A/N I was going to surprise you all (because you're amazing) with a fast update; I had the majority of this chapter written on Sunday night, yet life decided to not let me finish it until now. I would like to take a second to clear up a mistake from previous chapters.

I don't know if any of you have caught my little mistake about Neal or not. This story was set after Cora had been "defeated". Since it had been a while since Cora had passed, Regina didn't dwell on it much. I figured that mentioning the construction of a new mall and whatnot would have made it clear things were resolved. This being said, I had Emma mention in a previous chapter that she had never mentioned Neal before. However, that would then mean that Neal wasn't there during the battle with Regina and Cora. To fix this problem, here is how the rest happened in my story: after the "showdown" Neal left town. Regina knew that he was Henry's father, yet never bothered to even know his name other than Balefire. In her eyes, he was not his father. He had absolutely no part in her son's life and therefore meant nothing. The only reason I have taken the time to explain this is because of this chapter.

I hope I didn't just mind fuck you there...sorry.

I'll let you get on to the story now. Thank you for all the constant reviews/favorites/follows. Please feel encouraged to leave a review.

Hands upon the wheel, Regina looked outward to billowing clouds in the near distance. Green foliage passed her all around as she road down the winding road to the outskirts of Storybrooke. Her mind was stirring with unending thoughts of past events in which she wished only to forget. They would only lead to her demise. It had been nearly a month now since Emma had surprisingly, for the second time, left her premises with little quarrel when the mayor had wanted nothing more than to have her company.

She had accepted that she had done wrong to the blonde, yet couldn't bring herself to say this to her face. That would be a new layer of skin she wasn't willing to expose. Hurting Emma wasn't her intentions, which was a novel feeling in itself, for she knew that the moment she claimed to own the young woman, green eyes had burned with a familiar emotion. The former queen was very acquainted with other's trying to assert power over herself, and she had taken such matters into her own hands to become to most powerful being in all of the land just to spite those very people.

As much as she loved pushing the sheriff's buttons, toy with the very strings attached to her heart, the moment she had insinuated that Emma was no more than property, she knew she had gone over the line. The endless stabs at woman, her icy exterior, were just a mask to hide away the searing pain that seemed to wrap around her heart in a mix of fire and ice.

Emma had wronged her in a way that she felt was unforgivable. At least that is how it had seemed until the blonde had told her the truth. Truth or a lie, did Regina ever have a right to feel betrayed? She had put her foot down, made it clear that there was to be no blossoming feelings between them, yet now it felt as if her chest was about to beat out of her heart every time she glanced at the young woman.

Hiding it away was easy. Over the past few weeks she had reverted to her old self; the former mayor that Emma had first greeted upon arrival. It was all too reminiscent of a time when she could truly say she hated that infuriating mother of her son.

How did I let myself slip into this? she scolded herself, pressing downward against the gas pedal and watched the speedometer jump to eighty.

This wasn't how she should be acting. It was absolutely uncalled for and went against everything she was.

I don't hate her. At least not anymore. How can I?

Her mind swirled with the burning images of those green eyes boring into hers with such an array of mixed emotions. She tried to shake it away, yet they remained, smoldered into her sight like a wretched curse.

Just when she thought she could get away from her life's problems, she spotted something in the distance. Letting off the gas, she grew closer and there was no denying to bright yellow piece of junk sitting on the side of the road, a blonde figure kneeling on the ground next to the back tire.

Letting out an aggravated sigh, she reprimanded herself of the events that may follow if she let her curiosity get the best of her. The icy voice in her head pulled on her like chained restraints, yet another soft, inquisitive voice called out.

Keep driving, she told herself and was about to add pressure to the pedal once again before she shook her head and pulled off to the side of the road behind the buggy.

Emma's head snapped up at the sound of a door shutting, her hand wrapped around a bar. Was she changing a tire? Walking up closer, the mayor noticed how the tire had lost most of its air.

"Oh, Madame Mayor," Emma said in surprise. This was by far the last person she thought she'd meet, if anyone, out in the middle of nowhere.

Regarding her coolly with brown eyes, the mayor took into account how hot it is outside. The hour long drive in air-conditioned walls made her forget that the recent days had been smoldering. A rather large thunderstorm was in order eventually.

She found herself studying the younger woman quietly, noticing that the hideous red jacket was missing from its place upon her arms. She was adorned with a simple, colorless tank top and jeans that were ripped at the knees. The young woman continued her labored work on cracking the lug nuts. The pressure she was adding onto the bar caused her muscles to ripple, drawing chocolate eyes to them.

