Hey, everyone. This is a short one because...my computer crashed on me. I'm so sad. I'm trying to save my stories and music but have no clue how to do it. Anyway, hopefully I'll have more chapters up soon. This was all I had saved to my jump drive. I'm sorry but enjoy this...

Chapter 7

After several minutes, Emma had enough of faking sleeping. "Regina?" she lightly asked the room. If the woman was asleep she'd just go read or something to calm her brain.

"What, Ms. Swan?" Regina huffed, pretending that the blonde just broke her strong concentration on grasping sleep that was inches away from her. That was further from the truth but no one needed to know that.

"What was your favorite book when you were a kid?" Emma hesitantly asked but desperate to talk. Talking usually helped her drift off if she did not have a book with her.

"Is that really important right now?"

"It was important when you were a kid so, yes. It still is."

"Why?" Regina muttered, slowly pulling old memories from the back of her mind.

"For nostalgia reasons I guess. I can't sleep and talking usually helps." Emma tried coaxing the woman into a conversation.

"I can't recall."

"Oh, please, Editor in Chief, you remember your first favorite book." Emma strained her ears in the quietness hoping to hear any tiny sound of an answer from the brunette. The silence stretched on long enough that Emma thought she wouldn't get a response at all. Until very quiet and hesitant words floated to her ears.

"I can't recall." There was a pause and Emma waited knowing there was more to it. "My father read to me at a very young age. Anything he was reading or could find at the time. There was one book he read often enough that I assume was his favorite. It became mine as well even though I didn't know what it was about. Not really. I just remember listening to him."

Emma was taken aback by how much Regina told her. She had never talked about her past or special memories and she knew that is exactly what that was. Her voice was laced with nostalgia and fondness in a way Emma had never heard. It took a long few moments before she found her voice. "Mine was Matilda." Emma admitted almost sheepishly.

Surprising them both, Regina let out a throaty chuckle. Suppressing her shock, Emma reveled in the sound for a quick moment before it became too contagious. She chuckled along for a moment before breathing enough to talk. "What's so funny about that?"

Regina gathered herself once again to tease the blonde. "A story about a young, genius, girl so set on righting injustice against awful adults she gains powers? I can't see how you would love that story."

Emma smiled at her sarcastic tone. "Can you blame me? I see that you've gathered enough intel from my parents to know I wasn't exactly a goody two-shoes."

"It might have been the story of how you stole the family boat when you were six."

"I didn't steal it. I just took it out for a spin. I was going to bring it back as soon as I got the hang of driving it." Emma countered. Her mother loved telling that story, partly so she could express how 'Emma nearly gave her a heart attack' every time.

"Or the countless stories of all the fights you got into in elementary." Regina added quickly. "Your mother sure loves telling stories but I assume it was your father that took particular pride in telling that one."

"Countless means three to you, does it? Because that's how many there were. Just three. And I had very good reasons for those."

"Ah, yes, standing up for the little guy. Tell me, dear, does it still count if you're just as little?" Regina teased Emma finding it was so easy to do in the dark, stillness of the night and not being face to face.

Emma's smile hadn't dropped once from her face so far. "It counts more actually."

There was a pause where Emma waited for a response and Regina smiled into the dark with abandon. "Little Emma, the Savior, coming to rescue the nerds and outcasts of Storybrooke Elementary." She imagined unruly blonde curls and little fiery green eyes.

Emma chuckled dryly. "I tried." She scoffed. "But I was far from that." Emma wondered if Regina knew what it was like to grow up in a small town and being the only child of the most rich and famous Storybrooke had to offer. The fact that her family ran half the town meant everyone knew her, everyone watched her, and up to a point, let her do whatever she wanted. At first it was the best thing she could ask for, she became reckless, but in her teen years it started to feel like a curse. A mark she'd always carry around. Of course, she was a hormonal teen then and she had grown to accept her family as they were but not necessarily her place in it. To shake away the thoughts Emma decided to ask another question. "Who were you in school? Probably the head cheerleader or captain of the debate team."

Regina gave a dry chuckle of her own in response. "Hardly, dear."

There was silence again. Emma couldn't stand it anymore since they were talking so easily before. "Oh so you were the late bloomer with the braces and lisp?" Emma teased. "Ooh or the class clown that caught the science experiment on fire?"

Regina shook her head at that before she realized Emma couldn't see her. "You could not be further from the truth. I was more the straight A's, class president, loner." Regina was surprised she admitted that. Yes, they teased each other in fun but her past was a vulnerability of hers.

Emma groaned lowly. "Oh no, were you the kid that asked for more homework and always raised your hand to every question?"

There was lightness in her voice that relaxed Regina and she quickly wondered if she had ever talked with anyone like this. "And what if I was, Ms. Swan?"

