The gaggle of Fairy Tale misfits dispersed from Regina's front lawn, a snippy little Snow White the last go. From the protection of David's shadow, she gave Regina one last glare, and saved a confused frown for Emma, her daugher, before she left.

Emma ran her hands through her long, blond hair before she turned to Regina. "We need to talk."

Regina waved toward her front door. "After you, Sheriff."

She followed Emma through the main foyer, wondering which way Emma would head. To her slight disappointment, they were heading to the Mayor's office. She lay a hand on Emma's elbow. The aura of magic did not reappear. "Perhaps you would be more comfortable in the living room? I don't think you've had a chance to go home yet, have you?"

Emma still wore the same maddeningly distracting tight pants. She rubbed her hands across her eyes. "Yeah, you're right."

The tired look bothered Regina more than she wanted to admit. She excused herself and returned a few minutes later with a tray of tea and biscuits to find Emma curled up in the corner of her white sofa, gently snoring. She put down the tray and stood over Emma, the tingle of magic at her fingertips.

"So simple. One quick spell and I'd be rid of a rival. Snap, and Henry is mine again! Wouldn't that just break Snow's heart. Discovery her long lost child and lose her the same day."

Emma rolled and opened her eyes. "Sorry, what were you saying?"

Regina stepped back and settled in the arm chair. "Nothing of importance, Ms. Swan, nothing of importance." She gestured to the tray. "Some tea?"

"Thanks." Emma sat up and reached for a buscuit. Her hand stopped half way.

Regina reached for the same buscuit and took a bite. "See, quite safe."

"Can you blame me, after what you put Henry through."

Regina crushed the buscuit in her hand. "That was never meant for Henry."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better? Why wouldn't you try that trick again?"

Why indeed. Regina brushed the crumbs off her lap and back to the tray. "Let's just say things are different now."

"Because the curse is broken."

#

Emma watched Regina warily as she leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs. Her black skirt rode up to expose a well shaped leg above high black boots. She shifted her gaze quickly before she got caught staring. "We need to talk about Henry."

Regina's gaze darkened. "Legally, Henry is mine. That hasn't changed."

"And ethically, he belongs with me."

Regina laughed. "Ethically? After all you've heard about me, as Mayor and Queen. What makes you think ethics has any place in my life?"

"You said it yourself, things have changed." Emma took a leap of faith bigger than when she followed Regina's and Gold's directions to save Henry. She grabbed a biscuit and rammed it in her mouth before she lost the courage.

Regina lifted one graceful black eyebrow. "Show of bravado?"

"Show of faith," she said over the remnants of biscuit. "Look, I just want to say it took the two of us to save him. Maybe it's time we worked together for what's best for him, instead of for us."

Regina tapped her graceful fingers on her thigh for a long time before answering. "Yes, things have changed, you have changed."

Emma shrugged. "Not as much as everyone else around here."

The front door boomed. Once, twice. The third time, the door exploded in splinters of wood that blew across the floor in a burst of wind and rain. Regina jumped out of her chair and Emma followed.

#

Regina stared at the dark figure silluette in the remnants of a doorway. She recognized the lean, and the cane. "Most guests wait for someone to open the door, Mr. Gold."

He limped forward. "Twenty eight years, Regina. I've waited twenty eight years."

"Blame your intrepid Savior. Was I to know she would take that long?"

"You kept Belle from me for twenty eight years," he said, still making his way through the foyer.

She felt the menace of power surrounding him as he approached. "I kept everyone from everyone. That's why they called it a curse."

"And you think it's not over yet, but it is."

His words suggested he guessed the other layers of her spell were in tact. The twisted little man always knew too much.

Emma stepped out of the living room to Regina's side. "What's going on? Who's Belle?"

Regina held an arm in front of her. "Stay out of this. It has nothing to do with you."

Emma pushed past. "When someone blows up a door in Storybrooke it damn well is my business. You and I need to have a little talk in my office, Mr. Gold."

"She told you to stay out of it Miss Swan!" Gold raised his cane. A nexus of power gathered at the tip and shot out.

"No!" Regina reacted without thinking. She pulled Emma down and lifted her arms to protect them both. She bore the brunt of Gold's spell, syphoning off the magic until the power diminished and faded. She felt sick to her stomach from the effort, but not too sick to miss that glow of magic that lingered where her body touched Emma's.

She looked up and saw Gold's eyes glued to Emma as well. "Get out of my house, toad man."

He lowered his cane and glanced between Regina and Emma, who was slowly rising from the floor. His anger faded to a sardonic smile. "Well, that was unexpected. Most unexpected."

Regina felt more drained than she expected. He really was going to kill Emma Swan out of hand. "Get the hell out!"

He inclined his head once, and then turned, that tell tale smile still on his face. He tapped his way back out the ruined doorway. Regina had seen that expressions before and it didn't bode well for her or Emma.