This is my first fanfic. I'm not really going for gold here, this is just to serve as stress relief as I am in dental hygiene school and it is kicking my ass.

There will be bad language, as well as mentions of abuse in later chapters. I will post warnings at the beginnings of said chapters.

This work in non-beta, all mistakes are my own. I own nothing. Constructive criticism is always appreciated. Enjoy!

It was just before midnight and the highway was nearly empty. A yellow Volkswagen Beetle made it's way down the four lane road carrying an unlikely pair; two passengers who had never met before, yet were connected by the deepest of bonds.

Inside the car, Emma glanced towards the passenger seat, at the little boy pouring over an old-looking book. His furrowed eyebrows and pea coat made him look more like a librarian than a ten year old kid...Emma's ten year old kid.

No, Emma thought to herself, turning her attention back to the highway in front of her. Not mine, I gave him up.

For the past ten years Emma had trained herself to forget any memories and feelings she had towards the unexpected pregnancy and painful birth of her first and only child. At the time she was a teenager, an orphan, and a convict, and therefore unable to provide any kind of suitable life for a baby. Emma made the only viable choice at the time and gave the boy up in a closed adoption; no contact, no letters, no pictures. Just a memory. One that she had successfully suppressed until this very night.

Hours earlier this boy showed up at her apartment door, completely without warning and asking for her, his birthmother, like she was some kind of buried treasure. The boy introduced himself as Henry and smiled triumphantly. He seemed so pleased with himself, as if this was some kind of happy reunion you'd see in a movie. After a few moments of Emma just staring down at him silently, processing everything, he casually invited himself into her apartment.

At first she panicked, not knowing if she should call the police but decided against it. She already had a shady past, and Emma figured the best thing to do would be to get him home as soon as possible before she got arrested for kidnapping.

Henry refused to give Emma his mother's telephone number, but he did offer her name, Regina. He insisted that Emma take him home herself, although he wouldn't specify why. So here they were, thrown together in Emma's beat-up yellow VW bug, driving to Storybrooke, Maine in the middle of the night.

"So whats that book about? Anything good?" Emma asked, looking over and breaking the silence.

"It's about fairy tales, but these are different; they're real," Henry answered seriously.

"Ohhh, ok," Emma stated in muted skepticism.

"You don't believe me. It's ok. No one does." He sounded dejected.

Emma frowned, feeling bad that she had apparently hurt the kid's feelings. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...I wasn't..." she tried to find the right words. "I'm no expert on fairy tales, and if you say these are real, then they're real. Want to tell me about some of them?"

Henry looked back at her. "I don't think you're ready," he stated flatly, before turning his attention back to the pages in front of him.

Emma smiled. She couldn't help but appreciate Henry's self-assuredness. It was nice that he had an imagination; he probably still believed in Santa Claus and the tooth fairy. Emma never had that luxury as a child. She was brought up in a world of gritty realism, an orphan passed around from home to home by people who didn't waste time with bedtime stories or kissing boo-boo's.

She left Henry to his silent contemplation and turned her attention back to the road, the while lines ticking by like they were counting down to something; Emma just wasn't sure what.

SQ

As Emma and her sleepy passenger finally made it into the small town of Storybrooke, Henry provided directions to what just happened to be the largest house in town.

"Whoa, this is your house? Is your mom they Mayor or something?"

"Umm, yeah."

"What! Seriously!? You're the Mayor's kid?"

Henry just looked at he with sleepy eyes and an expression that said 'I'm over it'.

Pulling up in front of the mansion, Emma stared at the white monolith like it was some kind of castle.

Was this where the kid lived? Why would he ever want to leave? Emma wondered to herself, her eyes following the stone path that led to the front door of the impressive home.

She got out of the car and walked around to Henry's side. He stayed in the car, reluctant to get out.

"Hey. We gotta go," Emma said gently through the open window.

Henry stared at the dashboard in front of him, avoiding eye contact. "She's going to be mad," he said in a low voice.

He hated it when his mother was mad. She was strict enough, but when she got mad, she turned cold and Henry would feel more alone than ever. He already didn't have any friends, and when his mother was in one of her bad moods, he didn't even have her.

Emma opened the door and squatted down to sit on her heels to get eye level with the boy. He looked scared and despondent. Emma knew that look; the look of a hopeless kid who feels all alone in the world with no around who understands or even cares.

"I know how you feel Henry. I really do," she tried to reassure him. "I grew up in the foster system. I didn't even have parents. Sometimes I would have to go somewhere I didn't want to, but I stayed strong and I never gave up. That is the only way to get through it. You have to be brave and keep hoping that someday it will better, because it will. You just have to be patient and keep going, keep fighting, and never give up. Ok?" she smiled at him, hoping her words would bring encouragement.

