A/N: This is a compilation of the This Thing We Do stories. They were always intended in my mind to stand alone, but some readers have requested that I put them in one story for the ease of those following the series.

Post 2.09

Snow spent a good part of the afternoon and most of the evening celebrating with her friends and family. It wasn't an organized thing, that would come tomorrow, but they had pushed together tables in the middle of Granny's and they'd celebrated the end of Regina's curse as much as having Snow and Emma back. She had held hands with her husband, and gossiped with Red, Emma told stories about eating chimera and kept asking why they didn't invent guns in the Enchanted Forest.

And they told stories of their heroic adventures, not all of them new, but that always seemed to go quiet again as Henry would try and tell them about how his mom had saved them today. Each time he called Regina that Snow flinched. Ruby tried to point out to him once that she'd been trying to kill Emma and Snow, but he'd have none of that. Mr. Gold had been trying to kill them, his mom had saved them.

The adults let the matter drop, but the third time he brought it up Snow reached for his hand. "I know what it is to love Regina, Henry. It hurts. Loving Regina always hurts in the end more than hating her. But this isn't the time or the place and you can't save her soul."

But Henry shook his head defiantly and announced to Emma that he wanted to go back to the loft.

He didn't say home and Snow flinched.

That woman. That woman always got her hooks into you. She'd done it to her. She'd done it to that foolish genie that she convinced to kill for her. And now she'd done it to her grandchild. And a dark mood settled over Snow's eyes even if she was still laughing at the dwarf's jokes.

She knew most of the punch lines already. There were only so many jokes about mining that could be told before they started to repeat. David squeezed her hand and she smiled back. "With Henry and Emma at the loft I'm not sure we can celebrate the way I'd like now..."

She smiled at him.

"We could get a room at Granny's ... make it a special night." He suggested.

"It's already special because I'm with you. We can wait until they're out tomorrow." She kissed his nose. "Besides, I have something I have to do tonight."

"What?" David asked confused.

"Regina."

Her husband sighed. "Snow... can't you get your mind off her finally?"

"She either tried to kill me today, or tried to save my life, and I'm not sure which is more disturbing."

He shook his head. "As hard as it may be for you to believe, I've been around her for the last few weeks, I honestly doubt it had anything to do with you."

He nodded to Emma and Henry as they were putting on their coats to leave.

"Well than I still need to thank her for saving our lives. Because I wont be in her debt."

David gave a long suffering sigh, and nodded. "I'll go with you."

"No." Snow said too quickly. "If she really is reachable finally... it should just be us."

"Snow she has her magic back... she's trying not to use it but it's not safe."

"Even without magic, Regina's never safe. I can take care of myself David."

She smiled and kissed him again. "Go home and get some rest. I wont you alert tomorrow and that sleeping curse doesn't actually count as rest."

And David knew when to stop arguing with his wife. Especially over the subject of Regina.

The mansion wasn't somewhere Mary Margaret had ever been. The white house on Mifflin Street was mostly empty now, but there was a light on in a few of the corner rooms that she could see from the street. Walking up the front path she could see that Regina was moving around in what was likely the kitchen. It was dinner time. Except part of her had trouble imagining Regina cooking. She supposed she had to have learned sometime in the last twenty-eight years. She missed servants. Not that she didn't know how to cook herself, but servants were nice.

She watched Regina through the windows for she had no idea how long until she moved to a room without an easy view. With a heavy sigh she mounted the steps and rang the bell.

And there was no answer. She rang it again and waited patiently. And no answer. Regina wasn't answering the door. Did she know it was her? Had she seen her watching her through the window?

Embarrassment mixed with the anger at being ignored. She poked around the bushes until she found a fake plastic rock and was rewarded with a key to the front door. Sliding it into the lock she heard a satisfying click and pushed the door opening, pocketing the key.

"Regina?"

She called out. Better than to be greeted by a fireball. Though that was still possible.

Predictably Regina's voice was annoyed, "Get out."

Mary Margaret glanced around the house. Neat. Tidy. Elegant. Nothing like her own space, and nothing like the mess that she knew Regina's mind was. She followed the voice to a small sitting room with book shelves and a fire going. Regina was standing by a decanter with a glass in her hand.

"You didn't answer the door."

"Most people would take that as a hint. How did you get in here?"

"You forget I was a bandit."

"No, actually I didn't, now get out Snow."

Regina marched past her and back towards the kitchen.

"It's Mary Margaret here. You should know, you gave me that name."

