She woke up in a foreign bed, it took her a while to recognize where she spent the night. It was Emma's second week at Storybrook and she had yet to find a job and a decent place to stay.

After showering Emma rushes out of the bedroom. At the reception of the B&B she walked into Granny and Ruby having one of their daily arguments. It was an early start, but as soon as Emma was noticed the room quieted and Lucas Widow announced she was leaving to open the Diner and left but not before eyeing her granddaughter to which Ruby responded with a deep sight.

"Good morning." Emma cautiously said, waiting for Ruby to recompose herself.

Emma felt uncertain about it, even more after Ruby briefly murmuring something she wasn't quite sure about, but it sure couldn't be anything good. "Mourning," Ruby finally got back to Emma, but in full annoyance. "Can I help you with something?" At least she actually tried sounding like she meant it.

"I kind of needed to ask you something-" Emma just decided it would be better if she tried another time, when things weren't so tense. "It can wait."

Sensing that she was being rude Ruby closed her eyes taking a deep breath and then tried to give the blonde the closest she could manage to a sincere smile. "I'm sorry for that, I shouldn't take it out on you. Let's just start over, okay?"

Emma nodded once. "I'm looking for a job-"

"Oh, we're not hiring." Ruby quickly cut, Granny was a pain in her ass this morning already, and she was very upset the last time she went out offering jobs around, there was no need to experience that again. It was already a exhausting morning.

"Yeah, I know. I was actually going to ask if you don't know of anyone in need of an employee. Do you?"

Ruby seemed to actually taker her time to thing about it, whenever there was someone hiring the diner was the first place they'd go to spread the word, but for months there wasn't any news on that, "I'm sorry, there's been nothing for a while." Emma sighed. What she had to do to get a job in this town? It was nearly impossible that nobody needed an employee. "...If I hear anything I'll let you know."

Emma just gave a weak smile before leaving. "Thanks." Maybe she'd have better luck asking around.


Kathryn and Regina were at the Diner, they usually got together there on weekends to kill time and merge with the townspeople. It was a Saturday, and it meant no work for the whole day for Regina.

"When will I meet her?" Kathryn asked anxiously.

Regina rolled her eyes. "Soon." She always said that, her friend was getting tired of lame old answer. "I promise."

"She's been in town for a while and I haven't even seen her yet." Kathryn complained. "Even Cora met her."

"How do you know that?" Regina said in a fake wonder.

The other woman tried to avoid the question but her friend never let it go easily. Kathryn and Cora had a habit of making what Regina classified as stupid and childish plans behind her back, so if they had a meeting she'd want to know it. With details. "She told me when I walked into to her at the office one of those days... She said she didn't like the girl."

"I should have known..." She whispered to herself. "My mother doesn't like almost anyone."

"That's where you got it fr-" The look on Regina's eyes was enough to make Kathryn think twice before mocking her.

Kathryn was just about to say something when a certain blonde in a leather jacket walked in making her eye roll. How was it that Storybrook never had visitors, but when finally an outsider decided to come in they were the worse of people? She'd never known...

Emma was coming back from one of her unsuccessful searches, she went straight to the counter where Ruby was working.

She sat two stools from the only client at the bar waiting patiently for his request. As soon as the cup of coffee was ready he threw a ten dollar bill and left his stool mindless of the change, just as he passed through Emma on his way out he looked at her with a creepy smile on his lips, a weird glare and a nod.

"Hey..." Ruby said to catch Emma's attention."

"Who was that man?" She asked pointing at the door.

"Mr. Gold. The owner." She told the blonde while placing the money at the cash register.

"He owns this place?"

"He owns half this city." The woman answered like it was nothing. Emma was astonished. "Don't be surprise. He's also the mayor." The waitress got closer to the blonde and checked if no one would be able to hear her whispering, "Rumor has it that Regina Mills will be his successor for the next election." Now Emma was even more surprise. She had no idea that Regina was in to politics. Emma'd have to ask her latter.

The door bell was heard again and this time Mary Margaret came in. She looked at the table where Regina and Kathryn were sitting with something Emma classified as concern before heading to the counter. Ruby scowled and things got a bit intense. None of them said anything to each other, witch was weird. Emma thought they were close friends. Ruby knew Mary was there to catch her afternoon coffee as she did every Saturday, so the waitress handed it to her and collected the payment. Once again, the schoolteacher gave a quick glare at Regina and Kathryn before leaving.

