A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favourited or followed. I have a general idea of where this story is going but, would love to hear what you think as the journey goes on.


Things they don't tell you about True Love's Kiss.

2. Some people understand it and, some people don't. [Sort of].

Charming would like to think that he was a simple man with a simple life however, he knows that wishing isn't always a guarantee. So when he looks at his forlorn daughter, swinging on her office chair, he hopes that he will at least do right by her.

He sits at the edge of her desk and toes her seat so that she stops, if only this weren't the first time he'd stopped her precarious swinging.

"C'mon kiddo, it's ok, we'll find her. She's basically a Charming now and we always fi…"

"I dare you to finish that sentence," she cuts in.

"…call each other," he finishes lamely.

Emma palms her face to rid herself of the fatigue she's feeling, it works for a fleeting second. It had been a few days since she'd been released from hospital and, she still hadn't seen nor heard from Regina. She had always been an investigator and yet, all of her leads ended her nowhere. She had even spoken to Gold and he wasn't much help. Though, to be fair, he had been dealing with the sudden departure of Belle.

She hadn't even spoken two words before he had sneered at her with such ferocity that she was sure that he was the Dark One again. She may or may not have run for the hills after that.

The only person that was in contact with the other woman was Henry and, whenever she pestered him about his mother's whereabouts, he'd give her a sidelong glance and a, "I can't tell you Ma. Mother and son confidentiality." There was so much Regina in him that it made Emma determined to find her even more.

She sighs, "I don't know why Regina's freaking out so much, I mean, it worked with Henry and didn't mean anything."

David nods his head sombrely, "Agreed. I mean, even though you guys and Henry True Loved Kiss on the forehead and y'know, you and Regina did that on the mouth."

It's the first time that anyone has acknowledged where the kiss had occurred and, it causes complicated butterflies to erupt in her stomach.

"David," she scathes and then, punches him on the arm.

He winces and looks properly admonished. Good.

He puts up his arms in a gesture of arm stance.

"I'm just saying, if it didn't mean anything beyond a platonic True Loves Gal Pal Kiss on the mouth, then, why are you here moping?" He tries to placate.

He has a point. Whether or not Emma chooses to admit or accept it is a different story. His words also have the affect of causing her to question what really occurred that night. Why couldn't she remember? Was it just a simple peck on the lips? Was it a full on make out session? Would Regina really play tonsil hockey with her whilst she was unconscious? She had racked her brain and heart trying to find the answers.

Admittedly Emma always had feelings for Regina, it was one of those tenuous relationships, always a slow building push and pull between them, it was like a bad movie trope. From rivals to frienamies to potential romantic partnership. And honestly, have you seen the woman?

Regardless, Emma had learnt to temper those thoughts and desires, it was difficult but, she had stopped fantasizing about the two of them in Law & Order type scenarios where they were magical partners solving magical crimes. Stopped creating impossible story lines that would never happen or, rehearsing her lines in the arguments between them that would invariably bring them closer.

She placed them in a box so far in her mind that she only remembered it was there whenever she drunk and alone. Or, whenever she heard Mr. Brightside play on the radio.

It was only a kiss, Oh the fucking irony.

David looks at her, waiting for her to react to his statement but, she's just not ready yet.

"Gal Pal?" she tries to misdirect.

David understands her avoidance and shrugs unrepentantly, "Mary Margaret watches Oprah."

If Emma had ever questioned whether or not she was his daughter, this was the proof. All the awkward mannerisms and uncertain gestures when conversing well, that and apparently the blonde hair and chin thing.

"Why do you guys call each other your cursed names?" she asks genuinely curious.

He frowns for a moment, rubs his chin and then, "Who says that our Enchanted Forrest names weren't our cursed names? We abandoned you during that time didn't we?"

It's the first verbal admission by her father taking the blame for forcing a baby, her, to the world without magic. When she was the Dark One, she had always wanted to prey on her parents insecurities. There was always something seducing her to outright seek revenge on her parents like she never had the opportunity to do as a teenager. But, when she sees the look on David's face, she's glad that she never gave into that temptation. Not when she can do it now when she's, 'magically sober' and more reasonable.

Though, now is defiantly not the time for this discussion, especially when there are so many thoughts in her head, not when the Darkness still lingers within her.

Emma knows that this is not attrition on David's part but, it's something that had never been acknowledged, Regina had always shouldered the blame for that one.

For everything.

