A/N: Hello, lovelies. Thanks for all the nice words, follows, faves. You're truly amazing and it's a pleasure writing for you.
Regina woke when someone slipped under the covers behind her.
"Shhh, it's okay, it's just me. Go back to sleep," Emma whispered and put her arms around Regina's slim form.
Instead of heeding Emma's words Regina turned and faced her lover. She caught a glimpse at the alarm clock over Emma's shoulder.
"You're early. Your shift doesn't end for another two hours," she said sleepily and snuggled deeply into their embrace.
"I cut it short. I couldn't stop thinking about you and worrying. Your safety won out over everybody else's."
"That doesn't make for a very good sheriff, sheriff," Regina told her. "But it makes for a good girlfriend."
Regina kissed the nearest patch of skin she could reach which was at the blonde's sensitive neck.
"Mhm, that's nice. Do you think of me that way - your girlfriend?"
"Would you rather I thought of you as my dirty little secret?" Regina gave back and bit lightly at Emma's chin.
The blonde giggled at Regina's playfulness, it was such a surprising change to when she'd seen her earlier. And Emma was glad for it. She cupped Regina's cheek and guided her face so that they could look at each other through the semi-darkness that surrounded them.
"No, no more secrecy at all, I promise. Would you like to have lunch with me tomorrow at the diner?"
"Is that an invitation to come out, Ms. Swan?"
Emma laughed.
"Yes, let's show this town what love is made of," she said and kissed Regina.
"Well, I guess I'm free for lunch," the mayor said between more kissing.
"Mhm, good," Emma gave back but it wasn't quite clear what she meant by that as she was busying herself with the buttons on Regina's pyjama top.. Emma slid the half-open top from Regina's shoulder and kissed the newly exposed skin there.
Regina sighed. She glided her hand up Emma's neck and entangled it in her long locks pulling her closer.
"I love what you do there," she moaned.
"I love how you taste and smell, woman." Emma's hand resumed her work at Regina's pyjama top buttons, finally opening the last of them and pushing the garment from her lover's upper body. She pulled Regina closer, kissing her passionately.
"Let me help you with your top," the dark-haired woman whispered into their kiss. Her hand lifted the white top but their bodies were too close, their limbs too entwined to make much headway.
"Mhhmhh," Regina made and started giggling. Her laughter interrupted the intensity of the moment.
"What?" Emma asked grinning.
"I was just thinking of something," Regina said. She pushed Emma onto her back and flattened the top over her belly. Her hand slid over Emma's panties and came to rest on her thigh. "That first morning you were in Storybrooke, when I brought you the apple basket... you weren't wearing any pants," she explained and started giggling again.
"Oh, you noticed that, did you?" Emma started laughing but muffled it when she put both her hands to her face rubbing it.
"I did, I mean... I wasn't really consciously thinking about it."
"You didn't find me attractive then?" Emma asked.
"I was too scared of you to think about your looks, really. But I kind of appreciated the sight of your naked legs for just a second," Regina admitted.
"Well, I appreciated your looks from the start. It irritated me that... we were supposed to be enemies and that I would still find you attractive. I don't want you to take this the wrong way but... part of that attraction was the fact that... you were evil, or supposedly so."
"Oh, really? You got a thing for the bad guy, that's surprising seeing how your ex was a thief and it looked for a while like you had it in for the pirate as well," Regina teased. Her hand moved in distracting circles on Emma's thigh then upwards sliding under Emma's top.
"Well, whatever pulled me to Neal, that's over with and Hook... I don't know, that kiss in Neverland... I wanted to see if there was something there but... I think at that point it was more about denying that I had a thing for you... a thing that seemed to be the worst idea ever but turned out to be... ouch..."
"You talk too much, savior," Regina told her lover after pinching her. She leaned over Emma and kissed her. "And I love you, too."
They deepened the kiss and Emma pulled Regina fully on top of her.
"Make love to me, Emma," Regina asked of her.
"Always," came the whispered reply and then all words were lost.
Emma opened the door to the diner and motioned for Regina to walk through ahead of her.
