Nothing Comes from Nothing

by parakitty

AU, Post Cricket Game, Emma casts a not-so-innocent locator spell, provided by Rumpelstiltskin, to find Regina, and the unexpected consequences bring Emma and Regina closer while revealing painful secrets that not only change their lives, but everyone else's, too.

3. Part 3

Nothing Comes from Nothing
A Swan Queen Story

Author: parakitty
Co-Author / Beta: Lain Stardust

General Disclaimer(s): Refer to Part 1.

~SQ~

PART 3

Following Regina up the creaky, narrow stairs leading to Archie's office above Neighbor's Five & Dime, Emma found herself hesitant to leave the man alone with her. Yeah, she knew the former mayor didn't kill Dr. Hopper, but that didn't waylay her unease. Maybe she was just apprehensive, if not a bit morbidly curious, as to how Archie was going to react to Regina's presence.

Standing off to the side, the sheriff watched as the former mayor knocked on the closed office door and waited for it to open. She raised an eyebrow at the sniffing and prancing of nails just on the other side. Vaguely, she heard Archie telling the ever-present Pongo to settle down and move back.

Eventually, the door opened wide, revealing a smiling Dr. Hopper and a sitting Dalmatian.

Emma immediately relaxed. The town shrink wasn't going to need therapy after his ordeal.

"Regina," Archie greeted warmly. Stepping to one side, he gestured for her to enter.

Stepping into the door way, the sheriff was surprised when Dr. Hopper frowned upon noticing her. She quickly looked between Archie and Regina. The latter was affectionately being welcomed by Pongo—that is, if his wagging body was any indication.

Biting her bottom lip, Emma realized for the umpteenth time that the dream catcher hadn't provided the whole truth, and maybe, Gold had purposely led her astray. With a sigh, she fought against a threatening bout of sadness upon realizing how much the Dalmatian actually liked Regina, and apparently, the feeling was mutual as she watched the former mayor rub the base of Pongo's ear.

Clearing his throat, Archie glanced briefly at Regina before saying, "Your presence really isn't necessary, Sheriff." He didn't want to assume, though, he couldn't help but draw a few conclusions. Turning back to the former mayor, he added, "Unless you want—."

"Um, no. Yeah," Emma stammered, suddenly uncomfortable, her eyes shifting between everyone again. "I'm just going to wait outside." With that, she backed out of the office, closing the door behind her. She bowed her head and mentally kicked herself. She could've handled that better.

Unzipping her coat, she pulled out her ear buds and cellphone. Plugging in, she scrolled through the various screens and started her music playlist. She slid down the wall and sat on the floor. It was about twenty songs later, listening to the playlist one-and-a-half times, before the door opened again.

Stopping the music and pulling out an ear bud, the sheriff weakly smiled up at Dr. Hopper.

"Would you mind coming in for a few minutes, Emma?" Archie requested with a gentle smile.

"Okaaay…," she drawled before standing up. However, the sheriff was not prepared when Dr. Hopper placed a chair out in the hall by the door. She immediately searched the former mayor's face for any idea of what was happening or what to expect.

"It's nothing to worry about. I just wanted to talk to you privately for a moment," Dr. Hopper said easily. He still had that therapist smile on his face.

Archie's reassurance didn't sit well with Emma. It reeked of a trap. Almost overwhelmed with the desire to bolt, she watched as Regina gathered her coat and purse.

"Dr. Hopper," Regina acknowledged in passing. She pulled the door closed behind her.

Swallowing, the sheriff hid her nervousness by flopping down on the leather sofa. Hearing Pongo sigh, she glanced over at the Dalmatian on his little doggy bed in the corner. "What did you want to talk about?" she asked finally.

"I won't keep you long," Archie repeated as he sat, sensing Emma's unease. "However, I admit I'm a bit concerned about your . . ," he paused, crossing his legs as he settled, "unique situation."

"So, she told you," she said, blowing out a heavy breath.

"How does that make you feel?" he inquired, settling his legal pad on his knee.

"Fine," the sheriff shrugged. "We vaguely talked about it this morning." That had been a heck of a surprise, Regina asking permission. She grinned, but her mirth faltered upon noticing Dr. Hopper's pursed lips.

Scribbling down some notes, Dr. Hopper asked, "Is there anything about your current situation that bothers you?"

"Besides the lack of privacy?" she snipped, rolling her eyes. "The only alone time we get is when one of us is in the bathroom."

"So, your prolonged exposure has been unpleasant?" He stopped writing and observed Emma very intently. "You've been fighting?"

Uncomfortable, Emma shifted, sitting up straight. "Is that what she said?" she whispered. Shaking her head, she quickly added, "No, we haven't been fighting. We've been getting along pretty well, actually, which is rather surprising considering everything."

Nodding, Archie wrote down a few more notes. "Take me through one of your typical days," he ordered, linking his hands on top of his pad.

"Um, well, we wake up and get ready," she started to explain. "After breakfast, Regina usually packs the lunches before we go to the station. I work at my desk for a few hours before David comes in, and we leave." Shrugging, she added, "We walk around downtown to see if anyone has changed their mind about wanting assistance before meeting Henry at the bus stop and heading back home. Regina teaches me about my magic before dinner, and afterwards, we chill out in front of the TV or with a book for an hour or so."

"Who fixes breakfast?"

Emma pursed her lips in thought before saying, "We usually do our own thing, but Regina made us veggie omelets and toast today."

Nodding, Dr. Hopper jotted down another note, his suspicions becoming clear. "Who cleans up the kitchen?"

"Regina."

"What are you and Henry doing?" He glanced up while readjusting his glasses.

"Talking, if he decides to hang out," the sheriff easily supplied. "He usually just runs up to his room." That was when it hit her. "Oh," she sighed.

But Archie ignored her, wanting to drive the point home. "Who prepares the lunches?"

With a huff, Emma admitted, "Regina."

"And dinner?"

"Regina," she said, dropping her head back against the sofa. "I get it, Archie. I get it."

Smiling, Dr. Hopper wrote down a few more notes, saying nothing for a few moments. "Do you have any other concerns about your new relationship with Regina?"

Taking a deep breath, the sheriff glanced around the room. "I guess," she said lightly. Locking gazes, she said, "I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop."

"Meaning?" he prompted.

"Regina has a temper," Emma supplied, arching an eyebrow. "She should be pissed beyond belief about this, but she isn't."

"Why do you think that is?"

Shaking her head, she asked, irritated, "How am I supposed to know?" Crossing her arms, she slouched, feeling petulant, and glared at Archie. But she couldn't hold onto the false anger with him. "She should be angry at me," she said softly. After the truth of their situation had been brought to light, she would've expected the wrath of the former mayor to end her once and for all, but it never came.

"Your lives are intimately entwined now, more so than merely sharing a son," Dr. Hopper gently reminded, hoping to probe Emma to continue.

Hearing him echo Regina's words rattled the sheriff. She shook her head with slight confusion. "I can deal with the anger, the bitchiness and even the mob boss tendencies." Her eyes darted to the closed door. "I don't know how to deal with her."

"Deal with whom?" he prompted, curious to see if she'd already made the insight on her own.

Turning back, Emma had an almost sad expression as she said, "With Regina." She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "Because if I'd gotten to know that woman during my first week here," she jabbed her thumb at the closed door, "I never would've stayed." Saying it felt good because she knew Archie wouldn't judge her for it.

"How does getting to know Regina now make you feel?"

Opening and closing her mouth several times, the sheriff shook her head. "I don't know." She rested her chin in her palm. "I have so many questions but no clue how to ask any of them."

From his bed, Pongo gave a heavy sigh.

Turning, Emma glared at the Dalmatian. "So sorry to bore you," she grumbled.

In response, Pongo lazily wagged his tale three times. His eyes shifted between Emma and Archie before returning back to the door. He sighed again.

Facing forward, the sheriff leaned back and drummed her fingers on the armrest. "Mary Margaret and David are convinced that Regina is scheming or plotting." She couldn't keep the patronizing, dramatic tone out of her voice.

"Do you think Regina is planning something?" Dr. Hopper asked after writing down a quick note.

"I've been with her twenty-four-seven for over a week, Archie." She rolled her eyes. Shaking her head, she added, "The only thing she plans is what to fix for dinner." Taking a deep breath, she continued, "I'm just finding it harder to reconcile who everyone says she was and who I knew she was with who I'm seeing now." She paused. With a furrowed brow, she asked, "Does that make any sense?"

"Yes." Archie was quite pleased with Emma's progress. He glanced at the clock and realized this had gone on much longer than he'd expected. Racking his brain, he desperately tried to figure out a way to guide Emma without betraying Regina's trust. "People do change." He paused and softly added, "Don't you believe they can?"

Emma wanted to argue that wasn't true. People just pretended to change, spewing half-truths and boldfaced lies. Yet, she was living proof that wasn't always accurate. With a resolute sigh, she nodded and agreed, "Yeah, they do change. I changed."

"But?" he prompted.

"It's hard."

"Yes, it is," Dr. Hopper said, standing as he glanced at the clock. "I think I've kept you both long enough."

"Okay," the sheriff agreed. She hastily stood and zipped up her jacket. Stepping around the sofa, she stopped by the armrest and turned back to Archie. "What should I do?"

Tilting his head curiously, he regarded her for a brief moment and asked, "What do you think you should do?"

Emma gritted her teeth. "Archie…," she whined, but she quickly pulled herself together. Running her hands over her face, she decided to go for broke. "Unintentional or not, I did this to us. I didn't just take away my freedom but hers as well. And she's been acting like nothing's happened, cooking me dinner, teaching me how to use my magic. It's like we've been friends all this time." She pointed at the door before tossing her hands up in the air. "Nobody would react like that to this." She gestured wildly between herself and where she assumed Regina was sitting on her chair out in the hall. "I got sent to jail for someone else's crime and I was pissed for a very, very long time."

Sighing heavily, Archie slowly closed the distance between him and Emma. His voice was still soft, almost a whisper, but his eyes held a great sadness. "No matter how large or small, we all have our problems, Emma. The challenge is dealing with and recognizing them for what they are without societal labels."

Confused, the sheriff pursed her lips. "So what, this is Regina's way of handling our situation?"

Nodding towards the door, Dr. Hopper answered, "Perhaps she's making the best of a tough situation."

"That's messed up," she automatically replied.

"Regardless, don't we rely on our experiences?" he inquired, watching Emma very carefully and hoping she'd pick up on his clues. He couldn't risk telling her outright, not again.

With a nod, the sheriff walked over to the door and opened it to see Regina reading. When the former mayor glanced up while closing her book, Emma cleared her throat and asked, "Are we coming back next week?" She quickly turned back to Archie, waiting for a response.

"I'll be more than happy to keep Thursday afternoons clear," Dr. Hopper smiled brightly, stepping into the doorway and glancing between the two women.

"Very well, if it's convenient," the former mayor acknowledged, slipping on her coat.

"Okay, good," Emma said, picking up Regina's purse and returning the chair back to the office. Offering the purse back, she looked at Archie and cheerfully said, "Thanks again."

Frowning slightly, the former mayor's eyes narrowed slightly at Archie. "Good afternoon, Dr. Hopper," she said simply before turning around and heading down the stairs.

"See you later, Archie." The sheriff waved as she followed Regina.

Shaking his head, he went back into his office, all the while hoping Emma wouldn't overdo it. He glanced at Pongo and said, "Next week's session should be very interesting."

The Dalmatian sighed and stood. After a long stretch, he trotted over to one of the windows, hopped up and rested his paws on the sill to peer out. His tail wagged upon seeing Regina and Emma walking towards the school bus stop.

~SQ~

"Hot!" Emma yelled. Loading her clip with the heel of her hand, she thumbed off the safety and racked the slide. She lifted her arms, quickly aimed and unloaded the entire clip into the center of the target at the end of her lane.

"Clear," she said, ejecting the empty clip and leaving the gun's slide in the open position. Laying both on the bench, the sheriff reached over to her right and hit the target retrieval button. As the sheet slid forward, she took her ear muffs off. "That's how you'll handle your weapons while at the range. Any questions?"

"Damn, Emma," Ruby muttered, looking at the fifteen small holes. Most were within the ninth and tenth rings while a few strays dotted around the eighth.

Clearly impressed, Regina's eyebrows went up as she shared a bemused look with the wide-eyed waitress.

"Granny would love to practice down here with her crossbow," Ruby gushed as Emma exchanged the target for a fresh one.

Shaking her head with a half-smile, the sheriff asked, "Who wants to go next?"

"I will," David said, stepping around the women and into the small booth with his daughter.

"Alright," Emma said, standing off to the left side. Putting her ear muffs back on, she watched the deputy very closely.

Pulling his gun out of his shoulder harness, David shouted, "Hot!" He lifted his arms, aimed and fired until his clip was empty. "Clear," he said, ejecting his clip. After laying both the open gun and empty clip on the bench, he recalled his target.

Cocking an eyebrow as the sheet slid forward, the sheriff pursed her lips. She was surprised and a tad disappointed seeing the deputy's aim was all over the target. Three shots out of fifteen were in the eighth ring but only two didn't land within the black silhouette. "You really need to work on your aim, David," she said, replacing the sheet.

"I'm a lot better with a bow," David muttered, frowning as he studied his target. Of course, he hadn't used a bow since before the curse. He just assumed the ability to aim would translate.

"Perhaps you should stick with melee," Regina offered lightly, unimpressed. However, she was privately amused when Emma rolled her eyes with a smirk, and Ruby merely ducked her head, refusing to look at anyone as her shoulders shook with silent laughter.

After sending the clean target back, the sheriff took the two firearm novices through the basics. During her rather lengthy instruction, she had both women demonstrate their understanding at key intervals. Unsurprisingly, both got it without much fuss—in spite of the former mayor's questions.

Ejecting the clip and racking the slide open, Emma returned both to the bench. "Alright, Regina, show us what you got." She grinned while resituating her ear muffs.

David and Ruby shared a mildly concerned look.

Scowling, the former mayor stepped up to the bench. She glanced at the sheriff on her left before taking a resigned breath. "Hot!" she yelled as she deftly loaded the clip and took aim. The light pressure on the small of her back gave her pause before she finally refocused and pulled the trigger.

Emma's brow furrowed as Regina lowered the gun with a speculative expression, but she chalked it up to mere curiosity about a new experience as the former mayor readjusted her grip and took another shot. She was pleased with Regina's determination, even if she didn't want to do it.

The remaining shots went off in quick succession.

"Clear," Regina called, returning the open gun and empty clip to the bench.

His curiosity getting the better of him, David quickly hit the recall switch.

"Damn," Ruby whispered, eyeing the former mayor's sheet as it slid forward on the track.

Sharing a look, the sheriff and deputy both raised their eyebrows in great surprise. Not only were all fifteen shots within the black silhouette, but the very last shot had hit the heart.

