Sorry about the wait between chapters, I really struggled with this one for some reason and still am not 100% happy with it but decided to post it anyway... Feedback would be really appreciated so I can hopefully go back and make some edits later on. :)


Emma found herself initiating more and more physical contact with Regina after Zelena had left. She had moved back into the suite the very same night and Regina had helped her unpack her few belongings, a sure sign that she was happy to be sharing with Emma again.

The hug had shifted some of the physical barriers they previously had in their relationship and Emma found herself exploiting that, though most of it wasn't done purposely: leaning against her when reading spell books together, holding her waist to brush past her in the bedroom or elbowing her playfully whenever she made a sarcastic jab.

But then there were the hugs, Regina never initiated a hug again after that first time but Emma was relentless, hugging Regina at every excuse and each time Regina would tut and roll her eyes but inevitably relax into Emma's strong embrace, their bodies moulding together perfectly.

Emma found herself smiling more and more which was necessary after the hellish week she had just had, and whenever Regina asked about her guilt regarding the break up with Hook she quickly changed the subject. She knew she was being cowardly, and needed to address the fact that Robin had died for nothing and apologise, but Regina didn't seem to be mad at her at that moment so Emma decided selfishly to enjoy the affection while it lasted.

Emma also started feeling things she had been trying so hard to suppress. A pang in her heart when Regina smiled at her or laughed at a stupid joke, a flutter in her stomach when they were curled up together on the sofa and Regina's head found its way onto her shoulder, and something else entirely when she had accidentally walked into the bathroom yesterday and Regina had just stepped out of the shower, wrapped only in a towel with water droplets clinging to her soft skin.

(Regina had rolled her eyes while Emma stammered out an apology and tripped on her way out of the bathroom.)

Friend. Emma had to remind herself more and more frequently nowadays. Friend. Friend. Friend.

"What are you doing?" Regina asked slowly, as she looked up at Emma who had been repeatedly staring at her then looking down and scribbling on a piece of paper.

"Nothing." Emma replied innocently.

"You've been staring." Regina replied suspiciously.

"Have not." Emma answered quickly, and Regina narrowed her eyes at her.

The brunette rose from her seat and walked over to Emma, peering down at what she was writing.

"Is that... Supposed to be me?" Regina laughed lightly, and Emma blushed and looked up at her. She had tried her best to draw the brunette and she thought she had done a pretty good sketch but she knew she was by no means a professional.

"Yeah, I thought Henry would like it because I know he's missing you." Emma tilted her head awkwardly, and Regina stared at her for a second, her eyes filling with warmth.

"That's so sweet. And you're very talented." Regina picked up the drawing and smiled at it.

"Maybe I'll draw one for you if you would like..." Emma offered, fidgeting with her palms awkwardly.

"I would love that." Regina answered and they smiled softly into one another's eyes.

"Is Henry really missing me?" Regina asked after a beat, moving her hand up to touch her heart, as if it was suddenly paining her.

Emma nodded. "He misses his momma, he was worried about you all week. He said you sounded sad." She glanced curiously at the brunette, wondering if she would divulge the reasons for her unhappy mood that week.

Regina blinked slowly, as if trying to stop her eyes from tearing up. "I miss him..." She murmured. "After that year apart I told myself I wouldn't spend any significant amount of time away from him ever again."

Emma opened her arms and Regina hesitantly moved into them, relaxing when strong arms wrapped around her. "Henry's okay Regina. He's strong and so many people love and care for him in Storybrooke"

Regina took a deep breath and nodded. "You're right." She mumbled, trying to pull herself out of the hug, but Emma was having none of it, pulling her closer while Regina chuckled lightly and tried to squirm out of the embrace.

"Emma." She rebuked, but she relented and allowed the blonde to pull her closer against her body.

"What? Henry said I needed to look out for you. Part of that is giving you hugs when you're sad." Regina stared into emerald eyes for a second, before resting her forehead on Emma's shoulder.

"I'm perfectly fine." She muttered against Emma's t-shirt, trying to sound nonchalant but her voice filled with more emotion than she was comfortable with.

"Yeah yeah." Emma murmured, hand resting against the back of Regina's shirt where she could feel warmth exuding from her skin. Regina shifted slightly in her arms and Emma suddenly felt hyper aware of each soft curve of Regina's body pressed firmly against her own and she quickly pulled away.

"You're the one that had a break up." Regina pointed out, though not unkindly. "Are you not sad?" She pressed, knowing Emma was still not opening up to her fully about her feelings on the whole situation.

"I don't want to talk about it." Emma muttered, sitting back down and refocusing on her drawing.