Ruby was gone to attend a costumer and Emma stood there alone with a bunch of confusing thoughts, she faded so far away that she didn't see when a cup of cocoa landed just in front of her. "There you go."

Emma looked at the cup confused. "I didn't order that."

"Yeah I know... Someone else did..." The waitress said looking behind the blonde.

When she turned to look for the person she saw no other then the lady that walked into her on her first day passing by the little town and entered Regina's house. Emma gave a disbelief smile and went at the direction of the table where the unknown blonde and Regina were sitting.

"Hello, ladies." She said with both a fake smile and a fake politeness.

"What do you want?" Kathryn was quick to ask. Last thing she wanted was to have any contact with the infuriating blonde.

"I see you decided to apologize." Emma spoke while placing the cup of cocoa at Kathryn's side of the table. "Look, it was a nice gesture but is a little too late for that so no, thanks."

Kathryn just laughed sarcastically. "You really can't handle yourself, can you?" Her smirk is completely ironic. "I didn't send you anything." She clarified.

Regina, which until now was in silence not really understanding the situation, decided to intervene. "What's happening here?" None of the others answered. "Miss Swan?"

"If you didn't, then who did?"

"I did." A guy with a strange accent said from the other booth beside them.

Emma didn't understand at first, she didn't even know that guy, never seen him before. "You did?" He nodded. "And who are you?"

He stood from his seat. "The name's Graham. I'm the sheriff." Graham offered Emma a hand to shake, which she hasitated for a moment but ended up accepting the gesture. "Care to go for a walk?"

"Uhmmm... Sure." She said uncertain.

And just like that Regina was left once again alone with Kathryn, absiltent moment went by with them trying to fill the blanks of what just happened.

"You know her?" They asked at the same time.

Regina waved a hand so that Kathryn would go ahead first. "She's the rude woman that slammed into me the other day when I was going to your house." She finished and waited for Regina's side of the facts.

"She's the woman who's going to have my baby."

They shared another silent moment.

"Was the sheriff flirting with her?" Regina whispered leaving a confused Kathryn.


Meanwhile Emma and Graham went out for a brief walk. It wasn't a sunny afternoon but the weather was actually pleasant. When the blonde saw where they were heading to she stopped right away.

"So..." Emma can't help her suspicious. "What do you want?"

"I heard you need a job."

"You heard right."

"I might have a job for you. Let's go inside." And next thing Emma knew the sheriff was leading the way to the station and she was following him.

The sheriff's department was actually pretty small, Emma guessed a small calm town such as Storybrook wouldn't need a heavy law enforcement after all. Graham, if Emma remembered the name correctly, went straight to one of his drawers. Look for some papers and what seemed like a badge.

"What kind of job is this?"

"I need a deputy."

"A deputy?! Me?!" Emma thought this could only be a joke. Her? A deputy?

"Kind of... Why not?" He asked in all seriousness. "It's actually for some office paperwork," He pointed to a big filing cabinet. "I need to get these into a computer. We can try for a week. See if you can handle." She still hesitated. "You'll only have to work out of the office when strictly necessary... It shouldn't be that hard a job."

She thought for a last moment and seeing that this was the only offer she received in weeks there was only one right answer, "Okay."

"You can start on Monday. I only need you to do a couple of things." He got her both the papers and the badge that seemed to have sat on his drawers for forever. "I'll need you to fill these..." Then her turned and pointed to a uniform hanging at a corner. "And wear that..."

Emma couldn't believe. "I'm not even leaving the office, why should I wear that thing?"

"Technically... You're going to be a local authority."

There was no way she was wearing that thing. "A tie? You know, you don't have to dress a woman as a man to give her authority."

"So you think you can get people to do what you want in that red coat?" He mocked her.


It was late and Regina was in front of the door to Emma's room at Granny's. She knocked and waited patiently for the blonde to open.

Emma seemed surprised to see Regina on her door at this hour.

"Hi."

"Hello, Miss Swan-"

"Emma." She corrected the woman. For a while now Emma'd been trying to get Regina to use her first name, she was having her baby after all. So every time she came with Miss Swan, Emma corrected her on the spot. And she'd do it until Emma just came out naturally.