"Please, Madam Mayor," she said in an attempt at chivalry but grinned at her lover.
"Thank you, sheriff," Regina answered and her eyes twinkled mischievously.
They could hardly keep straight faces as they walked through the lunch crowd to Emma's favorite table which was empty due to a 'reserved'-sign.
"That's cute. Was that your idea?" Regina asked as she pointed at the sign.
"I called ahead."
"Very thoughtful," Regina observed as she slipped into the booth.
Emma took the seat across from her.
Ruby walked by them, both arms laden with lunch dishes.
"I'm right with you," she called out to them.
"Take your time," Emma gave back. "So what are you having?" She asked Regina and took one of the menus lying on the table.
"Don't tell me you haven't already memorized the whole thing," Regina said.
"I have. I'm just trying to find out inconspicuously whether or not people are staring at us...," Emma looked over the rim of her menu. "And they do."
"The hazard of living in a small town, Ms. Swa... Emma," Regina corrected herself and smiled at her girlfriend.
"One might get the idea that they've never seen us together."
"The point is that they have and yet never suspected we could be more than... frenemies, is that the phrase?"
Emma nodded, grinning.
"And now there's a rumor going around that we are," she confirmed.
"I figured," Regina said as Ruby came to their table.
"So what can I get you today?" she asked with a wide smile.
"I'll have a burger, extra bacon, fries and a coke," Emma said with an answering smile.
"Caesar salad and a soda," Regina ordered.
The waitress smiled at both of them, then she looked around and inclined her head toward the two, whispering.
"I think it's great that you're here today, together. There's been some talk, as you probably already know... after what happened yesterday," she looked meaningfully at Emma. "I think it's good that you two are open about your relationship." She straightened again and added in her normal voice: "I'll be right back with your drinks."
"Thank you, Ruby," Regina said.
"Thanks."
Ruby left their table and Regina turned her attention back to Emma.
"Did you tell Ruby about... what happened with Neal yesterday?" she asked and could see Emma fidget in her seat.
"No, I... I don't think she was referring to that. She probably heard about what happened at The Rabbit Hole last night," the blonde said slowly. She started playing with her silverware.
"Emma? What happened at the bar?"
"I might... have arrested Neal," she admitted.
"You... you mean, you put him in jail for... what?"
Emma looked a little contrite as she said:
"He's not still in jail, okay? I... let him go after we talked. I was just... so angry at him for what he did to you."
"You can't just go around arresting people because they don't like me," Regina argued.
"I know, I just... I wasn't thinking clearly and... it actually felt good to.. lock that door on him," she said with a sheepish grin.
"Oh, Emma," Regina said with a sigh and then reached across the table to take her hand. The moment she moved, though, the two patrons at the next table slid their chairs away from their table hastily, looking at the mayor in arrested expectancy as to what she was going to do.
Emma and Regina looked at them, then at everybody else as people had stopped talking and were now staring at the two women in their booth.
"It's okay, everyone, I was just about to take my girlfriend's hand. See?" Regina reached out her hand now and took Emma's. "And now, if you don't mind, this is a private conversation," she told the two men at the next table. She wasn't even sure who they were. Had they been guards at Charming's castle?
For a moment longer people stared.
"Oh, for Pete's sake, get a grip on yourselves and leave them alone, will you?" Granny ground out from the pass-through to the kitchen. And then to Ruby: "And you better start serving those plates, the food gets cold."
Ruby rolled her eyes, possibly at herself for having fallen in with the crowd and staring at her friends. She roused herself and started serving again as everybody else was going back to eating and chatting. But the diner was a little more quiet now, the mood a little subdued and some patrons left it mid-meal, mid-conversation. They thought they were making a statement but the people who were supposed to care were looking at each other now.
"This is how it feels to date the town's villain," Regina told Emma. "You ready to quit yet?"
Emma looked around the room for a moment. She shook her head, gripping Regina's hand tighter.
"Not even close," she gave her answer.
"From their reaction you might have thought I was in the habit of launching fireballs at everybody on a daily basis."
