A/N:

Thanks to everyone who follows/reviewed this story ;)

Thank you, EvilRegalBonhamCarter, for editing :)

Enjoy

Neal looked at Regina. "We should talk," he said. Regina looked at him, confusion written all over her face.

"What's wrong, Neal?" she asked worriedly.

He sighed. "I think we should break up."

Tears sprang into Regina's eyes. "What? Why?" Neal looked down, he hesitated about what to say.

"I feel like you need to be with Emma right now. It's for the best, Regina. I'm doing this for Emma."

Tears streamed down the Mayor's cheeks. "Don't make this about Emma. She adores you and you know it!" Regina yelled at him.

"I'm sorry, Regina, but she needs you and I don't want to take you away from her. I'm not fit to be a parent to her." Neal tried to sound convincing. The truth was that he'd fallen for someone else and he was moving with her to Europe.

"Don't blame Emma for falling in love with that tramp that walked into town a few weeks ago. Do you really think I haven't seen the way you look at her?" She looked at him pointedly, making him tremble.

"Emma doesn't care about me," he tried again. Regina just blew up and slapped him across the face.

"Leave Emma out of this. The child loves you almost as much as she loves Ruby. This is about you!" Regina felt bad for her daughter. As much of a rocky start she'd had with Neal, Emma had come to care about him greatly and now he was going to abandon her like everyone else had always done.

"Fine," Neal sighed, "I think Emma's a pain in my ass and she's ruined this relationship. The little bitch keeps taking you away from me and now I'm done. I'm leaving."

Regina had never felt this angry in her life. She slapped him so hard, her hand was tingling. "Emma's the best thing that ever happened to me. Don't you dare say anything bad about her! Don't you dare call her those filthy names! She's just a child, it's normal for her to need her mother from time to time."

After those hard words Regina opened her front door and kicked Neal out. "If you ever come back to this town or anywhere near my daughter, it'll be the last thing that you will ever do!" Regina warned, before slamming the door into his face.

She rested her back against the door and started sobbing. She was sobbing so hard; she didn't even hear Emma appear in the foyer. "Mommy?" The little girl asked. Regina looked at her daughter, her face covered in tear tracks.

"Mommy? Why are you sad?" Emma asked, hugging Regina's leg. The mother picked up her daughter and walked her to the living room , sitting down on the couch with her daughter in her lap.

"Baby, I love you so much." Regina said. The little girl threw her arms around her mother's neck and hugged her tightly.

"I love you too," she whispered. Regina smiled slightly. "Did Neal hurt you?" Emma asked quietly.

The brunette looked into Emma's eyes. "Darling, he left. He's not coming back. I'm sorry." She could see a single tear rolling down the little blonde's cheek, upsetting her even more.

"Regina, I'm here!" Ruby called from the foyer. She was supposed to watch Emma while Regina was out with Neal.

"We're in the living room, Ruby!" Regina called out for her, not being able to move with the little girl attached to her the way she was.

"What happened here?" Ruby asked, seeing both mother and daughter upset.

"Neal left us." Emma said, another tear rolling down her cheek. Ruby lifted the small girl off of Regina, hugging her tightly. She sat down next to the other brunette, silently asking Regina if she was okay, to which the brunette just shook her head.

Regina was trying to stay strong for Emma, but now that Ruby was here, she just decided to go up to her room. "Can you put Emma to bed tonight please?" She asked. Ruby nodded.

It took a little longer than usual to put the child to bed, but eventually Ruby succeeded, having to stay next to her until she fell asleep.

Quietly exiting the room, she walked over to Regina's. Having become great friends with her since Emma arrived in town, the younger brunette was worried about her.

She knocked on the door, before entering. Regina was lying on her bed, crying. Silently, Ruby got closer. She lay down behind the older woman and held her tightly.

Some time later, both of them fell asleep.

The next morning, both women woke up at the same time. "Thank you," Regina whispered, not moving from her friend's comforting embrace, Ruby just smiled, "You didn't need to do that," Regina continued sincerely.

"I wanted to," Ruby reassured her. Both brunettes smiled at each other.

"Why?" the mayor asked.

"Because I care about you, Regina. Both of you." Regina nodded gratefully.

Slowly the other brunette turned around so she was facing Ruby. They just lay like that, smiling at each other.

Ruby reached out, brushing a lock of short hair behind the older brunette's ear. Without realizing both of them leaned closer together. Regina's smile widened as she realized and closed the distance between them with a quick peck to Ruby's lips.

As they pulled apart, Regina suddenly felt very insecure. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have… I wasn't thinking." Ruby rolled her eyes and kissed Regina, lingering a little longer this time.

As they pulled apart, the Mayor bit her lips. "I like you, Regina. And I know this is soon after what happened with Neal last night, but I can wait as long as you want." Ruby smiled at her.

"Emma…" Regina suddenly mumbled.

"Don't worry, Regina. She's asleep in the room next door. I went to check on her when I woke up earlier." Regina smiled at how much Ruby cared about her daughter. She leaned in and pecked Ruby's lips once more, before sitting up in bed.

"What would you like for breakfast," Ruby asked her, before Regina could ask her. "You can go get Emma, while I make breakfast," Ruby explained, seeing Regina's raised eyebrow.

Regina smiled. "Mm, well I know a little blonde that loves your pancakes," Regina finally answered suggestively.

Ruby chuckled, remembering Emma's face covered in syrup; the first time she'd made her pancaked. She nodded. "Pancakes it is then."