotten accustomed to the way Emma feels the need to savor her food and yet almost battling with her desire to devour her meal in one fell swoop at the same time.

Snow though has only just now noticed this, having been paying a lot more attention now that they're sharing a table with the former Evil Queen and her son.

Suddenly her eyes widen as she realizes that Regina will be able to use this to her advantage at some point, and she is not going to give her the advantage to lord this over her head. She will have Emma eating like a lady, with poise befitting the company they are keeping. Snow looks around and sees a couple of residents glancing their way, some returning back to their own business with smiles on their faces. She wont stand for it.

"Emma." She hisses, her eyes narrowing as they cut through to Emma's as she reprimands the blonde.

The sheriff tilts her head in question, wiping her mouth with a napkin, silent, as she waits for Snow to say something. Only she isn't nearly ready for what comes out of the raven haired woman's mouth.

"Do you always eat like you haven't eaten in days?" The question starts off in a bit of a harsh quick whisper but it gains enough volume to be overheard by the tables surrounding them. Emma's eyes widen as she watches Snow continue on, "We're in public…with royalty. Your son, me, you, and Regina. People are going to think you don't have any regards for manners at all! It's not like we're starving you at home. You could at least act like that isn't happening at the very least."

Emma's face burns in embarrassment, the top of her ears are thrumming as blood rushes to them. Her green eyes quickly break and stay on her plate in front of her where she places the remainder of the first half of her wrap, without so much as saying anything other than releasing a less than dainty grunt in acknowledgement to what Snow has said to her.

Henry furrows his brow as he watches the scene unfold, his eyes are wide in surprise having never heard Snow talk like that at all, but other than that he wisely says nothing, knowing that he needs to stay out of this. He does however notice the looks on peoples' faces surrounding them and they don't look all too keen with what just happened either.

Regina isn't fairing much better than Henry. Her eyes slightly narrow at Snow seated in front of her, before looking over to her right and skimming over the blonde's face, or at least every visible part of her face that isn't obscured by her hair.

She sees red tinted cheeks; she also sees a hardened look in the savior's eyes and a newfound tenseness in her form.

Regina clears her throat slightly, eyes quickly finding Snow's, before speaking in a quiet tone, "Snow, I don't see why you found the need to emphasize the fact that she's out with royalty, seeing as none of it holds any real bearing here in this realm. Be that as it may, did you really need to do that within earshot of our son as well as other diners?"

Emma shakes her head before Snow can say anything, her eyes not meeting Regina's, "No, it's fine, she's right. I should have thought of that. I have a title to uphold, and it wouldn't do to ruin all of your images in the process."

Snow nods her head, "Yes, exactly! Thank you Emma, it may not be the right realm but everyone knows who we all are and-"

She doesn't get to finish her sentence as Emma turns to her and shakes her head, "Stop. It's done, you don't have to try and get the last word in."

Regina watches as Snow simply brushes it all off and goes back to her lunch as if nothing was amiss.

Not much later the sheriff receives a phone call after having been playing with her phone rather than completing her lunch and quickly rushes to leave throwing, "lunch is on me," over her shoulder.

Snow suddenly feels a thousand times more awkward sitting at the table with mother and son, "So, Henry…how's school?"

Regina shares a grin with her son before he delves into a discussion about a new book series he's just started. The brunette's mind however quickly goes back to thinking of the blonde who has recently just left them, and she can't help but to feel slightly for her. She knows as well as anybody, perhaps more so, just how undesirable having your mother make you feel like a little child is. Especially in such a way as to embarrass you in front of those you don't wish to come across to as weak. She glances over at Henry at that thought.

She sighs as she sips on her ice tea, thinking it is just like Snow not to comprehend how badly she has hurt her daughter.

It isn't until much later that night that Snow realizes something is wrong because Emma never does show up.

Xoxoxoxoxoxox

"Regina? Could-Can you please call Ruby for me?"

The brunette blearily looks over at her clock beside her nightstand, "And why couldn't you have simply called her yourself Sheriff?"

Emma doesn't reply and Regina sits up in her bed and presses the phone closer still to her ear, "Miss Swan?"

Again nothing in a form of a reply, "Emma…what did you really call me for?"

The blonde sighs out from across the line and Regina releases a breath she had been holding, "I was actually going to ask you to open up and let me in…but then I figured I probably shouldn't do that."

Regina slips out of her bed smoothly and quickly puts on her silk robe, tying it loosely around her frame before padding out of her room and down to the front door, "Are you telling me that if I was to open the door right now that I'd see you-"

Standing in front of her, in jeans and a tank top is the blonde that is on the line with her, her green eyes downcast as she shrugs her shoulders by way of greeting, "Hey."

"Hey? You show up here well past midnight and all you can say to me is 'hey'?"

Emma grins, Regina can see the upturn of her lips even with her head bowed, and says "I'm not very well versed in greeting etiquettes when it comes to calls made in the middle of the night I guess."