"Did you need something, Regina?" the blonde looked up, an eyebrow risen. Standing up from her crouched position, she wiped the sweat, which had accumulated over the entirety of her skin, off of her forehead. The mayor's cheeks grow furiously red, for she knew she had been caught staring. How long had she stood there without a word?

"I-I," she stammers awkwardly, "I was going to offer you a ride back to town."

"Thanks," she offers her a small smile, "but I'm pretty efficient at changing tires."

The brunette nodded and walked back towards her car, but instead of opening up her door she instead leaned against the front of the car, still managing to look as regal as ever. She crossed her arms and watched, as if unconvinced the sheriff could change a simple tire. It had never been in Regina's interest to learn such a skill since a tow truck was just a phone call away.

As she watched Emma quietly, she found it quite astonishing how both women had remained stoic to the recent happenings between each other. Had it really been a month? They had passed by each other several times during the weeks, yet never said a word to one another unless it was business related or concerning Henry. There was no bickering, no battles across the air through staring alone. It was simply…nothing, as if neither woman existed inside of their own world.

A break was required to let each other cool down, but was such a long time needed? It had only been two weeks into the silent bypasses that it began to bother the mayor. Had she really admitted to herself that she was missing the sheriff? Quarrel and all?Nevertheless, she refused to approach the blonde for anything unnecessary.

Snapping her out of her thoughts was the sound of the blonde letting out a rather large huff of frustration. She seemed to be struggling with getting the nuts off as she pushed herself to her feet and proceeded to kicking the tire

"Your efficiency is astounding, Miss Swan."

"Shit!" Emma jumped and turned around to face the woman leaning against the black Mercedes, "I didn't know you were still here."

Really, dear?

It is a little hard to believe, but considering how hot it was and her current predicament with the tire, she probably was lost in her own little world.

"Something told me a should stick around"

"I can change a tire, damnit," she grounded out but was met with a raise of a suspicious eyebrow.

"Apparently."

"I haven't had to change the tires on here in a while and I think the lug nuts have rusted or something, but if I just keep trying—"

A drop of water splashed onto her cheek and she glanced up to the growing dark sky. The older woman first seemed a bit confused until she, herself, felt a splash upon her head and scowleds upward before speaking.

"I don't know about you, but I'd rather not be stuck out here when hell decides to open up."

"I'll be fine, Regina," she muttered with annoyance before putting her full weight onto the bar, stumbling forward when the nut gave into her weight.

The mayor shrugged before sauntering back to the drivers door and slid in. Starting up the car, she watched as a few water droplets descended upon her windshield followed by several more with increasing velocity. Throwing the car into drive, she pulled onto the road and slowly drove up to the sheriff who was going at the tire again, but failing. On the ground to her right was a single nut leaving four others.

Something that should have taken maybe five minutes had turned into a rather complicated predicament, and as amusing at it may be to watch the blonde stumble, she would rather get home before the storm became bad. In the last few minutes the small sprinkles had turned into a downpour.

Regina tried to recall whether the storm was supposed to be bad or not, but couldn't seem to remember. Rolling down the passenger window, she leaned over and called out.

"Last chance, Sheriff."

The blonde turned her head with a scowl on her face. Her golden locks had turned dark with the rain and her green laced bra was clearly visible at this point as the sky refused to give.

"I—" the blonde jumped as a large blue light cracked across the sky accompanied by a thunderous boom. She pursed her lips as she looked directly into narrowed brown eyes. "...fine."

Opening up the door of the junky bug, she tossed the tools into the backseat before grabbing her infamous leather jacket.

Feeling rather pleased with herself for winning this battle, Regina adopted a smirk, but when the passenger door opened she gulped, taking in how soaked Emma was. It's not for the way the blonde looked currently, her hair matted and dripping onto her skin along with her undergarment displaying in a taunting fashion, but the fact that leather and water don't exactly go hand in hand.

Noticing the peculiar look upon the brunette's face, Emma let's out a sharp "what?" as she remains standing in the rain.

"Do you think you could sit on your jacket?"

"are you joking? Hell no!"

The look she gave the mayor was amusing in itself, the way she quickly pulled the cheap material to her chest protectively.

Finally realizing it's a battle not worth fighting, Regina waved her hand in dismissal.

"You offered," Emma commented once she was in her seat.

"I wasn't exactly thinking straight," She muttered as she drove back towards town.

"Oh?"

The older woman failed to reply while she attempted to focus on the blurry picture of the road and not the drenched sheriff that sat beside her. Emma meanwhile fidgeted awkwardly turning her gaze to look out the window.

"Why were you out here anyways?" Emma asked to shatter the awkward silence.

"That is none of your business."

Her knuckles were beginning to turn white with how tightly she was gripping the steering wheel. Why did she offer the blonde a ride? Actually, why did she even stop? Emma was no concern on hers and that much had been made clear several weeks prior.