"Okay," Emma said, taking Regina's target down and putting up a fresh one. "Ruby, you're up." Out of the corner of her eye, she watched the former mayor slip out of the booth while she quickly reloaded a clip for Ruby.

Rolling her shoulders, the waitress stepped up to the bench. Nodding briskly to herself, she mentally psyched herself up while picking up the gun and slamming the clip into place. She called out, "Hot!" After quickly unloading on the target, she returned the gun and empty clip to the bench.

David hit the target recall switch.

"Very impressive, Miss Lucas," the former mayor commented as the target started sliding forward on the track.

The sheriff's and deputy's jaws dropped as the bullet holes came within focus for them.

"Thanks," Ruby grinned, quite pleased with the compliment from Regina.

Sharing a glance with David, Emma continued to stare at the waitress's target. All fifteen shots were within the eighth ring. "You've never shot a gun before?" she asked, still staring.

"Nope," Ruby said, shaking her head. "I never really messed with Granny's crossbow, either."

"I imagine, given your unique skillset, you'd be particularly adept with moving targets," Regina said appreciatively.

The waitress studied the former mayor for a second before asking, "You mean like skeet shooting?" At Regina's nod, Ruby tilted her head. "I've seen it on TV."

Glancing back at the latest target, the former mayor smirked. "You'll just have to remember to shoot the clay pigeons and not chase them."

David scowled, while Emma snickered, as a somewhat amused Ruby dramatically rolled her eyes. "Funny," she mumbled.

"Alright," the sheriff said, bringing everyone's focus back to her. Handing the waitress her target, she explained, "I expect everyone to practice at least once a week, and I'll want to see your targets." Glancing at everyone, she nodded and said, "I guess that's it."

"I think I'll stay and practice for a little while longer," the deputy said, stepping up to the bench.

"Alright, just don't forget to lock up," Emma instructed as she reloaded her gun and stowed it in the concealed carry holster nestled against her lower back. She followed Ruby and Regina towards the exit. Stopping, she lingered in the doorway for a moment and said, "Only use one box of practice rounds a week." At David's nod, she pulled the steel door closed, and like the other two women, she pulled off her safety equipment.

Wanting to enjoy the rest of her Saturday off, the waitress quickly put everything away in the storage cubbies by the gun range door. The slight echo from the deputy's shots could just be heard. "I'll see you later, Emma." As she plowed up the stairs, she added, "You too, Regina."

"See, that wasn't so bad," Emma commented, following Regina up the steps.

"No," the former mayor said in a contemplative tone. It wasn't something she necessarily enjoyed, but it felt nice being included.

"It shouldn't take too long to work out your aim," the sheriff said as they reached the top of the stairs. She walked into her office and took their coats off the rack. Handing over the former mayor's, she asked, "Do you really think Ruby would be good at tracking multiple targets?"

"It would stand to reason," Regina answered, pulling on her coat. "As a werewolf, her senses and reflexes are incredibly precise. She simply requires the confidence to embrace her abilities." She retrieved her purse from under the desk.

Settling her bulky sheriff's jacket, Emma carefully considered the former mayor's words. "I guess having half the town wanting your head kind of zaps it out of you, huh?"

"Indeed." Regina stepped out of the office and waited for Emma to finish locking up.

Casually, the pair walked out of the station. The sheriff's thoughts were running a mile a minute. "Do you…," she started, then stopped, thinking it was silly. However, when she opened the door leading outside for the former mayor, she asked, "Do you think magic could stop a bullet?" She bit her bottom lip against the brisk wind and her own idiotic question.

Regina stepped out into the wind, unaffected by the cold. "It's certainly possible, but I imagine it would require a great deal of focus." Her mind whirled with the technicalities of completing such a feat.

As they walked towards the Beetle, Emma timidly inquired, "Do you think I could learn?" That would be beyond awesome.

Waiting for the sheriff to unlock and open the passenger side door, the former mayor easily said, "I believe you could with practice." Climbing into the car, she considered how to further bolster the sheriff's floundering confidence in herself, or more accurately, her magical abilities, without over doing it.

"Cool," Emma said, starting the car and driving them back to Mifflin Street.

~SQ~

While Regina was in her en suite, Emma looked through the piles of books under the left side of the bed. She sighed when the prickling sensation started. Grabbing a stack, she dragged them back to the armchair in the corner by the bathroom door.

This was the only time they had alone. She was determined to relax and enjoy it.

"What are you doing?" Henry asked, flopping onto his mother's bed. He lay on his stomach with his bare feet swinging in the air.

Looking up, the sheriff frowned and hoped she didn't get blamed for the dislodged decorative pillows. "Just looking for something to read," she said, looking back down at the books.

"You're being nosey," the boy accused, smirking knowingly. He rifled through the constantly changing books many times.

"Maybe a little, but I'm also looking for something to read," Emma said. Her brow furrowed at some of the titles and subject matter: biographies, history, science. What was the most surprising were the few science fiction and fantasy novels in the mix.

Holding up a hardback, she looked at a woman with fiery electricity coming out of her hands and flames behind her. "Really?" she muttered, opening the cover and reading the summary on the flap. "It's a series," she huffed and returned the book to the pile. "How long does it take her to read all of this?"

"About a week or two, if nothing's going on," Henry said as he crawled across the bed towards the left nightstand. Stretching down, he grabbed a few magazines. "She reads really fast," he added, flipping through one of them.

"I've noticed," the sheriff sighed. There wasn't anything there that was grabbing her interest. Leaning to see what the boy was looking at, she asked, "She has magazines?"

"Yeah, but they're mainly about cats, dogs, horses or sometimes computer stuff," the boy said, frowning. They were never anything cool. "Or clothes catalogs," he added in a bored tone.

"Oh, toss me a few of those catalogs," Emma said with a smile. When a few were finally slid her way, she leaned back against the armchair and casually flipped through the pages of things she'd never be able to afford. After a minute, she glanced over the top of her catalog. "Henry, do you like cats?"

"Yeah," the boy answered absently, turning a page. "The strays outside are nice—except for Mr. Tingles. He likes to swipe at you." He stopped swinging his feet and looked at Emma. "I'm allergic, though."

The sheriff's brow furrowed. Regina names the strays? she asked herself. Shaking her head, she asked, "What about dogs?"

"I like Pongo," Henry admitted, flipping through a new magazine. "We talked about getting a dog, but Mom said it wasn't going to happen until I stopped leaving my shoes on the stairs."

Emma smirked. She'd seen the kid leave his sneakers and backpack all over the house. "Does your mom like animals?"

"I guess," the boy said, shrugging his shoulders. "She gets a lot of animal stuff in the mail." His brow furrowed as he said, "Old Thunderbolt down the street likes her, and he doesn't like anybody."

Nodding, the sheriff reevaluated the rather impersonal but tasteful décor. However, the new information made it all seem so much warmer. Startled out of her reverie by the sound of the shower, she decided to go for broke. "Henry, Regina and I were talking the other day." She paused when he glanced at her with suspicion. "She said you used to have friends."

"They weren't really my friends," Henry said in a low voice.

Pursing her lips, Emma debated whether or not to drop the subject. "Cecil Salter asked about you the other day."

During one of their afternoon walks downtown, the pair had been scoping out the repair progress of the town and offering magical aid to those who asked. Things were almost back to normal, and now, it wasn't anything the construction crews couldn't easily handle.

Sitting up, Henry glared at Emma. "He was only my friend because of the curse."

"I don't think it worked that way," the sheriff said and shook her head. Seeing he was about to argue, she added, "If it was, people wouldn't have been so afraid of your Mom." She wasn't dumb. She noticed how people isolated Regina during the curse. Of course, she had thought that was because the former mayor was a total bitch, but now, she wasn't so confident in the truth of that assessment. "Just think about it, okay?"

"Okay," the boy said, flopping back on the bed. He grabbed one of the pillows and tossed it up in the air.

Frowning, Emma watched Henry play with the pillow. It was a tad nerve-racking watching it fly up and appear to spiral out of control, almost hitting a bedside lamp once or twice. "Henry, knock it off. You're going to knock something over."

Confused, the boy stopped and looked at the sheriff. "Fine," he said, climbing off the bed and leaving the bedroom.

The sheriff sighed and stared out into the hall. This whole parenting thing was a lot harder than she thought it would be, especially with the kid around all the time.

~SQ~

Covertly, the sheriff observed the former mayor's passive features in the reflective surface of the closed elevator doors of Storybrooke Hospital.

"This shouldn't take too long," Emma supplied easily, knowing Regina had to be bored out of her mind. The woman read scientific journals and could watch the History Channel for hours.

"Of course."

Annoyed by the former mayor's continued bland complicity, the sheriff frowned as the elevator doors nosily opened. Stepping onto the floor, she nodded briskly to the charge nurse manning the floor's main nurses' station. She stopped before reaching Mendell's room and asked, "Do you want to come in?"

"I don't believe that's necessary, Sheriff," Regina responded, taking a seat in a waiting chair just outside the door. Settled, she pulled out her reading glasses and book. She'd been getting a lot of reading done lately and would have to order more books soon.

"Okay," Emma sighed, knocking on the door before lifting the door latch. "Mr. Mendell," she called, stepping into the room. She left the door open, hoping Regina would eavesdrop, and maybe later, she'd get her spin on the situation.

The fact that Greg Mendell was the catalyst for many of her recent woes wasn't lost on her, either. And to top it off, David had been chomping at the bit to deliver the stranger's ticket, but she'd quickly nipped that doomed interaction in the bud, especially after the whole Hook fiasco. Besides, she wanted to go on a fishing expedition, and she didn't trust her deputy's finesse.

"Sheriff," Greg reservedly greeted, putting his iPhone face down on his tray. "What can I do for you?"

"I was hoping I'd hear from you," the sheriff said, taking out her notepad and pen. "I take it you haven't remembered anything else about the accident." She searched his face.

Slowly shaking his head, he lied, "I'm sorry, but no, I haven't." He'd seen that fireball, and after talking with the woman with amnesia, he knew she had too. Problem was, nobody would believe them.

"Alright, that simplifies things on my end." She offered a forced smile and paused for a moment before rifling in another pocket of her sheriff's jacket. "Well, I'll just give you this, then." She took a few steps forward as she pulled out an envelope with Storybrooke Sheriff's Department letterhead on it. "This is your fine for texting while driving and for speeding."

"Speeding?" Greg gushed, snatching the envelope. His hands fumbled with pulling out the enclosed documentation. He huffed upon seeing the amount of the fine.

"I have three witnesses attesting to the fact that you were, indeed, speeding, Mr. Mendell." Emma dragged out his name and relaxed slightly at the man's honestly panicked reaction. "Now, you can either pay the fine down at the courthouse or you can go through the proper channels to contest the speeding charge. However, everyone's a bit preoccupied with the upcoming mayoral election. I don't—."

His head snapped up, and with complete surprise, he inquired, "Mayoral election?"

Narrowing her eyes briefly, the sheriff shifted her stance and slid her notepad back in her coat pocket. "Yes, mayoral election," she confirmed, slightly irritated about being interrupted in the middle of her spiel. "Like I was saying, everyone's a bit distracted with the election, and since the ADA is running, I haven't been formally informed by his office of any state charges." She paused and firmly added, "Yet."

"Of course, Sheriff," Greg absently acknowledged, already forgetting about the fine.

"It may require you to come back to town if it goes to trial," Emma said as a seemingly friendly reminder. "Though, if the ADA is elected, any criminal case could be transferred to Machias."

"Yes, yes, of course," he nodded, putting the papers on the tray.

"That wouldn't be a problem, would it?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

"Worried I won't pay up?" Greg smiled, but it never reached his eyes.

"Well," the sheriff drawled, "this is a small town out in the middle of nowhere special, and you are from out of state. So, I'm sure you can understand my position."

"Absolutely, Sheriff."

Emma wanted to punch the condescending smile off his face. She knew he was up to something beyond skipping out on a fine, but what? Damn, she had too much on her to-do list right now.

Greg grinned. "My car won't be ready for a few more days. So, I may just stay in town for the rest of my vacation and see the sights." He leaned back in his bed, feeling good about his latest plan. "It'll give my body time to recuperate for the long drive back to PA."

"A wise decision, Mr. Mendell," she nodded her farewell and turned to leave.

"Oh, Sheriff Swan?"

"Yeah," Emma answered, turning back to Greg again.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened to the previous mayor?" he asked with honest curiosity.

With a sassy smirk, the sheriff replied, knowing the former mayor could hear her, "She stepped down to enjoy her twilight years."

"Oh," he said, obviously disappointed. "Thank you."

Turning away, she walked out of the hospital room and closed the door behind her. Her fishing expedition had some unexpected results; specifically, Greg Mendell wanted to stay in Storybrooke. However, the question was why. She waited for Regina to put away her glasses and book before heading towards the elevator.

After the elevator doors closed, the former mayor gave her a brief once over and asked, "Did your conversation with Mr. Mendell go well?" She picked up on the sheriff's rising tension.

"Yeah, I just have a lot to think about," Emma answered, glancing at Regina. Why my parents can't ask things like that, I'll never know, she mused. They'd all but jumped her when she talked to Mendell the first time. Rolling her lips, she said, "He's planning on staying in town and seeing the sights."

"That could prove problematic," the former mayor scowled, understanding the implications of an unwanted outsider.

"Especially since he's interested in the mayoral election," the sheriff sighed, dragging her hand down her face. "Oh, I so don't need this right now." She leaned on the side of the elevator. "I hoped to scare him out of town with a hefty fine and possible criminal charges."

"Perhaps you were too indirect," Regina smirked, her amusement reaching her eyes.

Snorting, Emma pushed off the wall as the doors opened. She followed Regina out saying, "Unlike you, I didn't come out with guns-a-blazing. I was quite suggestively subtle." Despite her pride, she dejectedly shook her head. "No, he's here with an agenda, but I have no idea what it is, exactly."

"Maybe I could be of assistance in that regard, I am quite skilled with a computer. I could look into who he is," the former mayor offered. As they stepped through the automatic doors leading outside, she rolled her eyes at Emma's amused disbelief. "If you don't want my help, that's fine."

With an exaggerated sigh, the sheriff zipped up her coat while debating how to spare Regina's feelings with minimal carnage. "I'm sure you have some decent computer skills," she said, unlocking the passenger side door of her bug and opening it. "However, I have a unique skillset that includes some nifty software, and I didn't come up with much of anything on Greg Mendell." As Regina climbed in, she shut the door and hurried over to her side of the car, the cold sea air chilling her to the bone. Getting in, she started the car and waited for the engine to warm up. Glancing over, she shrugged and said, "No offense, but you didn't even check the kid's deleted e-mails."

Pursing her lips, the former mayor cocked an eyebrow and said, "Just because I could do something, doesn't mean I would or should." Pausing, she looked forward, her expression becoming neutral. "His privacy was very important to him." Maybe not the best parental move, but she'd been grasping at straws.

