Tomorrow will mark one whole week without a single call or text being answered by Regina. Ella was upfront with her mother and confessed how she broke into Regina's house to apologize. Mother and daughter both assumed that would help ease the tension, but Regina is still refusing to speak with Emma. And the sheriff, well she's losing her freaking mind.

Even now, the Savior is standing outside of her daughter's school, waiting for her to come out and the sheriff is inspecting all around her surroundings like a lunatic for Regina. She knows the mayor would never be there, it's not like she has any children that attend the school, but that doesn't stop Emma's head from whipping back and forth like some mad person who just escaped the looney bin.

"Hey!" A cheerful voice calls out just behind Emma's shoulder, provoking her nervous body to jump almost out of her boots.

She clenches her chest, pleading with her erratic heart beat to slow down as she observes Cinderella approaching.

"Jeez J, you scared me!" She admits, heat from embarrassment slowly painting her cheeks.

"Sorry," she timidly replies, cringing from shame. Emma quickly waves her off and continues her pathetic scanning. "So, about the whole, calling me "J" thing..." she stretches out her sentence demanding Emma's attention. "...my name isn't really Jacinda. It's Cinderella, well technically it's Ella. My terrible stepmother added the Cinder part..." Emma stares at the woman blankly, so she continues. "So, can you not call me J or Jacinda anymore?"

"Oh, okay...uh what do you want me to call you? We kind of already have an Ella here in Storybrooke." She motions with her head toward her daughter strolling toward them. "And if I'm being honest, it's going to take me some time. I've only ever known you as Jacinda."

"You know what? Jacinda is fine. J is cool," the woman claims as she shrugs her shoulders and nervously shoves her hands into her pockets.

"Are you sure? Or are you just trying not to piss off your mother in law?" The sheriff teases while watching the younger woman's face drain from all its color. Cinderella doesn't answer and Emma is pretty confident with herself it's because she is right. "You know...I'm not really the mother in law that you have to walk on eggshells in front of."

Jacinda audibly gulps and busies herself by searching the crowd of children for Lucy. Emma can't help but laugh at how uncomfortable this woman looks, so she nudges her daughter in law's arm. "I'm just teasing."

Jacinda laughs awkwardly like she doesn't really believe Emma and avoids all eye contact until Lucy and Ella saunter up together.

"Anything?" Lucy asks with her big brown eyes full of hope peering up at her grandmother.

"No," Emma sighs and shakes her head, even though she thinks it's really cute how Lucy is rooting for her and Regina to work out. "Hot Cocoa at Granny's?" She suggests through a fake smile, hoping to distract both girls from her obvious pain and heartbreak.

Pain, that she can't seem to shake. She's never felt so heartbroken in her life. Not even when Neal left her behind to rot in jail. Now, the sheriff cries herself to sleep every night, but during the day, she forces her laughter because she refuses to allow her daughter to see the heartbreak.

"Yes! You should definitely come to Granny's!" Lucy professes as she jumps in the air, but Emma's eyes wander to Jacinda, who is giving her daughter a pointed look and shaking her head in rejection.

"What?" Emma skeptically questions, knowing all too well that something is up.

"Nothing," the mother-daughter duo chirp in unison.

Emma squints her eyes at both of them, but decides to ignore their lies. It's cold out and she wants her damn hot chocolate.

XXXXXXXXX

When they arrive at Granny's, Lucy and Jacinda run ahead, almost crashing into the front door. Ella curiously glances over at her mother and they both shrug their confusion. Emma catches the door before it closes as Jacinda and Lucy both screech, "it wasn't our idea."

It doesn't take Emma long to follow their worried gazes to find Regina in a booth with their son sitting across from her. Henry squirms in his seat as he peeks up at his birth mother. Regina glances over her shoulder and offers a small polite smile.

Emma believes wholeheartedly that in that moment her heart will burst right through her chest from how hard the organ is pounding. Her green eyes inspect her former lover, noticing the way Regina's hair is still straight, sleek and smooth in all its professional mayor glory, but her outfit, is jaw dropping hot. Emma actually stops and thinks for a moment that Regina's playing some kind of sick trick on her.

She's totally fucking with me!

Regina is sporting short, black, suede, boots that stop just at her ankle, where the hem of her jeans lay. Light, faded, washed out jeans that clings to her every curve. She's wearing a lose, white button up, her sleeves rolled casually up to her elbows and here's the kicker, not tucked in.