They did. Henry looked at her and smiled back. "Ok. If you can do it, so can I," he stated with a sigh, and stepped out of the car.

She walked Henry towards the house, a hand placed on his shoulder urging him towards the door. "Hey, it's going to be ok. I'm sure your mom will just be happy to have you home; I bet she won't even be angry."

Henry looked up at her skeptically. "You don't know my mom."

Suddenly the door to the hose flew open and two people stepped out. A woman with short, dark brown hair who started running towards them, followed by a man in an official-looking jacket and badge who appeared to be local law enforcement.

"Henry! Where have you been!? I have been worried sick about you! Are you ok!?" the woman asked, wrapping her arms around the boy before leaning down to look in his face. Her dark eyes were wide with fear and her red lips parted as she slowly breathed in relief. Her glossy hair hung around her head perfectly as she fussed over her son for a minute, making sure he was unharmed.

Emma looked at Regina for the first time, at the woman who raised the boy that she gave up. Emma realized that she had never actually thought about the person who adopted her kid. As an overwhelmed and desperate teenager lacking any kind of stability in her life (except the iron bars that closed her in her jail cell every night), Emma just assumed that anything would be better for her child than what she could offer; anyone would be better. Her world was unstable enough, and the thought of raising a child scared her more than the thought of giving one up.

Now that Emma was face-to-face with this real person, she didn't know how to feel. If she was the kind of person who let herself feel intimidated, she would probably feel so right about now. The other woman was strikingly beautiful and impeccably dressed, her hair, clothes, and shoes looking like they came straight out a magazine. She was a bit older than Emma, perhaps in her mid-30's, her skin was flawless and her figure was slim yet curvy in the right places.

The house she owned was nicer than anything Emma could have ever hoped to live in, and even in the dark Emma could see that the lawn was meticulously groomed with flowerbeds planted perfectly to accentuate the flow of the house.

Though her surroundings and her appearance were arranged to perfection, Emma could see how undone Regina had become at Henry's disappearance. There was real fear in her eyes and her voice pitched and trembled as she worried over her son.

Emma allowed her eyes to linger on the form of the Mayor for a moment and couldn't help but notice how the hem of her designer dress crept up her thighs and tightened around her hips as she bent over her son, cupping his chin to make sure he was all right. Looking away quickly, Emma inwardly chastised herself for letting her eyes wander inappropriately.

Once Regina was satisfied that her son was unharmed, she stood to her full height, turning to face Emma. A look of confusion crossed her face, like she had never seen a stranger before.

"And who might you be?" the Mayor demanded.

Emma opened her mouth, unsure of how to introduce herself or how to explain the situation when Henry suddenly relieved her of that burden.

"She's my real mom!" he shouted, before running past the Sheriff and into the house, jacket and backpack flying behind him. Regina stared at Emma in shock, not wanting to believe this was happening.

"I'll just go see to the lad, make sure everything is ok," the Sheriff offered. His voice was kind and Regina nodded in agreement, barely giving him a sideways glance.

Emma was suddenly aware that it was her turn to say something. Regina folded her arms and looked at Emma expectantly.

"Um, I'm Emma, Emma Swan. Look, I'm sorry, but he just showed up at my door, I had no idea...I didn't know what to do, he wouldn't give me your number. I didn't really have a choice...".

Regina held up her hand to stop the woman from rambling, then kept moving it towards her temple and closed her eyes as if trying to will the situation away.

Regaining composure, Regina plastered a smile to her face and looked back at the blonde. The Mayor regarded this woman, taking in her appearance with a cool sweep of her eyes. She was a bit surprised at what she saw: young, blonde, tall, athletic build, and pretty. For a moment Regina felt relieved that Henry came from good stock.

Emma was dressed casually enough in jeans and a red jacket, and though she stood with her hands tucked self-consciously in her pockets, her green eyes locked with Regina's in familiarly undaunted way - the same way Henry often looked at her these days. Regina could not shake the thought that this was the woman who gave birth to Henry, who created him from her own body, and who will always have a connection to him in a way that Regina never will.

"Would you like to come in?" Regina offered in a hospitable tone, though Emma got the feeling that she didn't really have a choice.

SQ

Emma took note of the elegant decor of the mayoral mansion as she entered the foyer, and was inwardly thankful that Henry was able to grow up in a home that Emma could only have dreamed about as a child. He clearly wanted for nothing, and Emma silently felt gratitude to this woman who had provided for Henry all these years that Emma had not.

The Sheriff returned to the foyer and reported that Henry was fine and just very tired. Regina thanked and dismissed him, and the man seemed happy to leave the two women to their awkward conversation.

