The door of the bar swung open with a clang as Emma Swan stepped through the entrance and headed towards the counter. She heaved herself onto the stool with a sigh and jammed her hands in her jeans pockets looking for the twenty she haphazardly shoved in there earlier. After searching in frustration for a minute she finally found what she was looking for and slammed the crumpled bill on the counter, waiting for service as she rested her elbows on the sticky bar.
She was tired. Tired from battling dragons, tired from running round strange fairy tale lands with no clue how to defend herself and tired of the unexpected. A few months ago she had nothing. No friends, no family, no worries except her next target and now she felt like she was drowning. She had been thrown into this new situation unawares and now had everything she wanted as a child... except now it seemed too much.
She loved Henry, that was certain and she loved having him In her life when she thought she'd never have the chance but everything else was just overwhelming. Emma didn't know how to be a parent. She was trying her very best but she was scared it wasn't enough. Regina had been many bad things but a bad mother wasn't one of them. Well, not taking into account the fact that she made her son believe he was crazy for years and the attempted to murder his birth mother which, obviously had disastrous consequences. She was scared she'd screw him up even worse and that at the end of it all he'd realise he made the wrong choice. Then there was the matter of her own parents. Living without them for so many years and imagining what they were like only to be confronted with this strange and awkward reality. Mary Margaret really wanted to know her, to be the mother she never had the chance to be but Emma just couldn't cross that bridge yet, she wasn't ready. Suddenly she had a son, parents, a life and she found herself lacking in the ability to deal with it all. Her mother was practically the same age as her for Christ's sake and they had talked about sex and one night stands and other things that were entirely inappropriate for conversations between mother and daughter. It was like she had to re learn everything.
She couldn't talk to Mary Margaret about being a parent because she didn't know how and that only left Regina. A woman, though prickly and difficult was trying to mend her ways and become less well...evil and Emma had thrown that back in her face with the whole Archie mess and now she didn't know if she could fix it, if there was anything left to fix. Then to top it all off, add Regina's psychotic douche of a mother into the mix and the fact that Emma had taken Henry on a road trip to keep him out of harm's way which, apparently Regina was fuming about. Sure she should of told her, Emma knew that, but what was she supposed to do with a lunatic on the loose and Regina MIA?
As if on cue the blonde heard an angry slam come from one of the booths behind her. She turned to see the one and only Regina Mills Mayor of Storybrooke glaring up at her from her seat with unconcealed hatred.
"We'll Miss Swan, fancy seeing you here?" She said scathingly as she took a delicate sip of her wine. "The pressures of family life too much for you now?"
Emma bit her lip as she tried hard to keep her cool. Damn this woman was infuriating sometimes but two can play at wind up.
"Oh no Madame Mayor, things are just peachy I just came here to celebrate. What I should really be asking is what brings you here? Mother dearest becoming too much for you? For someone trying to reform you sure know how to pick your company. Who will I choose to prove my mended ways? Oh that's right the mother who ruined my life, is possibly more murderous than I was in my heyday and who is clearly harbouring some evil scheme to murder or incarcerate the innocent citizens of Storybrooke."
Regina narrowed her eyes as she gripped the stem of her glass and regarded Emma with barely restrained fury.
"Innocent? Hardly. No one is innocent Miss Swan, least of all you. These people would kill me if they got the chance and you know it. Yes I tried to reform but look where that got me? I was framed for a murder I didn't commit and you were amongst those accusing me. How can I reform if all of you are just waiting for me with bated breath to prove that I am as evil and heinous as you believe?"
Regina looked away for a second as she swallowed down her emotion. She would not let Emma Swan see any sign of weakness when it was her, after countless rescues and affirmations who had condemned her.
"That's not fair Regina," Emma said softly. "I did believe you at first and I'm sorry I called it wrong but come on! What am I supposed to believe when I see you, or what I believe to be you committing the crime on the magical TV in my head? I didn't grow up in fairytale land or whatever you call it. It's not normal for me to see people magically transform themselves into others ok, so forgive me if thinking your mother was masquerading as you and committing a murder wasn't the first possibility that came into my mind." Emma finished abruptly as she turned back to the bar her shoulders hunched in annoyance. This woman was impossible but Emma did feel guilty over what happened, she just wasn't good at apologizing, or communicating her feelings in general.
"You should have believed me," Regina stated plainly not letting the younger woman get off the hook that easily. "Oh, and next time you decide to abduct a minor and take him gallivanting across the country how about you inform his mother? You're lucky I'm being lenient towards you for Henry's sake or trust me, you would think twice before doing anything with my son ever again." Regina punctuated her sentence with a slam of her glass as she got up from her seat and stalked towards the ladies room throwing a vicious glare over her shoulder at the blonde as she departed.
When she returned to her seat a few minutes later she found a full glass of red wine sitting on the table in front of her. She gestured to the barman from across the room angrily, "What is this?"
He disregarded her menacing tone with a noncommittal wave of his hand and replied with just as little interest.
"Don't get steamed at me lady, the drink was from your blonde friend over at the bar. You got an issue then take it up with her."
Regina pushed the wine away with disgust, nursing her empty glass sullenly as she refused to look towards the object of her ire. She was jolted from her thoughts suddenly as the person in question invaded her personal space completely and sat herself down on the seat opposite.
"And what in God's name do you think you are doing Miss Swan? I have no need or want of your company or your cheap attempt at an apology." Regina spat, eyeing the sheriff with open disgust.
"Well I'm drinking my cheap wine for one since you obviously don't want it," Emma replied snatching the glass from the table and taking a long gulp before setting it down on the counter. Regina just rolled her eyes and kept silent, not willing to engage into conversation with the insufferable Sheriff. "It's actually not that bad," Emma continued taking another sip. "You should really try it.
"No thank you," the brunette replied tersely as an uncomfortable silence began to stretch between the two women.
"Look Regina, the truth is I'm here to escape my mother and by the looks of it, so are you."
The silence continued as Emma waited awkwardly for any kind of response from the other woman. Finally with a small huff Regina graced her with a reply albeit a barbed one.
"Life with the two idiots finally getting too much is it? I always did find them sickening to be around. I couldn't stand all the lovely dovey crap they would keep on spouting. It made me feel rather ill if I'm being honest."
"Well I wouldn't say it was sickening" Emma replied slowly not wanting to scare Regina off. "But I do agree it can be a bit...much when you're not used to that sort of thing. That coupled with Mary Margaret playing mom just puts me a little on edge that's all. It's a learning curve to say the least when I'm so used to her being, well, un-motherly." Emma finished lamely, not used to this level of communication with the Mayor.
"I'll certainly drink to that," Regina replied thinking of her own mother's new found maternal impulses earning a ghost of a smile from the blonde opposite her.
"Hey! What gives?" Emma exclaimed as the wine was snatched out of her hand by the woman across the table.
"I believe this glass is mine Miss Swan," Regina stated as she took a sip of the ruby liquid. "You're right. This wine isn't too bad for the minimal price you probably paid for it."
Emma relaxed and leant back in her seat careful to avoid the Mayor's gaze with her next sentence.
"Maybe you should give more things that aren't to your taste a chance Regina. You might be surprised."
The Queen regarded the blonde for a second before responding with the smallest ghost of a smile.
"Well Miss Swan, buy me another drink and I may just entertain that possibility."