Just a short exchange between Regina and Emma which takes place in Camelot after they have freed Merlin from the tree. An encounter that Regina 6 weeks later in Storybrooke, no longer remembers but Dark Swan obviously does.

It works best if you watch all of the Regina/Emma moments in Dreamcatcher that take place in Camelot, read this and then watch the Regina/Emma argument in Storybrooke at the end of the episode to capture all of the parallels.

If your are not past Season 5 Episode 4 of Once Upon A Time then I'm sorry there are spoilers! You've been warned!

It's obviously Swanqueen based but more Regalduckling! It plays in line with the show and it doesn't effect any other ships! It's ship friendly! Please let me know what you think and be kind! :)

An Erased Friendship.

Everything had been crazy since Merlin was finally freed from his leafy entrapment. Everyone was aware that Arthur was an enemy and destroying the darkness from Emma was the still the common goal, but yet the towns people of Storybrooke all seemed to be at a loss in their own individual worlds, roaming about Camelot almost in a daze. It was increasingly difficult for anyone to have a moment alone to themselves with people coming in and out of Granny's at all times, everyone on high alert with confusion and anticipation.

Which is why it was such a comfortable feeling when Regina found herself alone at Granny's, although she found the quiet a little unnerving she heard herself letting out a sigh that she could finally hear herself think.

"Hey Regina."

Regina turned towards the familiar voice and saw Emma closing granny's front door behind her firmly. The peace was much shorter lived than even she had expected.

"Emma."

Regina looked behind Emma and was surprised to find she was alone. Merlin seemed to be hot on her tail at the moment along with her parents and Hook, and Regina took comfort in knowing that the dark one was probably just as eager to be alone as she was.

"You alone?"

Emma scanned around the diner and was surprised to see Regina by herself, usually surrounded by Robin or the boys or purposely staying close to her sister, it was rare to see the former mayor looking so lonesome. It occurred to her as much as it probably did to Regina that they hadn't really spoken since the night they had freed Merlin.

"I guess so."

Emma raised half a smile towards the brunette and walked over to a stall at the bar before sliding on to it and looking up at Regina sitting next to her. She thought back to the time when she had ordered them shots and it all seemed like such a long time ago, an angry feeling hit her gut that life would never be as simple as it was back then.

"Regina, listen... I haven't really had the chance to speak to you, to say that I.." She stumbled over her words, trying not to make more of it than it was, "...thank you. For helping me free Merlin."

Regina blinked.

"Actually I didn't end up helping at all in the end."

"No, I mean for trusting me, you know for letting me do what I had to do."

Regina always felt uncomfortable when people thanked her, she wasn't used to compliments, much less for doing something good. But it was always so heartfelt with Emma, she had a way of reeling her in, in such a way that no one else seemed to be able to do.

"Well, I'm not a fan of you using dark magic, but with Arthur being a bit less heroic than we initially thought, time wasn't exactly on our side," she shifted in her seat slightly to face away from Emma in a hope that she would leave it there.

But Emma leaned in a bit closer, "But you just took my word for it, you didn't have to do that."

Regina waited for Emma to shift back again but she didn't, her green eyes looked straight into her dark brown ones, her eyebrows lifted. Knowing this wasn't going to be a simple "thank you, you're welcome" conversation, Regina sighed, "I believed you...I lived with your mother long enough to know when she's not being herself, it was a split second decision and I trusted you. I trust you want to save yourself as much as I want to help you."

The green eyes dropped the stare and Emma leant back slowly. Regina had expected a receiving reaction from the former saviour, even a smugness that she had admitted to wanting to help her, but instead Emma looked almost sad as she bit gently on her top lip and looked to the floor.

"Because you feel guilty that I saved you from the darkness."

"No!" Regina began to protest but she knew that Emma would see through it like she always did, ".. Yes. Yes I do feel responsible for your situation and I hate owing someone my life. That is what has spurred me on in Camelot to try and fix this, to make it right..."

She paused. Emma still had her eyes fixed on the ground staring at some invisible nothingness in order to avoid Regina's home truths.

"... But that's not why I believed you Emma, it's not why I trust you."