Emma grinned to the ceiling, wishing she could see the look on the brunette's face during their talk. She could imagine a challenging glare being sent her way and it didn't falter her smile at all. "Then I would have teased you mercilessly if we were in the same class."

"It wouldn't surprise me if we didn't get along then since we don't now." She said matter-of-factly.

"I didn't say that." Emma quickly added. "I just said I would tease you, not bully you. I hated bullies then and still do."

"I handled myself well against bullies. They were only children after all."

Her superior tone made Emma laugh out loud. "You were a child then too, Regina." The brunette simply rolled her eyes. Emma chuckled quietly letting the silence speak on the brunette's half until a thought flitted across her brain. "I wouldn't have let the bullies anywhere near you if you went to my school."

It was almost a quiet admission that had Regina thinking hard about what that would have been like. Having someone standing up for her when she would walk the halls, clutching books to her chest, and avoiding eye contact with everyone; it seemed like an odd idea. She was use to being on her own at a young age. Her mother kept her attention focused on education and perfect etiquette. She didn't really become social until she was half way through high school and that was mainly because her mother thought it a good idea to network with high class families. That was a hard time for her as she was not socially adept yet and it made her shudder now how awkward she was. She could only imagine what her mother would say if she attended any small town, pedestrian school that Storybrooke most likely provided.

She wasn't going to comment on the blonde's words of being her protector. It was a silly notion and thinking on it only fueled fantasy. "Mother would have had a brain aneurysm if I went to a small town school the size of this one." She scoffed lightly, refraining from rolling her eyes. "Only the best for a Mills." She mumbled.

The quietness of the room made it all too audible to Emma's ears and she thought on what exactly Regina meant. Was it quality? Location? Opportunity? Sure, the size of the town or city afforded more options to kids but they all learned basically the same things. Emma decided to not take it personally but strike when the iron was hot on getting more information about the brunette. "I take it she was…strong-minded." Emma's tone almost made it sound like a question, she really had to tread carefully.

"That's putting it politely." Regina could not say more, did not know what more to say.

"What did she do for work?" Emma asked gently, almost waiting for a change of subject or harsh words from the brunette.

"She was mayor of Hamilton."

"Impressive." Another silence. "So, she wanted you in politics too?" It was not hard to piece it together. Emma knew about parents wanting their kid to follow in their footsteps.

"Yes." Emma almost groaned at the cold tone and short answer coming from the woman now. They were talking just fine up until it got to her mother. Emma thought it must be a sore subject just like with her. It surprised her how much they had in common so far just by their upbringing. She decided to leave that topic for another time.

"Your father? What did he do?"

"He was a stay-at-home father living out of his home office. He was a business man, I know, but he was oddly mysterious about in which business." Regina's face scrunched as she thought on it for a little while. She hadn't thought on it in years. There was no point anymore. "He would spend hours with me in his study that looked more like a library." Regina added almost forgetting she was talking to Emma. It felt like she was voicing out memories she never had talked of before. It made her feel connected to her parents in a way she had not felt in years.

"So he passed on his love of books." Emma voiced almost quietly from the foot of the bed. "And your mother passed on her ambitiousness." She added hesitantly. "You are your parents' daughter and, career-wise, it seems like you're exactly where you were meant to be."

Emma's words surprised Regina but not as much as the sudden well of emotions that lodged in her throat. Her eyes became mysteriously watery as she thought on what Emma had said. How could she push back the memory of her parents so easily? She mourned passionately and it seemed that when that was done it left her with nothing else to feel. Regina visited their graves as much as she could and always around the holidays and birthdays but beyond that she was unsure of how to carry on their memory. The fact that Emma made so easily a connection between them and her overwhelmed Regina. She was the connection to her parents. Somehow, amidst all the goals, expectations, and life, she had forgotten that and it baffled her.

"You may be right, dear." To her own ears Regina could hear the shake and crack like earth before a quake. She knew Emma could hear it too and she hated the thought.

"Regina…"

She resettled her head upon the pillow and straightened the pristine bedcovers before she spoke quickly. "I assume your parents were always in the family business." Emma knew that was Regina's deflecting business tone saying the topic was effectively changed.

Emma sighed but rolled with it. She had gotten more out of the brunette in the past half hour than in the past three years. "Yeah. Born and bred here and practically groomed for all this. They thrived with all the attention and expectation their families threw at them. I don't know, they always said that it was expected and an honor to continue and build a family legacy like this but…"

Emma trailed off not sure how to voice her thoughts or if she even should. Regina did not ask for all this, hell, she barely asked a question. Emma was merely a decoy, a pawn, a stepping stone, and a means to an end. Her self conscious thoughts began to get the better of her and she gave up trying to fill the silence.

"You don't feel the same." Regina finished for her quietly.