"Emma." Regina tried again with a smile. "I just wanted to apologize about Kathryn. She's a little impulsive sometimes."

That name rang no bells to Emma whatsoever, no matter how hard she tried to remember, "Who's Kathryn?"

"The woman you had an argument with at the diner earlier today," Regina explained.

"Oh... Didn't know her name." She never had the time to ask or catch it. "You don't have to apologize, she has."

"She won't." Regina stated knowingly, Kathryn was too sure this one was on Emma to offer an apology.

"I'm patient." Emma said smiling.

Regina had just recently met Emma but she started to feel that this blonde was just as stubborn as her friend. Would take a while before those two made peace.

"Can I ask you what the sheriff wanted?" She decided to change the subject.

Emma gave her a bright smile. "He gave me a job." Regina could see she was proud and excited all at once, but it didn't easy her worries about her surrogate working for the sheriff's office.

"As what?"

"Deputy. Kind of."

"What?!" There it was, she could feel a migraine starting. How could Emma accept to work as deputy? She was pregnant. With her child.

"I'll be the deputy. That's what he named me." The blonde made it clear.

"No, you're not." Regina was firm. How could she expect Regina to go with this.

"What?!"

"You're pregnant, Emma, you can't go around playing cop."

"Okay..." She laughed nervously. "I- I'm not leaving that job. I'll not even be on the str-"

But Regina insisted. "I can arrange you another one-"

There she was again with her offers, Emma didn't even let her finish, "I'm not leaving the job. Forget it!"

"You are." The brunette said in orderly manner.

"Look Regina, I find it really nice of you to be concerned and all but you don't get to boss me around. I'm not one of your employees." She said making a point. "I don't own you my life."

"Well, Miss Swan, I own the baby."

With that Emma didn't even think of what she was about to do, the blonde slammed the door at Regina's face.

"Unbelievable..." She murmured from the inside.

"I can't believe this just happened..." Regina whispered from the outside.


Emma was avoiding any kind of conversations with her, so the brunette never knew that she was only working inside the office. She already tried calling the station, but Emma was the one answering the phone and every time she'd just hang up on Regina. She tried speaking with the sheriff but he insisted denying her more information or dismissing Emma.

And Emma spent her first week or so in the job without ever telling the sheriff about the pregnancy or her situation with Regina. There was no sign of her pregnancy still, and she decided to just keep working and untill she'd have to come clean about it all and tell her new boss.

A few days ago the nausea started and together with it some subtle mood changes.

Emma was sleeping when hard knocking on her door woke her up. She was still sleepy and didn't even realize how she was dressed, or undressed, she only got up and walked the few steps to open the door and be face to face with none other than Regina.

Regina didn't say a word about the woman being in her panties, she used all of her self control not to show that she indeed noticed it. But Emma was quickly uncomfortable with the situation.

"Good morning." Regina spoke first attempting to give Emma a while to recompose.

"Look, if came to ask me to leave my work again you're wasting your time." Emma was uncomfortable but still very firm with her decision.

Too early to be stressed out. Before Regina could say anything the nausea took over the blonde and she lost her balance for a brief moment leaning on doorstep.

Regina quickly offered a hand for Emma to lean in but her help was quickly refused. "I'm fin-" Emma didn't even fish the sentence. She felt the sickness growing through her stomach and ran into the bathroom. Regina right behind her.

Regina walked in just in time to see Emma putting what was probably her dinner. She looked outside the room taking a deep breath and deciding she had to be strong enough she turned back to walking and help Emma. Who for once accepted her assistance.

"I'm taking you to the doctor." Regina said firmly.

After flushing and washing her mouth and face Emma sighed tiredly. "I'm fine, it's just morning seekness. It's normal, happens to all pregnant women." Regina wasn't much convinced but before she could say anything Emma asked, "What do you want?"

"I just came to tell you that we have another appointment scheduled in two weeks and to see how you were doing." Emma had never seen Regina like this, she seemed too embarrassed to look her in the eyes and when she spoke again her voice was too little to be Regina's, "You didn't call me yesterday..."

"I was busy at work." Emma felt bad for it.