Emma bit her lip as she put the car into gear. Driving through the parking lot, she drummed her fingers on the cold steering wheel. "Alright," she said with resignation, looking both ways before pulling out onto the main street. "Show me your mad computer skills." She grinned broadly at Regina's indigent harrumph. "So, what are we doing now?"

"Grocery shopping," Regina replied, annoyed. She came to this world when home personal computers were just gaining momentum, and Apple had released the first graphical user interface. Crossing her arms, she glared at Emma Swan and was determined to prove she knew a thing or two about this world's technology.

Groaning, the sheriff slouched and drove them to Storybrooke's largest and only actual grocery store.

~SQ~

Pulling out a grocery cart, Regina dropped her purse in the child's seat and pushed it towards the produce. Catching Emma's slight pout, she stopped and asked, "Do you want to push the cart?"

"No," Emma mumbled, scuffing her toe on the tile. "I don't want to grocery shop."

Sighing, the former mayor continued onward with a sulky sheriff in tow. "It has to be done, Dear."

"I know," Emma said, defeated, stuffing her hands in her pockets.

Selecting a few red onions and pods of garlic, Regina moved on to gather a nice selection of potatoes, a few tomatoes, grabbed a bunch of green bananas and eventually stopped in front of the apples. She crossed her arms and turned to face Emma. "What is it?" she demanded.

Startled, the sheriff's eyes widened slightly. "Nothing," she reflexively responded. She glanced around them; the produce section was thankfully still empty, only a lone stock boy lingering by the lettuce. When her gaze returned to the former mayor's, she swallowed as her shoulders slumped. "I'm broke," she finally offered.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Regina questioned softly, sensing the embarrassment rolling off Emma in waves.

The sheriff bit her bottom lip. "I can't help pay for anything," she mumbled, waiting for the cruel laugh or scathing comment. After all, people lesser than Regina Mills had crushed her fragile ego just for asking for a candy bar.

"Ah," the former mayor said. Yanking a plastic produce bag off the roll, she selected a few apples and dropped them in the bag. She spun the bag and deftly tied it off. Dropping it in the cart, she gently said, "I wasn't expecting you to, Miss Swan." No matter what world or people, financial matters were delicate things. She walked away with the cart, considering the topic done.

"Well, I should," Emma said, a little louder than she intended. The stock boy actually looked over at them. Huffing, she caught up with Regina by the citrus. "It's just that," she paused and rubbed the back of her neck, "I feel guilty." Damn, she felt incredibly guilty about several things regarding Regina.

Realizing the sheriff wasn't going to let this go, the former mayor ignored the sad citrus selection and pushed on to the leafy greens. She picked out a bundle of spinach, sighing as the idiotic mister chose that moment to kick on as it was signaled by badly simulated thunder. She flicked the bundle a few times before stuffing it into a plastic bag. Sometimes, this world infuriated her.

"You don't care," Emma accused, crossing her arms. She felt stupid, and that made her angry. To top it off, she'd felt like they'd made some real progress this last week, like they'd at least entered the awkward friend-of-a-friend territory.

Placing the spinach in the cart, Regina gripped the cart handle. "I didn't say that," she said through gritted teeth, pushing the cart down a few inches. She considered the herbs.

"Saying nothing is the same thing," the sheriff countered. They may work well together, cohabitate reasonably well considering everything, but something was missing for her. She actually missed socializing.

Slapping the cart's push handle once with her palm, the former mayor turned and glared at the sheriff. In a low tone, she said, "I didn't see the point of dragging out an obviously distressing issue for you in public." Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and turned away. "Just drop anything special in the cart, Miss Swan. We'll deal with it later."

"Alright," Emma answered, feeling slightly better. She glanced around the woefully vacant produce section and caught the eye of a bored cashier who had obviously been watching them. However, once the cashier realized the sheriff saw her, she turned around, pretending to be straightening her work area. With a heavy sigh, Emma followed Regina towards the next aisle. "So," she started, looking at a section of melons as they passed, "why doesn't Storybrooke have a farmer's market?"

"Most of the local farmers sell directly to the store," the former mayor said, trying to concentrate on shopping. Before turning down a dry goods isle, she pointed to a large sign hanging predominantly over the produce area. It said 'We're proud to support Storybrooke farmers by buying local produce!'

"Oh," the sheriff mouthed. She'd never before noticed the sign. Of course, she avidly avoided grocery shopping. When it was a solo affair, she was in and out of the corner market within ten minutes. "So, why didn't we wait for Henry?"

Putting a few bags of pasta in the cart, Regina rolled her eyes. "Apparently, you haven't had the pleasure of shopping with him." She moved down and grabbed a few bags of rice. Her pantry stores were terribly low, and if Emma kept eating like she had been the last week, she'd seriously have to rethink the portions.

Chuckling, the sheriff continued to walk beside the former mayor. "He keeps asking for stuff, huh?"

Rolling her eyes, Regina handed Emma a few bags of dried beans. "Or sneaking things into the cart," she added, watching the sheriff study the bag of beans. "It's for chili," she supplied.

"I love chili," Emma said with a smile. Putting the beans in the cart, she explained, "Mary Margaret made chili once. It didn't turn out so well, and Granny's isn't much better."

"That's because it's from a can," the former mayor smirked, continuing on to the next isle.

Moseying along with Regina, the sheriff smiled. She did, however, cock an amused eyebrow at the small cluster of gawking cashiers and stockers. They'd been getting quite a bit of varying looks since this whole adventure began. As they headed down the cereal aisle, she shrugged it off. She couldn't help the smirk as Regina grabbed a box of cereal, glanced at Emma and wordlessly grabbed a second one. They continued shopping in relative silence. The sheriff would occasionally add something to the cart, pop tarts, energy drinks, chips, etc.

Passing a Hostess display, Regina watched Emma drop a box of Twinkies in the cart. Casually, she continued onto the next aisle while saying, "If you like Twinkies, you'd better stock up."

"Why?"

"They're going out of business," she supplied and shook her head when four more boxes promptly found their way into the cart. The former mayor lifted a speculative eyebrow.

"Come on, they last forever," Emma gushed, rearranging the contents of the cart. "I'll pay you back when I get paid."

"Miss Swan…," Regina started with a sigh, moving the cart down the aisle.

"I mean it," the sheriff said, contemplating grabbing another box of Twinkies but was interrupted by the prickling sensation. She trotted towards Regina. "It's just after moving and helping Mary Margaret get her jeep repainted, my savings was used up." She stopped and narrowed her eyes. Crossing her arms, she asked, "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Slipping a whole chicken into a plastic bag and dropping into the cart, the former mayor went about selecting another chicken. "There's a chicken farm in Storybrooke, too."

"Don't change the subject," Emma hissed. "You spray painted her jeep."

Adding the second chicken, Regina tilted her head and innocently said, "I didn't realize there was a topic."

Rolling her eyes, the sheriff followed the former mayor down the refrigerated meats section. "That was awful petty, you know," she grumped as they passed the beef, the shelves stocked with beautiful steaks, plump roasts and glorious hamburger.

"We'll get beef and pork from the butcher," Regina supplied, unimpressed with the quality of the mass produced food this world thrived on. Glancing briefly at Emma, she shook her head. She didn't have to explain her actions, but she did anyway, if only to make life easier. "Perhaps it was petty and juvenile, but I now understand the thrill of graffiti."

Surprisingly, the sheriff let out a short bark of laughter. She cleared her throat to compose herself. An elderly shopper several aisles down had thrown her hand on her chest and leveled a startled glare at them, or more accurately, at her. Softly, she said, "Your inner vandal aside, it was still mean."

"Yes," the former mayor smirked, her voice taking on a low, smoky quality. She looked Emma right in the eye and drawled, "I also could've done worse." She pushed the cart down to the dairy section and picked up a few packages of string cheese for Henry's lunches.

"True," Emma agreed. She reached for a package of sliced cheese.

"Don't get that," Regina said, curling her lip in disgust. "The deli has better quality."

"But this is cheaper," the sheriff hesitated for a moment but eventually put the package of American cheese back.

"It's also a few chemical bonds short from plastic, much like margarine." The former mayor said, continuing towards the deli. Quickly, she placed her order after a brief inquiry to Emma's preference.

While they waited, Emma glanced around and fidgeted with the sale signage on top of the refrigerated case. "Like I was saying earlier," she started, pausing to make sure she had Regina's attention. "My savings got used up, and shortly after getting back here, I had to lend David a couple hundred bucks to fix something on his truck." Frowning, she added, "It pretty much cleaned me out." Usually, she didn't have problems saving money, but then again, she didn't usually have friends, either.

"You don't need to explain, Miss Swan," Regina said gently.

"No," the sheriff shrugged, watching the deli man slice the Black Forest ham. "But it's the polite thing to do," she finally admitted, remembering her impromptu session with Archie. Flashing a mischievous glance at the former mayor, she suggested, "Of course, if you feel guilty about it, you would reimburse me for the paint job."

Amused, Regina merely arched an eyebrow and lifted her chin. Taking the order off the counter, she thanked the deli worker who acknowledged with a nod and a smile.

"I thought not," Emma mumbled good-naturally as Regina pushed the cart past her toward the registers. She trotted in front and started unloading the cart. Wordlessly, the cashier began checking them out. "So what's for dinner?" she asked shamelessly.

"You just ate lunch," the former mayor quipped, opening her purse and fetching her billfold. She wouldn't admit it, but having help with the grocery shopping was nice for a change, even if the sheriff chattered endlessly.

"It was a sandwich and a handful of chips," Emma countered, still putting items on the belt. With the cart finally empty, she pulled it down to the bagging area and started packing up the scanned items in paper bags. "Yeah, I know I also had a banana and a chocolate chip granola bar, but it's not going to last forever."

Uncertainly, the cashier glanced between the two women. She didn't know if she should call the manager over or not.

"May I remind you that you also ate my granola bar and the last cheese stick," Regina said, pulling out several large bills. She patiently waited for the checker to finish.

"You weren't going to eat them," the sheriff grumbled, loading the cart with the packed bags.

Rolling her eyes, the former mayor asked, "And precisely how would you know that?"

Packing the second to the last bag, Emma merely shrugged as she explained, "They were just sitting there."

Lightly clearing her throat, the cashier softly relayed the total. She fiddled nervously with her name tag.

Paying the unsurprisingly higher than usual grocery bill, the former mayor harrumphed while handing over the money. There was no point in arguing the logistics of saving snacks for later.

With the conversation already forgotten, a discarded circular caught the sheriff's attention. Holding it up, she said, "We should get some pudding." She pointed to the buy two get one free ad for Jell-O products.

The cashier paused in her counting, looking curiously between the two women. Tentatively, she handed over Regina's change.

Glancing up from putting away her money, the former mayor simply said, "I made pudding yesterday."

Dropping the flyer, Emma asked, packing the last bag, "Oh, really? Where is it?"

Stowing her billfold in her purse, Regina sighed. "I stashed it behind the practically empty jar of caramel sauce you noisily slurped down the other night." She had quickly learned that living with Emma Swan required hiding food.

Subconsciously licking her lips, the sheriff grinned as she remembered her homemade sundae. "Yeah . . . that was really good," she sighed in appreciation but mentally kicked herself for not grabbing another jar.

With an almost silent gasp, the cashier's eyes widened in stunned shock. She quickly schooled her features to what she must have thought was a neutral expression.

However, the former mayor had caught the reaction, and she ever-so-slightly curled her lips as a plan formed. "I wouldn't know, Dear," she said smoothly to Emma. "I wasn't offered the opportunity to partake."

Sighing dramatically, Emma put the last paper bag in the cart. "I promise to save some for you next time." She stepped to the side, allowing Regina to push the cart towards the exit. "What flavor?" she asked, catching the cashier's too-attentive look. She hated it when people were nosey.

"Pistachio," Regina said with a smirk and a quick quirk of an eyebrow.

With a rather suggestive moan, the sheriff smiled adoringly at the former mayor. "My favorite. I'm allergic to butterscotch, just so you know . . ," she paused and drawled out, "for future reference."

"Duly noted," Regina said over the cashier's sudden coughing fit behind them.

"Thanks, Terri!" Emma called as they exited the store. When the automatic doors slid shut, she looked over her shoulder to see the cashier still watching them. "That was pretty sneaky, Regina. You know she's going to jump to all kinds of conclusions."

Unconcerned, the former mayor purposefully pushed the cart to the lone yellow bug in the small parking lot. "Nothing new, I'm sure, Miss Swan." She ignored the sheriff's perplexed expression as she waited for her to open the front trunk.

Shaking her head, Emma loaded their groceries into the car. She flashed Regina a cheeky grin. "I guess now would be a good time to mention I'm almost out of gas."

The Beetle had been running on fumes for the last two days. Slamming the trunk shut, the sheriff lost all her bravado as the former mayor returned the shopping cart to the front of the store. Climbing in and starting the diesel engine, she winced at the intensity of the vehicle's full-body rattle. It was in desperate need of a tune-up, but she didn't know anyone in town who worked on diesel engines.

"I suppose all this clattering is a testament to this deathtrap's construction," Regina sneered, getting in the car and fastening her seatbelt. Looking at Emma, she added, "It's truly amazing it hasn't left pieces of itself littering the roadways."

Shaking her head, Emma shifted into gear, dropping the noise level slightly. "It hasn't been this bad in a long time, but I haven't found anyone in town who works on diesel engines." Pulling out of the parking lot, she headed towards the only gas station in town that sold diesel fuel.

"Perhaps we could ask Mr. Salter to look at it." At the sheriff's puzzled look, the former mayor explained, "His boats have diesel engines. I realize there's a significant size difference but I'm sure the general mechanics are quite similar."

"I don't think he'd do me any favors, Regina," Emma said dejectedly, glancing at the fuel gauge hovering over the E. The man didn't possess the friendliest personality.

"No," Regina admitted a tad softly. "However, he owes me a favor or two." With that, she quietly gazed out the window, taking in all the quaint comings and goings of Storybrooke's residents.

The rest of the ride to the gas station was made in comfortable silence. Again, the sheriff couldn't shake the new and contradictory feelings developing for the former mayor. It was becoming increasingly difficult to reconcile her with the woman she'd been at odds with since her arrival. Emma's analysis was cut short, however, when she pulled up to the pump, and a wad of bills was wordlessly handed to her.

Shyly, Emma eyed the cash and said, "Twenty bucks should cover it."

"It'll be two weeks before your next paycheck, Emma." A sharp retort titillated the tip of Regina's tongue, but she held it, aware Emma didn't want to take the money. "Besides, I still expect you to pay for our occasional lunch out."

Snorting, the sheriff gently took the offered cash and climbed out of the car. She pulled out her wallet while walking into the service station to pay the attendant. Her eyebrow rose at the amount of cash she stuffed in it. What the hell type of lunches is she expecting, she thought before handing the elderly man working the counter twenty bucks for Pump No. 3.