"You know, if you grip the steering wheel any harder you might tear it off" Emma teased but was met with a cold sideways glance.

This is going to be one long ride back home.

The fact that Regina and Emma were both out here seemed like a rather funny joke from the stars. Pushing them together? The pairing hardly seemed like a match made in heaven.

"What brought you out here, dear?" Regina commented to save then from the suffocating air. Cracking the window wasn't much of an option unless she was looking to get wet.

"I asked you first."

"Feel free to walk."

The clicking of the doors unlocking had Emma rolling her eyes. She took in a deep breath and ran her hand across her damp jeans, her frown becoming bigger because wet skinny jeans weren't exactly the most comfortable. These are going to be a bitch to get off. Her skin was even beginning to prickle with bumps from the chill of the cars air conditioner, yet she knew that the cruel woman driving would only amp up the air if she asked to turn it down.

"Neal called," she waited, but received a confused silence, "Henry's father?"

"Oh. Balefire."

Regina's face hardened severely at the mention of him. After Rumpelstiltskin had arrived back with his so-called son, she had found out that the man she had known as Balefire was actually Henry's father. She never gave the man a second thought or even acknowledged that he had taken up an entirely new persona here in this world. She was still pushing the fact around in her mind that Henry's grandfather was the Dark One.

Neal, she pushed his name through her mind a few times until she remembered that name, Right. Emma had mentioned him before.

"So Neal is his name."

"You didn't know that?"

"I never cared to know, dear. All I knew was that the man that aided in trying to kill my mother and I was a sorry excuse for a father." her voice had dropped an octave at the mention of her mother. It may have been almost a year since she passed, yet it still gripped at her hard. The image of her mother truly realizing what love was was still imprinted upon her heart. "He was the one you mentioned when you-" she stopped, not exactly sure why. The moment Emma had run far away from her right after they began to open up hurt her a bit more than it should have.

"Yea."

The blonde bit down on her lip as her nails dug crescents into her palm. The implication was heard perfectly clear, the memories of that night flooding in. Shaking her head, her thoughts turned towards the fact that Regina didn't even bother to know who Neal was. It was already crucially impairing enough when Henry begged her time and time after to see his dad, but in her mind he wasn't his father.

He walked out on her. He chose not to be part of her life, so why did that man deserve any right to her son?

Maybe because you decided to walk out on Henry, she told herself and shuddered at the thought.

Weren't Neal and she one in the same then?

No, I gave birth to him. It's not like I wanted to give him up. I knew I couldn't give him what he deserved…Neal would have still left me if he knew about Henry…right? All the more reason to hit the road.

Meanwhile, Regina was stealthily watching the blonde from the corner of her eye. Something panged at her to question further, yet she withdrew all of her care and stared out into the hellish rain cascading against the windshield.

"Neal wanted to see Henry," Emma finally said which had the brunette snapping her gaze to the right, the mention of Henry capturing her attention.

"And what did you tell him?"

"Well, I…I told him—"

"I hope you do know that Henry may be your child, Miss Swan, but he is still my son as well. I'm not even going to go into detail that I raised him for ten years until you barged in. Regardless of what that man has to say, there will never be a second thought about Henry going anywhere with that man."

Emma gritted her teeth.

"Will you just let me talk?"

"Fine; humor me, dear."

"Before he went back to New York he kept begging me to let Henry come back with him, and as you can see, the answer was no. He gave up after awhile and I thought I finally got rid of him.

The mayor chuckled at the irritation in Emma's voice, but when she looked over and saw the frozen frown upon a pale face, red lips adopted a similar stance. She knew there was more to the story than Neal being Henry's father, but what? Did she…love him? Or was it just a one night stand? Unfortunately, regarding the blonde's prior life she was voting on the latter.

"He called me this morning," the sheriff continued, "and said that he was planning a trip down here to see Henry, which he never told me in the first place, and then got the bright idea that he could take Henry back with him for a week."

"That's preposterous! I'm hoping that you told him no." Brown eyes locked on Emma as she watched the pale jaw clench, and she narrowed her gaze. "Miss Swan."

"I uh…" she scratched her head, "Here is the problem though. He talked to Henry about it before he called me. Apparently the two have been talking behind my back."

"You gave Henry his number?"

Dark eyes went wide and for a second the blonde thought they were going to drive off the road. She may have come out here for a breather, and Neal made her want to bash her head into the wall, but she wanted to come back alive.

"Hey!" Regina hissed when a hand reached over.

"Watch out," the younger woman said in a tone that was a bit softer than it was intended.