"Does the sheriff know?"

"No."

"When are you telling him?"

Emma walked out the bathroom to sit at her bed for a while, "Soon."

"If you need-"

"I know. I'll let you know."

"Okay, then."

With that Regina left and Emma just stayed at the bed for a moment alone with her thoughts.


"Sheriff, may I have a word with you?" Regina entered the station like she was walking into one of her offices.

Just as Graham stood to greet her formally he knew whatever Regina Mills had come for, it couldn't be anything good just by the death glare pointed his way.

"Miss Mills." He gestured for Regina to take a seat. "Of course. How can I help you?"

"I want you to fire her." She demanded straight away.

"Who?"

"Miss Swan. I want you to fire her, she can't work here."

"Why not?"

She didn't want to tell anyone yet, but the man wasn't making it any easy on her, she would just tell him the truth, sooner or later everyone would know it anyway, why not start now? "What I'm about to tell you is a very personal thing, and I hope you are very discreet about it." Graham quickly agreed silently to keep whatever she was about to tell between them, "Miss Swan is pregnant, it's her early days of gestation yet so we can't see it. And that's why I need you to discharge her."

"And how is it a personal thing of yours?"

"Because she's having my baby." Regina stood from the chair and looked down on him. "Just remember, Graham, I made you sheriff as a favor. I expect you to return that favor now."

With her purse in hand Regina started her walk to the exit.

"She's only doing my files."

Regina stopped before she could reach the door.

"You should talk to her."


Emma had just finished dressing up and was ready to leave the room and start her day at work when the knock on her door invaded her silent bedroom.

"Please do not be Regina..."

She was relieved it wasn't Regina and that she was fully clothed this time around. Instead she opened the door to find a very nervous Mrs. Lucas on the other side.

"This is embarrassing." The Widow seemed to look for the best words to announce whatever she had come to, but by the sentence she ended up saying it wasn't a successful task, "You'll have to leave."

"Wha- Why?" Emma was so sure she had done absolutely nothing wrong since becoming a client here. God she hadn't done anything out of line since meeting Regina.

Mrs. Lucas simply handed her the newspaper. "I'm afraid we have a no felons rule. It's a city ordinance."

There it was. A big photo. And a full page covering on her dubious background, all the little things she ever did throughout life in one page.

"You can gather your things but I'll need the room key back."

And just like that Emma handed the keys.


Regina walked into her office a few minutes before this morning, she asked her secretary to schedule an emergency meeting this morning. This one wasn't actually related to the company. Not even close to it.

She was finishing organizing her files over the table when the door bursted open and a rushed Emma walked in with her secretary just behind trying and failing to stop the blonde.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Mills." The secretary immediately apologized, Regina had very strict rules about unpermitted visitors. For her fortune it didn't seem to bother he boss.

"It's okay, you can go." Regina's secretary left with relief taking for granted that apparently her mistake wouldn't be held against her this time. Emma was all the bit furious. "I take you read the newspaper today."

"What the hell is this, Regina?" Emma demanded an explanation while throwing the newspaper with her photo on the page right on the table.

"I'll handle it, Miss Swan, they-"

"Don't gimme that crap! They have my whole life in this damn thing. I want an explanation!"

"I don't know what happened but I am working on it right now." But Regina's answer wasn't achieving to settle the blonde. "Look, this isn't good for me neither and only thing I can do is ask you to trust me. Can you trust me?"

If Regina had asked that very question days back Emma would answer yes, without a doubt she trusted Regina. Right now she wasn't sure there was anyone she could actually trust. But rethinking her options ther-

A polite knock on the door shook Emma out of her thoughts. Regina stood looking at Emma, waiting for an answer and the small nod from the blonde was enough for now.

"Came in." Regina broke the silence.

"Mr. Glass is here." The secretary announced.

"Send him in after Miss Swan leaves." Was Regina's answer before she was left alone with a very confused Emma. She made her way to Emma's side of the table. "He is the chief editor of the city's newspaper, I requested his presence right away after I saw it." She explained. "I know this will be hard for you to take but I can deal better with him on my own."

Emma didn't want to leave. "I have a right to-"

"I know you do, but I'm asking you to leave because it'll be best if I'm alone with this man. You already are too shaken up and it's not good for you or your health."