Emma followed the Mayor into a cozy study furnished by bookcases, matching love seats, and a fire blazing in the hearth. With a sweep of her hand Regina invited Emma to sit. The brunette moved to a mahogany sideboard against the far wall, overturned two glasses and poured a generous amount of amber liquid into each from a crystal decanter.

Thank god, Emma thought to herself as she settled into one of the couches, desperate for something to take the edge off this awkward situation. It's probably the good stuff too, she surmised

As she moved, the Mayor exuded a natural confidence and elegance that Emma assumed came from a privileged upbringing. Emma was somewhat of an expert at reading people, a skill that developed naturally from an entire life spent watching people as an outsider. As an orphan, Emma bounced around from foster home to foster home and quickly became adept at reading her foster parents and social workers, recognizing the forced smiles and lack of eye contact that would come when it was time to pass her off to the next temporary home.

"Your house is really beautiful," Emma offered, not sure of the proper etiquette in this situation. She hated small talk and had always been bad at it.

"Thank you," the brunette smiled back at her politely as she made her way back towards Emma with the drinks. The blonde was clearly uncomfortable and out of her element, which only made Regina feel more in control. As Mayor and former Queen, Regina was used to having the upper hand in any given situation. She naturally felt the need to exert dominance over other people, especially when they appear unexpectedly, claiming to be her son's birthmother.

Regina navigated the room like a shark in a tide pool, her hips swayed confidently back and forth with each sure step of her high heels as she scrutinized Emma with unapologetic eye contact.

Emma swallowed hard, eager for something to moisten her mouth which had suddenly gone dry. She felt like prey under the heavy gaze of a predator, but in this case the hunter was a gorgeous woman and Emma wouldn't exactly object to being eaten by her…so to speak.

Emma had always been attracted to things she couldn't have - they were just more fun to pursue and more gratifying when she obtained them. When she was younger she loved the thrill of stealing a nice car or invading an empty vacation home for a few days. But as she got older her tastes matured, and her favorite con became seducing rich, beautiful woman and walking away with their jewelry after a gratuitous fuck between Egyptian cotton sheets. Emma could never quite decide what has her favorite part – the physical gratification or the financial gain.

A woman like Regina would have definitely tempted Emma in any other situation than this, and she was somewhat disappointed that they had to meet under these circumstances.

The Mayor neared Emma and cordially handed her a glass, allowing the blonde to get a whiff of soft perfume. Emma took a swig of the mystery liquid. It was definitely the good stuff.

Regina lowered herself into the couch opposite of Emma, crossing her legs and leaning back confidently. Her lips smiled at the newcomer but her eyes did not. Regina was staring at Emma with a focused look, as if trying to work some problem out in her head.

"Thank you again, Miss Swan, for bringing my son home. I trust it was not too much of an inconvenience," Regina started.

"No, not at all, I'm happy to help. I admit I was kind of surprised when he showed up though. I mean, I just wasn't expecting it."

"And you live...?"

"In Boston."

Regina almost choked, swallowing the feeling of revulsion at how far away from home her son had traveled, alone, where anything could have happened.

"Yes, well Henry has always been a bit willful."

Emma halfway smirked. "Sounds familiar..."

Regina narrowed her eyes, intensifying her stare at the audacity of this woman's assumed familiarity with her son.

"So tell me Miss Swan, what is it you do for a living?" she tried to ask casually, placing her drink down on the table between them and clasping her hands in her lap, giving Emma the full force of her undivided attention.

"I'm a bail bondsman...or bondsperson, as I like to call myself."

"I see. And how did you fall into this...kind of work?" Regina added stiffly.

"I needed a job and a friend helped me out and got me started. It turned out that I kind of had a knack for finding people, I guess you could say, and I've been doing it ever since," Emma answered with practiced casualness. She had been interrogated before and knew when she was under scrutiny.

Emma remained cool however, and allowed the Mayor's piercing gaze to do its worst. This was not the first time someone had judged her for her choice of lifestyle, but Emma was well-practiced in the art of not giving a shit about what other people think.

Regina eyed the blonde suspiciously, catching a glimpse of something vaguely familiar, then dismissing it as quickly as it occurred. Clearly this woman was not going to divulge very much information about her personal life, and frankly the Mayor could care less. She did want to address one thing though. Taking a breath, the Mayor pressed forward.

"Miss Swan, I'm sure neither of us expected to find ourselves in this situation. I obtained Henry through a closed adoption, and that is the way I would prefer to keep it. Now don't get me wrong, I am grateful to you for returning Henry to me, but I must ask: Do I need to worry about you or Henry's father pursuing a relationship with my son?"