She almost rolls her eyes at that last thought. Regina, it always goes back to Regina.

David notices the melancholy change in his daughter and wraps an arm around her to bring her back from her reverie.

And Emma, for her part, thinks that this is the way that fathers comfort their daughters but then, she wouldn't know.

"Come on, let's go fi…" he stops and thinks for a second, "I mean, search, seek, track Regina."

He gives her a cheesy grin to which she slowly and identically returns.

She may not know but, she's starting to learn.


Regina feels the presence before she sees them.

"Go away Snow," she orders exasperated.

In return, Snow White aka Mary Margaret nonchalantly takes a seat as if it were any normal visit.

"Regina, we need to talk," she states giving that maternal look that, in all honestly, she shouldn't have adopted so quickly.

"I can see where your daughter gets her penchant for meddling from," Regina replies.

An eyebrow quirks and, Regina can't help but try to calculate how long this woman has known her, "You're only just realising this now?"

Regina crosses her arms and leans against a cabernet in her vault, "Excuse me if I've been busy with being a mother to Henry, finding my soul mate, dealing with my soul mate and, oh yes, having a True Love moment with Miss Swan previously known as the Dark One."

In response, Snow looks at her sharply, "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Reduce what Emma means to you."

"What do you want?" Regina finally asks.

Mary Margaret shifts awkwardly, "You saved Emma with a True Loves Kiss, I think that prompts a talk, if not to Emma than, perhaps to someone else that has known you for a really long time."

Regina bores her eyes into Snow's and then decidedly says, "Perhaps you're right, I should give Kathryn a call."

"Regina, stop with the bullshit," Snow snaps.

It's a blunt statement that Regina had never thought would fall from Snow's mouth, it's almost terrifying.

"Excuse me?" She asks in lieu of a proper response.

"You saved my daughter, your son's other mother with an act that is the literal tangible rendering promise of always and forever. At the very least, I thought that you'd be gloating about your conquering of your arch nemesis' daughter," Mary Margaret reasons in the way that only she can. Bluntly and honestly, with just a rouge of misguided hope.

"She is not one to be conquered, we both know that," Regina replies.

As soon as the statement comes out of her mouth, she wants to shove it back in, because even though neither had never articulated what Emma means to Regina, she had all but said so in just one sentence.

There are a few moments for breathing for Snow to come to realisation on her own and, when it does, a disenchanting clarity comes with it, "You like my daughter." Not an accusation but, an astonished whisper.

"Thank you Captain Obvious," she winces at her own retort because anything to do with a Captains title right now just reminds her of jealously, longing, life and death.

Her visitor just shakes her head, coming to her own conclusions.

"No, you like, like her."

Regina knows that Snow will not back down, but then, neither will she.

"From the mere fact that I 'True Love Kissed' her, I believe it's safe to assume that I may more than like her Snow," she finally concedes.

"I don't understand," they both know that this is a lie.

Regina and Snow both understand where these feelings, where this love manifested. From protecting Emma's light to knowing where her prized possession was, to understand the lust for darkness to dragging the undeniable truths from her.

Truth and reality have come to ahead and, yeah, it's complicated to say the least.

Regina sighs and looks away, unable to look at the large hopeful eyes that remind her of Emma and her son.

"Emma Swan is the biggest pain in my life, she tried to take my son away from me even though she legally has no rights to do so, I have worked with her to protect him at all costs, she has terrible taste in men, she makes decisions that will undoubtingly end her life one day. And, she understands and reminds me of all the good days and worst days in my past only to be there for the future, whatever may come of it."

She plays with a bat claw that Emma had once touched, "And for that, I cannot help but be in love that half-wit," she whispers affectionately.

And, it feels good to finally, finally admit it out loud. Even if it's to her nemesis about her nemesis' daughter. Ok so, she probably should have chosen someone else to admit that to. Regina knows that there are a thousand questions that the other woman wants to ask but, she's greatful that she doesn't.

Regina hears a shuffling then, she feels an arm on her shoulder almost wanting to make her recoil. She doesn't and for a second, Regina can't help but think that she's gone soft that, she's let herself become vulnerable too quickly.

Perhaps that's the price of True Love's Kiss.

"What's going to happen now?" she hears.

She tightens her hold on the damn claw, feels the veins in her arm pulsating and wishes that she could conjure something useful with it.

"I don't know Snow, but, I'm just so tired."


Thank you for reading.