"Emma it's not healthy to keep everything bottled up." Regina said seriously, taking a seat beside her on the sofa. "You can talk to me you know. We're friends." She smiled tentatively; sounding like she did the first time Emma had admitted she wanted to be her friend. It still astounded and warmed her heart that this woman who had won the hearts of the whole town had wanted and actively pursued a friendship with her.

Emma just grunted non-committedly.

"Emma, look, it's okay if you miss him and want him back, I'm certain that's pretty norm-"

"You think that's why I'm not good? You think I want him back?" Emma stared at Regina in disbelief.

"Well I assumed..." Regina answered, frowning slightly. "Why else do you get that look in your eyes whenever it's mentioned? Like you're scared you made a mistake?"

"Not because I want him back!" Emma frowned, cursing Regina's observance. She thought she had been hiding her guilt well, but clearly it was just another thing that Regina had just easily seen through.

"Then why?" Regina frowned, placing a comforting hand on Emma's arm.

The blonde just shook her head dejectedly.

"Emma please talk to me." Regina said gently and Emma's eyes scoured her features for a brief moment.

"Because I'm scared that the decision that I made has affected everyone I love negatively." She finally admitted, sighing softly.

"What are you talking about?" Regina asked, her forehead crinkling in confusion. "Who on earth is affected negatively by you leaving someone who doesn't treat you right?"

"Henry." Emma said softly. "He lost Neal and Hook was kinda like a father figure to him and it sucks that I might have taken that away from him."

Regina was shaking her head as Emma spoke. "I may be biased because I firmly believe that you and I are the only parents Henry will ever need, but from what I have observed, Henry and Hook's relationship was a friendship. Two guys messing around."

Emma looked hopefully into russet eyes.

"And Emma don't underestimate our son," Regina added kindly. "Henry is so smart and mature; he'll seriously just want for you whatever makes you happy."

"I know." Emma said with a tiny smile, her gaze flickering down to where Regina's hand was grazing softly against her arm. She took a deep breath and glanced into Regina's eyes which grounded her, and gave her the nudge she needed to tell her the whole truth with a smidgen of confidence that Regina wouldn't judge or run out on her for it.

"It's also... Well I was scared I would lose you." She finally murmured and Regina blinked in confusion.

"You know I never cared for him." Regina said slowly, wondering what Emma was talking about.

"It's not that." Emma said. "It's... I... Robin died because we went to the underworld to save Hook, for me because I loved him and thought I needed him and it was all wrong and I made a huge mistake and Robin paid for that mistake and so did you..." Emma spoke in a rush, and Regina watched her carefully trying to keep up with her garbled speech.

"And now I've just decided that I don't want to be with him and it's so selfish because it means Robin died for nothing, you lost your soulmate for nothing and it's all my fault." Emma finally finished and she braced herself, waiting for the realisation to hit Regina that it was Emma's fault her soulmate had died in vain, and thus terminate the friendship that Emma treasured so dearly.

"Emma look at me." Regina commanded and Emma looked up slowly, gazing into brown eyes that were full of warmth and concern.

"The only person to blame for Robin's death is Hades." She said firmly, and when Emma opened her mouth to interrupt Regina shook her head.

"No Emma. I did not blame you for a second; Robin wouldn't have blamed you either so it is completely unacceptable that you are blaming yourself." She stared deeply into emerald eyes that were shimmering slightly with unshed tears.

"Do you hear me Emma?" Regina asked and Emma finally nodded, causing the brunette's lips to twist into a grim smile.

"Tell me it wasn't your fault."

"It wasn't my fault." Emma whispered, and Regina smiled approvingly, taking her hand and squeezing it.

Emma let out a gust of breath, and with it all the guilt she had been holding in. She finally felt free, free to be Regina's friend, free to live a life without Hook, free to be happy, and free to be Emma Swan.

"It feels so good not to be with him anymore." Emma said tentatively and Regina stared her down, dark eyes narrowing.

"Emma." She said angrily and Emma looked at her in surprise, wondering what she had said wrong.

"Yes?" She mumbled, watching the flicker of anger flare up in the eyes looking back at her.

"I want you to promise me that you'll never be with someone that doesn't make you happy again." Regina said seriously.

"Regina." Emma sighed with an eye roll.

"No promise me." Regina demanded. "You deserve so much more than that." She glared at Emma for a moment until the blonde relented.

"Okay, okay I promise." She said, and Regina nodded, her angry facial expression relaxing.

Emma ended up never breaking the promise she made that day.


