Regina sat fuming in her Mercedes Benz, growing more and more distraught with each passing moment. It had been five days since she had last seen Emma, since they had fought and Emma walked out. The Mayor certainly didn't want to be the first to make a move, her pride maintaining the distance between them.

Regina thought for sure that Emma would have come to the house by now, knocking like she normally did late at night, taking Regina into her arms and making everything better. In fact the Mayor had fantasized about it all week, playing scenarios over and over in her head, increasing their intensity as her frustration with Emma's absence continued to grow. But much to her disappointment the fantasies had yet to materialize.

The Mayor had finally given in, driving over to Emma's apartment to make some excuse about needing to talk about Henry, but as Regina pulled onto Emma's street she saw Emma leaving with Mary Margaret and Ruby, the three of them dressed up to apparently go out for another girls night.

Emma looked stunning, Regina thought. Her hair was styled into long, lose waves, and a black silky top clung to her torso, showing off her great figure, its deep V accentuating the smooth skin of the tops of her breasts. She was wearing tight jeans and those fuck-me heels, and she laughed as she threaded one arm through Ruby's and nudged the girl with her shoulder. She looked like she couldn't have cared less about making amends with Regina, now that she had the attention and company of the attractive diner waitress.

The blood turned cold in her veins and a cord of jealousy wound around the Mayor's heart and squeezed. She had never dealt with envy well; she always took what she wanted and stepped on anyone and everyone to get it. But when what you want is a person, not a possession, there can be little you can do to claim them.

In her old life she could have used magic and intimidation, but she was lacking in the first and knew Emma wouldn't respond to the second. The Mayor felt her world beginning to slip from her grip. First Henry started to pull away, which hurt bad enough, but then Regina found someone to make the pain go away, and now it appeared that this person was leaving her as well. They had never gone so long without speaking to each other, and it looked like Emma was not about to change that.

Regina had long since learned to harden her heart against those who would try to break it, and she pushed the encroaching feelings of loss deep down under the aching organ that was growing heavier and colder with each step Emma took down the sidewalk away from her.

SQ

At the bar, the three ladies grabbed a table and Ruby ordered the first round.

"Tres tequilas por favor!" she ordered from the bartender.

"Tequila? Really Ruby? I thought you 'fucking hated' tequila"? Emma teased her.

"Hey, it's a love/hate relationship," she replied, passing the shots around. The ladies toasted each other as they threw them back. After a few rounds, the girls were getting lose and giggly. Emma and Mary Margaret had ordered beers to chase the Jose Cuervo Ruby kept ordering, and for the first time this week Emma was beginning to forget about Regina.

She had been in a bad mood for the past five days, and particularly the past four nights. Every night for the past week Emma got into her car to drive over to the Mayor's house to berate some sense into her, but she never actually got past turning the car on. She would just sit in her yellow VW bug, part of her wanting to drive over and the other part afraid of what might happen when she got there.

What if Regina didn't want her anymore? After a lifetime of rejection by everyone from her parents, to her foster parents, to the only meaningful relationship she ever had (Henry's father, who left her in the dust), Emma didn't think she could take another one. She had poured too much of herself into Regina, and if she lost her, she lost Henry too. So she avoided facing the situation for the past week.

As the three girls were getting more and more into their cups, the conversation inevitably turned towards Emma's late night rendezvous.

"So spill! Tell us all the hot details! Even if you can't tell us who it is," asked Ruby, yelling over the music from the ancient looking speakers.

Emma took a long drink from her beer bottle, trying to figure the best way to word it. "Well, it's defiantly been interesting."

"Oh come on, you don't get off that easy! Give us something juicy, one thing at least," Ruby persuaded.

The blonde smirked. "Well, speaking of 'getting off', this particular person is quite...creative. We've had sex in almost every room of the house, except the bedroom."

"Why?" Mary Margaret asked with a flabbergasted expression that made the other two girls laugh.

"Because it's hot!" Ruby exclaimed, answering for Emma.

"But why don't you do it in the bedroom? I mean, whats wrong with that?"

Emma shrugged. "I dunno. I guess there is like this line drawn, and she doesn't want to cross into any personal territory."

"She!" the two other girls exclaimed. "Woooo!" cried Ruby flinging her arms above her head and drawing the attention of the people sitting around them. "I'm so jealous! I've always wanted to try that, but the people in this town are too friggin' vanilla," Ruby despaired.