Filling up in short order, Emma and Regina were finally on their way back to Mifflin Street, each silently pondering this new and strange relationship in which they found themselves.

~SQ~

With the back of her gloved hand, Emma Swan wiped at the sweat rolling across her forehead and barely stopped it from dripping into her eyes. It was unseasonably warm for an early spring day in Maine, and she had stripped down to her tank top nearly thirty minutes ago. Glancing over her shoulder, she frowned at Regina and Henry sitting a few feet away in the covered gazebo situated along the back fence of the yard. Henry valiantly pretended to read his assigned chapter for class while Regina outright ignored her, doing the New York Times Sunday crossword. She turned and glared back at David. The former mayor's helpful hints had stopped after her father threw a hissy fit almost twenty minutes earlier.

"Come on, let's go," the deputy ordered, raising his sword. He was obviously enjoying himself, even though his usually pale face was beet red.

"I'm tired. We've been at this for almost an hour," the sheriff said weakly as she tossed her blade on the ground and walked over to the gazebo.

"Emma," David scolded, lowering his sword. "No one's going to give you an iced tea break on the battlefield."

Ignoring her father and grabbing Regina's glass of iced tea, she downed it in several gulps and disregarded the former mayor's narrowed glare over her reading glasses. She shook the glass of ice at Henry. "Hey, Kid, go grab us some more, please?"

Sighing dramatically, Henry dutifully marked his place in his book, bolted across the yard and into the house. On the way, he decided to just grab the whole tea pitcher. Emma was going to drink it all, anyway.

The sheriff took the opportunity to drop into the boy's now vacant seat. "I think my toes are pruning," she whined, wanting to stop with the melee training.

Shaking his head, the deputy realized that his daughter could perhaps use a break and silently worked through various stances in the middle of the yard, ignoring both women.

"Lovely imagery," Regina muttered, more irritated at her crossword than Emma or David, at the moment.

"Why did you talk me into this?" Emma asked, watching her father practice several wide swings out in the yard.

"Me?" the former mayor scoffed, tossing her paper onto the small glass table between them and taking off her glasses. "This, Dear, you agreed to all on your own." She gestured to the fool fighting an invisible enemy on her lawn.

"Don't remind me," the sheriff muttered, rolling her shoulders. "I think you're right. That sword is too heavy."

Spying Henry slowly walking across the yard with an almost full glass pitcher, Regina sighed. "Well, I suppose you'll have to get used to it," she parroted David's earlier decree, rolling her eyes.

"My arms are going to fall off, especially after pushing that beast of a lawnmower yesterday." Emma shifted in her seat and dropped her head onto each shoulder in turn, desperate to stretch the aching muscles. "Why don't you hire a yard crew?"

"She likes gardening," Henry said knowingly as his nose wrinkled in disgust. Carefully, he set the pitcher down. "I brought you a clean glass." Wiggling a plastic wrapped glass full of ice out of his bright blue hoodie's large, front pocket, he carefully peeled the wrap off and slid it to Regina.

"Thank you," the former mayor said fondly, refilling the two glasses. "Would you mind fetching another glass for David?"

"Okay," the boy said with a smile and jogged across the yard, giving his grandfather a very wide birth.

As soon as her glass was full, the sheriff downed half of it. She happily sighed as she was finally feeling hydrated again. Contently, she pivoted her feet side-to-side on her shoe's heels.

Sipping her own tea, Regina cocked an eyebrow at the sheriff and seriously inquired, "What did Henry do?"

"How did . . . ," Emma began before trailing off. Blinking, she shivered from the cooler temperature under the shaded gazebo. She briefly considered brushing the question off but thought better of it. "I only just found out before David got here," she said quickly. "Apparently, he got detention last week and forged your signature—which he somehow got caught for and got another detention."

"Whatever for?" the former mayor asked absently, watching Henry come back out of the house with two more glasses.

"I don't know. I couldn't weasel it out of him before this whole fiasco got started," the sheriff gestured towards the deputy who now walked towards them.

"Break's over," David said firmly, his sword resting on his shoulder.

"Nope," Emma said, drinking her tea.

Sensing the impending battle of wills, Regina put her glass down. "Maybe we should try something different?" she asked, standing. She pursed her lips as father and daughter looked at her with very similar expressions, much like the head tilt exhibited by confused dogs. When Henry came up to her, she took the glasses and quietly asked him to retrieve something else from the house.

Groaning, the boy dramatically rolled his head and eyes as he once again ran inside.

Filling the two glasses, the former mayor politely offered one to the deputy, which he hesitantly accepted. "Wielding a sword alone may not be your forte, but sword and shield may prove more enlightening," she explained as Henry burst out of the house with his plastic Captain America shield.

Dutifully, he ran up to his mother and handed over the toy. "She's not going to break it, is she?" he asked. It was almost a whine.

"No, Dear," Regina smiled, gesturing for Henry to take her seat as she handed over his glass of tea. She glanced expectantly at the sheriff.

"How exactly is a plastic shield going to stop that?" Emma said, pointing at David's sword. Downing the last of her tea, she stood and picked up her own discarded sword. Obediently holding out her left arm to the former mayor as instructed, she watched as the toy shield was strapped onto her forearm.

"Remember what we discussed the other day?" Regina asked, stepping away from the sheriff. "About the nature of your magic?" she added.

Firmly setting his glass down, David huffed and said, "This is about learning to fight with a sword, not magic." He took several bold steps toward the two women.

Henry slouched down in his seat. Would it have been too much for everyone to get along for just a little while?

Turning, the former mayor glared at the deputy. She caught her son's worried expression and managed to curb her sarcastic retort. Taking a deep breath, she faced Emma and calmly explained, "Offense isn't where your strength lies." She lightly tapped the plastic shield. "The very nature of your magic drives you to protect and defend." Looking to Henry, she gestured for the boy to join them.

Standing next to his mothers, Henry glanced between them. He'd been wanting to help with Emma's training but was afraid to ask, especially given his behavior at school. Something he still had yet to mention.

Guiding her son with her, Regina walked beyond Emma. "Now, protect us," she ordered, stopping a few feet behind the sheriff.

"With a plastic shield?" she started to say but trailed off as she raised her left arm. The red, silver and blue plastic children's toy was now a solid metal buckler. Tentatively, she tapped the flat of her sword against it. The scraping clang of metal against metal confirmed her suspicions. She glanced over her shoulder at Regina and Henry.

For his part, David stared at the toy turned buckler. He scowled as he raised his sword, signaling his readiness to begin. Magic had no place in melee.

Emma rolled her shoulders as she took that fateful step toward her father. As David hoisted his blade high into the air, she reflexively blocked his blow with the buckler, and immediately, she swung her sword at his midsection. He hopped backwards just barely able to parry her swing with his own.

"Very good," Regina praised as the sheriff blocked another swing with the buckler.

Instinctively, Henry leaned into his mother, watching Emma and David fight. Their swords clashed loudly as their fighting intensified. He relaxed somewhat when Regina's arm laid across his shoulders. When she took a step forward, he automatically walked with her.

"A shield can also be a weapon," the former mayor instructed as the deputy finally managed to disarm the sheriff.

David's swings were wide and powerful, his sword landing with surprising force against Emma's buckler, but she held her position, blocking him blow for blow. Yet, she was unable to offer any counter measure to break his assault. Her confidence started to wane as she slowly crept backward, losing ground.

However, Regina didn't move backwards with Emma. Once the sheriff was within arm's length, she reached out, resting her fingertips between Emma's shoulder blades and halting her movement. "Focus," she whispered. She ignored Henry's curious look. "Look for an opening during one of his arcing swings, and lunge at him with the shield."

As if she'd been doing it for years, Emma executed the maneuver expertly. When David lifted his sword high, she charged him, ramming the buckler into his stomach. The deputy toppled backwards several steps and eventually fell onto the ground. As he scrambled to stand, the sheriff retrieved her sword.

"Very good," the former mayor commended with a soft smile. She watched as the two fighters circled each other. "Now, do it again."

With a sword in hand, Emma easily deflected David's attack and knocked him back onto the ground. She grinned as she rolled her right shoulder, wincing through the pain. Her arm was incredibly tired.

"She's tired," Henry said, looking up at Regina for confirmation.

"Yes," the former mayor agreed, watching as the sheriff started to favor the buckler more, and her sword tip began dropping lower with each swing.

"Is it because the sword's too heavy for her?" he asked, observing his grandfather and mother duel. It was a little disturbing, how it reminded him of when they would verbally fight at Mary Margaret's apartment.

"She has the strength," Regina said absently while she studied the fighters. "She simply lacks the stamina."

"I've got you now," David taunted, breathing heavily. He swung low and from the side.

Emma blocked the hit but stumbled several feet to the side. Sweat was once again rolling down her face. She didn't know what to do or how to exactly end this mock fight. Seeing David charge at her, she instinctively sidestepped his attack, but at the last minute, she realized Henry and Regina were directly behind her. She cringed as she tried to correct her movement and stay in her father's path. However, it was too late.

The deputy charged past her. His eyes widened in shock as his blade was suddenly lunging directly for his grandson. Then, in the blink of an eye, it wasn't. Confused, he slowly came to a stop and looked around. He exhaled heavily in relief at the wide-eyed boy clinging to the former mayor.

Henry blinked several times. He glanced between Emma and David. Finally, he looked up at Regina.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly, looking down. "Okay?" She vainly attempted to stroke down his cowlick, smiling at the boy's nod.

"I think I'll go sit down," Henry muttered, slowly letting go of his mother. His gaze shifted between the two fighters, ensuring they didn't start sparring again as he walked back to the gazebo. Taking a large swig of tea, he settled in one of the chairs and picked up his book.

Striding towards Emma, Regina eyed the sheriff with mild concern. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," the sheriff said with a hint of despondency, still watching Henry. She looked at the former mayor. "I think I'm done for the day."

Before David could toss in his two cents, Regina gently touched Emma's elbow. "Henry's fine. He's just a bit shaken." She smiled weakly, hoping she was reassuring.

"I should've known he was behind me," Emma whispered, fighting back the tears. Having the boy get hurt was the last thing she wanted, ever. She didn't want to admit that she'd forgotten about him and Regina standing so close or that she was so angry with her father.

"That particular skill will come with further training and experience, Emma," the former mayor promised. "He will always be safe with me," she added solemnly. The sheriff may not completely believe her about everything else, but she had to believe in that simple truth.

"Henry will always be safe with his family," David boldly proclaimed, invading the quiet moment between the two. "His family will always protect him." He slapped his hand firmly onto his daughter's right shoulder and squeezed.

Emma winced at the pain and shrugged his hand off of her. A shooting pain traveled up her shoulder and into her neck. She tried to shake it off, along with her residual anger. "I'm done," she muttered, walking towards the gazebo. This had been a huge mistake.

Confused by his daughter's brush off, the deputy hissed at the former mayor, "What did you do?"

Tearing her concerned gaze off her son and the sheriff, Regina gritted her teeth. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she said, "I did nothing. You were the one beating a novice down as if you were a Behemoth." She recognized the flash of regret in his eyes, but she didn't care. Mary Margaret could soothe his tender ego. She had more important people to whom to attend.

This wasn't how David envisioned their sword lesson going today. It was supposed to be a grand time, bonding between father and daughter. He wanted to blame Regina for it, but logically, he knew she'd salvaged an already disastrous day. Maybe that's what goaded him into trying to pick a fight with her.

Hearing Emma and Henry laugh, the deputy decided to relay his farewells. He promised to find his daughter a better sword with which to train. As he left, carrying both swords, David decided to ask Marco to make a couple of wooden swords. Maybe that way, he could start training Henry.

~SQ~

Standing in the middle of his bedroom, Henry held his detention slip in his hand. He had to take it in tomorrow signed by his mother, Regina Mills. Again, he wondered how Mrs. Shoemaker knew he had forged it. Also, it irritated him that she wouldn't accept Emma's signature. After all, Emma was his real mom.

Somehow, the thought felt strange as he glanced around the space that was very much his room. It felt totally different from the one he shared with Emma while at Mary Margaret's. David never did let him come back here for any more of his stuff, opting instead to purchase new things. It was fine at first, but then, he started missing having his own space, his stuff—even Regina.

Hearing Emma and Regina talk quietly in the hall, Henry glanced over his shoulder and pursed his lips. This was all too confusing. The villains didn't save the good guys. Yet, his mother had helped bring Emma and Mary Margaret back. He wanted to believe, but something deep inside told him it was all a trick. It had to be one.

Gathering his courage, Henry grabbed a pen off his desk and slowly walked towards his bedroom door. He peered out in the hall and saw Regina sitting in a chair by the main bathroom door, reading. With determination, he stepped out of his room and sluggishly walked down to her.

"I need you to sign this," he said docilely, holding out the detention slip and pen. His nerves settled somewhat when she wordlessly took the offered items. For a moment, he thought he was going to get off easy, until she looked at him.

"Are you going to tell me why you received a detention in the first place?" Regina asked with the pen poised over the parental guardian line. She sighed silently as a contentious expression settled across her son's features.

"It doesn't matter," Henry snipped defensively, crossing his arms. The reason was plainly written on the slip and he didn't want to talk about the first detention.

Taking off her reading glasses and letting them hang on their chain, Regina evenly said, "I think it does matter." She waited for a moment and added, "I suppose I could call the school tomorrow, or Emma and I could just go—."

"No!" the boy interrupted. "Please, don't." Panic overwhelmed him. "That'll only make it worse," he hurriedly added.

Flooded with concern, the former mayor reached out and affectionately stroked a hand down Henry's biceps. "What happened?" she implored again.

"You wouldn't care," Henry spat, wrenching his arm away and taking a step back.

Ignoring the hurt, Regina pouted slightly as she dropped her arm. "Of course, I care," she whispered. Hadn't she at least proven that much? "Is someone at school harassing you?" she asked, turning in her seat to face her son.

Confused by his mother's reaction, the boy slowly shook his head, saying, "No, it's not like that." He sighed and swallowed.

Anguish washed over her, but this was her son. She would do or endure anything for him. Quietly, she asked, "Would you rather talk to Emma about it?" She loathed verbalizing the question, but things were different now.

Surprised, Henry's mouth fell open. He vehemently shook his head. "I don't want her to know," he stammered, looking into his mother's watery eyes with his own. Instinctively, he wiped the back of his hand across his eyes. Warriors don't cry, at least, that's what David and the dwarves said.

Regina reached a hand out to the boy. When he instantly reached out, she cupped his hand between both of hers. "Please talk to me," she gently implored, her voice low and comforting. Many of their problems could have been avoided if he had just kept talking to her.

"You're going to be mad," he weakly admitted, stepping closer.

"Maybe, but I promise to listen," she smiled softly.

This was his mother, he realized as he remembered her saying those very words to him when he accidently broke something, purposely colored on the walls, pushed another kid down too roughly on the playground, lost something or even gave something away. In spite of all of this, he still felt betrayed by her.

