"Woah, this place really is in the middle of nowhere..."

Emma exclaims as she slips out of her car into the dusk darkened street outside a quaint little building with neatly stacked patio furniture leant against one wall.

"It's a pleasing drive."

Regina nods as she locks up her Benz and stands with her arms crossed against the slight chill in the evening air. She watches Emma closely as the blonde looks around with open intrigue, trying to gauge any falter in her amiable expression, but she relaxes just a little when the younger woman simply seems mildly impressed. There is nothing in the easy cock of the blonde's hips or the agreeable pull to her mouth that suggests she recognises where she is, even when she glances over the street towards Archie and Pongo as they make their way towards the park.

"Oh hey, cool dog."

She offers pleasantly, and the Mayor looks over at Pongo with a small smile as she supposes this is as good a sign as any that Emma sees nothing out of the ordinary here, as she is fairly sure the cheeky Dalmatian in question chasing Caskett around the Diner would be memorable, to say the least.

"I suppose so."

Regina nods, and she catches the blonde looking back over her shoulder towards the road with a frown.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah. I just... Never knew this place was out here is all."

"Why would you?"

The brunette asks, before biting her tongue when she imagines she knows after all. She recalls the way Emma had explained to her that she'd tried finding answers about her past in the small truck-stop of a town they'd whizzed through on the way here, and supposes that with it being the nearest place on the map to the empty grid squares housing Storybrooke, the younger woman might be wondering how she'd missed such a comparatively sizeable town.

"I came this way about a year ago and stopped right on the edge of the woods. Kittery, you know? I'd been looking for some information, and I'm surprised no one sent me your way."

"Oh."

Regina offers after a moment's pause. She has several other things she would like to say on the matter, but none of them seems safe to discuss under the guise of knowing nothing about Emma's background.

She came this way a year ago, though? She's still coming out this way?

The idea troubles her, as does the realisation that the blonde had been so close. So painfully close.

"So, is this the place?"

Emma breaks the slightly awkward silence, and she nods over to the old sign above Granny's, permanently flickering with the light of the 'rooms available' neon.

"Yes, this is the place."

The Mayor agrees, and she remembers the way Emma had been so reserved and so nervous the first time she'd come here. A lot of that awkwardness seems to have been replaced by a quiet breed of self-assurance, and this provides her quite a bit of relief.

"Shall we?"

She suggests, and the blonde shrugs and holds out her hand in a gesture that Regina should lead the way. Following her up the steps to the door, Emma finds her eyes roaming expert tailoring casually before the situation overshadows the scenery.

"So, uh, what's the plan here? I mean, I'm totally down for a quiet evening tonight and everything, and I'm guessing this place does room service or can at least knock me up a couple of sandwiches, but tomorrow, what are we-"

"-We will sort that out when necessary."

Regina interrupts, but she looks over her shoulder and offers kindly

"You're not the only one still in the dark here, dear. I'd not been certain you would find my request to help me to be agreeable, and so erred on the side of caution as far as plans were concerned. I don't see anything amiss with this though, and imagine you don't either. If I am employing you for your time, I would be so bold as to say you are in no desperate rush to be done with things? I would feel better about things if we were to simply play them by ear. I am an agreeable host, I assure you, but I would suggest that we discuss business over breakfast tomorrow. As it is, it's been a long drive, and I'm rather tired. My son will be wanting to see me before his bedtime I should expect also."

She smiles, and it occurs to her suddenly how true this is. She has wondered a lot over the last few years how her relationship with Henry might have soured were it not for the fact that she'd eventually decided to let him in on her secrets.

Were it not for the fact she'd met Emma and realised things could be good without having to be forced. Without the lies and without the hate. Some things are there to be enjoyed, and she has done her best to do so, at least with her son.

The way things were going... It could have all been rather different...

She muses, and she shudders as she pulls open the door to be greeted with the light tinkling of a bell and the sultry click of a pair of heels.

She supposes it shouldn't surprise her that it is Ruby who slips behind the counter in response to their entry. She is beginning to get the feeling that her earlier sense of deja vu is just the beginning of something much deeper. Something Gold might be able to tell her a thing or two about...

Another shudder at this, and when she addresses Ruby she does so harshly in response to her sudden discomfort.

"Are you going to be able to help me, or would it be best you go and fetch your grandmother?"

She snaps, and both Emma and Ruby look at her in surprise. Ruby's abates relatively swiftly- she has known the often formidable Mayor for what feels like forever after all- and she tosses back long, thick hair and places a hand on her hip.

"Depends what you want, Mayor Mills. But I know most of how this place runs."

There is a slight note of defence in her tone despite her attempt to appear bored with the matter- with the Diner in general, Regina muses- but she stands her ground much as she often does.

"I need a room."

The Mayor explains, and the waitress's irritable expression falters for one of genuine surprise, and she looks past Regina as she notices the woman stood patiently behind her for the first time.

"Hey."

She smiles, and Emma reciprocates, feeling a little uncomfortable when the pretty girl behind the counter continues to study her raptly as though she were some sort of zoo exhibit.

"Hi."

She nods, and Ruby swallows as she understands she might be being a little rude with her avid staring.

Still, when was the last time we had a guest?!

Exactly! And, although she knows it's impossible, there is something strangely, well, familiar about the woman stood in Regina's shadow, even though she knows full well she's never seen her before in her life.