Emma had to admit Regina was right, her hands were fisted so close she could feel her nails pressuring her palm. "You better make this worth." That was all she said before walking out.

Regina didn't have to wait a full minute before her door was opened and Sidney Glass walked in.

"You're late." She practically barked at him but was calm enough to head point him to take a seat across from her.

"I'm sorry. I was not prepared to be here this ear-"

"I would love to sit here and enjoy whatever fairytale you'll offer about your morning but I have no time for this." Regina just turned the lastest edition of The Mirror his way. "Care to explain, Mr. Glass?"

That was a very twisted man, Regina concluded as he smiled highly proud with his work. "Oh, that's our new format. A bit aggressive but I like it, did you like it? It's one of my better hatchet jobs."

Regina couldn't believe what that man was telling her. Was he so stupid to genuinely think she would approve this? "Are you an idiot? You just made my private life public for everyone in this town to see and you're seriously asking me if I like it?" He's face instantly closed in fear. "Well, I hated it Mr. Glass. I really hope you can make note on your next edition to rectify this total fiasco of a newspaper." He nodded nervously getting up from his chair. "I didn't say you could leave." Regina said firmly and he immediately sat and swallowed hard. "You should take whatever you've been using as a source away from the sheriff's office." Sidney's eyes widened. "How do I know, right? Just don't underestimate me. If you want to keep your job you better fix this mess." Again he's nervously nodding. "You may leave now."

Sidney Glass was never so relieved to leave a room.


Emma walked into the station to a very concerned sheriff. No doubt he already read what would come out as gossip of the mouth, maybe of the year.

"Hey..." Emma wasn't anything sure about how to walk through that conversation. It was all kinds of awkward explaining to her boss that she was pregnant.

"You're pregnant." Graham was direct even if he was a bit displaced having to talk about it.

"I was going to tell you about that... But… Things just..." She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "...It's complicated."

"And you have criminal record."

"You've got to be kidding me." Emma practically whispered.

"I'm afraid that I'll have to discharge you after all."

"Okay..." She spoke with dismay.

"I'm sorry."


He was desperate. Didn't know what to do. After finding himself into this total mess David was desperate and he needed help. Too bad that the only one who could actually help him was the one who most disapproved the whole situation. But he needed to give it a shot at least, with a deep breath he walked into Granny's diner walking straight to Ruby.

"Hey. Uhmm. I know you don't like any of this but I need to ask you a favor." He waited for the waitress to say something, anything really, but Ruby wasn't for words, not with him that is. "Can you give Miss Blanchard this?" He hands an envelope over the counter looking around trying his best to avoid suspicious eyes.

Ruby, who didn't bother to even look at him just until he tried to hand her the damn envelope just furiously stared David. "Miss Blanchard?" She sure knew how to fix her sarcasm when she wanted to. "You're such an unique specimen David. How can you call Mary Margareth Miss Blanchard with that much fake respect?"

"I respect her." He returned right away.

"No, you don't. If you did you wouldn't be fooling around with her like this."

"I'm not fooling around, I like her, I really do I just-"

"I don't like you. But that's not the only reason why I'm not doing any favors to you." Luck for Ruby a costumer just called for her, and she didn't have to stay longer to listen more of David's excuses.

Accepting he would have to find another way to get to Mary Margareth David got back the envelope to leave, but someone stoped him just a few stops away from the counter.

"Hey!"

He immediately turned to the blonde, he wasn't one for gossip but it would be impossible to go by Storybrook not knowing who the woman was. Her photo was on their local newspaper and she did get a full page about her.

"I can help you." Emma offered, but David was still unsure. "I can take it to her. You just need to tell me where to go." Emma pointed the envelope.

"I don't even know you."

"I know her. I'm an... Old friend of hers." David was still not sure about it. "You can trust me."

But even with his uncertainty counting down his options there wasn't much he could do, and it would be much easier if someone could just deliver the letter. So he decided to do it, "Just... Tell her I'm sorry?"

"Okay I'll tell her that..." She pointed to him waiting for a name.

"David."

"...David said he's sorry."


After getting directions to where she should go, Emma drives for about five blocks until she reached what seemed to be one of those old buildings people turned into studio apartments. She entered and two staircases up was Mary Margareth Blanchard's door.