Watching Henry and sensing his inner turmoil, Regina sighed as she released his hand. She sat up, linking her hands on her lap over the book, detention slip and pen. "What happened?" she prompted.

Swallowing, the boy took a deep breath. "I got in a fight with Bobby Eccleston," he finally admitted. "He was saying some stuff about Emma."

"What sort of stuff?" Regina asked, covering up her surprise. She didn't expect this to be about the sheriff. She tried to remember who Bobby's parents were.

"He called me names . . . ," Henry trailed off. Lowering his voice, he seriously said, "He said Emma was just highway trash." He watched his mother closely.

"But what happened to warrant a detention?" she asked tightly. Bobby was the son of Ronnie Eccleston, one of Albert Spencer's goons.

"I pushed him and he just laughed at me." Rolling his lips, he dropped his gaze. "I tried to hit him, but I missed. Everyone started laughing. So, I shoved him." He took a long breath, trying to push away the tightness in his throat. "He fell down but kept laughing and pointing." That was when he looked up, his eyes full of unshed tears and a hint of shame. "That's when Mrs. Shoemaker and Mr. Weaver showed up."

Understanding, Regina's expression softened. Her son wanted to be the brave hero so badly. She decisively signed the detention slip. "You're going to be twelve soon," she commented, handing Henry the paper and pen. "And as you continue to grow up, you're going realize that life can be very complicated and quite unpleasant at times." Best to prepare him for the impending storm, she thought.

Uncertain and curious, the boy asked, "What do you mean?"

"You can't allow yourself to be so easily provoked." Pointing at his head, she smiled and continued, "You're a very clever boy, Henry. I'm sure you could've resolved the situation without violence."

His brow furrowed as he whined, "But Bobby made me so mad. It wasn't right for him to say those things." He also didn't understand why no one else jumped in to defend the savior. After all, she saved them from the curse. Shouldn't they be grateful? Shouldn't they be happy he brought her to Storybrooke?

"Did lashing out at him make your actions right?" Regina asked, frowning.

Frustrated and slightly angry, Henry scrunched his face. He wanted to say yes and that he was protecting Emma's honor. Yet, a part of him didn't quite believe it because fighting was against school rules. He must've taken too long to answer because his mother gave him that disappointed sigh.

"Since you can't answer that question," Regina started, turning in her chair and putting on her reading glasses, "no TV or video games for a week." It wasn't like he had had much opportunity during the last week with her and Emma monopolizing the living room.

Frowning, the boy considered appealing to Emma, but then, he realized he'd just have to explain everything to her. "Fine," he sighed long-sufferingly. He watched his mother for a few moments before turning around. Once in his doorway, he stopped, looked over his shoulder and asked, "Are you mad?" He didn't quite understand why it was suddenly so important to him.

Surprised by the question, she quickly schooled her features and shook her head before saying, "No." When nothing further was said, she returned her focus to her book, watching Henry slip back into his room out of the corner of her eye. Sadness settled in as she fought back the tears because she didn't dare hope.

That was when Emma Swan burst out of the bathroom in a fresh tank top and sushi pajama bottoms, proclaiming, "I feel so much better." After a beat, she asked, "So when's dinner?"

Her woes forgotten, Regina shook her head, closing her book. She was momentarily caught off guard to find that she was happy for the distraction that the sheriff provided.

~SQ~

An hour after dusk, Cora Mills, eloquently dressed for this new world, finally dared to venture back into Storybrooke Cemetery. Just over a week ago, she had felt an impressively strong magical disturbance radiate throughout town. Curiosity over the cause and minor concern for her daughter's well-being had urged her to return that night, but upon her arrival, the residual magic had proven too potent to devise the originator or the intention of the spell.

Walking towards the Mills mausoleum, she scowled. Her daughter obviously hadn't learned anything. The sorceress turned away and scanned the graveyard. Zoning in on the epicenter of the spell, Cora slowly approached and felt the lingering threads of magic.

It was a very powerful spell—that much was obvious—one that Regina would certainly never be capable of casting, but the spell had directly affected her daughter. Cora's eyes narrowed in assessment as she mentally checked off the few proficient casters in Storybrooke.

Her eyes widened in shock but quickly narrowed to slits as she realized Emma Swan had cast the spell. Although her interaction with the daughter of Snow White was brief, the sorceress had gotten an adequate sense of the girl's magic, enough never to forget it. Emma would certainly pay once Cora's plans were complete.

Following the magical threads across the cemetery to the brick wall by the street, Cora noted that the trail faded away down the road, heading into the forest. Her brow furrowed in confusion as the situation didn't quite add up. Glancing back over her shoulder and glaring at the point of origin, she frowned as she suddenly understood the implications of the spell. Ever since that night, she'd continually observed Regina and Emma together.

"Damn you, Rumpelstiltskin," she cursed.

By using Emma Swan, the imp hadn't necessarily broken their deal, but what could he possibly gain from their bonding? Needless to say, her quandary would require further research into the spell and access to Rumpelstiltskin's library. It would appear Hook would still be useful, after all.

Smiling, and with a simple roll of her wrist, Cora disappeared in a cloud of dark purple smoke.

~SQ~

Unable to get comfortable, Emma flipped and flopped on her chaise-lounge bed for what felt like an hour. She rolled her head to the side and looked at Regina in her large, soft bed. Staring up at the ceiling, she huffed and grumbled again about her father's overzealous training. In order for her neck and shoulders to stop throbbing, her feet had to hang over the end, which made them swell and ache—not to mention her knees and lower back. Giving up, she tossed her blankets off and stood up. Sheepishly, she approached the bed.

"No," the former mayor said sternly, turning a page in her book.

"Aw, come on, Regina," the sheriff whined as she pouted and slouched. "I ache all over, and that thing isn't comfortable," she added, pointing to the chaise. She wanted to cry but didn't think tears would get her anywhere.

Pursing her lips, Regina glanced over at the hapless Emma Swan. She could see bruises starting to form on her bare arms, more notably the left. Having watched a majority of the training session, she knew Emma had to be incredibly sore, and sleeping on the lounge chair certainly wouldn't help her in the morning.

"Please, Regina?" Emma asked softly, tapping her knuckles on her thighs.

"Fine," the former mayor grunted, turning back to her book. The last thing she needed was Emma's constant whining or being harped on by her parents for mistreating their precious child. "But stay on that side of the bed," she ordered, turning another page.

"Thank you," the sheriff sighed in great relief as she lifted the flat sheet and climbed onto the extraordinarily soft-yet-firm mattress. After settling down in her newfound heaven, she glanced at her bedmate and noticed Regina's growing tension. She placed her right hand over her heart and with great fervor said, "Fear not, sweet lady! I will not molest you. I am but a humble jester, and you? You are too far above me!" If that didn't work to lighten the mood, she'd blame the super cocktail of multiple extra strength Tylenol and ibuprofen she took before her shower.

Completely befuddled, Regina dropped her book on her lap and stared at Emma who merely blinked in return. Finally, she asked with interest, "You watch musicals?"

A large grin spread across the sheriff's face. "Yeah, one of my foster families was into them big time." She frowned when the former mayor said nothing further and simply went back to her book. Feeling as if the moment was gone, she considered leaving well enough alone while accepting the small victory of sleeping on the bed. However, watching Regina, her curiosity got the better of her, and timidly, she asked, "Do you like musicals?"

Hesitating, the former mayor's fingers briefly toyed with a page corner. "A few of them, I suppose," she admitted reluctantly.

"I always liked Love Me or Leave Me," Emma said, rolling on her side to face Regina. Making eye contact, she smiled softly and continued, "On our birthdays, we'd order pizza, bake a huge cake and watch a musical of the birthday kid's choice."

"Sounds nice," the former mayor thoughtfully whispered, looking forward. She immediately shook off the encroaching melancholy. Her birthdays had always been miserable and full of merciless ridicule.

"It was a good family," the sheriff agreed, flopping onto her back. She rested her hands on her stomach and idly drummed them. "They made a real effort to make everyone feel included and appreciated." She sighed and again wished she could've stayed with them longer. Maybe she wouldn't have gotten into so much trouble or ran away. She blew out a heavy breath, remembering the home after with the sleazy uncle always sleeping on the sofa.

Taking off her glasses, Regina closed her book and put both on the nightstand. She lightly inquired, "Are you done with the light?"

"Yup," Emma yawned, nestling down in the bed. Pushing the unwanted memories aside, she closed her eyes and vaguely felt Regina situate herself. However, after an unknown amount of time her eyes popped open; she was still wide awake. "Damn it," she muttered. Looking over at the back of Regina's head, she stage whispered, "Are you asleep?"

"Do you have to use the restroom already?" the former mayor growled, partially sitting up and glaring over her shoulder.

"No," the sheriff immediately responded. "I can't sleep."

"Count sheep," Regina said as she repositioned her pillow, smacking it a few times.

"That doesn't work," Emma sneered, unimpressed with the idea. "So, what musicals do you like?"

Sighing heavily, the former mayor carefully weighed her options. She could ignore the sheriff's prompt for conversation—which was happening with alarming frequency—and suffer through hours of pouting as well as a moody disposition tomorrow. Or, she could entertain the asinine discussion. "I like Sweeny Todd."

"The one with Johnny Depp and the cannibalism?" Emma asked, disturbed. Her eyes widened as she stared at the back of Regina's head and quickly contemplated moving back to the chaise, given her bedmate's moniker.

"No, Miss Swan," Regina drawled, rolling onto her back. She glanced over and was somewhat amused by Emma's slightly horrified expression. "The one starring Angela Lansbury," she clarified.

"Oh," the sheriff mouthed as she visibly relaxed. Blinking a few times, her brow furrowed as she dryly said, "It still had cannibalism." She smirked at Regina's soft chuckle and asked, "Any others?" After a beat, she added, "I've always liked Pillow Talk." Strangely enough, it was slightly reminiscent of her life at times.

"A Doris Day fan?" the former mayor asked curiously, watching the sheriff's face in the low light.

"Eh," Emma answered with a shrug. "Some, but I mostly like her later ones." She waited for a few more moments before prompting, "So?"

"Les Miserables."

"Why am I not surprised?" the sheriff muttered, rolling her eyes. "You're one of those people" She didn't wait for a response and said, "I just don't understand how you can be sad and happy at the same time. It happens every damn time, no matter what version."

"It's life," the former mayor weakly explained, staring up at the ceiling.

Clearing her throat, Emma twisted her lips in thought. She eventually asked, "Did you manage to get anything out of Henry about his detention?" When the boy had popped into the bedroom while Regina was in the shower, she had tactfully tried to pry an explanation out of him, but he'd brushed her off. It kind of hurt her feelings.

"Yes."

Frowning while studying the former mayor's profile in the dark, the sheriff prompted, "And?"

"He said…," Regina paused. A year ago, she would've reveled in this situation, but now, she was simply concerned for her son. "He didn't want you to know." Albert Spencer had been careful in setting his traps.

"Yeah, I figured that when he wouldn't tell me," Emma grumbled. She wanted to push Regina for information, a hint or something.

Hearing the frustration and pain in the sheriff's voice, the former mayor took a deep breath and offered a bit of clichéd reassurance. "I'm sure he'll tell you when he's ready." She silently repeated the mantra that everything was different now.

"Your social skills aside," Emma quipped with an easy smirk, "you're very patient with him," she continued seriously. She didn't know if she could've handled being on the flip side of things—handled being hated by Henry.

"I try," Regina responded, rolling onto her side, facing the closet and away from Emma.

Watching the former mayor turn away, the sheriff's brow furrowed as she felt torn. Again, she wondered what the hell had happened to her. This was supposed to be a bonding moment. If they couldn't bond over the son they shared, then what was to become of them? But then again, they didn't really share Henry, did they?

Wracked with uncertainty, she opened and closed her mouth several times. She sighed, unsure of what to say and whether or not to say anything at all. Finally, she rolled onto her side, facing Regina. "I want to ask your opinion on something," she said softly, giving the former mayor the choice to completely ignore her.

"What's that, Miss Swan?" Regina sighed, choosing not to stop the tears.

"I think Henry should start seeing Archie again," Emma blurted out. She tensed waiting for the whiplash fury, but it never came, just a long exhalation. "Here's the thing, he doesn't talk to anybody, and that's not good." She played with the top of the sheet, relishing in the smoothness of the material. "If he had someone, I wouldn't be so worried, but he doesn't play at recess. He doesn't ask to go to friends' houses. He doesn't do anything but hang out in his room." She stopped and swallowed. When she had talked to Mary Margaret about this, the school teacher had been quick to explain it away as Regina's fault. "It's like pulling teeth to get him to hang out with us."

"He doesn't want to be with me," the former mayor dismissively explained. Her pillow was wet now. She wasn't stupid. She'd noticed how the boy would linger with Emma if she was busy and not a part of the conversation.

"Trust me; I've seen plenty of kids who don't want to be with their parents," the sheriff grumbled, adjusting her pillow. "He just doesn't know what he's feeling right now."

"He won't take too kindly to your suggestion," Regina replied, knowing exactly how the forthcoming situation was going to end. "I won't put him through that again," she said with far more determination than she felt.

"That's why I'm going to tell him," Emma decreed, followed by a yawn. She blinked a few times and realized she was sleepy. "Good night, Regina."

"Good night, Emma," the former mayor said softly. She lay awake for at least an hour before exhaustion finally claimed her. Tomorrow was not going to be a good day.

~SQ~

"No!" Henry shouted. He stood under the arch between the foyer and dining room, imperiously glaring at Emma, as much as an eleven year-old in slightly too large, plaid pajamas could. "I'm not crazy."

"That isn't what I said, Kid," the sheriff tried to clarify. She took a step forward to close the distance between them, but she stopped when that damn prickling sensation started. Glancing over her shoulder, she stepped backwards. Regina must still be at the kitchen island, making their lunches. "I never said you were crazy."

"That's a lie," he cried, shaking his head. "She put you up to this, didn't she?" He pointed angrily at the kitchen. "She made everyone think I was crazy." Tears welled up in his eyes. Was this why his mother had been so understanding about the detention? "But it was all true, I was right."

"You know what?" Frustrated, Emma dragged her hands down her face. Anger was starting to set in, and she barked, "I talked to a lot of people in town about you and your mother. You know what they said?"

Scowling and breathing heavily through his nose, the boy shook his head.

"No one said you were crazy. As scared as they were of your mother; they thought it was good that she was getting you help because you seemed so sad." Pointing out towards the general direction of downtown, the sheriff continued, "There are a lot of people who see Archie for a lot of different reasons."

"Only because of the curse," he spat, accusing. "She's planning something, and you're falling for it." He'd overheard his grandparents' whispered conversations enough to know it was true.

Dismayed, Emma's mouth fell open, but her anger flared. "So what, you think I'm stupid?" This was something that always set her off. Since she was unwanted, there must be something wrong with her, right?

