Author's Note: I meant to start writing something last week for Swan Queen Week, but then I got sick and it threw a kink in my plans. So, here's the first half(ish) of a roommate AU, to be finished within the next few days as my schedule permits.
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Regina stared down at the newspaper in shock. She had gotten the results last night, of course, but she had been certain when she woke today that it was merely some terrible dream.

She, Regina Mills, ousted by Mary Margaret Blanchard? It had to be some sick, twisted joke. Regina had been Mayor for the last 12 years, since before she adopted Henry, and now some idiotic schoolteacher had been elected in her place?

Well that was just fine. If Storybrooke didn't need her, she didn't need Storybrooke. She had only moved back here because she wanted a small, safe town to raise a family in, but Henry was older now. Perhaps it was finally time to move back to the city, to pursue dreams outside of being a mother and a mayor.

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"Come along Henry," Regina commanded, ignoring the huff of annoyance her son sent her way.

"Why couldn't Archie help us move? Or Ruby or Miss Blanchard? They all offered."

Regina scoffed. "We don't need anyone's help, and certainly not Mayor Blanchard's."

Henry continued to sulk as he carried his duffel bag up the second flight of stairs, but his mother continued to ignore his sullenness. She reminded herself it was only to be expected, Henry struggling to adjust to a new life after a decade in a town where he knew nearly everyone.

His school would be bigger, his teachers better educated and the curriculum likely more advanced, he wouldn't know all his neighbors and there wouldn't be a diner full of friendly adults who had known him since he was 3 weeks old. This was a new world for Henry just as it had been for her 18 years ago when she first arrived in Boston for college. Despite Regina's best intentions, Henry had barely even traveled beyond their small town, Mayoral duties keeping her close to home. The world was big and scary, especially for a sensitive boy like him; for all his curiosity, Regina knew he was intimidated by all the changes. It would take time for both of them to adjust, but she just hoped they could get settled in over the next few months. There were still more changes to come, and she hoped to be ready to meet them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Damn, when the ad said single mom I was thinkin like, some young thing, strugglin to get on 'er feet, but you's a classy lady," the young man observed, looking her up and down with unsavory interest.

"Yes, well, you're not exactly what I was expecting either," Regina said pointedly. She had assumed given her advertisement that 'Jordan' would be a female applicant, not to mention one with decent grammar and hygiene. While she wasn't opposed to having male influences in her sons life, a male tenant for their spare room hardly seemed appropriate. It was hard enough to think of sharing their new home with anyone, and if she hadn't needed the money and an extra set of eyes on Henry she wouldn't have even considered it. Thankfully she was still far from desperate enough to consider the uncouth man sitting before her. "I'm afraid you're simply not what I'm looking for. I apologize for wasting your time," she added coldly, hoping the dismissal was clear in her tone.

The only good thing she could say for 'Jordan' was that he didn't make a scene on his way out the door. It was still another 10 minutes until her next applicant was due to arrive, having staggered them 20 minutes apart throughout the afternoon. Her fingers itched to text Henry, but she held back. He was just down the street at the park and she reminded herself that he was perfectly safe. This was one of the nicest areas in town, it was broad daylight, and she was a phonecall and a 5 minute walk away if anything happened. She took a deep breath. He was nearly 11 now, and perfectly capable of spending two hours by himself. He would be fine, and so would she.

She looked down at her watch and sighed; still 6 minutes to wait. With a little huff, she opened her bag and pulled out the second of four law school applications. She was aware most people submitted them online now, but after 12 years of paperwork in a backwards town that barely had internet she found that she was rather set in her ways. The deadline for Boston College was still 3 months away, but she had always liked to be prepared.

Her pen had barely touched the paper when a shadow fell across her table. She looked up to see a blonde smiling down at her sheepishly. "Hi," she greeted, seeming slightly uncertain. "You must be Regina." She held out her hand, and the moment Regina took it she knew the woman's hesitance only told a small part of the story; her grip was firm and sure, and despite her apparent discomfort her confidence grew as she took a seat across from the brunette.

"I'm Emma Swan, by the way," she said finally, when Regina had been watching her quietly for long enough to approach uncomfortable.

Regina nodded once. "Nice to meet you, Miss Swan," she said tersely.

"Yeah… likewise. So how is this going to work? Do you, like, ask me a bunch of questions or what? I've never really had a roommate before."

Regina stiffened slightly, wondering if she would have to train this woman. Who knows what kind of bad habits she may have developed with no one to be accountable to?

"Yes, I do have a few questions for you. First of all, do you have stable employment? Because I will not tolerate lateness or inconsistency in payments."

"Yeah, I've got a job, I'm a bailbondsperson."

Regina rolled her eyes slightly at the way the young woman puffed out her chest at that. "And is that a… safe profession? I do have a son, he doesn't need to see you traipsing through the apartment beaten up, or followed home by criminals."

"I'm good at what I do," Emma told her tightly, guarded now where a moment before she had been proud. "I've never gotten hit on the job, and yeah, sometimes bad guys run away, but I call the cops if it gets to be a problem. I've never had anybody follow me home, and I've got references from landlords saying I'm a good tenant."

"So why are you needing to rent a room now, if you've lived on your own in the past?"

Emma sighed; clearly this woman was not going to make anything easy. "My car broke down a couple weeks ago, and apparently it's going to take more than I have to get it fixed. I need a cheaper place to stay while I'm paying for it. It's not exactly my first choice, but I figured having a roommate's got to be better than living in the kind of shit-hole I grew up in."

"And where did you grow up, Miss Swan? Where was this… "shit-hole" you called home?"

If the blonde had been tense before, it was nothing to now. She spoke with forced ease, but Regina knew she'd hit a nerve and filed the information away for later. "I grew up in foster care, moved around a lot, but never the sort of nice neighborhoods you're clearly used to. Look, I don't come from a nice family, and I'm sure I don't meet your standards, but I'm clean and I look after myself-you have to, growing up like I did. And I'd had over a dozen foster siblings by the time I was 16, not to mention other kids in the group homes, so I know how to act around a 10 year old. I might not be the best role model, but I need a place to stay and I won't get in your way. I mostly work at night, so you'll hardly even see me." Regina started to speak but Emma barreled forward. "But I'm not interested in being looked down on. I've gotten that my whole life. I've pulled myself up to where I am and I've had to work for everything I got; I may not have a lot, but I get by, and I'm living my life on my own terms. So if you want to take that stick out of your ass and treat me like an equal, give me a call."

She was up and heading for the exit in an instant, but before Regina had time to think she found herself following the younger woman out the door. Emma turned and faced her on the sidewalk, face a mixture of surprise and lingering hostility.

Regina crossed her arms. "You'll consent to a background check."

"Fine, then you should know a went to juvie," Emma countered with a challenge. The record was supposed to be sealed, but she wasn't taking any chances. Regina seemed like the kind of woman to bend the laws and not give a damn about someone's privacy.

Regina stiffened but didn't back down. "You'll come over, tonight, to meet Henry. No one moves in without his approval."

"Fine."

"Fine," she repeated, her attempt at flippancy falling short. "I'll text you the address. Don't be late."

Regina brushed passed her and Emma couldn't help but be impressed as she watched the woman walk away, head held high and hips swaying just a hint too much to be natural.

Life might be about to get a lot more interesting with Regina Mills in the picture.