Emma was taken back by the question. "Um, no. I mean, Henry's father doesn't even know about him, and I...I am just happy to have met him. He's a nice kid."

Regina relaxed a bit, but still felt unnerved by just the presence of this unexpected visitor.

"Well, now that my son is home safe and your journey here is complete, I expect you will want to be returning home as soon as possible," Regina hinted subtly.

Emma shifted uncomfortably, noticing the pushy edge to the mayor's voice. "Yeah, I guess I should be getting back..."

Emma started to stand, extending her glass to the mayor, who practically jumped out of her seat and snatched the glass away. Regina escorted Emma through the study and towards the front door with a semi-triumphant look on her face.

"Please have a safe drive home Miss Swan," she sang, as if she had won some sort of competition.

As she neared the door, Emma's instincts began to tingle. She had learned to trust her gut a long time ago and it had yet to fail her. Regina seemed a little too eager to get rid of her, and the woman's cold eyes and stiff demeanor did not translate the heartfelt gratitude her words tried to imply. Something just seemed…off.

Emma felt reluctant to go, as if something bad was going to happen if she left. The closer she got to the door, the more pronounced the feeling became. Warning bells rang in her mind as images of Henry flashed in accordance. Though he was raised by someone else, Henry was still her own flesh and blood, and Emma felt she owed him more than just driving away the same night she met him, never to see him again.

"You know," Emma started, turning around to face the Mayor as she crossed through the doorway, their eyes meeting squarely, "I'm pretty tired, and seeing how I have a long way to drive, I think it might be best if I find someplace to stay for the night. Are there any hotels in this town?"

Regina stiffened for a fraction of a second, then recovered exquisitely as she gave a polite recommendation for Granny's B&B on the other side of town. To anyone else it would have gone unnoticed, but to Emma, the Mayor's reaction was a blatant as a billboard sign. Emma thanked Regina and bid her a pleasant good-bye, but underneath all those practiced manners and designer perfume, Emma detected a falsehood as clear as the full moon overhead.

SQ

Regina checked on Henry one last time before she retired to her bedroom. The day had been long and exhausting, and Regina was sure that she wanted nothing more than to fall into a heavy, dreamless sleep. But as she laid back against her pillows after washing up and changing into a silk shift, her mind refused to turn off. All day long the Mayor had been terrified that something bad had happened to her son, but she never in a million years would have guessed that he was on a road trip to find his birthmother.

Regina couldn't understand why he would have done such a thing. Hadn't she been a good mother? Given him everything he needed? Why would he go looking for someone who abandoned him when he already had a mother who has loved him and cared for him every day of his life?

The more she thought about it, the more she couldn't deny the truth: Henry was slipping away from her. First he started to stay after school longer and longer each day, saying that he needed extra help with his homework when Regina knew he was a straight-A student. Then he began retreating to him room or going for bike rides more frequently and for longer periods of time, wanting less and less to do with her.

At first she chalked it up to a child's need for independence and respected his space. Then she really noticed things were wrong when he stopped saying "I love you" and almost stopped speaking to Regina altogether. The Mayor was at a complete loss of what to do and began taking Henry to therapy sessions once a week. She could see that Henry resented her for it, but her fear of losing her son only tightened her grasp on him.

Now Regina started to second-guess her tactics with Henry. Were the therapy sessions really necessary? Did she have to be so strict with him? Maybe she should have bought him those video games, or let him watch a little extra TV now and then.

Regina sighed deeply. She knew she was a better mother than that blonde woman ever could have been, but she could not get the image of Emma Swan of of her head. When Regina learned that Henry was born to a prison inmate, she always pictured the mother as some ugly, toothless, abhorrent criminal, easy to dismiss. But in reality Henry's birthmother seemed to be quite normal, and though the Mayor hated to admit it, she was not ugly at all; in fact, Emma Swan was quite attractive.

Regina had always appreciated beautiful men and women and shared her bed with quite a few of each. In her past life as Queen, her subjects were always willing to trade their services for a royal favor and Regina often took advantage of their eagerness to please. A woman like Emma would have surely caught the Queen's attention.

The way her wavy blonde hair framed her face and fell over her shoulders played over and over in the Mayor's mind, and her defiant eyes which seemed impossibly green continued to burn in the Mayor's memory. Regina could only imagine the fun she could have had with the blonde, breaking her into submission.

But they were not in her former kingdom. Emma had invaded Storybrooke, compromised Henry and was refusing to leave; she was a problem, not a temptation. Regina tossed and turned, frustrated that she wasn't able to control her thoughts. The Mayor didn't know what it meant that Henry had brought his birthmother to town, but Regina could only hope that in the morning the woman would be gone and things would go back to normal.