"No, Emma, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that...," Henry stammered before trailing off, suddenly unsure with the rage in Emma's eyes. He'd seen her mad before but never directed at him.

"I'm the adult. You're the child," the sheriff gritted out through clenched teeth. Stopping herself and closing her eyes for a few moments, she held up her hands and shook her head. She took several long breaths before finally speaking again. "You're going to see Archie, and that's final." Turning, she stomped towards the kitchen. "Go get ready for school, we're driving you today."

Wrapping the last sandwich in cellophane, Regina glanced up when Emma stormed into the kitchen, pulled out a stool and unceremoniously perched on it.

Groaning, the sheriff dropped her head on the cool marble and said, "That could've gone better."

The former mayor pursed her lips but said nothing. She just continued to pack the lunches.

"I'm impressed you got him to go the first time." Emma said, resting her chin in her palm.

"It took a while, but I managed to convince Henry that it could be beneficial," Regina explained, dropping a cheese stick into each brown bag. She hesitated for a moment and added a second one to Emma's. "And multiple promises that the sessions would remain confidential between him and Dr. Hopper."

"Where'd he get the idea that therapist equals crazy, anyway?" the sheriff asked, grabbing the last cheese stick from the Chucky Cheese package. She opened it, ignoring the former mayor's scowl. "It must've been pretty upsetting," she said around a bite. "I've seen plenty of therapists, but I never felt like I was heading to loony town." She started pulling the string cheese apart. Emma found it surprisingly easy to talk to Regina when she knew that she didn't have an ulterior motive or wasn't trying to kill her.

Tossing away the trash from her food prep, Regina went about putting the various sandwich makings away. "I suppose where children learn most of their information—the school yard, the internet or television." She poured herself a cup of coffee from the press. Staring into the black liquid, she didn't know what else to say.

Emma continued to pull apart her cheese. "Well, I guess we'll have to see how things pan out."

The pair fell into a comfortable silence, neither feeling judged by the other. It was nice.

Slowly creeping away from the kitchen door and back into the foyer, Henry had eavesdropped from the dining room. If he'd been caught, he would've used the guise of packing his backpack. Its contents were conveniently scattered across the table from a late night of finishing his homework. As quietly as possible, he ran upstairs to get ready before they started yelling for him to hurry up. As he dressed, he decided to once again elicit Archie's help in exposing the Evil Queen's plan. His mother would become good one way or another.

~SQ~

Out of the corner of her eye, Emma Swan noticed the large double doors down the hall swing open, revealing her parents. She groaned as they walked down the hall holding hands.

Hearing the sheriff's abject groan, both Ruby and Regina turned to look at Emma. The part-time deputy was getting drowned in her paperwork responsibilities and had decided to come in during an off-morning at the diner. Unexpectedly, the former mayor had inquired if she could help. It was probably out of sheer boredom. However, Ruby's face had been priceless. After a shrug from the sheriff, the pair had diligently worked for the last hour at Ruby's computer. It wasn't entirely smooth sailing, as there were a few snippy exchanges and staring contests, but for the most part, they seemed quite comfortable with each other—even if it was pushing each other's buttons.

Standing up from her desk, the last thing Emma wanted was to be caught alone in her office with her parents, especially after her fight with Henry. She tried to slip out of her office before the trap was sprung. And she almost made it, too. Her butt was almost in the witness chair next to Ruby's desk when….

"Emma, could I talk with you privately for a moment, please?" the school teacher asked in a smooth, sweet tone. She didn't even wait for an answer, just waltzed right into the office.

"Okay," the sheriff drawled, sharing a puzzled looked with the waitress and former mayor. When the deputy didn't follow and her mother closed the office door, she knew she was in for something spectacularly stupendous. She watched as David dropped in her almost-occupied seat. "What's up?" she asked, distracted.

"I'm concerned about you," Mary Margaret cooed in what she hoped was a motherly tone. Casually, she pulled off her coat and draped it over the back of a visitor chair—a clear sign that no one else was invited to join.

Instantly, Emma found the situation too suffocating. She walked around her desk and sat down in her chair. "What's to be concerned about?" she casually asked. Watching the three at Ruby's desk, she didn't trust David not to push Regina's buttons.

Sighing, the school teacher frowned. "All the time you're spending with Regina."

"She's not that bad," the sheriff said with a shrug, trying to blow it off. She gave her mother a soft smile.

"That's probably what she wants you to believe," Mary Margaret said, glancing over her shoulder at the three people around Ruby's desk. However, her gaze fixated on the former mayor. "She's manipulative," she whispered. She frowned when Ruby laughed and David's lip twitched at something Regina said.

"What politician isn't?" Emma snorted, still unconcerned. She shuffled the papers on her desk into a single pile.

Whipping her head around, the school teacher snapped, "Emma, you need to take this seriously!" She didn't like her daughter's flippant attitude. "She's a threat," she proclaimed, sitting down in the empty chair.

Emma noted it was the one in which the former mayor usually didn't sit. "I know how much of a pain she can be, but she's trying to change for Henry," the sheriff countered, glancing at Regina who was intently watching Ruby navigate a series of screens on the computer. "Henry makes her want to be a better person." That's love, she thought.

"It's not enough," Mary Margaret refuted solemnly, shaking her head slowly. "She'll never change."

"Not as long as people keep that attitude," Emma said flatly. Her nostrils flared as she tried to contain her anger. She'd been dealing with the same crap all her life.

"Why are you defending her?" the school teacher whispered imploringly. She leaned forward, resting a hand on the desk.

"Just stop," the sheriff demanded, grinding her teeth. "We've been down this road before, and you know where we ended up?" She paused and harshly jabbed her stack of papers with her index figure. "Here! And you know why? Because when I asked you to back off, you kept drilling and badgering until we had no choice but to go to Gold for help."

"All the evidence pointed—," Mary Margaret tried to interrupt. Her soulful eyes wide were and her voice tender.

"No," Emma said, shaking her head. "We took a magical dream catcher's vision from a dog at face value." Her eyes became watery as her hands curled into fists. "Archie was tortured for days, but somehow, he ended up at the apartment."

That was when former mayor looked over her shoulder and locked gazes with the distraught sheriff. In a blink, Emma realized she wasn't so alone and that this miserable conversation could end, if she wished it. That was enough to give her an empowering boost of self-confidence.

Calmer and still starring at Regina, the sheriff continued, "I did something horrible, Mary Margaret." Slowly turning her head back to her mother, she swallowed down the lump in her throat.

"Oh, Honey," the school teacher cooed, wanting to comfort her daughter. "I know it hurts. Regina took my…," she trailed off as Emma shook her head. Confused, she furrowed her brow as she tried to devise where she went wrong.

"I'm not having this conversation with you," Emma said with finality. She grabbed her and Regina's jackets off the coat rack. "No matter how much you bad mouth Regina, we're still connected, Mary Margaret, and there's nothing you can do about it." With that, she walked around her desk, opened the door and walked out to hand Regina her coat.

Wordlessly, the former mayor stood and took her jacket. Slipping it on, she cautiously glanced between the three. She and Ruby shared a long look before she stooped to pick up her purse.

By the office door, the sheriff made an exaggerated sweeping gesture with her arm, signaling for the school teacher to exit. Reluctantly, Mary Margaret grabbed her coat and moved to stand behind the deputy.

Taking the hint, Ruby hastily logged off her computer and gathered her stuff. "Oh look at the time!" she exclaimed with false cheer. "I told Granny I would stop by during the lunch rush." And then, she bolted towards the door with a blanket goodbye. She'd deal with the fallout later.

Locking her office door, Emma silently cursed Ruby for running. Of course, she was doing the same thing. But wasn't Red Riding Hood best friends with Snow White? It didn't matter. As she stomped down the hall towards the exit, she pushed all thoughts of her parents out of her mind.

Regina followed a few steps behind the agitated sheriff. Before passing the corner into the hall, she glanced back over her shoulder. She frowned at the tears streaming down Mary Margaret's face. Turning away, she exhaled slowly and gradually caught up to Emma. It was going to be a long day.

~SQ~

"Emma," the former mayor snapped, gently cupping the sheriff's elbow and guiding her to a stop in front of the still closed Storybrooke Library. "What on earth did she say to you?" She'd been following the raging bull that was Emma Swan for the last twenty minutes. Townsfolk were avoiding them and not simply because of her.

Glowering, Emma merely scowled in response, shaking her arm free. "It doesn't matter," she hissed, turning away. She was slightly embarrassed.

"I think it does matter," Regina countered evenly as she watched Emma start to pace in front of the locked double doors of the library. Sighing, she said, "If you don't want to talk to me, then let's go to someone with whom you will talk. I'm sure we can arrange some degree of privacy."

Resuming her pacing, the sheriff shook her head and ran her hands through her hair. "I'll talk to Archie on Thursday."

Pursing her lips and crossing her arms, the former mayor scoffed, "That's several days from now. I refuse to deal with your and Henry's mood swings simultaneously."

"Damn it," Emma cursed softly. Spinning around, she pointed at the former mayor and asked, "Why couldn't you've been like this before?"

Confused by the accusation, Regina asked, "Like what?"

Waving her arms in a wild gesture at the former mayor, the sheriff hastily exclaimed, "Like this!" She blew out a heavy breath. "Since this whole bond thing started, you've been calm, understanding, polite…. You've been downright nice to me."

Narrowing her eyes, the former mayor slowly shook her head. "Things are different now," she explained. She wasn't a fool. Each's survival was dependent on the other, and she knew she benefitted more from it.

Emma's shoulders slumped as she remembered what Archie implied during last Thursday's impromptu counseling session. With pleading eyes, she looked at Regina, and with great sorrow, she said, "I'm so sorry, Regina."

Taken aback by the heartfelt apology, the former mayor quickly schooled her expression. "As am I," she whispered. It wasn't easy being a prisoner, especially in a cage of your own making.

Before anything else was said, there were several loud bangs and crashes from around the corner. Instinctively, Emma trotted towards the source of the ruckus with Regina gradually falling back behind her. "I told you to stop wearing heels," she grumbled before rounding the corner into the alleyway between the library and an office building. "Hey!" she shouted at a group of boys.

One of them cried, "Run!" sending the group lurking in the alley into chaos as all of them bolted.

The sheriff took off into a sprint, and she was about to grab one of the punks when she was overcome with agony. She cried out, dropping onto her knees. "Damn it, Regina," she grunted, struggling to stand. Gradually, the pain dissipated, leaving only the annoying prickling sensations. Grimacing, she finally rose to her feet with a snarky remark about appropriate footwear on her tongue. She turned with a snarl, but all her anger disappeared when she saw the former mayor kneeling next to a beaten boy. It was Nickolas.

"It's alright," Regina said. She glanced at Emma before turning back and asking, "Do you think you can stand?"

Hesitantly, the boy nodded, and with help, he stood shakily, leaning heavily against the wall. His fingers dug into the former mayor's arms when he noticed the sheriff.

"It's only Sheriff Swan," Regina gently explained, looking between Emma and Nickolas.

"I know," the boy said, his voice rough. "She sent me back to him," he accused with unveiled hatred. When the startled sheriff stopped in her approach, he turned back to the former mayor and spat, "I'm not going back."

"I didn't know," Emma tried to explain. Her heart broke upon seeing the cuts on his face and bruises on his exposed arms. She bit her lip, realizing he was only wearing the same baggy t-shirt from over a week ago. Now, it wasn't just too big but smattered with dirt. "Let us take you to the hospital, they'll get you patched up," she suggested, taking another step towards him. "We can photograph your injuries, start a criminal report—."

"No!" Nickolas shouted, pulling away from Regina. He pointed at Emma saying, "No one cared before, and no one cares now." His so-called friends had turned on him. Even his own sister didn't standup to their father for him. The townspeople just ignored him. He flinched as Regina loosely wrapped her scarf around his neck.

"We just want to help," the former mayor softly assured. Hesitantly reaching out, she slowly laid a gentle hand on the boy's biceps, her grip light and unrestricting. "The Sheriff thought she was doing the right thing by reuniting your family. No one could've known."

Swallowing, the sheriff looked between the two. She took another step toward them and then another. "Let us help, Nickolas," she pleaded. Honestly, she had thought she was doing the right thing.

The boy kept his eyes on the former mayor for a few seconds longer before finally looking at the sheriff. "I know how it works, you know." He paused and licked his chapped lips. "I did research on a computer at school." Looking down, he added, "Before I got suspended for not having a complete uniform."

"We can fix that, if you want." Regina smiled softly, ducking her head to catch Nickolas's gaze.

At first, Emma bristled at the suggestion, but then, she remembered what it was like to live in uncertainty and not trusting anyone. "Yeah, I'm sure we could talk to the principle or work something out." She smiled softly, hoping they were building trust.

"I'll think about it," the boy stammered, glancing between the former mayor and sheriff.

"Alright," Regina said, straightening and dropping her hand.

"You know where to find us if you change your mind," Emma hastily added, standing next to the former mayor.

Briskly, Nickolas nodded and jogged down the alleyway, his new red scarf flying behind him. He turned a corner and disappeared.

"I hope we did the right thing," Emma muttered, following Regina out of the alleyway. Stepping out onto the sidewalk, she shivered from a sudden cold burst of wind as she glared across the intersection at Tillman's garage. "I so want to arrest him."

"No favors, Miss Swan," the former mayor casually reminded her, fighting a similar impulse. She flipped up her jacket's collar while saying, "Unfortunately, the altercation with the other boys—."

"Yeah, I get it," the sheriff gruffly interrupted, blowing hot air in her cupped hands. She so totally got it. "What's with the temperature drop, anyhow?"

Rolling her eyes, Regina smirked and replied, "We watched the Weather Channel last night. Don't you remember all the speculative conjecture about a possible northeaster?"

"Damn New England weather. Sometimes I really do miss Florida." Walking back to Main Street, Emma commented, "I'm starving." She thrust her hands into her jean's front pockets.

"Our lunches are back at the station," the former mayor reminded, sliding her hands in her coat pockets. The wind tossed around her hair as she squinted in the bright afternoon sun.

"We can eat them tomorrow," the sheriff said with a shrug. She gestured to Dave's Fish 'n' Chips. "He's been nice enough to look at my car," she said, nodding to the blue building next to Gold's pawnshop. She relaxed as Regina wordlessly fell into step beside her as they crossed the street.

As they reached the other side, Regina said, "You're paying, Sheriff."

With an easy—albeit amused—nod, Emma glanced at the former mayor under the guise of pulling her windblown long, blonde hair out of her face. She was relieved that she had an ally in something that was personally important to her. And how evil could someone be when they were concerned over a child's welfare, a child that wasn't their own? She pursed her lips, trotting in front of Regina to open the door. She smiled softly at the simple thank you she received in return. Sliding into the booth opposite from the former mayor, the sheriff wondered who exactly Regina Mills was because no one seemed to have the complete picture.