Three knocks and she waited, the gentle voice inside had just assured she'd been heard. Mary Margareth seems mostly surprised, but Emma can see a hint of fear there too.

"Hi..."

Emma smiled trying to cool it off. "Hello, Blanchard." Mary Margareth is actually too worried, "It's okay. I just came to give you this." She said handing the envelope to a still not recovered Mary Margaret. "A guy... David? He says he's sorry."

"Oh..." The teacher understood right away what this was about. But she wasn't happy, relieved or calm. "Thank you."

At first Emma was too nervous and she unreasonably hesitated to leave, she gave one of the worst smiles she'd probably managed to come up with before turning to go away.

"You look like you need to talk."

That was enough to stop Emma before she gave a second step and turned back. "I'm not sure if you'll be pleased to hear it. I'll probably end up crying my hormones out."

Emma wasn't more than shame and uncertainty personified, but the look she found in Mary Margareth's eyes and the space she made opening the door half convinced her this was a good idea. But the very balanced "Come in." was what did the trick.

And just like that Emma was inside the apartment occupying a seat at the kitchen table while Mary Margareth fixed them both some hot cocoa and homemade cookies.

Emma was sure the woman was some kind of Wisard or something. She did everything so right Emma was convinced there wasn't any wrong getting in and she eased her even more with a gracefully cup of cocoa and, "Cinnamon?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I should have asked." Mary said concerned.

"I kept that habit too." Emma said feeling lighter with what must have been her first smile that day.

But the easiness of the moment was broken with Mary Margareth's concern. "So you remember?"

"I knew that I had met you already but I couldn't remember from where. Then when I heard your last name it all just linked."

A nervous laughter left Mary Margareth's lips, "I heard they send you to one of those youth detention center."

"Yeah. He was a decent guy, so. Couldn't do much about it."

"You were innocent."

Emma's discomfort started to raise again. She'd been years without talking about this. And she didn't want to open that door so soon. Mary Margareth seemed to notice it, she didn't seem to have the will to relieve such days.

"Are you really pregnant with Regina's baby?" Wasn't the best topic of conversation, but it was better considering...

Emma reached for one of the cookies. "Yeah. We're in one of these surrogate parenting programs."

"How does it work?" Mary Margareth asked with so much fascination Emma wasn't sure if she was genuine or not.

"Well..." Emma thought the process through, "I signed up for it. After they analyzed my petition they called me saying I was accepted, I went to the interview with the possible mothers phase and I chose Regina. Shortly after we started this in vitro thing. So now I have her egg and a donor's sperm growing inside me."

After that sentence Emma's facial expression changed completely. She hadn't spoken these words yet. She knew she was pregnant but now it was like everything just collapsed on her back.

"Are you okay?" Mary Margareth was concerned the blonde might be having some kind of malaise.

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine." But Emma wasn't fine, she had gone through some awful days, she was without a job, without a place to stay and she was actually pregnant.

Mary Margareth immediately changed the subject and started blabbering about the unusual things she witnessed with the classes he thought throughout the week. But as hours passed by Emma decided it was time for her to leave.

"It was nice seeing you again but I'm leaving town tomorrow and I have a couple of things to do early, so. I gotta go."

"You're leaving?!"

"Yes. Things just didn't turn out the way I thought they would... No job, no place to stay, knocked up. So I better just go back to Boston."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it's for the best." Emma said trying to convince herself as she walked to the door..."

"Emma! Wait, I... I saw you at your car." Emma didn't quite understand what she was talking about. "You've been sleeping there."

"I've slept in worst places..." Emma assured her.

"You know, I don't have much but you can use my couch."

"Oh, thanks but... I'm not really the roommate type." Emma quickly declined the invitation. She couldn't intrude like that.

"It's only for the night." But Mary Margareth insisted, "you'll be leaving tomorrow anyway."

Emma thought about the offer, it would be good to spend a night somewhere she wouldn't have to shrink to fit in. Couldn't that bad.

"Okay then. Only for the night."


As soon as she finished her day at the office Regina went to see Emma at B&B but for her surprise the blonde wasn't sleeping there for the last couple of days. After leaving she had no idea where to find Emma, she tried calling but went straight to voicemail. Having no success finding Emma, Regina headed home, maybe she was just still angry about the newspaper. That would be understandable.

