Emma hadn't slept. She wondered if the rest of Storybrooke had been able to. Mere hours earlier they'd faced their deaths. She could imagine the relieved residents laying in bed waiting for danger to return. They were used to it.

It was when the sun rose over a still-standing, and visitor-free town that the celebration began. By that night all concern had washed away. Gone with Hook on his ship, and the attackers through their portal, and Neal to…well, wherever he ended up.

Emma passed several cheerful conversations as she walked through Storybrooke. She kept her head down to avoid being pulled into them. She was already feeling drained, and would be expected to mingle that night.

Granny's would certainly be crowded, and Emma was grateful for Mary Margaret's idea. Her town needed to celebrate.

Her town. It was strange. Having a place to belong, people to belong to, people to …to love. She'd had distractions that kept her from thinking too hard about the changes in her life.

For now danger was at bay, and after the celebration normal life would resume. There were things for them all to get back to. Things they could no longer ignore.

The doorknob was cold in Emma's hand, but wasn't enough to pull her from her haze of thoughts. It was when she heard her boots hit the shiny wood floor that she realized what she'd done.

A seriously confused Regina stood before her in the mansion foyer, one eyebrow lifted.

"Emma?" She questioned. Her tone was an accusation, but the smile pulling at the corner of her mouth revealed her amusement.

Emma's eyes widened. "I am so sorry." She said in disbelief. "I wasn't paying attention."

"Just don't make it a habit." Regina quipped. Their eyes met and Emma felt her heartbeat speed up. The air was tense, she felt exposed. She had to look at the floor to calm her nerves.

"Is Henry ready?" She asked.

"He's on his way." Regina answered. It was in the silence that Emma felt the tension mirroring back at her. She wasn't the only nervous one.

"You know," Regina started softly. She paused, either choosing the right words or whether to continue at all. "You two can stay for dinner. If you want." Emma looked up at her, fairly surprised by the invitation.

"Oh, um," Emma felt bad turning her down. "We can't. I promised Mary Margaret-"

"It's fine." Regina said quickly. She looked away to hide her disappointment. It didn't work. Emma tried to come up with something to add, to bring out the cheerful Regina. But on this day she had nothing.

"Emma!" Henry called from the top of the stairs. He ran down to the main floor, his backpack slung over one shoulder.

"Hey, Kid." Emma said. Henry quickly hugged Regina.

"Bye." He said, letting go again before she could return the hug. The action left a despondent look on Regina's face. Henry grabbed onto Emma's arm and pulled her towards the door. "We're gonna be late." He insisted.

Emma followed him outside, turning to wave goodbye. Regina wasn't watching them as she closed the door, so she didn't see Emma catch her wipe a tear from her eye.

Regina's look stayed fresh in Emma's mind all the way to Granny's. It was all she could picture. Even as she listened to Henry excitedly babble on about going back to school, and even when they reached the bustling diner.

As they walked up to the door, Emma looked in at the gathering crowd. They greeted each other with hugs and wide smiles. They piled food on each other's plates while they laughed at the old jokes Emma was still learning. The perfect picture of a community. A family.

Her optimistic parents thought they could live like they'd never been separated. She was still getting used to the idea of having a family at all, let alone being a princess from a land she barely knew. She'd been proclaimed the savior of happy endings, when she barely believed in her own.

Emma was tired of the attention. She didn't want a party, all she wanted was silence. And maybe a drink.

With the most recent threat overcome, the others would want to cheer her victory. She wouldn't even get to share it with the one person who truly understood what she'd felt in that mine.

No one had bothered to invite Regina. They didn't know how to include her, too used to her role as the enemy. She wasn't one to ask either. Though, tonight she had. Minutes ago she'd asked for company, just before watching her son run off to celebrate her actions with his new family. That look.

"Hey, Henry?" Emma said, grabbing Henry's arm to keep him outside. "I'm not really in a party mood."

"Are you okay?" Henry asked with a furrowed brow. She had no explanation for him.

"Yeah." She smiled. "Just tired. Go have fun." She gestured for him to go inside. He smiled at her with the same trusting joy as the others, before he ran to join the celebration.

There was only one place Emma could go. One person she could share the calm after the storm with. This time, she knocked. She was met with grateful eyes and tear stained cheeks. They were more welcoming than the potluck.

"You still want company?" Emma asked.

"I'm not in the mood to talk." Regina admitted.

"Good. Me neither." Emma replied.

Regina opened the door wider and Emma joined her inside. They made their way to the study.

"Drink?" Regina asked, holding up a glass.

"Hell yes." Emma sighed as she dropped into one of the chairs.

The fire kept them warm, and kept the pressure from their silence. They sipped their drinks for little more than an hour. Emma wanted to be home before the others.

They shared few words when she left. Back home in her bed she pulled her blankets close, hoping to bring back the warmth of the fire. She closed her eyes, picturing Regina's study.

Her mind drifted to hopeful eyes and nervous smiles. The way they'd stolen glances at each other throughout her visit. Even in her fast approaching exhaustion, the image made her smile. And finally, she slept.