Regina hums lowly and steps aside, "I suppose now is as good a time as any to tell you that that isn't a good way to start off 'middle of the night' soirées dear."

Emma actually laughs as she walks past her, and Regina can't help the feeling that fills her stomach at having achieved the desired outcome with her quip.

"I suppose I've got lots to learn then huh? Luckily I've got Snow around to make sure I don't fumble."

The brunette hums as she shuts and locks the door behind them and leads Emma into the study, quickly starting a fire to shed some light into the room, before walking over to the couch and taking a seat beside the blonde.

"Where's your car?"

The blonde tilts her head at the apparent suddenness of the question but then chuckles, "Ah, yeah, it's at the station. I went on a walk and I just kept walking…Wound up here and called you before I figured I probably should have called on Ruby."

Regina nods as she watches the blonde for a while playing with her hands, threading her fingers through each other then pressing her thumb to her right palm then vice versa, before clearing her throat, "Did it help?"

Emma lets go of her hands and places them on her knees as she looks back at Regina, "Help?"

"Yes dear, your walk. Did it help?"

Shrugging her shoulders noncommittally, Emma tilts her head back to rest against the couch before thinking better of it and sitting ramrod straight and facing her, "Yes actually."

Regina raises an eyebrow and quite intentionally lets loose and leans back into the comfortable couch cushions behind her, pleased to note that Emma takes the cue and relaxes as well, "I can't say that I'm likely ready to believe that sheriff, I'm sorry."

Emma chuckles darkly, and Regina hates how it sounds, loathes the way it makes Emma seem to be something she isn't, "You've certainly got me there. What would you like me to say though?"

Regina has a feeling the question is really rather rhetorical, but she wants the blonde to know she's really here for her, "The truth, always ever the truth Emma."

Green eyes flash appreciation as they lock onto her own brown ones, and Emma lets out a sigh as she scrubs her face before saying, "It didn't, help I mean, not really. I just…I'm madder now than I was to start with and that's saying something."

Nodding her head to let Emma know she's listening, Regina tucks her legs up underneath herself and gives the blonde her undivided attention.

The blonde growls low in her throat, frustrated to be feeling this way at all, over something as tiny as what occurred earlier.

"I'm nearly thirty years old. And…honestly? If Henry wasn't with us at lunch, I probably would have said a few choice words if I didn't get out of there when I did, ya know?"

Regina nods her head again slowly, eyes never leaving Emma's face, be it her eyes when she allows it or simply watching the blonde as she furrows her brow, or purses her lips in distaste as she recalls the events, "Yes, I'd imagine you would. Although I am glad beyond reason that you held back dear. That was very mature of you."

Emma gives her a half grin at that and shrugs her shoulders, "I don't do it on purpose. Like I don't get up in the morning and make a mental list of all the things I'm going to do to embarrass my mo-Snow and David. I don't make it my mission to make things hard or awkward…And I never thought I was that bad until the curse broke and they started treating me like this, this... I don't even know what!"

Regina sighs, her heart heavy, knowing how Emma must be feeling constantly, "You really aren't that bad dear. Sure you're not exactly the most eloquent of princesses, or the most graceful, but there's a certain charm to the way you conduct and hold yourself. It's refreshing and not nearly as embarrassing as Snow seems to think it is."

Emma's eyes soften remarkably as Regina continues softly, "Besides, as I've stated earlier, you may all be princes and princesses and kings and queens, but you're in this realm. And here those are nothing but mere trivial titles. Here you are the sheriff, a keeper of the law. Here I am the mayor. Here, in this realm, Snow is a school teacher. And David is…a temp?"

Emma guffaws at the unexpectedness of the realization that David doesn't really have a profession, not really, and that he is indeed basically a temp. Regina sniffs, but has a beautiful smile on her face, eyes filled with playful mirth, "Really dear, he was working at the vet for a while, then had a stint as deputy? Then took over as acting Sheriff, although I will concede that's within the same job description of deputy…then he and his wife thought it was a good idea to take over as mayors, before realizing what a bad idea that was and returning me to my position…and now he runs around doing odd and end jobs around town. A handy man I suppose?"

The blonde knows that Regina is doing this for her. Making her feel at ease and not so awkward and tense and it makes her heart soften that much more, because Regina has no reason to do so other than for her benefit.

"A handy man, yeah that's my dad…David 'Charming - the Handy Man' Nolan."

Regina smirks at that but grows quiet as she watches Emma's face get taken over with shadows of her thoughts.

The blonde clears her throat as she scratches her forehead, thinking of a good way to start saying what she wants to, and Regina can tell so the brunette leans forward slightly and catches the swirling green pools in her gaze of melting gold and softly states, "Whatever it is you are thinking, you may say out loud. Even if it makes little to no sense, as I am not going to hold back if I don't comprehend the ramblings you're about to bestow upon me." Her lips lift into a genuine smile and Emma smiles uncharacteristically shyly at her and nods her head.

