Regina loosened her grip on the reins, allowing the horse to set its own pace and smiling as it chose to go faster. The wind caressed her face like an old friend and she felt herself relax for the first time since Emma's visit. When she had returned to the campsite Hook had asked why she sent Emma back.

"Because she has a son to take care of. My son." Regina added, in case he had forgotten.

"But you wanted her to stay. I could tell."

"It's been a long day. Can we just eat and get some rest before tomorrow?"

Hook shrugged. "Your call, but if you need to talk…"

"You're great with a sword but I don't think…"

"It's not like you have a lot of choice out here. I'm just offering, you know?"

"Thanks. I'm fine."

Shrugging again, Hook turned back to the small fire he had started. Perhaps if he'd had some form of alcohol it would loosen the Queen's tongue and let her say what she wanted to. He wondered if the portal Emma had come through could be opened long enough to send a request back through to Storybrooke.

Regina's hand reached for the bottle of fairy dust as she slept. She kept hold of it as she began to dream.

Emma was there, in the fuzzy landscape merged from her memories of Storybrooke and the Enchanted Forest. Knowing it wasn't real, Regina approached calmly, using her awareness to change her clothes and reclaim her confidence. The dresses from her Evil Queen days reminded her of the power she had once wielded. They had an interesting effect on Emma, much to her secret amusement.

"Hello there." She greeted her, lowering her voice and smiling at the familiar red jacket.

"Er, hi."

Emma's hands didn't leave her jeans pockets but she drummed her fingers on the denim material as she watched Regina. Walking in a circle around the blonde, Regina smiled. She knew this was just a dream, but somehow she was in complete control and she couldn't decide what to do next.

"What are you doing here, Miss Swan?"

"I don't know. It's not the first time I've had this dream."

The words caught Regina a little by surprise. "How often do you dream of me?"

"A lot." Emma admitted, puzzled that nothing more was happening. "Though usually my dreams are…"

Regina took a step closer, to whisper in her ear. "This isn't your dream."

"Uh…"

"It's mine."

"O-kay." Emma didn't move away. "If it's your dream, what do you want to happen?"

Regina laughed and reached out for Emma's hands. "Come with me."

Emma suddenly felt underdressed as the dreamscape altered to an elaborate ballroom filled with strangers. They moved out of Regina's way, keeping their gazes lowered.

"This is my castle." Regina muttered as they swept through the room. "At least as much as I can remember of it."

"When you were Queen?"

"Yes."

"No one's coming to talk to you."

"They wouldn't dare. One wrong word could upset me."

"Why did you bring me here?"

"To have some fun, and to prove that it's not your dream." Regina pulled Emma into a corner of the room and sneered as she looked down at Emma's clothes. "This will never do."

Even though it was just a dream, Emma swore she could feel magic as her clothes were changed by Regina. She looked down and frowned at the elaborate gown. The only good thing she could think about it was the colour; a rich red that reminded her of the apples in Regina's garden.

"Much better." Regina approved her new appearance with a smile, resting a hand against Emma's waist.

"I always knew you liked my leather jacket," Emma teased, "isn't that why you've chosen this colour?"

With a flick of her wrist, Regina changed the colour to a pale blue, raising an eyebrow as if challenging Emma to comment on it. When the blonde remained silent, a smirk graced her lips and Regina's hands caught her up in a dancers hold. The music grew louder, but it wasn't a song Emma recognised. Regina swept her back onto the dance floor, ignoring the blonde's clumsy footwork.

"Your tree is fine, by the way. In case this isn't just a dream and you can hear me. I've been going round to your garden to check on it. It's been a little dry lately so I watered the ground around it and pulled up some weeds… at least, I think they were weeds. You weren't trying to grow anything there, were you?" Emma's ability to keep up with Regina faltered further as she spoke, losing her concentration.

"No."

"Good."

The music faded away, and Regina released the blonde. She stared at her for a moment, before willing a change in the dreamscape. Now they stood in the centre of Storybrooke, outside the library, at the foot of the clock tower. Regina returned Emma's original clothes.

"Walk with me?" Regina asked. "I like to come here when I dream, to remind myself of the time I spent here with Henry."

"I bet you have a million stories."

"Not quite, but enough… enough to help when it gets dark and I stuck out here alone with the pirate."

"Do you have any regrets?"

"Not about what we're doing. I'm sure the real Emma doesn't either."

"Because I still get to see Henry every day?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to know my biggest regret? I feel like I can tell you, because this is all just a dream."

"Go on, I'm curious about my own imagination for such things."

"I regret not kissing you when I had the chance," Emma admitted, "and it makes me wonder whether you would have stayed if I had."

Regina was silent.

"I guess if I wanted to kiss you now, you'd just say it isn't real again?"

"Strange things happen in dreams."

Emma slipped her hand into Regina's, "is that a no?"

"I admit, I am a little curious…"

Emma smiled, "that's not a no, then."

Before Regina could agree, or disagree, Emma brought a hand up to Regina's cheek as if to steady her and leaned in. Regina's eyes darted to Emma's lips, her own parting in surprise. As soon as the two mouths connected, Regina closed her eyes. It certainly didn't feel like a dream, at least usually in her dreams she couldn't feel warmth from contact with another person and there had certainly been no reaction from her own body as realistic as this before. Her stomach tightened as the kiss continued, and she reached out blindly for Emma, wrapping her arms around the blonde's body until Emma drew back and stared at her.

"If this is just a dream I can't wait to find out what the real thing is like. I swear Regina, the second you come home I'm going to ask to kiss you - I don't care who's watching."

Regina smiled, "it's the only way to prove this isn't just a dream."

Emma slipped her hand into Regina's, "walk with me? At least until I wake up?"

"I would love to."