Emma glanced up at the woman in front of her, it wasn't like Regina to be so open, especially with her, she could sense that she was struggling to eloquently word her thoughts, as she watched her stroke a spoon that had been left mistakenly on the counter. I

"Then why?"

Regina ran her finger along the edge of the spoon before glancing up at Emma. Her eyes trailed over her, studying how her long blonde hair fell gently over her shoulders and down the cape of her off-white gown. It was hard to believe someone so angelic looking could have such evil darkness building inside her, but then again, as a young woman, Regina always enjoyed others underestimations of herself based on the way she looked. The shocked expressions of their faces as she tore their hearts from their chests was that much sweeter. She knew that letting her guard down around Emma would probably come back to haunt her, if they ended up in the worst case scenario, if she had to do what Emma expected her to do, if she...had to... No. Regina suppressed those thoughts, she had to believe that Merlin could do what he said and remove the darkness. Any other outcomes she would deal with as and when they came to play.

She cleared her throat, "well, for one, you're the mother of my son," she began, "When I eventually decided to embrace that fact, it subsequently means I have care about what happens to you... and I do... care."

Emma was taken a little by surprise, not by the fact she cared but by her openness to admit such a thing. Regina was never one to put herself in a potentially vulnerable position, she was the only other person she knew who would rather choke on her feelings than allow someone to abuse them. Emma had often found this comforting when dealing with Regina, knowing that they weren't totally dissimilar despite whichever way the scales of good and evil were balanced.

"So it's always been for Henry?" She replied casually, although Regina could sense a slight coldness to her voice. "You trust me because its the best thing for our son."

"I trust you because you're the best friend I've ever had."

She regretted it as soon as the words had pushed through her lips and Regina sat almost angry with herself for allowing her feelings to beat her in this way. She looked across at Emma who despite the frowning arch of her forehead, had spread an involuntary smile across her face. Regina immediately felt the need to regain control of the situation.

"Don't go getting an ego Swan, you really had minimal competition for the role."

She scooted herself off of the stool and stood infront of Emma, brushing off any creases she may have creating by sitting in her long velveteen dress. Although she missed the comfort of her own wardrobe back in storybrooke, she had to admit that casual wear in Camelot made her feel somewhat elegant again, after all, she was a queen.

Before she had chance to take a step towards the door she felt Emmas hand touch hers ever so gently. She peered up at the blonde and saw such a shift in emotion spread across her face and watched in silence as her eyes filled with tears and her pale skin blotched with redness.

"Regina, Im so nervous," She paused, "I mean, I told Killian that once we find this spark thing everything is gonna be ok, but the truth is... Merlin removing the darkness from me isn't something he can just do. It's down to me, I have to do this..." She paused for a second and softly squeezed her hand around Reginas fingers, "what if I'm too far gone? What if I... What if I can't do this." Her voice was shaky but firm, Regina found it both heartbreaking and terrifying at the same time to see such pain behind her eyes.

"Of course you can."

She took a step back and was now stood in front of the tearing eyes that looked at her. She took the woman's other hand and held it gently in her palm. Emma's hands were dry and rough, as she thumbed over them she could feel bumps, cuts and welts from where the dark one had been filling her sleepless nights weaving dreamcatchers out of whatever natural forest detritus she had come across that day. "You can't think like that Emma," she said softly, swallowing back any lumps that tried to rise in her throat, "you... are the strongest person I know. In more ways than one..."

Emmas lip twitched, she knew what a compliment that was coming from someone as powerful as Regina and she had to admit to herself that it did make her feel more at ease knowing that the sorceress felt that way about her.

"...if anyone can escape the darkness... It's you." Regina, smiling, placed her hand on Emma's left shoulder and gave it a little shove. She found it hard to try and find a middle ground between being comforting but keeping her strong, she needed the saviour to fight, but at the same time she knew how sometimes she needed to break a little to be able to clear her thoughts and focus. She watched as a small tear escaped from Emma's pretty green eyes and ran down her light cheek.

"But I'm so scared."

