I wrote this very drunk, Im sorry for the mistakes

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Regina watched as the blonde crossed the street, her destination very clear and a determined look on her face. For a second she hoped that the woman wouldn't ask anything of her right now, she was still feeling pretty raw after her session – as she usually does. At the same time, Regina wanted her to ask, to stop this dance they seem to have fallen into in the few days – was it really only a few days?

"Hey Regina," she waved as she got close, blocking the car's door. "guess what?"

The mayor blinked.

"I don't know, Miss Swan, maybe you're leaving town after all?" Emma just laughed and the brunette was a little bit pleased her bite tone didn't have the effect she went for.

"Nope, guess again"

"Well, by your behavior my guess would be that you're a child"

Emma laughed harder and she had to blink a little in a conscious effort not to join in.

"Just tell me already, will you? Since you're so desperate to share"

"Okay, okay" She paused and reached out for a badge she was discreetly hiding "Guess who's your new Sheriff's Deputy?"

Regina just stared and managed to murmur a quiet "What" before turning a hard state in the blonde's direction.

"What?" She repeated loudly.

"Well, I said I wanted to stay in town for a little bit didn't I? So I needed some kind of job, so I talked to Graham and he said I had some experience, because of you know my times as – anyway, I had experience and he needed help at the station – I also think he has a crush on me but you know…" She was rambling.

Wait a second… a crush?

"Miss Swan, stop it" The mayor had to take a deep breath, technically she had little power over who Graham wanted to hire as his deputy but she expected a little more of thought on his part – what if she wasn't as fine as she was with Emma staying? What then? The sheriff was probably only thinking with his lower head and she would not have it.

"I'll talk to the Sheriff myself, although, I won't mention that you know of his crush as you called. He'll probably ask you until the end of the week," God, she just couldn't help herself could she? "Good day, Miss Swan"

"No, Regina, wait"

She made a move to the car but the blonde surprised her again and grabbed her arm gently, basically trapping both of them against the door and effectively hiding themselves from the prying eyes across the street, curious what the mayor would do the woman.

"I said I think he has a crush on me, I didn't say I was interested. In fact, I'm the opposite of interested since I already have my eyes on someone else you know?" Emma stared at her and brought herself closer while Regina could only remain still. It didn't take a genius to know just about who the blonde was talking about and the brunette could admit that maybe she had her eyes right back at her.

"Hm," she murmured and with a movement that later she wouldn't admit she started, she closed the distanced between them, their faces so close that she could almost feel Emma's breath on her lips. "Is that so?" she managed to whisper as she looked deep into the green eyes in front of her, feeling so light that for a second she imagined maybe she was flying. Closing her own eyes for a second she almost felt out of her body, the sensation so familiar and yet so foreign she had taken a second to realize what was happing. Too late to stop it she just let it go.

"Well, would you look at what we have here?" She felt the words coming out of her mouth, Alice taking over little by little. There was no point in fighting but Regina tried anyway. She knew she lost it when she felt herself pushing Emma away-

"Wait, what?" the saw the blonde's confusion but she knew she would catch up soon and even if she didn't, Alice was never one to pretend. She lost a little of a back and forth conversation happening in front of her, Alice was trying to push her away and making her go blind but Regina fought it. She didn't know how, she never managed to do it before. She always had to ask, to beg, and maybe the alters would let her see but right now – she wanted to see it. Maybe because for the first time she actually felt something for someone else besides Henry, maybe because she just left a session quite hopefully or maybe just because she was really tired of not being in control of her own body. She fought it – it was like trying to swim against the current or like fighting hard to stay awake when your body wants to shut down but damn it – she did it.

"- no idea what you're talking about, lady" she managed to hear the blonde say. Regina could see she was very guarded and if she didn't know better she would even say the blonde in front of her now and the one in her arms earlier were completely different personas.

"Well, you're very welcome to explain it to me then" She felt it coming out of her mouth "I'm not stopping you, dear" She was right, that was Alice, but did her alter know she was watching?

For the first time in years Regina felt hope, she was fighting and she was winning. She could see and hear everything without their permission- even without their knowledge.

"That's personal you know? And maybe yeah, I'll tell Regina someday but not like this" Emma said angrily.

"Then there's no reason why I should let you get close to her"

"I don't think this is for you to decide"

"You're right, Miss Swan, you don't think"

Suddenly her body was her own again. She blinked.

"Regina?"

"Hi" She said shyly. Is this when Emma leaves? And why should she care? But she does.

"Alice really, really, doesn't like me right?" The blonde laughs and the brunette has to question – even for a moment – if Alice isn't right, how can someone be so blade about a situation like this?

"Well, she hasn't tried to poison you yet, so you're clear" Emma laughs harder at that.

"Right," she scratches her head "I actually wanted to ask you something"

"oh" she murmurs as Emma gets close once more.

"A date" Emma says a little awkward. "I guess there isn't a lot of places we could go here but maybe just a dinner or we walk by the park or –"

"Emma," Regina cuts her off gently " I don't think that's a good idea"

"But why?" Emma asks adorably and the brunette has to restrain herself for reaching out and caressing the frown on her face.

"I just- " she tries " I just have a lot going on at the moment, you've witnessed it"

"You mean the alters stuff?" she nods " Regina, I told you I don't care about that"

That's her chance to know.

"But why?" she sounds angrier than she is "How can you not care? Everyone cares, it's a freak show so to speak, Miss Swan, you should care" Emma opens her mouth but she continues

"And besides that, there's Henry to think about, have you thought about that? How would he react to his mother and the woman who gave birth to him dating?"

"I didn't think that far" the blonde manages to put out

"Of course you didn't"

They stare at each other. It's not like Regina doesn't want to say yes but everything she says it's truth and she can't just jump into this person and not think about what it means to herself, her alters and more importantly Henry.

"Oh, had an idea" The blonde suddenly brightens up again

"We spend some time together, you and me, just to try it out… We can talk about the alters stuff, the Henry stuff, the everything stuff-" she raises her eyebrows and the blonde laughs "Lets call it pre-dating"

Regina can't help but smirk.

"You're persistent"

Emma doesn't even try to deny it.

"When I get something in my head I can be very stubborn," she pauses "see, that's stuff you need to know if we want to date – we need the pre-date"

"And what would that entail?"

"Well…" the deputy considers "Definitely coffee, some bagels – because I work with the sheriff department now so it's kind of a rule –" Regina can't help but laugh at that and Emma pauses for a second.

"And that," Is the most serious the blonde has ever been with her "Lots and lots of that laugh"

Really, how in the world can she say no after that?

"Yes"