"I don't know if I could. I mean, nothing against it, I just wouldn't know what to do," Mary Margaret admitted.

"Well not knowing what to do isn't our problem, it's that we don't know how to communicate and act like normal people," Emma explained.

"Oh normal is overrated!" Ruby stated.

"I don't know, I think normal would be nice. Someone to come home to every night, go to bed with and wake up to every morning...I think it would be nice," Mary Margaret repeated.

"So what about you, Mary Margaret? Any guys catching your fancy?" Emma asked trying to turn the conversation away from her.

"Umm, well, not really."

"What do you mean 'not really'? Spill!" Ruby encouraged

"There is this really cute guy at the hospital I've noticed recently during my volunteer rounds, but it's kind of complicated."

"Why?" Both Emma and Ruby inquired at the same time.

"He's kind of…in a coma."

Ruby guffawed and Emma spit out the sip of drink she had just taken in surprise. Mary Margaret hid her face in her hands. "I know! It's so weird to have a crush on someone who's unconscious, but there is just something about him. He's so cute, and I can't help but think I've met him before."

"Well what's his name?"

"That's the thing. He's a John Doe. No one seems to know anything about him, except he was found on the side of the road unconscious and has been in a coma ever since. Apparently he's been in the hospital for a long time, but I only noticed him a few weeks ago." Mary Margaret just looked helplessly at her friends. "I'm so weird, aren't I?"

Emma and Ruby just laughed. "No Mary Margaret, you're just a hopeless romantic with a good heart. Who knows, maybe he'll wake up and it will be love at first sight," Emma encouraged.

"Yeah, you can be his naughty nurse and nurse him back to health, you know, sexually," Ruby teased, and Mary Margaret slapped at her arm in mock offense.

The two local girls got into a sassy discussion about living it up versus settling down as Emma watched amused, allowing herself to give into the camaraderie of the moment. The night went by without further intrusion in Emma and Regina's screwed up situation and Emma was thankful.

Thinking about her and Regina's trysts in the study, on the living room sofa, the kitchen counter, and on the table in the hallway had pulled memories into Emma's head that made her want to forget how distantly the Mayor treated her and just run to the comfort and seduction of Regina's arms. Instead Emma threw back another shot, chased it with half a beer, and dove into the task of drinking her thoughts away.

SQ

The trio of girls made quite a scene as they headed back towards Emma and Mary Margaret's apartment. Ruby and Mary Margaret were basically supporting each other, singing and laughing as they zig-zagged their way down the sidewalk. Emma followed behind in similar suit, just trying to keep one foot in front of the other and not fall down.

As they neared the apartment, Emma caught sight of a familiar car parked across the street. "You two go on, I'm going to stand outside and make a call real quick."

"OOOooooo!" the two girls teased. "Say hi to your lovaaa for us!" Ruby slurred, Mary Margaret pulling her towards the door.

"Thats it, you are sleeping on the couch miss tequila shots," Mary Margaret established, not much more stable than the girl she was trying to drag behind her.

Emma waited until they were well inside, then crossed the street to the black Benz sitting darkly in the shadows. Opening the door and falling into the passenger seat ungracefully, Emma looked over at Regina with a sideways smile.

"Fancy running into you here, stranger," Emma slurred with a note of casual disinterest.

"I hope you had fun tonight. You certainly smell like it," Regina spat judgmentally, wrinkling her nose at the alcohol on Emma's breath.

"Yeah, actually I did. I did normal things with normal people, and no one tried to tell me what to do. It was nice for a change," Emma answered back, trying to put more attitude behind her words than liquor fumes.

"Well if dressing like a harlot and assuming the role of town drunk is your idea of a good time, Miss Swan, then by all means, don't let me stop you."

"Harlot! Ha! Who says that?" Emma laughed idiotically to herself.

"You're drunk."

"It's called having fun Regina, some people like to try it once in a while. Besides, I think you like the way I'm dressed. You haven't taken your eyes off my boobs since I got in here," Emma accused with a smirk.

Regina stared at her cooly, looking directly into her heavily-laden green eyes and holding back the urge to tackle her and rip that sexy black shirt right off. Even when she was drunk, Emma was still enticing. "I'll try to contain myself," Regina answered back dryly.

"By the way, what are you doing here anyway? Where is Henry?"