Emma twitched her shoulders in a lazy shrug. "I don't know."

Regina made a low sound of affirmation but did not feel the need to say anything more. Minutes ticked by again making the silence stretch. Both women wondered if the other had gone to sleep but knowing that they would be unable to for now. Emma tried to think of something to lighten the mood. Regina had been a trooper so far and as usual Emma clammed up when talking about herself to outsiders. One night stands are so much easier, Emma thought. The double meaning brought a short chuckle to her lips. Regina heard this and became paranoid the blonde was somehow laughing at her for something.

"What is it?" She asked delicately.

"Nothing."

"Please, Ms. Swan, nothing never means nothing."

"Alright but I promise you won't want to hear it. I was just thinking how one night stands are easier to talk to." She paused briefly. "Because you don't have to. Then I realized I said they were easy and if they are one night stands then, yeah, they kind of are." Emma could not help but chuckle again at her awful joke. She knew it was stupid but sometimes you just need to laugh at something stupid for a minute.

Regina, on the other hand, agreed with the blonde. She did not want to hear that at all. She cleared her throat before speaking. "You make it a habit of attaining one night stands, do you?" Emma opened her mouth to try and respond but Regina spoke again. "And you do realize that you are referring to yourself in that situation as well, right?"

Emma remained silent, thinking it over, and could not refute that point. She shrugged it off. "Well, that's the kettle calling the pot black." She laughed at herself because sometimes you need to do that too. Regina simply rolled her eyes at the blonde's words.

"Have you any shame? Or a basic concept of transmittable diseases?"

Emma scoffed. "Of course but it's not really a sexy ice breaker. If you need to know, I do have shame if I need to feel it. What's wrong with spending time with someone without expectations?"

"I don't know, the aforementioned diseases perhaps." The brunette replied sarcastically.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on Regina, you're no saint yourself. Don't try to deny it. I handled your schedule for three years and I know who I set up dinners for you with."

"Ms. Swan I have countless dinners with all respectable people. Even on the occasion it was a personal evening I, at least, knew the person in some way. I would never attempt to choose my partners by the dismal pick of the litter at some dive bar."

"Maybe because you would suck at it." Emma mumbled. When Regina questioned her she did not repeat herself. "I don't pick people up at bars. At least not every time. The best place is coffee shops or libraries. I had to accommodate to my crazy schedule. My boss is one big pain in the ass about keeping a full schedule, you know."

"It seems even that could not keep you from getting into trouble." Regina said lightly.

Emma scoffed. "Who said I got into trouble? I'm smart enough not to mess with couples."

"Oh thank heavens." Regina replied laying the sarcasm on thick. "Who knows how many couples would have been torn apart by your charms?"

Emma grinned. "Wouldn't you like to know? You haven't seen charm yet, lady."

"Please, spare me."

Emma chuckled lightly, glad she was able to turn the mood around. After a beat, Emma ventured into unknown territory. "Speaking of charm, I think we did okay today considering we winged the whole thing. I mean, how the hell did you come up with that story?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "I was raised by a politician and business man in my younger years and I read fiction as an occupation. Coming up with lies and talking around the truth is the result."

Emma hummed her agreement with that assessment. She waited a moment, quickly debating if she should voice her thoughts, then decided to go for it. "Don't take this the wrong way but you know your way around a kiss too."

Regina sputtered nonsensically at that and was torn between remaining silent and berating the blonde for her boldness. It really should not surprise Regina at this point but the comment seemed to come out of nowhere. She was comfortable never bringing that moment up again as well. She did not want to think more about the feel of the blonde under her hands and against her lips. Nope, not at all. "Don't think, for a second, that that will happen again. Your family seem very persistent to butt into personal matters of others." Regina used her unsettling emotions to push her indignation through her voice.

The blonde simply rolled with it as if knowing that was going to be the response. "Oh you have no idea. My mother doesn't really understand the concept of personal space. They both are only children and had a very close relationship with their families."

"Wonderful." Regina said with a little bitterness. It was going to be trying to fool the Swan family of this marriage but a whole production if they were so close. "Thanks for the warning."

Emma chuckled. "Yeah, but they're not so bad once you get to know them. Really. Then after that, well, they can still get on your nerves but that's just…family."

Regina did not need the reminder that she was lacking in experience for most of her life in that department. It unsettled her but decided to face it like any other challenge in her life. She'd prepare as best she could, be methodical, and take it one day at a time. Right now the day's events and all the travel was catching up with her and she yawned. "We better get some sleep to deal with that tomorrow then."

"Yeah… Good night, boss." Emma responded lightly and she closed her eyes. The talking did seem to help and the laughing released some of her stress. Even the floor felt comfortable enough where she knew she would get some sleep.

"Good night, Ms. Swan." Regina almost whispered, quickly becoming drowsy.