"So, what do you do, Regina? I already know you wander hospital hallways and attend concerts alone. I had all these scenarios made up. Thought I might have imagined you, to be honest. Or, that maybe you were a nun bent on cheering up the whole hospital."

Regina popped an eyebrow and looked pointedly down at her dress and stilettos.

"Yeah. The whole nun thing went out the window when I saw you tonight. You've got legs all the way to hell, sister. Just saying."

The laughter that filled the dressing room was gorgeous and Emma wished she could mimic the exact sound of it on the piano. Melodious; baroque and bells.

"Actually, I am the mayor of a small town in Maine." Regina chuckled (fine sandpaper against mahogany), and Emma's fingers itched for her piano even more. "Not as exciting as you imagined, Miss. Swan?"

"Please, call me Emma. And, I've got to ask...how did the mayor of a small town in Maine end up alone at a concert in Boston? MY concert. I had almost given up hope that I'd ever see you again."

"I was stood up!"

Emma was astonished.

"Who the hell would stand YOU up?!" "My friend Kathryn would, it seems. She will be receiving an irate phone call when I get back to my hotel. I..." Emma could see that Regina was considering what to say next, and her body leaned closer to the flustered woman against her will. "I'm really glad I came alone, though. I have never experienced anything so freeing as your music, and I think Kathryn might have been amused by my reaction to you." Regina's face flushed. "My reaction to your music, rather." She amended, to Emma's chagrin.

Emma felt her own blush creep up her neck and into her cheeks. She had felt a pull toward Regina that day in the hospital, but it was nothing compared to the gravity tugging her toward her now. Emma was a photon swirling against the event horizon of a black hole, and she was very ok with that. She wanted to know anything and everything there was to know about the woman perched on a pile of sweaty, discarded clothing in front of her. She wanted to be absorbed...study the way Regina moved, laughed, blushed. The elegant way she used her hands while speaking. The feeling should have been frightening, but it felt comfortable and right instead. The two women regarded one another in silence for a moment, eyes locked. Then, Emma cleared her throat and asked the question she'd wanted to ask since their first meeting.

"What were you doing in the hospital that day? "Her voice was careful in case she was crossing a line. "Because I know you weren't only there to be my guardian angel, as much as I wanted to believe my guardian angel was a beautiful woman in fashionable yet serviceable shoes."

Regina considered the question, her eyes clouding over for a moment.

"I was...picking someone up."

Emma was intrigued, but didn't want to push. She could tell her question had unsettled the other woman, and had decided to continue with another line of questioning when Regina's eyes cleared, a small, involuntary smile gracing her lips.

"I was picking my son up, actually. His name is Henry. He'd never forgive me if I didn't at least mention him to you." Regina's eyes sparkled at the mere thought of her son (Regina has a son?) and Emma's heart rolled over in her chest for a reason she couldn't explain. "He was irritated that I didn't bring him to the concert tonight, as he adores you and your music."

"I would be honoured to meet him someday." Emma blurted, a thousand unasked questions flopping around in her mind.

"Oh, he'd love that. It's his birthday next month and he has asked for the typical preteen boy stuff, except he'd like a gift card to buy your latest album. He...he told me I'd love you, right before I walked into the venue tonight. He was right." Regina faltered, a blush rising into her cheeks. "What I mean is, you are certainly an experience, Emma Swan."

"Thank you. As are you. I felt a real...ummm..." Emma searched for the correct words for what Regina had given her in those few moments in the hospital, but was interrupted by a polite knocking at the door. She scrubbed her hand over her face, trying to wipe away the mild frustration before she got up and answered the knock, revealing David.

"Is it time to go already?" She knew her voice sounded whiny, but that couldn't be helped.

"Unfortunately, yes. Everything is loaded up. Just waiting on the talent." David winked, to which Emma rolled her eyes.

"All right. Can I just have another moment?" Emma glanced at Regina who had pulled a slip of paper from her purse and was scribbling on it. "I'll be right out. Just need to gather a few things."

"Ok. 5 minutes?"

"See you in 5."

Closing the door and slumping against it, Emma drew a breath from the very tips of her toes and then crossed the room toward the still scribbling brunette.

"Whatcha writing?" The delicate hand stopped writing and bottomless burnt whiskey eyes jumped up to meet green. "Oh. I...my cell number, e-mail, home address. For you. I would prefer for there not to be another 10 years between us." Regina bowed her head to finish writing, folded the slip of paper, and then stood to tuck the paper into Emma's outstretched hand. Emma's fingers wrapped around both the paper and Regina's hand, and she couldn't quite make herself let go.

"It was really...wonderful...seeing you again. Thank you for coming back here. I just..." Another knock at the door, this one more persistent.

"Ok-ok! I'm coming!" Emma huffed, but then squeaked as she felt herself being pulled into a very tight, very fragrant hug. As a general rule, Emma didn't do hugs, but she wasn't about to stop herself from clamping her arms around this woman as though everything depended on it.

And, maybe it did.

"I am so glad I was right." Came a raspy, amused voice...oh so deliciously close to her ear.

"Right about what?" Emma whispered into chocolate hair.

"You. That things would turn out for you. As broken as you seemed, you were still such a shining light. I just knew you were special." Emma shivered, her eyes welling with tears.

"Thank you. Really."

"I suppose I must go." Regina let go of Emma, regret painted all over her face. "Please, if you have time in your busy schedule, keep in touch."

Emma nodded, knowing that she would make time. Probably sooner than would be considered cool.

"Goodbye, Regina."

"Goodbye, Emma Swan."

Regina winked, and then stepped out the door.

Regina padded out of the hotel bathroom in a towel and bare feet. After the eventful evening she'd had, the shower had felt like heaven. Kind of like hugging Emma Swan and finding out that she really enjoyed the warm strength of the other woman's body, But, she wasn't going to go there. Not yet.

Instead, she donned a set of silky pajamas, slipped between the sheets of the luxurious hotel bed and pulled her laptop into her lap to distract herself. There were always e-mails to be checked and answered, forms to be filled out, budgets to be balanced. Settling against cloud-like pillows (and making a mental note to stay at this hotel again if only for the bed), she connected to the wifi and chuckled when she was promptly notified of new mail. She scanned the ones from earlier in the day first. The usual budget update requests, irate messages from townsfolk, an e-mail she'd missed from Kathryn explaining that she'd been called into an emergency meeting, which was immediately followed by a trip overseas to deal with an issue there. Regina was glad being the mayor of a small town was small potatoes compared to Kathryn's job...acting CEO of Midas Gold. She shot an encouraging e-mail back and mentioned that perhaps they could attend the second Boston concert together in a couple of months.

Just as she was about to pack it in for the night, her laptop chimed her e-mail notification again.

Swan, Emma
12:47AM

Regina opened the e-mail the way Henry opened Lego at Christmas.

Dear Regina,

I know it's only been, what, 2 hours since we last spoke?I promised myself I would wait until tomorrow, play it at least a little cool, but here I am. I've never been cool, and you can't teach an old dog new tricks, or so I have heard. ;)

We are headed toward New York tonight. Show there tomorrow night, and then on to Washington. Touring is weird...a lot of hurry up and wait. I'm writing now because I'm in wait mode, and wired for sound.

I don't know if this question is too personal or not, but, you never mentioned why you were picking your son up at the hospital. Did something happen? Is he ok now? Anyway, I just wanted to check in and make sure you had my contact info as well. I should probably get some sleep as today is going to be a very busy day.

Thank you for being there tonight, and for the things you said. I appreciate it.

I have attached direct download links to my entire discography. Please wish your son an early happy birthday from me.

Yours,
Emma Swan