Regina laughed. "You aren't here because of Mary Margaret, or what I did to her. You are here because of what I did to you, Snow."

The kitchen was bright and clean. There were dog eared cook books on a shelf and a large bowl of apples next to a pie on the island. A small plate of food, half eaten but mostly picked at was on the counter next to a glass of water and a bottle of Tylenol.

"Don't you have magic, why do you need those."

The shift of subject made Regina blink. "It's best not to use magic when there are other means. Besides, I used a lot of magic today. Absorbing a mine full of pixie dust will take a lot out of you."

"Ruby said you were trying to kill us."

It hadn't been what she meant to say. She meant to say Henry said you saved us.

"Because a mangy waitress knows so much about magic." Regina said with some annoyance. She took the pills with the amber liquid she'd gotten from the other room. A part of Snow tisked, but she wasn't Regina's keeper. Still she had to admit Regina looked a tired. There was a suit jacket folded neatly over the back of one of the kitchen chairs, and she was still in the clothing she'd seen her in the woods. slacks and a bright blue silk blouse.

It was a good color on her. She didn't wear enough color.

Being tired did little for her legendary lack of patience. "What do you want, Snow?"

"I told you."

"You don't think I know when you are lying?"

"You stole everything from me."

"Not for the first time." Regina pointed out. "And now your family has stolen everything from me. Welcome to the world of being an absolute ruler, Snow. You get to take from your enemies."

"I'm not some sort of tyrant."

"Really? I seem to remember I ended up helpless in a jail cell left alone at Gold's mercy. And are we forgetting you and your husband taking my son? I'm sure you'll remember him in the morning when the bathroom in your little loft is always in use.

"He's Emma's son."

"No, actually, Emma gave him up. I raised him. He's my son." Regina set her glass down with enough force that Snow thought it might break. Regina moved towards her, stalking like a predator. A wounded predator she reminded herself.

And the anger welled up in her as well. How dare she. How dare she love him like that. Before Regina could reach her Snow moved quickly and pushed her body against the wall behind her. The air went out of Regina's lungs with a satisfying thud and there was fire in her eyes. But none in her hands. Perhaps she had used too much magic today.

With the skills of a person used to fighting with her hands Snow captured Regina's wrists and held them in an iron grip. "You ignored me for years... and then tried to kill me."

"Would you have preferred I tried to kill you when you were growing up in the palace?" Regina asked with a smirk. The old Regina that Snow remembered finally.

"You are a bitch, Regina." And she should have left. She should have given up this fool's errand like so many others with this woman.

"No more than you are, Snow. I'm just the only one who sees it."

Heat raised in her cheeks and anger in her belly. And what happened next is what she'd been wanting to do since she was seventeen years old. Her lips crashed into Regina's, forcing her way past and kissing her in the most possessive way possible.

When it finally broke, and they could both breath again Regina demanded, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Shut up, Regina." She was reasonably sure that even with how tired she was if Regina wanted to stop this she would. Snow pushed her knee between Regina's legs and against her crotch. "For once you are going to be the one who is a good girl. For once you are going to listen to me."

Snow had let go of her wrists and began unbuttoning her blouse. Regina was already breathing a bit faster, but Snow expected more protest. Some sort of reminder of who she was. But none came. Because this was who she was. And Regina had always known it.

She moved her hands over Regina's soft skin and up to the lace of her bra. With a vicious little smile she gave the nipple a pinch through the fabric. "Yes you are."

And the power rushed to her head as much as the sexual energy flowed. She loved David. She liked being in his strong gentle arms. But this was as much her as that was. This angry, fiery passion belonged here, not with him. "Now be a good girl, and help me take off your clothes."

Regina slipped out of her shirt as Snow began to unbutton her pants.

"Don't fool yourself Snow."

"That I've got you doing what I want?"

"That you are the one in control here."

"Oh, I know I am so far from control ..." She leaned in and actually bit the top of Regina's breast. "But neither are you."

"Don't count on it Snow."

"Really? We're going to play those kinds of games?" She pushed her hand down Regina's underwear and felt the wetness forming there. "I would think at best we're both gone a bit mad don't you think?" She ran two fingers along her clit and Regina rewarded her with a gasp.

"We were always mad." Regina replied.

Snow smiled and pushed the two fingers up into her without much ceremony or preparation. She hadn't needed it. Curling them a little. "Yes we were, my Queen. And tomorrow we'll both be sane again. And we'll pretend this didn't happen."

Snow smiled. "Except it did."