The next afternoon, Emma walked through unfamiliar streets in New York looking for a post office. In her hands she was clutching a thick envelope with her sketch of Regina and two letters for Henry, one from her and one from Regina. Emma wasn't exactly sure how the postal service worked going to Storybrooke, but she figured that if the police officers were able to find their way there then hopefully the letters would too. If worse came to worse she could always hire a pigeon or something, her mom would probably appreciate that.

She hurried into the post office, smiling in relief when she saw no queue. It had been mildly shocking when Regina agreed to let her out alone; the brunette had barely taken her eyes off her since she had moved back into the suite. Although Emma enjoyed Regina's company immensely and loved feeling so cared for, she was never one to be coddled and when she had expressed that to Regina the brunette had relented and given her 2 hours alone time. Which... Was ridiculous seeing as she was a grown ass adult, but she had shrugged and taken it anyway, 2 hours without Regina would be more than enough.

"First class to Storybrooke please." She smiled at the woman at the counter, slipping the envelope under the glass.

"Where?" The woman frowned, peering at Emma over thick framed glasses.

"Storybrooke Maine." Emma answered, pointing to the address.

The woman blinked at the address in confusion but shrugged and stamped it anyway, dropping it into a basket of identical looking envelopes.

"All done." She said, giving Emma her change and she smiled in return, walking out of the post office.

She still had an hour and 45 minutes until she would be bombarded with angry messages from Regina, but now she was out she realised alone time wasn't really what she wanted. Emma started walking in the direction of the hotel, deciding to drag Regina away from her spell books and for a walk or something.

She was smiling to herself thinking about how drastically her relationship with Regina had improved when she was jolted out of her thoughts by an arm slipping around her waist.

Her heart sank as she gazed numbly at the figure beside her. The Queen looked different today; her hair was somehow long again and held up in a high ponytail that cascaded down her back in a dark wave. Her lips were painted a plum colour and she was dressed more casually to blend in with the New York crowd, black leather pants which fit like a glove and a low cut black shirt, buttoned three quarters of the way up with a purple lacy bra showing from the top.

"Emma." She said in greeting as the blonde pulled herself away.

"Your majesty." Emma replied sarcastically, doing a mock curtsy and speeding up as a futile attempt at losing her.

"We're going on a date." She commanded, keeping the pace beside Emma who chuckled mirthlessly.

"No thanks. I'm busy." She answered flatly, not in the mood for the woman nor her games.

"Okay." She answered casually and Emma glanced at her quickly, surprised at her taking the rejection so well.

The Queen smirked at Emma, her hand ducking down and then rising again with a fireball in her palm.

"What are you doing?" Emma hissed, eyes widening with panic as people on the street stopped and stared.

"Go on a date with me or I'll throw this at the next person I see." The Queen smiled, eyes glittering mischievously.

"Fine!" Emma spat out desperately and The Queen extinguished the fireball, smiling at the small audience.

"Magic trick." Emma said quickly and they nodded along gullibly before going back to their lives.

The Queen let out a low chuckle, slipping her hand into Emma's and Emma didn't bother to pull away.

"Where are you taking me?" She purred, and the blonde sighed, pointing to the first coffee shop in her line of sight, it looked rather rundown and trashy.

Good.

The Queen eyed the cafe but said nothing, allowing Emma to steer her towards it, their hands tightly entwined. Emma was momentarily distracted by the softness of her hand, and the warmth that exuded from it when curled with her own. This is what it would feel like walking around holding hands with Regina. She thought to herself, causing her heart to hammer uncontrollably.

When they entered the cafe Emma pulled out the chair for the Queen to sit on before promptly remembering exactly who it was she was taking out on a date and scurrying to the other side of the table and sitting down.

"Okay let's make this quick." Emma said, while the Queen smirked over at her, flattered by her chivalry.

"What do you want?"

"Carbonated water." The Queen answered smugly with a brief glance at the menu.

Emma sighed. "I meant, what do you want with me?"

"A date." Was the simple and infuriating reply she received.

"Yeah, okay." Emma said tiredly. "Why?"

"Because I find you alluring." She answered in a husky voice, reaching across the table to stroke a pink cheek.

"The last time I saw you, you tried to kill me." Came Emma's flat reply, though an involuntary shiver escaped her at the contact on her skin.

Her voice hardened at that. "If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead."

"Zelena and Regina stopped you." Emma answered whilst scouring the menu, giving herself an excuse not to look into the eyes that were gazing at her so intensely.

"They stopped me from putting the cuff on you. If I wanted you dead I'd have strangled you to death." She smirked, tugging the menu out of Emma's hands and throwing it to one side.