"Maybe Neal has been telling people about what happened at the mansion," Emma said. "About that... I'm sorry about how I handled it all and I should have told you... and Henry this morning. I wanted to last night but you were... in such a good mood, relaxed, playful, I didn't wanna ruin that."
"You haven't told Henry that you arrested his father?" Regina asked with a raised eyebrow and Emma shook her head.
"I was a chicken this morning," she admitted.
"He's probably going to hear about it at school," Regina said with a sigh.
"I'll talk to him tonight," Emma said and looked up as Ruby came back to their table with their drinks.
"Food will be done in a moment. Sorry about earlier," she apologized seemingly for everybody in the diner.
"No need to apologize," Regina said with a smile. "I guess it was my fault."
"No," Ruby gave back. "It's just... everybody's been talking about stuff... Neal was here for breakfast and he... talked a lot. I've never seen him so... animated, actually. Granny gave him quite the put-down and send him on his way just about an hour ago. But people were still talking about it."
"Talked about how I... choked him," Regina clarefied. "I did," she then said.
"Regina," Emma tried to stop her but the mayor shook her head at her.
"I did do it, Emma. The hard part about... wanting to change is that you're under constant observation and when you slip you have to explain," she said and looked up at Ruby who didn't seem very comfortable being part of this conversation. "I don't know what Neal told everyone but we had a fight and I... I guess you could say I had a dark magic-relapse. I don't usually care what people think of me but... I hope you don't think less of me for... slipping," she told the waitress.
Ruby shook her head.
"I know a little about that, Regina," Ruby said. "I'm part wolf, remember?"
"I know."
"Well, you're still welcome here and if people don't like it... they'll just have to cook for themselves for a change."
The three women smiled at one another.
"Thanks, Rubes," Emma said.
The waitress merely shrugged and then left them again.
Emma looked at Regina.
"You don't have to explain yourself like that everytime, love," she said.
"I don't know, sometimes it seems important... with some people. With you, certainly, and with Henry. And I guess I can add Ruby to that list now. I just want... people to see that I'm not who I was. I don't want them to... fear me anymore."
"That'll take some time... and work," Emma said.
"I know that." She gave Emma's hand a squeeze and let go of it. She took a sip of her soda. "You know that people will look at you differently now, don't you?"
"I guess," Emma agreed.
"No, they definately do. You're going to have to prove yourself to them again."
Emma rolled her eyes.
"And I will. Don't worry about me, Regina."
"That's what lovers do, apparently," the mayor gave back with a slight smile.
Emma smiled in answer.
"We're gonna be fine," she said with confidence.
"Hey, kid," Emma greeted Henry as he was walking toward her deep in conversation with two of his friends.
He looked up and his brow creased.
"I see you tomorrow," he said to the other boys who looked at Emma furtively and then sauntered off.
"You heard?" Emma asked at the cold shoulder her son was giving her.
"Heard? Oh, you mean that my ma arrested my dad? Yeah, I heard that," he told her and wanted to walk past her. Emma put a hand on his shoulder and he stopped looking up at her.
"Will you let me explain?" she asked.
"You had time for that this morning, you know. You drove me to school and you didn't say a word to me," he gave back.
"I'm sorry, Henry, I really am. Can we sit down," she looked around and then pointed at a bench on the school yard. "Over there?"
Henry let his breath out explosively but then turned and walked to where Emma had suggested they talk.
Emma followed. She sat down next to Henry, not too closely. He sure had his father's temper, hard to ignite but once you did it burned hot.
"What have you heard?"
"Why? Are you planning to tell me only as much as you have to?" Henry gave back.
"No, I just wondered if you know why I arrested Neal," Emma said keeping an even tone.
"Nobody seemed to know, just that you came into The Rabbit Hole last night, slapped the cuffs on him and dragged him out to your cruiser. Some say, you hit him. Did you hit him?"
"What? No, of course not. I... didn't even use the cuffs, I promise."
That seemed to appease her son somewhat and he nodded at her to tell her what had happened.
"Your dad found out about your mom and I yesterday. He... overheard some gossip and I guess, from what he's seen this weekend working with us, he knew it to be true. And he wasn't happy about it," Emma started explaining.