Emma found the words hard to say, she was not one to be scared, of anything in fact. It was a trait she had built up over the years. Without parents to protect her, she had learnt to chase away the boogie man herself, bravery had always come at ease, but she certainly knew how scared felt. Scared was kissing her lifeless sons body, it was watching her mother get burnt at the stake, it was having someone she loved die in her arms. It was brutal. The more she opened up her heart to life, the more frightened she was of losing it all.

Regina sat herself back on the edge of the bar stool in a bid to attempt eye level, she herself hadn't felt the pain of fear for many years. But she certainly had since becoming a mother.

"I know," she whispered, before clearing her throat slightly and widening her eyes, "...but, you my dear, are the saviour and there's no way you can't destroy a little bit of darkness."

Emma still struggled with the term "saviour."

Saviours didn't do the things she had done, there wasn't any part of her that felt "good," that felt like a hero. All she could feel was the blood rushing around her, engulfing her emotions and empowering her with every bad thought. She thought about how it had felt to hold Meridas heart in her hand, how it had felt to hold Violets...

"What if the things I've done are too dark?.. what if I'm already too far gone to be saved?"

Emma looked up at Regina and was met by a confused frown.

"What things?"

"Bad things"

"What bad things Emma?"

Reginas frown stuck as she tried to read between the the broken lines Emma was throwing her.

"Bad things I've done... That I did.."

God, if Regina knew...

"When I... back when... I was just trying to do what's best... to protect Henry, I didn't th-"

"Emma, listen." Regina cut her off, which she was glad of because there was no way she could have elaborated on what she had said. Part of her hoped Regina would understand why she did it, but she also knew that the brunette would see the darkness in it too. Seeing the way Regina looked at her in despair when Henry was crying, she knew then that she didn't want Regina to find out, although she really did have her sons best interest at heart at the time, she doubted Regina would see it from that point of view... After all, had she found Regina had purposely hurt their son and made him cry, she would find it hard to believe whatever justifications Regina would be throwing her way too.

"Listen to me, whatever you're not telling me, whatever you did... It's ok. If you did something wrong to protect Henry then you had a very good reason in my opinion." She smiled softly at Emma's troubled face, "Sometimes the only good thing we have is our intentions Emma, but there is nothing you can't come back from when you have the right people on your side...believing in you, giving you the strength." Regina leaned in closer to add comfort to her words, "You have your parents... Hook... our son... and you have me. We have each others backs don't we?

Both women broke into a smile, remembering that conversation they had had back in Regina's vault. They were in such a different place now. Back then, all Regina wanted was to find her happy ending, to be with Robin and for Emma to stop messing things up for her. She felt a pang of guilt that she had been so hostile towards the mother of her child, when Emma could have had an encyclopedia full of reasons to blame her and hate her for how her life turned out. She hoped they never fell back into that place. It really was a weird feeling to try and understand, how she could have wanted so much for someone to die, to now fear ever having to live in a world without them.

Regina let go of Emma's hand after giving it a final squeeze and rose to her feet, stepping slowly towards the door. She heard Emma's dress make a 'humph' noise hitting the floor as the blonde stood up and followed Regina to the front of Granny's.

"Regina, wait."

The brunette turned on the spot and met Emma's eyes almost immediately.

"Thank you."

Emma smiled at her friend before carefully leaning in towards her, reaching out both arms as she did so and placing her hands neatly on Regina's back, she pulled their chests in to touch. It caught Regina a little off guard but in fact there were many times where she had wanted this hug. She never knew if their friendship was in the right place though, always assuming it would be awkward and uncomfortable if a moment like this was to occur... but she was pleased to find it wasn't at all strange. It was comforting, warm and much needed. She could smell the familiar scent of Emma's hair as it brushed across her cheek and Regina leant in as she reached around to place her hands on the top of the dark ones back.

The two women held on just long enough that they felt it's impact and as they separated out, they were met by each others matching smiles.

"So you finally believe I have your back then, Madame Mayor?" Emma smirked, opening the door wide for Regina to exit ahead of her.

The ex-queen, gave an eyebrow raise and a hint of a smile before replying. "You may have convinced me..." She took a few steps out of granny's diner, looking over her shoulder to make sure Emma was following and grinned before saying.

"...and don't Madame Mayor me, we've been through too much."