~SQ~

Sheriff Swan crossed her arms as she glared down at Dr. Whale sitting behind his large office desk. She wanted to punch that smug expression right off his moderately attractive face. Damn, how the hell he got Mary Margaret to sleep with him, she had no idea—unless it involved a lot of alcohol. "Why not?" she demanded.

Smirking, Victor idly played with an expensive silver pen. "Because I don't care," he smoothly explained. "Helping you holds absolutely no benefit for me." He chuckled darkly before continuing, "Why do I care if this world discovers a town full of fairy tale characters?" Pointing at himself, he added, "I'm normal. Besides, only the ones with abnormalities will be of any interest."

Emma's brow furrowed as she considered what he'd just said. Then she paled, realizing that people like Ruby were in possible danger. "You're a prick," she spat. Trying to talk to him for the last twenty minutes had gotten her nowhere.

"I've been called worse," the surgeon said with a shrug of his shoulders. His eyes had a hard glint when he said, "We should've let him die." Dismissively, he waved his hand at her. "Then the humdrum drama of the royals fighting for power wouldn't be such as issue."

The sheriff took a quick step forward, but she sharply turned around in agitated frustration. As the prickling sensation lessoned, she stomped towards the office door, yanked it open and slammed it shut. She stayed in front of it, fuming.

"I take it Dr. Whale was less than helpful," the former mayor lazily inquired, closing her magazine and returning it to the pile on the nearby end table.

Taking a calming, deep breath, Emma shook her head. "Maybe I can get Ruby to talk to him. I mean, it worked last time." She pulled out her cellphone but hesitated. "Or," she started, looking at Regina, "you could give it a go."

Cocking an eyebrow, Regina considered the request. A sassy smirk spread across her face and she asked, "Is this to be one of those good-cop-bad-cop scenarios?"

Rolling her eyes, the sheriff said, "Sure, just don't overdo it." A part of her questioned the wisdom of letting the former mayor have a go at bullying Dr. Whale, but then again, he'd brought this onto himself. Glancing over her shoulder to the receptionist's desk, she asked, "Where did Sally go?"

"My reading of magazines made her nervous," Regina explained as she stood and immediately headed inside Dr. Whale's office. She was actually eager to be of use, even if it was just throwing her weight around.

Emma sported a cocky grin the moment she saw Victor's shocked face. And then, she second guessed herself again, but it was too late now.

"Regina," the surgeon stammered, rising from his chair. The Evil Queen was still a queen, after all. "What brings you here?"

"Calm yourself," Regina ordered, walking toward the desk. She gracefully sat in one of the two visitor chairs and crossed her legs. "The Sheriff says you declined doing her a favor." Her arms elegantly draped over the chair's arms.

Dr. Whale's eyes immediately cut to the sheriff and scowled. "Yes," he admitted. Focusing on the former mayor, he said, "And why should I keep a healthy Mr. Mendell detained in the hospital another day?"

Emma scowled as Victor posed the exact same question as earlier.

"Because," the former mayor drawled in a low tone, "it's in your best interest." She dropped her chin and glared at the surgeon. "This isn't an issue open for debate. You will detain him."

His nostrils flared as Dr. Whale bristled at the obvious order and sneered, "You don't have any power—."

Immediately, the desk slid to the far right of the room, blocking a door leading into the main corridor of the hospital. Startled, Emma had reflexively jumped backwards. She looked up to see Regina standing mere inches from a very frightened Victor.

"Are you sure about that, doctor?" the former mayor whispered. She tilted her head but didn't move away.

Emma swallowed. Her attention was briefly pulled to the large windows on her left as a strong gust of air blasted against the glass. She watched as Victor pressed himself flat against the wall, desperate not to touch or further provoke Regina.

"Alright," the surgeon relented. He cleared his throat as the former mayor took several steps back. His hands smoothed down his lab coat as he asked, "What am I supposed to tell him?"

Disinterested, Regina turned away and moved towards Emma. "Lie," she ordered. Over her shoulder, she added, "You're good at that, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Victor replied with a grimace, pushing away the rising guilt. "I can't keep him any longer than Friday." He glanced at Emma. "He'll get suspicious if it drags out for too long."

Nodding, the sheriff explained, "Like I said earlier, I just need him contained until the town meeting is over."

Standing up straight, Dr. Whale confidently said, "Consider it done."

"Okay." Emma smiled, relieved that one disaster had been successfully diverted. Turning, she walked out of the office but stopped to look back when Victor spoke again.

Taking a bold step forward, Dr. Whale decided to take a chance. His voice was hoarse as he apologized, "For what it's worth, I am sorry, Regina."

The former mayor stopped in the doorway, staring straight ahead with an indifferent expression.

Curiously, the sheriff watched them, her gaze darting back to the surgeon before staying on Regina.

"There has to be some way to return me home. I have to get back to my brother," Victor pleaded, taking several more steps. It had been his sole reason for bringing Daniel back.

Turning partially, the former mayor narrowed her eyes and dropped her chin. She slowly tilted her head to glare at Dr. Whale and inquired, "What were you doing in the Enchanted Forest?"

Blinking, Victor shook his head. He briefly glanced at Emma. "I don't understand," he answered.

Regina scowled, taking a slow breath. "The curse didn't transcend realms to bring you here," she clarified.

Shifting from foot to foot, the sheriff's gut told her to break this up, but her curiosity was getting the better of her. Henry had seemed so surprised by Dr. Frankenstein's presence. Another gust of wind against the windows briefly grabbed her attention.

When no answer was forthcoming, the former mayor harshly said, "That means you were in the Enchanted Forest." After a beat, she demanded, "Why?"

Honestly, the surgeon hadn't expected this…. He swallowed and opened his mouth several times before he could say, "I was looking for more hearts."

Fury enveloped Regina, but she contained it, for the time being. "For your experiments?" she asked flatly.

Another gust of wind smacked against the window. Seriously? Emma thought. However, shattering glass was the least of her worries. Regina looked ready to go nuclear. She wracked her brain for some way to defuse the situation.

However, Dr. Whale spoke. "Yes," he admitted. Seeing the former mayor's rage bubbling to the surface, he unconsciously took a step back. "I'm getting closer!" he nervously exclaimed. "Daniel was a—." He never got to finish his sentence as he suddenly found himself pinned to the back office wall.

Slowly raising her hand, the former mayor dragged the surgeon up the wall, knocking off framed pictures and degrees. She took no comfort from the sound of breaking glass as she battled between killing him and making him suffer.

The sheriff's eyes widened in shock. "Regina," she said calmly. "Regina, let him go." Another gust of wind slashed against the window, but this time, the glass cracked. "We need him," she gently reminded.

Regina's lip curled, only half hearing what Emma was saying. "I'm labeled evil," she snarled. "But this pathetic excuse…."

"Yeah, I know he's a womanizing bastard, and he's hurt you, deeply," the sheriff said, focusing solely on the former mayor. "But unfortunately, we need him alive." She nervously glanced at Dr. Whale. "Please." She didn't know what made Regina drop Victor, but the moment it happened, she whispered, "Thank you."

Pursing her lips, Emma swallowed down the lump in her throat at the sight of Regina's tears. She watched at least two of them fall before turning to Victor. Briskly walking towards him, she roughly helped him to his feet, grabbed his shirt collar and slammed his back into the wall. If she was surprised by her rage, she didn't show it. "I don't know what the hell happened between you two, but I would strongly suggest you don't cross her." Frowning, she aggressively smoothed out the surgeon's rumpled coat and shirt.

These weren't new feelings. The sheriff knew exactly what they were, but for Regina Mills? Turning around, she wordlessly followed the former mayor out into the waiting area and closed the office door. Giving Regina a moment to compose herself, she tried not to demand answers or an explanation.

Dr. Whale merely nodded as he watched both women finally leave his office. He glanced around and weakly stumbled toward his desk. Pulling open a drawer, he grabbed his flask and took a long swig of whiskey. Not for the first time, he tried to forget about the force of nature that was Regina Mills.

~SQ~

Switching off her bedside lamp, Regina settled down and welcomed sleep after such a trying day. Her eyelids were heavy, and she felt exceedingly emotionally exhausted. When Henry arrived home after his detention, he had been a whirlwind of activity and questions surrounding her. Yet as much as she'd enjoyed it, she knew it was just because he was grounded from TV and was apparently still mad at Emma. Hopefully, tomorrow would be a better day. Vaguely, she registered her bedmate shifting and tugging up the duvet. She didn't even care that Emma had invited herself to sleep in the bed again.

"So," the sheriff started then paused. Carefully, she asked, "Are we going to talk about what happened today?"

"I've been reading for almost an hour and you wait till now to ask a question?" the former mayor snapped. Her eyes opened and she glared at the ceiling.

Rolling onto her side, Emma explained, "I wanted to give you a chance to relax."

"I was relaxed," Regina quipped, unmoving. If Emma would just stop talking, she could still easily drift to sleep.

Sighing, the sheriff frowned and said, "Regina, come on, I know Whale hit a nerve." She shifted the blanket around her shoulders.

"And, apparently, so did your mother," the former mayor rebuked. Sharply, she turned her head and said, "Quid pro quo, Emma." She smirked at hearing an exaggerated huff.

"Fine," Emma grumbled. Pursing her lips, she searched Regina's face in the dim light. "Mary Margaret was just complaining, as usual, but she was taking it up a notch more than she has lately."

"Extolling the magnitude of my ample vices, no doubt," the former mayor said flatly, looking back up at the ceiling.

"Yeah, she tried to go there, but I basically told her to shove it," the sheriff easily supplied with a soft, half smile. She rolled her lips before saying, "I don't respond well when people tell me how I should feel, or think or what to do." Was she actually sharing her feelings—because this felt a lot like sharing to her.

Confused, the former mayor shifted onto her side, facing Emma but saying nothing.

Taking a fortifying breath, Emma continued, "A part of me wants to hate you." She valiantly ignored the flash of anger in Regina's eyes and trudged onward. "But I know that's the easy thing to do." Especially after I've gotten to know you better, she thought.

Grinding her teeth to keep from reacting, Regina intensely furrowed her brow as she decided to see where this was going. So, she stayed perfectly still.

"After the whole Enchanted Forest thing, I realize I actually like who I am. Yeah, my childhood wasn't great, and it royally sucked most of the time. But I was free, and that was something kids with parents didn't have," the sheriff said. She'd resented how Mary Margaret tried to affectionately smother her, or David always assumed she'd just do what he said. At the lack of a response, she quickly stammered, "I think we both deserve a real chance at getting to know each other."

Pursing her lips, the former mayor couldn't quite believe what she'd just heard. She briefly pondered how much of this was spurred by Emma's harbored guilt over their predicament. Tentatively, she asked, "You do realize this won't be a very popular decision?"

Emma gave a one shoulder shrug. "I was never popular, and besides, it's my choice." Her intuition was paying off. A few funny quips titillated her tongue, but she didn't want to cheapen their moment.

"Alright," Regina agreed and rolled onto her back. They essentially shared a single life. So, getting along was obviously in their best interests. She glanced over at Emma, who just offered her a goofy smile.

But the smile quickly faded when the former mayor looked away. "You don't have to share, if you don't want to," the sheriff said, supplying an easy out. She absently pushed a stray piece of hair out of her face.

Still staring at the ceiling, Regina took a few moments to collect herself. Then, after a slow exhale, she freely shared, "Rumpelstiltskin introduced me to Dr. Frankenstein shortly after I agreed to become his apprentice."

"There's a whole lot of wrong in that sentence," Emma mumbled. She winced upon realizing how her comment sounded.

With a noncommittal sound, the former mayor agreed, "Hindsight being what it is, I suppose so." She carefully thought about how to continue her story, as she didn't permit herself to languish over her past. "I was beyond desperate, and circumstances being what they were, I believed them." The entire situation never failed to enrage her. She cursed her naivety because she should've seen through the lies. "I had honestly thought Rumpelstiltskin wanted to help me."

Quickly connecting the dots between Frankenstein's call to fame and Gold's scheming nature, the sheriff quietly asked, "Gold found Whale who told you he could bring Daniel back to life?" She couldn't quite grasp the concept of loving someone that much.

"He failed, of course—whether from nefarious design or honest botchery, only he can ascertain." Regina felt herself sinking. She took a ragged breath and hoped it didn't sound too shaky.

"You gave up?" Emma whispered, finding it hard to believe. Her brow furrowed in intense concentration. There had to be more to it than just massive clinical depression. "So what, he decided to bring Daniel back, now?"

Nodding, the former mayor swallowed against the tension in her throat before saying, "He hoped to barter for passage home." Gold had taken great delight in sharing that particular tidbit, scoffing at her obvious inability to complete such a feat.

"That's really messed up," the sheriff said. It was crazy, but when dealing with fairytale characters, she had learned that logic flew out the window a long time ago. "So, what happened to Daniel?"

"I had to kill him," Regina answered flatly. A single tear rolled across her temple, disappearing into her hair.

Mentally overwhelmed, Emma was conflicted on how to respond whilst bombarded with such a multitude of feelings. Finally, she weakly explained, "David acted like it was no big deal." Mary Margaret, on the other hand, had been totally floored by the news. Whether that was sympathy for Regina's plight or simply David not telling her was anyone's guess.

"Of course," the former mayor blankly acknowledged. She had pounded on that idiot to get him to listen to her. She had begged, really. What did it matter if Daniel killed her? Everything was already lost. And again, here she was cast adrift, alive and alone.

Biting her bottom lip, the sheriff deliberately edged her hand towards Regina under the sheet. Any supportive gesture could easily blow up in her face, and she could end up back on the chaise lounge. Gradually, she laid her fingers on Regina's biceps and gave a slight squeeze, slightly surprised by the amount of toned muscle. After a few moments, she slowly pulled her hand away, as leaving it felt too intimate. Then, because Emma Swan typically avoided extremely emotional issues like the plague, she lightly joked, "I wonder if Dr. Whale likes his newly decorated office."

Despite herself, Regina darkly tittered as a small smile tugged at her lips. "Indeed," she murmured. "Especially with the improved view from his desk." Surprisingly, she felt a little lighter as sleep started to claim her. Yawning, she rolled on her side, facing the sheriff, and sluggishly said, "Good night, Emma."

"Night, Regina," the sheriff replied softly. After today, she again doubted her ability to navigate the complicated and convoluted world of her parents—not that this one was any easier. She just understood it better. Watching the former mayor sleep, Emma had more questions, and after tonight, she might finally start to get some real answers.

~SQ~

Patiently waiting at end of the pier, a magically disguised Hook casually lounged on a fiberglass box on the dock. He idly gazed out into the dark harbor whilst eating a rather delectable sandwich from a shop in town. He knew better than to be late. He also knew better than to criticize Cora for being late. Or else, he would be sleeping on land again. Taking another bite, he hummed contently, listening to the gentle sounds of the wharf. The food of this world really was something. The variety alone was almost enough to quell his quest for revenge.