"You didn't think he would be, did you? I mean, he still loves you. A blind person could see that," Henry said.
"Yeah, I know. I just didn't think he would... do what he did. I thought he'd come to me but he went to the mansion," Emma said.
"He did?" Henry looked up at her a little ominously but since he knew that all his parents were alive and accounted for he seemed to run out of ideas what could have happened at the mansion.
"He... wasn't entirely sober and he... told your mom to... leave his family alone."
"His family?" Henry asked in dibelieve.
"Yeah, and you can imagine.. what your mom thought of that. I don't know if you noticed but Regina... the work at the shop is getting to her. Rumple's magic is kind of affecting her and..."
"Yeah, I think I noticed. Yesterday when she got me.. she was more like... I mean, there was something in her eyes. She was like before you came to Storybrooke, I guess... I mean, not to me, just her whole... way. I don't know," Henry had a hard time explaining the feeling.
"I understand, kid. She's trying to control it but it's hard on her. She really needs us to be there for her, okay?"
Henry nodded.
"Sure, I guess. I mean, I tried to cheer her up and it seemed to work mostly," he said.
Emma smiled proudly at him and then ruffled his hair.
"Hey, I still don't know what all of this has to do with you arresting dad, okay?" he ducked his head out of her touch, frowning at her.
"Alright, so your dad got into your mom's face and she... she kinda lost it and she choked him. Not... well, I think it was bad. The way she told me."
"You mean, she tried to kill him?"
"No, if she had really tried she would have succeeded but she stopped herself, Henry. She... regained control over... whatever makes her do evil things and she let him go," Emma tried to explain. She watched Henry process this information.
"Is she alright?" he then asked looking up.
"Yeah, she's... well, now she is. She wasn't last night, she...," but Emma simply shook her head, the sight of Regina crying and clutching the bannister had unsettled her and still was.
"Where was I during all of this?" Henry exclaimed.
"You were already in bed," Emma told him.
"Why didn't she wake me?"
"She didn't want you to see her that way. She was afraid... she is afraid that you see her as the Evil Queen again," she said.
Henry let his head fall.
"I wish I had still been awake. She never would have done that if I had been around," he said miserably.
"You can't protect your mother from... herself, Henry. She is... fighting this and she's going to go on fighting her evil self. The only thing we can do is be there for her, give her lot of hugs and tell her how amazing she is."
Henry nodded.
"I guess I don't have to ask why you arrested dad now," he said.
"Well, I was angry at him but I guess I should have told him sooner. I made a mess of things and I'm sorry," she told him.
"Dad made a mess, too," Henry said.
"Yeah, and now he's telling everyone who wants to hear it that your mom tried to kill him. I mean, he's angry, too, but... damn! I'm sorry we're so messed up. Your friends will have a field day with all of this."
"You have no idea the kind of crap I had to listen to today," Henry said. "And they're not even funny or original, you know, just stupid."
"Did they make really lame jokes about who's wearing the pants in our family?" she asked and he had to smile.
"Yeah, but they were off by a long shot. It's mom," he said.
"Who gave you that... well, whoever did give you that idea they're right," Emma admitted and they laughed lightly. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it this morning. There seemed too little time, or maybe I was just being a chicken about it."
"You were a chicken but... I guess I understand now. I'm glad you didn't cuff him, though. Takes the kinky sex jokes out of the whole situation," he said and saw his mother roll his eyes.
"Oh, God, your classmates are so lame," she said.
"Some of them are, others were, like, more supportive. Grandma told some of them off," Henry told her.
"Oh, right. I guess I will have to explain this again and again, huh?"
"Looks like," he agreed.
"Are we good?" Emma then asked looking at him with a puppy dog expression.
"Yeah, we're good. I'm glad you stand up for mom, it's what the hero does."
"She would have done the same for me," Emma said. "Because we love each other."
"I guess that makes you both heroes."
Emma thought about that and nodded.
"I guess you're right," she told Henry. She lay an arm around his shoulders and they both stood. "Wanna go for ice cream?"
"Yeah," he said and grinned.