Maybe she'd have more luck the next day.

And indeed before she reached the diner she saw the yellow beetle parked and walked towards it right away. She felt a relief breath leave her mouth as soon as Emma Swan was spotted at the driver's seat calmly reading the newspaper with donuts and coffee for breakfast. And with those eating habits there was no time to be relieved at all. Regina enters the car and takes the donuts and the coffee away. Emma was sure she would have thrown the hot cup at Regina had she not taken it from her. That spooked her for life.

"What the fuck? Are you trying to kill me?!" She said recovering from the moment.

"With those eating habits I think I'll not be in time to cause any damages." Regina said like entering the car like that was just something they did on a daily basis. She took in her surroundings and grimaced. "It's not as terrible as thought would be from the inside."

Emma threw the newspaper away to focus on Regina. "What do you want?" She wasn't in for blabbering.

"Where are you sleeping?" And so wasn't Regina. Good.

"What?"

"Well, since the Widow Lucas was very kind to inform you're no longer allowed to sleep at her bed and breakfast I was just curious."

Emma swallowed. She thought about lying but Regina wasn't stupid, she'd figure it out. She wasn't fit to pass a lie through Mary Margareth, trying to fool Regina wasn't gonna work. "I slept at the bug for a couple of days and then Mary Margaret offered her couch for one night."

"You what?" Regina said quickly with a disbelief glare for the blonde.

Emma made a face and closed her eyes. "I slept at Mary's couch for the night?" She slightly opened the left eye to spy Regina's reaction, and she could swear that Regina could murder her with only that glare. "It's not a big deal, I'll be going back to Boston where I'll have a bed to spent the night from no..." Emma's words died slowly.

"You're going to Boston?" Regina was in chock a bit, she frowned upon the piece of information.

"Yeah. I was about to go tell you. It just-"

"Why?"

"I don't have a job, I don't have a place to stay and I'm having your kid."

"He discharged her." She murmured to herself but Emma couldn't understand it. "What happened to the job?"

Emma swallowed, she didn't know how to tell Regina the reason she was fired. She knew the woman most probably have read about it on her personal section on the newspaper but it wasn't the same to confess it out loud to her. "Something about that newspaper. I don't really want to talk about it." Emma turned her face away in shame. "I'm leaving soon, I was just waiting to tell you that and say goodbye."

Regina didn't know how to react to this. Emma Swan was something quite unexpected in her life, that woman was out of her reach. She tried to keep the handle over the situations. She might be trying too hard to control everything, to keep her perfect integrity, and the fear of someone, anyone, messing with it was huge. But with Emma she just seemed to be learning how to be okay with the twists and turns life might throw her way.

And that's why she was so willing to make that offer. "You don't have to leave."

"I do. I told you I don't-"

"I spoke with Grah- the sheriff." She corrected herself before going for the first name. And she blamed Emma for always correcting her when Miss Swan came out. "He told me what you were working at."

"Oh..."

"I can ask him to give you the job back. And you can work from..." Regina was unusually unsure, "Home."

It was the longest wait Regina's had to endure and yet only a few seconds went by.

"Home?" Emma said confused with a weak laugh. "Where's home?" She tuned to look Regina with a half smile.

"You can live with me... I have a spear bedroom. And a study, so you can work from there."

"Are you asking me to move in?" Emma's still not believing what Regina is proposing.

"If you want to." Emma was astonished, and Regina decided it was best to give her a while to think about it, so with a cup of coffee and deciding to leave the donuts at the seat she got up from she spoke, "I'll be waiting for your decision."


Regina was ready for bed but couldn't find her sleep she still hadn't heard from Emma, so that might mean that the blonde actually decided to get back to Boston after all. She was just closing the door to the study when the doorbell sounded, she tried peak through the window but here wasn't anyone outside. She was sure that had been just some kids pranking when the yellow beetle entered her line of sight making her smile. Finally! Something she did right concerning Emma Swan.

Shee faced the closed door she took a deep breath before reaching the knob.

Emma seemed to have just found something worth her attention at the floor. "Hey... About that spare room..." She raised her head to face Regina.

Regina smiled and made some space so the blonde could finally come in.