"Eating again?" Cora quipped, appearing from a dissolving cloud of dark purple.

Swallowing his bite, Hook rejoined, "Do you ever eat?" The truth was, he hadn't seen her eat once since their arrival. Not that he cared.

Ignoring his flippant attitude, she strode to stand next to him, and with a gesture of her hand, she transported them out onto the Jolly Roger.

"Thanks, Love," Hook said. He was glad to look like himself again, but Cora's glamour did have its uses. Watching the sorceress stalk about the deck of the ship, he continued to eat his sandwich. "Learn anything of import?" he casually asked before stuffing the last bite of sandwich in his mouth.

"Regina still hasn't left the Savior's side," Cora answered while magically scanning the vessel. Content that no one had managed to locate the invisible ship, she deftly waved her hands before her, and a large table for two appeared next to the mast. And with it, there was enough food for at least four ravenous people.

Wordlessly, the pirate stood and pulled out a chair for the sorceress. Once she was delicately perched on her seat, he poured her a glass of an obviously fine blush wine from a crystal decanter. Filling his own goblet, he inquired, "How goes your search for Rumpelstiltskin's library?"

Enjoying a sip, Cora scowled, putting her glass down. She proceeded to prepare herself a plate. Oh, how she hated serving herself. "It doesn't," she snapped, cutting a slender piece of breast meat from the roasted chicken. "Clearly, he hasn't brought his collection with him."

"Or you simply can't find it," Hook supplied with a charming smile as he held over a bowl of roasted vegetables. As Cora gracefully spooned out a serving, he suggested, "Maybe he has a secret lair, much like the Queen's rooms under the mausoleum." That had been an ingenious, if slightly macabre, find.

"I was quite thorough in my searches." The sorceress meticulously cut her food. With great precision, she would pierce a single item no bigger than her thumb nail, and with the prongs downward, she would elegantly bring the food to her mouth. "He must be relying on his memory," she said distractedly. It also meant he had narrowed his magical knowledge to specific subjects.

The pirate found the entire process of etiquette fascinating and infuriating at the same time. Pursing his lips, he took a long swig of wine. "Well, it's to your advantage that I'm enjoying the chase and haven't yet tired of tormenting the illustrious Dark One." His smile was broad and cheeky.

"Yes, how goes your puerile antics?" she asked before taking another bite.

"Simplicity is often the breath of life," Hook countered. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. He readily disregarded Cora's glare. "They're working, aren't they?" he asked with a mischievous glint. "That bucket of flour had him livid for hours."

It had only cost him forty dollars to bribe a pair of young, inspiring delinquents to covertly rig a bucket of flour over the side door of Rumpelstiltskin's shop. If he'd just looked above, the crocodile could've easily spotted the prank. It went without saying that the whole scenario had been quite a show. Rumpelstiltskin had angrily gimped to the sheriff's office, providing the sorceress a generous hour of access to his home and shop.

Curious, Cora asked, "How precisely did you convince those children to aid you?" She took a small sip of wine.

"It's amazing what a few bits of paper currency will get you here, Love." The pirate leaned to his left side and plucked a small purse off his belt. Placing it on the table and opening the flap, he pulled out a large amount of money. "Some things never change," he supplied.

~SQ~

On the night of the mayoral debate, the Storybrooke Town Hall was at capacity and brimming with loud townsfolk. All of them were vying to be heard simultaneously by speaking over each other.

"Order!" shouted Ms. Ginger, banging a gavel against its sounding block. "I said order!" The lieutenant-mayor huffed as people finally started to settle down in their seats and along the walls. She glanced to each side, checking that the other council members were ready to proceed. Satisfied with only a slight murmur amongst the crowd, she hesitantly put the gavel down and began explaining the order of business and directions for the debate.

For the most part, everyone accepted the procedural rules. The only other upset was over the limited time for the open forum, but people quickly calmed down easily enough after the gavel was smacked down a few more times.

Stepping through the set of large, propped open double doors, Archie closed his umbrella, shaking off a bit of rain, and scanned the gallery. He couldn't deny the tension hanging in the air as the four candidates for mayor were introduced. Easily, he spotted Regina and Emma sitting on a bench along the wall towards the front. Henry wiggled between them. He quickly made his way towards them, ignoring the curious looks of Mary Margaret, Marco, Mother Superior and the dwarves as he passed their group. It wasn't as if anyone thought to save him a seat.

Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, the former mayor noted Dr. Hopper's approach. She gently nudged Henry to stand and scooted next to the sheriff when it became apparent he wished to sit with them.

Sitting, Archie quietly said, "Thank you."

The boy frowned and looked imploringly at his mothers. He didn't want to sit on one of their laps. Wasn't he too old for that now?

Smirking, Emma casually pointed to the floor next to her. The kid was young, he'd deal.

Rolling his eyes, Henry dramatically sulked and ungracefully dropped onto the tile floor, which was at least clean. As he tried to focus on the boring proceedings, he again wished he'd brought his backpack. However, he didn't quite understand what was happening. The Savior broke the curse. Shouldn't she or her parents become the rulers of Storybrooke? Weren't most of these people from Prince James and Snow White's kingdom anyway?

Shifting for the umpteenth time, the sheriff blew out a large breath as she felt her brain melting. The bench was comfortable enough, and at least the body heat radiating off the former mayor took the chill out of the room for her. She glanced over at Mary Margaret, surrounded by her posse, and fought the urge to roll her eyes at her mother's doe-eyed look whenever David was speaking. It really was grotesque.

To top it off, she didn't even want to be there. It wasn't required, but Regina had politely asked. Strangely, she found she couldn't say no. Of course, it was coupled with Mary Margaret's persistent pestering to present a unified front in support of her father. There had been a whole conversation about that particular conundrum, too—running for mayor while still a deputy. She still wasn't convinced the whole thing was a good idea.

However, Emma quickly refocused on the debate after Albert Spencer loudly proclaimed, "That's a lie!"

There was a murmur throughout the crowd as the lieutenant-mayor raised the gavel, hitting the sounding block several times and calling for order.

"My apologies," the lawyer said, bowing his head towards the town council. He cut a glare at the deputy and smirked darkly. Everything was going exactly as he planned.

Leaning towards each other, the town council whispered amongst themselves. Ms. Ginger held a permanent scowl as Mrs. Frost prattled on about something or another while pointing between Albert Spencer and David Nolan.

Partially turning, Emma whispered to Regina, "What's going on?"

Not bothering with a reprimand, the former mayor distractedly and quietly explained, "Mr. Spencer took offense to Mr. Nolan citing his princely experience." She tried to read the town council members' lips, but it was to no avail. They were too closely huddled. She also couldn't help but wonder why Ms. Ginger or Mrs. Frost took their names off the ballet.

"But he is a prince," Henry supplemented in a stage whisper. His grandfather was Prince Charming.

The sheriff pursed her lips as the council resumed the proceedings. She rested her elbows on her knees and interlaced her fingers. Naturally, her gaze scanned the crowd.

Mrs. Frost leaned forward and spoke into her microphone, "In the public's best interest and with the council's permission, I shall forgo my scripted question for you, Mr. Spencer, and ask an obviously more pressing one." Pausing, she took the quiet audience as a positive sign and continued, "Why exactly do you feel that David Nolan, your son, misrepresented his experience?"

"Because he is, in fact, not my son but James's twin brother," Albert easily responded. Not once did his gaze falter from Mrs. Frost. Once the shocked whispers from the townsfolk started to die down, he added, "After James' untimely death, I was profoundly afflicted with grief, not only for the loss that my wife and I had experienced, but for our kingdom's future as well."

With an impassive expression, Regina studied the whispering crowd as they talked amongst themselves. Some were in heated debate, while others waited with quiet acceptance, much like the council members. Several reporters from the Daily Mirror were hastily jotting down notes. As the gavel struck the block, she refocused on the council. She'd been right. Albert Spencer had effectively cast doubt on the venerable Prince Charming. It wouldn't be enough for him to win but certainly would make victory difficult for David.

"Given this unexpected development, we shall extend each candidate's closing statement to ten minutes," Ms. Ginger said with great authority. "It will not impact the time allotted for the open forum," she added before anyone could protest. Turning to the next council member, she inquired, "Are we ready to resume?"

Hanging her head and glancing briefly at the former mayor, Emma turned to check on Henry. The boy was undeniably distraught over the slanderous news against his Gramps. Did Henry even understand the implications of it?

Looking up, she once again scanned the crowd, this time looking for potential problems. Most of the excitement over the event had waned, but Mary Margaret and the dwarves' unyielding support for David remained steadfast. So, she knew, she thought, watching her mother. Was this why Mary Margaret insisted she back her father? Could David possibly talk himself out of this?

As it turned out, David couldn't quite escape Albert's methodically laid out trap. Sure, the deputy used part of his closing to justify his actions. For instance, he attempted to explain why he broke the deal between himself and King George while still pretending to be Prince James. He heavily played on the True Love he had with Snow White and attempted to capitalize on their daughter breaking the curse. But surprisingly, the deputy's words failed to rally the town behind him or, for that matter, the lawyer. Actually, the townsfolk started to seriously consider the rhetoric of Mitchell Herman, who was Sean's father, and Janet Thatcher, Dr. Thatcher's wife.

"It seems your prediction was correct, Regina," Archie whispered, leaning towards her and ignoring the frown from Leroy.

"It would appear so, Dr. Hopper," the former mayor remarked with a slight frown. She focused on the other two candidates who had some potential, despite one being a former king and the other a low-born noblewoman.

Before the open forum was to begin, a ten minute recess was called to the session. While people milled about talking amongst themselves, various and distinct groups started clustering throughout the gallery. Regina took note of each one. There were the elderly with whom she thought she saw Widow Granger. Then, there were the animal folk. Several were talking with Widow Lucas and Ruby. Occasionally, the waitress would glance over her shoulder at Ms. Blanchard with an almost torn expression. The third notable group, other than the splintered cells of nobles, consisted of the disenfranchised, aka the peasants.

Curious, the former mayor tilted her head as a line, of which Helena Granger was first, began to form down the aisle. It seemed that several representatives from each major group stood in the queue.

Oh, this should be interesting, the former mayor thought, a tad gleefully. The experience would surely be eye-opening for the three kings. No longer would the serfs be content with merely surviving.

There were the usual questions. Would funding of some of the more favored programs continue—such as the downtown beautification project or the no-kill animal shelter or the urban garden parks? Would the hospital and nursing homes receive additional funding for updated equipment? What about a physical therapy wing for the hospital? When could a vocational school be built? It was clear that the general public was greatly invested in their future in this world. This was especially obvious when someone asked David Nolan why it was so important for him to return everyone to the Enchanted Forest; of course, he floundered.

Time was running out, and things had progressed smoothly to that point. That is, until Nathan Flint, a mouse previously known as Jacques, stepped up to the microphone. He worked as a janitor at the town hall and honestly liked his job. However, he was best friends with Billy—the same Billy who had been sweet on Ruby Lucas and brutally murdered by Albert Spencer's goons.

Nervously, Nathan swallowed as he glanced down at his six-by-nine notecard one more time. His eyes cut over to Dr. Hopper, and he smiled briefly. His gaze lingered on the former mayor and sheriff for a moment, offering them both a firm nod. Facing forward again, his voice was strong and confident as he spoke, "Animal folk and peasantry alike, we will no longer remain on the fringes of a society solely controlled by royals and nobles. Life in Storybrooke has taught us that everyone has value, and all our lives have meaning, no matter how small. None of us will allow you or anyone else to take that away from us anymore. So, my question is, how are you going to deal with that?"

As a few people nervously coughed and a few chairs squeaked, the gallery remained deathly quiet. The young janitor waited a moment before taking a step back, believing his words failed. However, as he turned his back on the candidates, several people started clapping, and as he walked back to his seat, he held his head high because almost everyone had joined in the applause—that is to say, everyone who wasn't a noble, with the exception of Mary Margaret, Regina Mills and, most notably, Mitchell Herman.

Unfortunately, none of the candidates were given an opportunity to answer the highly unorthodox question from Nathan as the time for the open forum ran out. Or maybe, that was a blessing. The reporters from the Daily Mirror had instantly loved the question and quickly approached the candidates, making quick promises to speak with the town council members at a later date.

"Come on," Emma said, standing up and motioning for Henry and Regina to follow her. "Let's get out of here."

Wordlessly, the former mayor, her son, and Dr. Hopper followed the sheriff out a side door, bypassing the incredibly excited crowd, and walked towards the parking lot.

After zipping her jacket and stuffing her hands in the front pockets of her jeans, Emma kicked a stray pebble off the sidewalk. She tried not to shiver at the cold night air or miss the radiating warmth from Regina. She did, however, notice the reporter, Gene Gatsby, hurrying towards her, crying, "Sheriff Swan, just one quick question, please!"

The former mayor tried to subtly hurry the sheriff along to her Beetle, but Mr. Gatsby was practically running for them.

"Oh crap," Emma muttered, realizing they couldn't make it to the car without outright running. Although hilarious, it wouldn't really be professional. She pleadingly glanced at Regina and muttered, "What do I do?"

Henry's brow furrowed as he looked between his mothers. This was a new development. He curiously glanced at Archie, who didn't seem so surprised.

"Tell him you have yet to make a decision and will agree to do an interview later," the former mayor hissed, stepping away from the sheriff to stand next to her son and Dr. Hopper.

"Sheriff, what did you think of the mayoral debate?" Gene asked, trying to catch his breath. He flipped over a couple of pages in his notepad.

"It was a lot to take in," Emma stammered. Quickly, she regained her confidence and added, "I'll have to think on it."

"Of course, of course," the reporter nodded, jotting down a few notes. "Do you have a preferred candidate?" His eyes were bright as they darted between the four people. Luckily, he caught them all under a lamppost, giving him enough light to write.

Frowning and slightly irritated by the whole situation, the sheriff crossed her arms, her hands instantly missing their warm pockets. "I don't think it's ethical for me to announce my—."

"Emma!" shouted Mary Margaret, waving to her daughter. "Come join us for the photo!" She took a few more steps towards them.

Adamantly, Emma shook her head. "I can't right now." She took a step back. "It's late," she automatically apologized to Gene. "And it's a school night—way past Henry's bedtime." And Regina's, she thought.

"Oh, of course," the reporter blankly responded, digging in his coat for a business card. "Give me a call at your earliest convenience. Everyone will want to know what the sheriff has to say about her father running for mayor!" With that, he turned and trotted towards the school teacher, obviously looking for an interview.

"Come on, let's get out of here," the sheriff said, sliding the business card in her pocket and ushering everyone towards the car. She was exhausted and mentally burned out. "I'll give you a ride home, Archie," she offered, unlocking the passenger side door.

"That would be greatly appreciated, Emma," Dr. Hopper said, watching as Regina and Henry climbed in the back seat. He smiled to himself, climbing in and fastening his seatbelt. There was hope for this family yet.

~SQ~

END OF PART 3