A/N: Hi everyone! I am new to OUAT fanfic and have had this little story in my head for a while. This is set in mid-late season 6, but of course some things are changed. Please let me know what you think—I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1

"It's not just that he killed my…grandfather, I guess?" Emma took a drink and placed her rocks glass back down on the bar. "It's that he kept it from me. It's about the secrets." She looked at her mother. She was beautiful, Emma thought. Secretly she had always wished that she resembled her mother a little more than she did, but she had gotten used to her looks—her blonde hair, reminiscent of her father, David, stuck out in contrast so many years ago when she met her mother, Mary Margaret, at the time. She spent days, weeks even, trying to find similarities between the snow white beauty and the image that stared back at her in the mirror. The touch of her mother's hand on her own caused her to come back to reality.

"Well, you know Killian, Emma. The real Killian—not big, bad, Captain Hook." She rubbed her daughter's arm lovingly. "Do you think that's really who he is?"

Emma placed her hand over her mother's on her arm. "You know," she tapped on her hand and looked up, meeting those hazel eyes staring back at her, "I've given him so many chances. I can't do it again." Snow nodded sympathetically. "I'm not completely sure which Killian he really is, but just the fact that I have any doubt at all is reason enough for me to be done with it…with him."

Snow took a deep breath. "I know you really loved him, Emma."

She nodded, clearing her throat. "Yeah, I mean, I did. But…" she turned in her barstool toward her mother. "Was there ever a time where you doubted David? Not just in facts, or in an argument or whatever, but actually doubted his character, and who he was as a person?" Snow shook her head: she truthfully couldn't remember a time when she doubted David—he was her one true love. "As easy as it is in our world to know when it's true love's kiss…I know he wasn't my true love…as corny as that sounds."

"Oh, Emma, honey, it's not corny. It's real…and it's true. And that's all your father and I want for you—for you to find your destiny, and share your life with someone. Someone who loves you unconditionally: not because you're 'the savior,' or because you can do something for them. But, someone who completes you." Emma smiled compassionately at her mother and finished her bourbon on the rocks. They both took a breath as Snow attempted to somewhat change the subject.

"So, where'd he go?" She finished her wine as she waited for Emma to answer.

"I assume he took the Jolly Roger somewhere. I know he was eager to explore the seas in the other realms…maybe that's where. But, I doubt he's coming back." She paused. "Which is probably for the best. I don't think he'd like the Emma he'd return to if he came back."

Just as she said this, the door to the bar opened and Emma turned to see Regina. It was Emma's own secret; she thought Regina was breathtakingly beautiful—with her dark hair and piercing brown eyes, it was hard for Emma not to take her eyes off of her. She could admit to sometimes fantasizing about being with Regina when someone mentioned Henry's two moms. But, overall, she never let anyone know that she felt that way.

Regina approached the bar and sat on the other side of Snow, quickly ordering a glass of red wine. Emma didn't know if it was the alcohol getting to her or not, but she couldn't help staring, unapologetically, at the gap in Regina's low cut silk shirt.

"Emma, Snow, what's going on?" She paused. "Everything ok?" She was concerned—Regina almost never saw either of these women at the bar she frequented almost every Friday night. Just as she was going to say something else, Snow looked toward Emma and began to answer.

"Oh, everything's fine. I just wanted to get Emma out of the house." Regina looked down to Emma's left hand, her diamond engagement ring absent.

"Did he leave?" Regina looked at Emma as her wine was delivered.

Emma nodded, shrugging a bit. "I guess so…he's not coming back." Regina was ashamed to admit that she was happy to hear that. Of course she wanted Emma to be happy, but when Killian was around, she thought she had lost her chance with Emma for good.

"Are you ok?" Regina asked with all the sincerity she could muster. Emma nodded with a sympathetic, honest smile. "Good. Well…" she raised her wine glass. "To new beginnings, right?"

Snow nodded, a smile on her face. She raised her glass and clinked hers together with Regina's as they both looked toward Emma. The blonde reluctantly smiled and raised her glass. "To new beginnings." She couldn't help but lock eyes with Regina as they both looked at each other while they drank.

They had never spoken about their unknown mutual attraction to each other. Before Ruby found Dorothy, though, she and Emma had a fling. It was a short-lived affair, but Regina found out about it, innocently, when Ruby showed up at her doorstep drunk one night. Since then, and since Robin died, Regina had been quietly biding her time, waiting for Killian to screw up.

Regina always secretly found Emma sexy, and when she vanquished the Evil Queen from her personality, she saw more beauty in Emma's heart than she had before—she was heartbreakingly beautiful. It was difficult, watching Hook swoop in, but now that he was gone, maybe Regina could do some swooping of her own.

Snow sat quietly between Emma and Regina. Situated at the corner of the bar, it was easy for her to see her daughter on her left and Regina on her right. She swore she saw a small twinkle in her daughter's eye when Regina spoke about new beginnings, but she didn't say anything. She wasn't completely sure about her daughter's dating preferences, but she remembered Emma and Ruby being close at one time—David always said something was going on between the two of them. Both Snow and David just wanted Emma to be happy, and they didn't care who it was with.

"Well, I think I'm gonna head out." Snow patted Emma's hand and displayed her phone, a picture message from David showing Neil lying in his crib. "I just hate being away when we put him to bed." Emma nodded as she was served another drink.

"Oh I—," she tried to get the bartender's attention, but to no avail. Her voice faded out as she looked toward her mother.

Snow looked toward Regina and cleared her throat. "Hey Regina, could you give Emma a ride hom—," Emma cut her off.

"Mom, I'm fine." She waved her hand and got up off her stool to give her mother a hug. Instead of her surefooted plan, she stumbled into Snow's arms and chuckled, wrapping her arms around her mother. "I love you. Kiss Neil for me."

Snow stood her back up and kissed her on the cheek. "Love you Emma." As she turned to leave, Emma sat back down in her barstool, leaving an empty seat between herself and Regina. Snow turned toward Regina and leaned over toward her, whispering. "Please make sure she gets home ok." Regina nodded and waved goodbye to Snow, quickly turning her darkening eyes toward Emma.