Not knowing exactly where to start she decides to just delve right in, her eyes looking out into the fire rather than at her companion beside her, "Growing up in group homes, in foster homes, in orphanages, I had to move fast because if I didn't…well, no one was looking out for me to make sure I ate. There was no one after the rush of kids and adults grabbing something to eat, to come over to me and hand me a plate saved especially for me."

She quietens as she's thrown back into her memories once again today, a shiver passing through her as she takes a breath to continue, "Even afterwards, when I grew up enough to leave the system, I never knew when my next meal would be, so I would make sure I ate and ate well when food ever did come across me." The blonde shrugs before finally turning to face the brunette, her eyes not quite meeting Regina's, but at least she's now looking at her face, "There were lots of times when I wouldn't have any food for a good amount of time, and it always solidified the knowledge that I had to eat as if every meal was my very last, because it might well be. I at least got kinda good at quelling the want to stuff bread rolls into my pockets, ya know?" She lifts her shoulder and grins but neither gesture feels right as Emma's eyes don't lighten.

The blonde sighs for what feels like the umpteenth time, passing her fingers through her hair and tugging on the ends, "It's not like I eat like a pig. I have manners, I know what's right and wrong and what to do and what not to do. But I can't stop this gut instinct to make sure I eat and savor every bite and just go to town to make sure I do eat. I don't go and belch and wipe my mouth with the back of my hands or throw down mugs and demand 'Another!'"

She takes in a deep breath, having worked herself up a bit, her eyes darting up to find Regina's waiting for her, "Snow made it out to sound like I was this uneducated heathen that's just come off the streets and had the audacity to besmirch the family name."

Regina lets out a tsk, her eyes glittering as she gently reaches out and prods the blonde gently, "My my, such big words coming from you tonight."

Emma laughs breathlessly as she wipes her eyes that have started to tear up, "Yea, I've got my moments."

The brunette reaches for her hand and holds it tightly in her own, "There is nothing wrong with being enthusiastic about food. Absolutely nothing wrong with being excited to have a warm meal in your belly. And Snow, she…you aren't uneducated, and most certainly not a heathen."

Emma shrugs her shoulders, her eyes hardening as she thinks of Snow, "It's just…I mean I know I was out with you guys. But that's just it, you, you aren't the Queen to me, ya know? You're just Regina, and Henry is just Henry, our son. And Snow is simply Snow. I don't, you're my…family." She chokes out as she whispers the last word, body having lost the battle to the tears that are now flowing down her cheeks.

Regina allows Emma to uncharacteristically clamber closer to her and holds her close as she does so. She does not shush her to quieten her, Emma should let this out, but rather because she knows the sound is soothing, and she'll be damned if she doesn't want to soothe the blonde.

"I-I wasn't even scarfing down my food Regina. Like, seriously, I was at peace and just, I wasn't even like territorial about it, hell you even got to keep your fingers after you snagged that fry off my plate. Like, that's never happened. I don't share; I've never ever shared food off of my plate like that."

Emma sighs into the brunette's neck as she takes a breath before pulling back. Regina reaches out and tucks her blonde hair behind her ear, gently caressing her cheek as she makes sure Emma's eyes are on hers, "Snow is an idiot."

When Emma doesn't react to that negatively Regina pats herself on the back and continues, "And if she doesn't ever get to tell you, then I will. I'm glad you feel safe enough now to not feel the need to scarf down your meals. I'm glad you're feeling comfortable enough to relax and enjoy the food you're consuming. I'm happy that you've gotten so relaxed around us that you're not biting my fingers off when I snatch up a couple of fries."

"A couple of fries?"

Regina rolls her eyes playfully at the blonde, "Do focus dear."

Emma grins but grows serious once again as Regina's thumb caresses her cheek softly, "Snow may be an idiot Emma, but I certainly am not, and neither is your son. Nor Ruby and Granny…"

Furrowing her brow, Emma tilts her head into Regina's hand in slight confusion, and the brunette smiles at her affectionately, "We may not have known the specifics, but we've…you're among family and friends here Emma. And it makes me…happy," she whispers the word, eyes boring into Emma's, "to see that you're unclenching, you're feeling at home here with me and Henry…and Emma that's something you should be proud of. Everything you are? You should be proud of, because you are wonderful and you are who you are now because of everything that's come to pass in your life."

Emma's eyes fill with tears as Regina continues, "Not that I don't wish every single day that I could have somehow made your life just that little bit better, because I swear I wish I could have. But what I'm saying is, you don't ever have to worry about never having another warm meal, not as long as I'm alive and can cook. Not as long as Ruby is alive, with Granny keeping her in check. You will never worry about feeding yourself because you'll have family making sure that you are."