Regina wanted to avoid the first question, because her answer would have been something along the lines of 'I miss you and I want you back', but the Mayor didn't ask for what she wanted, she took it. "Henry is at home sleeping, and I have asked the Sheriff to watch the house until I return, not that it's any of your concern."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Yeah, cause asking about the child I gave birth to is none of my business."

Regina was beginning to get real tired real quick of Emma's tone. "Again with the sarcasm. Really dear, it's quite unbecoming."

"I'll unbecome you."

"Get out of my car."

Emma shifted in her seat to get more comfortable. "Why are you here?" she asked again. "I thought we weren't in a relationship?" she exaggerated that last word, mocking the argument that had driven them apart.

The mayor glared at her. "I am here to confirm my suspicions. You are irresponsible, immature, and quite frankly I think you and Miss Lucas deserve each other," she seethed.

"Jesus Regina, for the last time, I'm not seeing Ruby! We are just friends, not that you would know anything about friendship, I don't see you going out on any girls nights."

Regina winced, just barely, but enough for Emma to notice. Emma automatically felt bad for the low blow. She was drunk, and not in a nice way.

"I may not have many friends, Miss Swan, but I do have a son, and after tonight I don't want you seeing him anymore."

"Henry is my kid, and you can't keep me from seeing him."

"No! He is my son. You gave him up!"

"I was eighteen Regina! And in Jail!" Emma yelled. "I hardly think they would have let me keep him in my cell, and I would have been damned if I was going to let the foster system get him after what I went through!" Emma stated defensively. "And why are you giving me a hard time anyway? It seems you benefitted quite nicely from me 'giving him up', so congratulations, you're mother of the year and I'm some shitty ex-con, even though I did the right thing and you know it," she spat with more menace than intended.

"I am giving you a hard time because you are going to get Henry hurt! If you let one detail about us slip out in your pathetic, drunken state tonight to those tarts you call friends, so help me god, I'll..."

"You'll what, Regina? What!" Emma challenged, throwing her hands in the air. Now she was mad; mad that they hadn't spoken in a week and all Regina wanted to do was berate her, accuse her and insult her friends. She let fly with some of her darker thoughts, the liquor in her system acting as lubricant for the expulsions of her emotions.

"All you do is threaten and intimidate people to get what you want, and that's why no one likes you. That's why you don't have any friends! You're not normal. You are overbearing, and cold, and impossible to get close to." Emma's voice was turning mean as she leaned into the Mayor's side of the car. "It's no wonder Henry is miserable all the time with you as a mother, you'd make me want to run away too. Sometimes I think he would have been better off in a foster home than with you..."

Emma couldn't finish, because Regina slapped her across the cheek. Hard.

"And you are an insolent child! You have no idea what is like to be a mother – You don't even have one."

There. That did it. Emma felt the tears well up behind her eyes. But she was not about to let anyone see them, least of all Regina.

"Fuck you too, Regina," she stated flatly, all the fight going out of her. Emma turned and pulled the door handle, stepped out into the night and slammed the door shut behind her.

The finality of the silence that followed crushed what was left of Regina's anger, and she lowered her forehead to the steering wheel and let tears fall down her cheeks for the first time in 28 years.

SQ

Emma awoke the next morning, head pounding with dehydration and nausea building in her stomach from the tequila. She was defiantly hungover, but none of the physical discomfort she was experiencing could compare with the throbbing pain in her heart. The sting from Regina's slap had long since subsided, but the ache from her words was still fresh.

Emma pressed a hand to her forehead, willing herself to drop back into the sweet oblivion of sleep. A light knock on the door awakened Emma further, and she somehow knew it was Mary Margaret checking in on her.

Emma's memories of last night after the confrontation with Regina were a bit hazy, but she did recall the concerned look on her roommate's face after she stormed into the apartment and wordlessly put herself to bed. Ruby was already sleeping on the couch under a blanket Mary Margaret had just placed over her, and Emma couldn't keep the tears back as she ran to her room, not wanting anyone to see her cry.

Now it was morning, and Emma was faced with the harsh reality of confronting another day with the abrasion of yet another rejection raw on her psyche.

"Emma? You ok?" Mary Margaret asked quietly, peeking into the bedroom.

"Yeah," Emma responded, her voice raspy and deflated.

Mary Margaret entered the room cautiously, not wanting to be intrusive, but she was genuinely concerned with how upset Emma looked last night. "I brought you some water and aspirin, and I just made a pot of coffee in case you wanted some of that too."