All Emma can see in this moment is Roni and it takes everything in her not to throw this damn woman down onto the counter behind her. She attempts to swallow down all her naughty desires, but her mouth is the damn Sahara desert and that's when she realizes everyone is dead silent, watching the the Queen and the Savior gawk at one another.

"Oh I'm sorry have you two never met before?" Her pain in the ass daughter sarcastically quips breaking through the silence. "Mom this is Regina. Regina this is Em-MA!" She taunts, over pronouncing her mother's name, encouraging Emma to shove her daughter's shoulder, pushing her toward the counter and right into a stool.

Emma slumps down next to her and glares at her while the sheriff's temper bubbles over.

"What the hell was that?" She whisper scolds, ducking down to hide her reddening face.

"God mom! You two were staring at each other like you were seeing each other for the first time."

"Well sometimes it's hard to see an ex after a break up. Especially when they ignore you for a week."

"Sure mom, that's why," she deadpans before turning her attention to the waitress who's tapping her pen against a pad of paper, staring them down for ignoring her. "Two hot cocoas with cinnamon, please." Ella quickly orders before turning back to her mother. "Just go talk to her. She won't ignore you now. Not in public and not in front of Lucy."

"You don't know that."

"Well you're never going to know unless you try."

"Why are you being so supportive all of a sudden?"

"I thought about what Henry said and I want you to be happy. I don't want to be the reason you're miserable." Emma reaches out and runs her fingers through her daughter's long black hair while pulling her closer so she can place a kiss to her forehead. Emma then proceeds to ruffle her hair, successfully messing it up as payback for embarrassing her before. "Mom! Stop! Go talk to Regina," she insists as she swats her hand away.

Emma fumbles off her stool as she pathetically allows her nerves to get the best of her. She clenches her hands into tight fists as she dawdles her way over to the booth with her family. Her heart is pounding, her fists are sweating, all while her stomach is doing back flips. The fact that Regina's been avoiding her is exactly why she can't get her shit together right now.

"Hi," is all she can embarrassingly mutter once she steps in front of the booth. All eyes are on her and that's not helping this situation in the least bit.

"Hey ma," Henry croaks out as he peers up at her with hopeful eyes.

"Regina can we talk, please?" Emma tentatively requests, gazing down at her gorgeous ex girlfriend with fear, yet so much hope in her eyes. She still can't seem to tear her eyes away from the outfit that she chose today.

"Go on, grandma," Lucy beams with a wide grin, prompting Regina to snap her head back at her granddaughter, glaring at her for the name.

"I thought we've discussed this, Lucy? No more grandma, if you insist on something other than my name then let's go with Nana," Regina firmly states causing a small chuckle to escape Emma's lips.

The mayor reluctantly stands from the booth and gestures to the back of the diner. So, Emma follows Regina to the back for some privacy. There's a brief moment of silence when Emma just examines Regina's every move while the brunette stares at the floor with her arms folded protectively across her chest.

"I really didn't want to have this conversation in the back of Granny's," Emma informs her, but of course Regina remains silent. "Please Regina, talk to me. I know Ella came to apologize, she told me. So what happened? Why are you ignoring me and pushing me away when we can be happy?" She calmly investigates.

Regina nibbles at her bottom lip, but is still focused on the ground. Emma ducks down and that's when she discovers that her ex girlfriend is already crying and Emma can't hold back any longer, she just misses her too damn much. So, against her better judgement she tugs Regina against her chest and much to the blonde's surprise, Regina allows her to.

"Stop ignoring me. Please. We were so happy."

"I can't," is all she mumbles into Emma's warm and inviting chest.

"Why? Please, tell me why?"

"Because Emma, it's me," she whispers as she pulls away from the loving embrace.

Emma frowns, sadly watching Regina slip away because she knows it's so much more than just physically.

"That's why I love you, because you are you."

"Everyone one of my "true loves" has died Emma and not just passed away, murdered. I can't let that happen to you. You are my true love and I won't allow history to repeat itself," her voice is stern, but the tears streaming down her face tells a different story and Emma has never seen the former queen appear so small.

"Not one of those men were the Savior," Emma teases with a shit eating grin, but Regina doesn't even notice and soon Emma's face falls. "Regina, that's not going to happen to me. What do we always say?"

"We always find another away," they both ramble off at the same time as their heads bob up and down.

"I'm not going anywhere I promise you. I love you," she states with conviction and takes a step forward to hug her lover once again, but all too quickly Regina is backing up while shaking her head in denial.

"I'm so sorry, Emma, but I can't," she whimpers through her tears before she rushes out of the back room and straight out of the diner.