She likes to drink her ice-cream floats through a Redvine, and she only pretends to be terrible at darts so I'll keep playing.

She blinks as this eclectic information comes out of nowhere, and wonders if the wine she'd been sneaking a glass of before coming out here is still in date.

"Well, Miss Lucas? Were you planning on doing your job at any point this evening?"

Regina demands; a little nervous as she calculates the pause Ruby leaves in order to drink in the blonde to be longer than normal. She opens her mouth to say something more to draw attention away from the curious silence before the waitress seems to collect her thoughts and offers the Mayor and her guest a wolfish smile.

"Sorry, got sidetracked. Do you want a square view or garden, Ms...?"

"Emma. And I guess I don't much mind."

The blonde shrugs, and Regina interrupts before any further plans can be discussed.

"She will be working for me. I would appreciate it if you and your grandmother were to treat the situation accordingly. Put her up in a room you won't be needing-"

She almost laughs

"- and I will sort out any details thereafter."

"Ok. Wait, so you mean like... Umm... We're doing this as a favour? Or-"

"-That is exactly what I mean."

Regina nods. Frowning, Emma opens her mouth to interject, but Ruby gets there first as her young brow furrows uncomfortably.

"I'm not so sure Granny will agree to that, Madame Mayor."

"Oh, I don't know about that, Miss Lucas. I believe she will."

She's done it before.

"Well... Ok. But I can't promise she won't want to talk to you about it."

"I would expect nothing less."

The Mayor sighs irritably, before turning to Emma and asking

"So. Did you have a preference for the room?"

"Uh. No?"

Emma answers awkwardly, offering Ruby a helpless shrug. The waitress seems to bounce back into high spirits at an almost alarming speed, however, and simply grins at her and pulls a key from a large drawer beneath the counter.

"Have a garden view room then. Square is usually more expensive, but if you ask me, the garden facing rooms are nicer."

She smiles, and Emma reciprocates gladly and takes the curiously heavy key the younger woman holds out to her.

"Thanks."

"Yes, thank you, Miss Lucas."

Regina nods.

"And, I know you'll be finished with serving food in the next half hour or so, so-"

"-Oh, it's ok."

Ruby shrugs, before turning to Emma

"I'll come and get you when my shift is over if you like? I don't mind bringing you something up, but there's about a half tonne of lasagne left over from last Miner's Day and that's easier to eat at a table!... If you don't mind the company, that is?"

She adds a little shyly, and the blonde shakes her head- although she inwardly feels a little dazed as this is now the second evening where she appears to be letting a complete stranger into her life, despite generally being one to like to keep very much to herself- and Ruby beams back at her.

"Ok, cool. Catch you later then... Emma."

She wiggles her fingers coquettishly and slips through the door behind the till to make her way back to the Diner. Regina sighs- a little put out by just how swiftly things all seem to be falling into place- and turns to the blonde with an impatient primp of her hair.

"Well, there you go. Granny's is rather simple in terms of what it has to offer, but the food is acceptable and the rooms are well-kept."

"It's nice."

Emma smiles automatically, and the Mayor nods, before taking a couple of steps towards the door.

"Well, if that's everything for tonight, I will make my way home. We can talk business tomorrow in my home office, but as I am far too tired to explain directions to you, might I suggest that you make your way down to the Diner just the other side of the door there for nine am?

"You might."

Emma smirks, still thoroughly enjoying the sometimes almost archaic ways of the darker woman.

"Good. Well, I suppose on that note, I will wish you a pleasant evening, Miss Swan."

"You too, Regina."

The blonde nods and she follows the Mayor back outside to fetch her things from her car.

"So?!"

Henry bursts out as soon as his mother enters his room; dropping his book on the bed and wiggling out from under the sheets to sit up and regard her earnestly.

"You're still awake?"

Regina tuts with mock irritation.

"Well, duh!"

The boy exclaims, and she offers a well-practised eye-roll before breaking into a grin and perching on the edge of his bed. She accepts his eager embrace with a tight squeeze of her own, before pushing his hair back affectionately with a sigh.

"I imagine you're full of questions?"

"Totally!"

"Well, I told Miss Swan, and I will tell you now, that I am unfortunately rather worn out from my little excursion. I believe you might understand why a little better than she did..."

She appeals, and Henry nods slowly. He is still completely beside himself with curiosity, and unable to grasp all of the things his mother has told him about her past encounters with Emma. With the Saviour. With his birth mother. Most of his inability to completely comprehend the gravity of the situation is due to his age and he knows this. He knows- or at least, has been told and accepts- that Emma is someone for whom his mother had cared deeply. He also knows that this had been part of the reason why she'd had to push her away in the end. The whole tale is really a curious and intriguing one, and he finds it a shame that it doesn't act as the end of the old book he and Regina have poured over many times. It would fit within those pages quite nicely.

Still, he knows that this meeting is one that his mother had both highly anticipated and dreaded for its sheer importance, and he offers the brunette a winning smile despite wanting to ask so many questions he's a little concerned he may soon burst.

"I get it."

He nods, and she smiles and kisses him on the cheek.

"Thank you, dear. Tomorrow, we will talk."

"I'll hold you to that!"

Henry grins as he crawls back beneath the covers, and she offers him a grimace of pantomime despair.

"I'm well aware."

"Night, mom."

"Goodnight, sweetheart. Oh, and tomorrow, I thought we might go to Granny's for breakfast."