"Thanks." Emma gratefully accepted the aspirin and washed it down with the entire glass of water. She laid back down and closed her eyes, wishing she could just sleep forever.

Mary Margaret teetered on her feet, not knowing if she should stay or leave, but the sight of Emma so distraught tugged at her heart surprisingly hard. Mary Margaret sat down on the bed next to Emma and placed a hand reassuringly on her roommate's shoulder. "I'm sorry the two of you got in a fight. I know Regina can be hard sometimes. I just want you to know that I'm here if you ever wanted to talk about it."

Emma looked up at Mary Margaret, surprised and confused. "How did you know?"

Mary Margaret lowered her eyes and tilted her head humbly. "I saw her car leaving outside after you came in. And...I don't know...call it a woman's intuition."

The blonde closed her eyes and took a deep breath, wanting the whole situation to just go away.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I swear. I'm just worried about you, thats all," Mary Margaret reassured.

Emma could tell from her tone that she was telling the truth, and she actually felt a little relieved that someone knew and didn't judge her for it. Emma sat up in bed slowly. "You said something about coffee?" she asked with a half-smile, and her roommate smiled back warmly.

"Yes. There is just the matter of getting that crazy Ruby up and moving. She snores."

The two women laughed lightly, and Emma threw the covers back and rose to put on a pair of sweat pants and a sweater. After the two roommates successfully woke Ruby and tended her with water and aspirin, Ruby shuffled out the door trying to smooth her hair down in an effort to look presentable.

"Are you sure I can't drive you home?" Emma offered.

"No thanks, you look worse than I do. Besides, I only live a few blocks away," Ruby added with a smile. "If anyone needs me, I'll be sleeping and swearing off alcohol for the next 18 hours."

Ruby exited the apartment as gracefully as she could, and Mary Margaret chuckled at her faux-regretfulness.

Emma sat down on the couch heavily, drawing her feet under her body and the blanket over her legs. Mary Margaret fixed them both coffee and brought it over to the grateful blonde. After a few sips, Emma began to feel the cobwebs clear from her brain; but she wasn't sure if it was the caffeine or the gracious attentiveness of her roommate.

Mary Margaret sat quietly on the couch, waiting for Emma to speak first. Emma was grateful that Mary Margaret was so easy-going; she was a natural listener, and it was rare for Emma to find a person so selfless.

After a minute, Emma found herself starting to speak. "You know, I never expected any of this. Everything that has happened - Henry showing up, coming to Storybrooke, and now this whole thing with Regina. It has all just kind of snowballed, and I'm just questioning if I should even be here at all." She paused, took a sip, while Mary Margaret patiently waited in silence. "I had a life before all of this. I was happy. I had a job, an apartment, I was doing my own thing. I knew who I was and what I wanted, and now...now I have no idea what I want." She looked down at the floor, contemplating the events that had gotten her to this point.

"You want Henry, that much I can see," Mary Margaret spoke surely. "I can see how he has changed you. You light up when he is around you, and he does as well. He is your son, Emma, and love is a powerful force; the most powerful."

Emma couldn't deny that she had grown close to Henry, and yes, she would say that she loved him. But Regina was a different matter. Emma still couldn't decide her exact feelings towards the woman; they were all over the map: anger, lust, desire, pain...each extreme in it's own way. The woman had a hold on Emma's body and mind that both tormented and fulfilled her. But after what happened last night, Emma felt she couldn't bear to look at the woman ever again.

Emma felt an overwhelming urge to run, to return back to Boston and forget all about Storybrooke, but the image of Henry flashed in her mind and she knew she could never leave him like that.

Emma rubbed her pounding temples and tried to figure out how to explain her complicated relationship with the Mayor. As if reading her mind, Mary Margaret spoke up again, "And Regina? How do you feel about her?"

"Everything," Emma stated without thinking. "I feel everything; everything good, everything bad...it's a lot. And last night was kind of a breaking point for us. We both went over the line, and I don't know where we go from here. I can't imagine that we could ever go back to how we were, but part of me doesn't even want to."

"Why not?" Mary Margaret asked gently.

"Because how we were, what we were doing, wasn't something that I was proud of. I enjoyed it, obviously, but I hate hiding things, and I hate having someone else tell me what to do all the time."

