Emma was chained to the wall as the Queen stalked to her. "Back again aren't we? I see you're a glutton for punishment?" The cold voice washed over her as she hung in the torch light, manacled to the cold stone.

"Let me go." Emma growled as the woman stalked closer. She looked like Regina, she moved like Regina, she even flicked her eyebrow like Regina; but it wasn't her.

"Come now, as I recall; you're the one who crawled into my bed."

"I was drunk."

"I've heard that before."

"Nothing happened."

"Are you sure about that?" The Queen stepped closer, crowding her space and forcing Emma to push back into the rough wall to look into her dark eyes. "How do you know? You don't remember, really." Her hand stroked up her thigh and flank to her ribs, under her shirt, finally stopping to cup her breast.

"Regina said-"

The woman slapped her roughly, "I am Regina." She snarled and pinched her nipple painfully. A shock went through Emma's body and she bucked in pleasure against the lithe body of the Queen. "You're so easy, Miss Swan." She cackled and the blonde felt shame and anger rising.

"This is a dream, this isn't really happening. I'm going to wake up now."

"Oh, dear." The Evil Queen leaned into her ear and took the tender lobe roughly between her teeth, eliciting a small gasp from the blonde and then raking her nails down Emma's back viciously. "Just because it's a dream, doesn't mean it's not real." Her nails bit into her back as she scratched again and Emma woke up.

"Miss Swan?" Regina's worried voice called to her and the woman's face swam into view. Emma yelped and stiffened in her arms before realizing she was awake. She sat bolt upright and looked around as if the woman was going to reappear. Realizing it was over, she sank back down into the bed she was sharing with the Mayor. "Miss Swan, you were dreaming; your fever is coming back." She grabbed the wet rag and sponged her face as Emma lay, allowing her to do so.

"Nightmare."

"Yes, you were squirming and moaning; it took me a moment to get you awake. What was it about?"

"Someone had me…chained." She answered automatically as she tried to still the shivers in her sick body.

The cloth on her head slowed a moment, "Chained?"

"Yeah, like in a dungeon." She said and then realized what she was saying. "Nevermind." She rolled over and Regina continued to pat her neck and then she lifted her shirt in a businesslike manner and patted her back as well.

"Miss Swan? What are these scratches?"

Emma yelped and sat up twisting to look at them. "She left a mark!?" She panicked. "I thought it was a dream! Where are they?" Regina ran a quick finger in two horizontal lines on her back and Emma relaxed. "Oh, those are old scars." Then blushed because she had asked about she and laid back down, facing away from the brunette's inquisitive eyes.

"Who was in your nightmare, Miss Swan?" Regina watched the back of the blonde's head.

She sighed, knowing the woman knew anyway, "The Evil Queen."

"And she scratched your back? While you were chained to the wall in her dungeon?" she asked and Emma turned to narrow her eyes; trying to decide if she was making fun of her but she saw no mocking in the dark eyes.

"Yes."

"What else did she do?"

"Highly inappropriate things."

That explains the moaning. Regina thought to herself, "Biting?"

"Yes."

"What else?"

"She pinched my…" Emma couldn't bring herself to say it. "She pinched me."

"I see. No wonder you jumped away from me when you awoke- I must have scared the shit out of you." Regina mumbled and Emma's lips quirked up to hear the prude Mayor utter profanity.

"Well, I quickly realized you weren't her."

"But Miss Swan, I am her. We are one in the same." The brunette shook her head.

"No, you look the same, you talk the same, hell; you even move the same-"

"How so?" Regina interrupted with curiosity.

"You…stalk."

"Stalk?"

"Yes…like some sort of fucking jungle cat." Emma exhaled, "Anyway, there's a big difference between you and the woman in my dream…as inappropriate as that sounds." She added hastily.

"What's the difference?" Regina' voice was quiet almost yearning.

I was this unsure tone that prompted Emma to respond after a pause. "Well, your eyes. Same color…but different emotions. Her's are cold; just cold. Yours are more…complicated." Emma finished and Regina snorted. "And you kinda smell different." She blurted before she could stop herself.