Grabbing hold of the wheel for a split second the moment they began to swerve right, her fingers brushing against the brunette's, green eyes studied the mayor curiously. It wasn't enough that she had to be stuck in the confines of her car. It wasn't enough that the water droplets on her skin were turning into ice.

No, the Universe had a cruel sense of humor throwing these two together. Now Emma was stuck peculiar situation where the tedious mayor wasn't exactly acting like her normal self. It blew her mind and, as much as she didn't want to admit it, made her worry just a bit.

It takes a lot to get under her skin, Emma mused, and I haven't been around her enough to be the cause of it.

"No," she said, reverting back to the conversation about her son and pulling her hand away from the steering wheel, "The little shit must have gotten it from my phone."

Regina flinched at the sharp name that her son was called, but let it slide.

"I still don't see the problem, Miss Swan. Balefire has absolutely no right to my son."

"Our son," Emma interjected. She turned to face the window again and watched as lightning shot across the sky, the rumbling sound echoing throughout the blackened sky. "Regina," her voice dropped down to something akin to a plead, "Henry wants to spend time with his father."

Frustration ran through the older woman's face, but before she could argue, Emma cut her off.

"That is the last thing I want; you should know that, but how can I deny this to our son? Neal may not have been in his life, but he is his father. I'm not saying he deserves the right, but Henry wants it."

She scratched at her knee momentarily and almost pulled both of them up to her chest until she remembered that she was in the mayor's car and not her own.

This is the reason why she was out in the middle of nowhere. If she stayed within the confines of town where her mother and father could pester her nonstop, she would have lost her mind. It had all been fine and dandy, her rock music blasting out of her barely surviving speakers as she cruised down the windy road, until she almost ran off the road with a flat.

How could she deny her son something that made him happy? She had already hurt him enough by lying to him and if he wanted to see his father bad enough would it really be that much of a deal? She had been asking herself this all afternoon. In a way she was happy she ran into Regina to talk to her about it.

The next few seconds, maybe minutes, hell it could have been hours if you asked Emma, dragged on. Wasn't Regina going to snap back with something along the lines of "that man can rot in Hell?" or something close to it?

The brunette opened her mouth to speak, but close it instantly as if running her words around in her head.

"I don't want to be the villain anymore," she nearly whispered; it was a surprise that Emma even caught it.

Green eyes watched as the older woman's jaw clenched and tears were perhaps rimming her eyes. In that moment Emma knew there was more to that sentence than just Henry, something that dragged the woman out of her house and onto the back roads in a stumbling need to get away from everything.

Yet what does escaping to silence do? It leaves you stranded with only your own thoughts to drown in. It gives you time to hear the voice inside of your head that you have been trying to escape. Sometimes the very pill that you think will make you better actually allows all of your problems rush in and throws out all of the unnecessary noise in the background.

Emma didn't need to ask her what she meant. She knew that Regina would rather light Neal's ass on fire and send him to his grave before allowing him a miles distance from her son, but not if it made her the villain. Not if it transformed her back into the woman she had tried to overcome within the past two years since Emma arrived.

She wasn't evil, at least not anymore.

"Does that mean you'll let him go?" the blonde asked cautiously.

"I'll think about it."

The car slowed down to a safer speed as they approached town. The rain had settled down dramatically, but the lightning was still rippling across the sky every few minutes.

"I assume I'm dropping you off at your apartment?" she asked as she pulled up to the building.

"Yea, thanks."

Pushing open the passenger door, she stepped out into the drizzle once again, but just as she was about to close the door, the mayor leaned over.

"Miss Sw—Emma," the brunette called out, her voice a bit shaky as if she were nervous, "I'm sorry for what happened. The situation with Ruby."

"It's fine."

"No, no it's not, dear. I acted in a childish manner and jumped to conclusions when I shouldn't have. Even if my assumptions had been correct, it was still never my business."

"Regina, really. It's fine. It's all in the past now."

She went to shut the door again.

"Wait. Emma…I…let me make it up to you."

Crossing her arms, the sheriff raised an eyebrow as she became oblivious that she could catch a cold out in the rain. Now she was curious.

"How?"

"Come over for dinner tomorrow night."

Her eyebrows shot up into her hairline.

"Are you asking me out on a date?"

Red lips twitched as she tried to suppress a smirk.

"An apology; nothing more, dear."

Emma adopted her own grin and she laughed nervously, running a hand through her drenched hair.

"Right. What time?"

"I'll call you with the details. Goodnight, Miss Swan."

With a dorky smile, Emma finally shut the door and made her way into the building.

A/N I'm Femphoenix on Tumblr if you want to say hello or if you have Google Plus: dreamingoblivion (Amethyst Midnight)