"Whatever." Emma shrugged; though the logical part of her knew what she was being told was true.

"Hi!" Beamed an overly friendly waitress, coming to stand beside their table.

"What can I get you guys?" She asked airily, and the Queen's eyes stayed locked on Emma's face as she answered "water."

"Okey dokey!" She beamed and Emma smiled at her enthusiasm.

"I'll take an iced ring donut and a cup of cocoa."

"Great!" Said the waitress, scribbling it down.

"You eat like a child." The Queen said, looking faintly amused and Emma's head snapped up, because she had heard that before. From her Regina.

The waitress walked away and Emma was left staring into dark eyes that stared back unflinchingly at her.

"Don't look at me like that Emma, you know I make up half of Regina Mills you used to know and love. The woman that you're staying with now is incomplete. You may not notice her shortcomings yet but you will."

Emma shook her head. She had noticed her Regina was different, softer with all the hugging and also more emotional and less guarded. Emma didn't consider those characteristics as shortcomings though. She still had her sass, her clever way with words and her ability to love harder than anyone else Emma had ever met.

"You're just the dark parts of her, she doesn't need them." She answered calmly.

"You're wrong." The Queen said slowly. "Everyone needs their darkness, as a reminder of what they have faced. I got her through so much and she will soon begin to suffer without me." Her eyes blackened with unadulterated rage for a moment and Emma blinked in shock. She hadn't realised that the Queen was angry about the split; she had assumed it was something she also had wanted.

"I don't think so." Emma said softly, careful because she could see that anger that was brimming over the edge. But she was also starting to feel a smidgen of sympathy for this woman; the betrayal she felt was thick and clear in her expressive features.

The Queen turned away to regain her composure as the waitress arrived with their food and drinks.

"Thank you." Emma smiled, and the waitress just smiled back wordlessly. When she turned back to the Queen Emma could see her instant change in demeanour, the anger had gone and was replaced with something more playful.

"Let's play a game." She murmured, taking an elegant sip of her water.

"What game?" Emma asked warily, pulling out her phone and checking the time. 40 minutes until Regina would start blowing up her phone with strongly worded messages.

"A truth game. We take it in turns to ask one another a question, and as long as the answer is honest the other person then gets to ask one." She answered in one breath while Emma tried to wrap her head around the rules.

"Okay..." Emma mumbled, sipping her cocoa contemplatively. "That sounds alright." She mused, deciding it wouldn't hurt to find out a few things about the Queen and her intentions.

"You start." Emma said, watching intently as the Queen reached across the table and slid her finger into Emma's doughnut, and then slowly sucked the icing off her finger.

She looked up and smirked when she felt the heat of Emma's gaze on her and removed her finger from her mouth.

"Are you sexually attracted to me?" She asked huskily, though the glint in her eyes suggested she knew the answer to that question.

"Yes." Emma sighed. There wasn't really any point lying at this point, besides it didn't mean anything significant, the Queen exuded sex appeal that even a nun wouldn't be immune to.

"Umm." She said, when the Queen watched her expectantly and she realised it was her turn. How the Queen expected her to ask her a question when she was looking at Emma with a feral smile like she was about to devour her was beyond her.

"Why are you really here with me?" She asked curiously, biting into her doughnut and chewing on the soft treat.

"Because I need you." Answered the Queen vaguely, eyes wandering up and down Emma's body.

"For what?" Emma asked, threading her fingers through her hair self-consciously.

"Uh uh, my turn." The Queen smirked.

"Do you think that evil can love?" She asked, her smirk fading to reveal a hint of vulnerability.

Emma gaped at her absently. "What? Why do you ask?"

"I want to see Henry." She replied, something raw and pleading in her eyes.

Emma simply stared at her for a second incomprehensibly, before shaking her head, her protective instincts shining through. "You're not going near him."

"You think I would hurt my son?" Demanded the Queen, a familiar rage seeping back into her voice.

"I think you're capable of anything and I would never put Henry in that danger." Emma answered with equal ferocity.

"I would never be a danger to him." The Queen hissed across the table. "I love him. I want to see him."

"No." Emma said, folding her arms. "No you're not seeing Henry and the answer to your question is no. I don't believe evil can love."

The Queen gazed into defiant emerald eyes for a moment before sighing tiredly and accepting defeat for the moment.

"You're wrong." She whispered, before standing up and going around the table, brushing her lips delicately across Emma's cheek, a ghost of a kiss.

"Thank you for the date." She murmured in Emma's ear, nipping the earlobe lightly before walking gracefully out of the cafe, leaving a confused and trembling Emma behind.