"Smell, Miss Swan? We smell different? How is that possible?"

"Well she smelled sinister and overly sexed…"

"And how do I smell, Miss Swan?" Regina's hands rubbed the cloth soothingly across her back.

"Like apples and spice and…darkness." She sighed reluctantly. "But I suppose that's what's on the bottle of your Mayor Sexypants perfume, huh?"

"I don't wear perfume." Regina said quietly; her mouth twitching at the title Emma had used.

"Oh," Emma blushed furiously at the fact that she had just described to the woman her very distinct, and obviously very natural, aroma. "Well, I just figured…you know, you're always so…" She couldn't finish. Just stop, Emma, she thought to herself. You've eaten your foot enough today.

"So what, Miss Swan?"

"Forget it."

"Oh, no. We're talking about me, I'd like to know what your observations are." Regina's voice was playful but not unkind.

Emma almost groaned in embarrassment; why did this woman have the ability to do this to her? "You're just always so well put together; pencil skirt, silk blouse, designer jacket, and those goddamn heels. I just figured you would wear perfume."

"Hmmm, it seems Neal isn't the only one that is concerned with my attire." Regina chuckled quietly, dipped and re-wrung the cloth before clearing her throat. "Roll over, dear. Let me get your face again; you don't want the Evil Queen to make another appearance do you?" She asked and when Emma refused to budge, she sighed. "Or do you, Miss Swan?"

The blonde turned slowly and glared at her. "Of course I don't. That bitch nearly bit my fucking ear off."

"Your ear?" Regina laughed and patted the feverish skin on Emma's forehead. "Yes, I believe that she and I do have quite a lot in common."

Emma rolled her eyes then looked up at Regina as she pushed the blonde hair off her neck to continue pressing the cloth to her methodically and almost tenderly. "Why are you doing this?"

"I told you, Miss Swan. For Henry-"

Emma rolled her eyes again. "Really Regina? Playing the Henry card on me? I nearly pulled you into a freezing cold shower with me; soaked you right to the bone and you didn't bitch a bit. You've showed no reluctance in taking care of me…not that I'm complaining." She added hastily as the cloth stilled a bit. "I really do appreciate all this, but I know you're not just doing it for Henry."

The brunette was quite for a moment as the green eyes probed her face for answers. "I suppose that I realized that you have always…played the Devil's advocate for me. After the curse broke and everyone came after me. After Archie was "killed"," she used her fingers to make air quotes, "You believe me…initially."

"Look, about that-"

"I don't want an apology, my mother was quite clever; she's duped many more people that you." She shook her dark hair, "At any rate, even after her…death, as we've been sorting through things you put the Mayor's office back in my hands."

"Well, you agreed to meet with Archie and…that earned a lot of peoples' trust." Emma said quickly.

"And you even encouraged Henry to see me."

Emma looked surprised and then she looked embarrassed. "That kid can't keep a damn secret to save his life."

"He's kept the secret about you being here." Regina pointed out. "But no, he's a terrible liar. He spilled the beans the second dinner we had together."

"What exactly did he say?"

"He said that you thought it would be a good thing for me, if Henry spent time with me. You apparently told him that it would help people get over the things they had seen me do."

"I did say all that."

"I don't doubt it." Regina's face turned wicked briefly. "You do have to save everyone don't you, Miss Swan? Even the bad guy."

"If I thought you were totally bad, I wouldn't want Henry around you."

"Oh, but I am bad." The brunette smirked. "As a matter of fact, if you had showed up in my dungeon, hung to the wall, I most likely would have done exactly what the Evil Queen did to you." The cloth was still on Emma's skin and the blonde looked up; unsure as to whether she was joking or if this was where Regina morphed into the woman from her feverish dreams.

"But you wouldn't now."

"Of course not." The woman said briskly and Emma's face looked somewhat relived. "I don't have a dungeon."