"Well thats understandable. But I can't imagine it has been very easy for Regina either," Emma looked at her roommate with raised eyebrows, but Mary Margaret continued. "I'm not defending Regina, but hear me out. She is the Mayor, she is responsible for the whole town. It's all she has ever done, ever been known for, and yes she does tend to have a heavy hand, but I think that is the only way she knows how to be. No one ever gets close to her because everyone is scared of her, and I think that has put her in a lonely place. When she adopted Henry, she was just looking for someone to love who would love her back. But now he is pulling away from her and I think that she is scared of losing him. He is the only person Regina has, her only family, her only child. Then you show up, her son's birthmother, and flip her world upside-down."

Emma looked at her roommate, drinking in her words. Then Mary Margaret added for good measure, "You are different from everyone else in this town. You stood up to her and fought your way into her heart, and I bet she is scared of losing you too, she just doesn't know how to say it."

Emma was speechless. She had never considered that Regina could be scared or vulnerable. Regina had always put up such a front that Emma thought of her as unbreakable. But now that Mary Margaret put things in perspective, Emma could see how both of them were hurting. Herself from the sting of rejection, and Regina from the agony of loss.

Emma, ran her hand through her hair and looked at Mary Margaret with new appreciation. No one had ever talked to Emma in such a caring way, and she was truly grateful to have someone who could tell her exactly what she needed to hear.

"Thanks Mary Margaret. I'm glad...well, I'm just glad to know you."

Mary Margaret smiled a radiant smile and gave Emma a hug. "Right back at ya."

SQ

Regina awoke with a hole in her heart. Actually, it was more like her heart had been ripped in half, sewed back together, then obliterated with a stick of dynamite. She regretted more than she thought possible her words and actions from last night. Emma looked so incredibly hurt, and Regina could see the devastation she caused with her damn pride and inexplicable need to control and dominate everyone around her.

Regina had been this way for as long as she could remember, and she felt that she could never truly let it go. It's what kept her going, it's who she was, it's who everyone saw when they looked at her. Regina felt like she couldn't change if her life depended on it, and she hated herself for that.

She was sitting in the kitchen after breakfast, staring into space, the morning paper still folded up on the table in front of her. She was looking at nothing but feeling everything; memories of the warmth of Emma's lips on her skin and the coldness that came in their absence; the utter desire and happiness that she experienced while wrapped in the blonde's embrace, and the loneliness and emptiness she felt knowing she may never have that again. She was so absorbed in her tumbling emotions that she did't even hear Henry enter the room.

"Mom?" he asked tentatively.

"Yes dear?" Regina responded barely even moving.

"I'm going to ride my bike to the park to play soccer with the other kids. Is that ok?"

"Fine. Be home for lunch," she relied in a monotone voice.

"Ok, bye," Henry slipped out, backpack in tow.

SQ

1:00 came, and Henry had still not returned. Regina was driving over to the park, trying not to get mad. She was hoping that he had just lost track of time. When she got to the park, there was a group of kids from Henry's school playing soccer, but no Henry. Getting out of her car, Regina walked over to the nearest child.

"Where is Henry?"

The kid looked up. "I dunno."

"Was he here playing soccer with you?"

"No. But we did see him on his bike going that way a while ago," the kid pointed west.

Regina looked down the road where he was pointing. She knew that there was not much in that direction. Only a few more blocks of shops, a few houses and it basically turned into forest. The old mine was there, preventing further construction in that area and it was mostly used for hiking and mountain-bike riding. Henry was not much for either sport, and Regina couldn't imagine why he would lie to her. Now she was mad.

The Mayor got into her car and drove in that direction. She didn't see any signs of Henry as she drove slowly around the streets and down the dirt road that lead to the trailheads in the forest. Reaching the end of the road, Regina put her car in reverse and swore under her breath. Then she saw Henry's bike leaning up against a tree at the entrance to one of the trails. Regina threw her car into park, turned off the ignition, and stormed onto the path.

The trail ended at the entrance to the mine. The entrance was bared off to prevent people from going in, but you could still see into the tunnel through the bars as it stretched deep into the Earth before descending into blackness.

As Regina rounded on the front of the mine, her heart stopped. The entrance had collapsed. Someone had pried lose one of the bars, and as a result there was a mass of rock and wood beams where the opening used to be. What was worse, was that Regina could see the footprints of Henry's tennis shoes going right into the tunnel, and disappearing behind the wall of rubble.