Author's Note: Written for the Music & Ficlet Meme over on Tumblr.

So, I snuck out behind the red barn
And I took myself a toke
Since everybody here hates everybody here
Hell, I might as well be the joke

Hush Hush – The Pistol Annies

"There you are." Regina's voice cuts through the crisp November air and makes Emma startle against the red shed that she's been camped out behind for the last half an hour.

She doesn't even have time to try and hide the joint she's holding lazily between her fingers before Regina is in front of her.

"We've been looking –" Regina's voice cuts off abruptly as she catches sight of the curl of smoke rising upwards. "What is that?" Her voice is deadly.

Emma thinks about playing dumb, but she knows better. "A joint." She responds instead, like she's talking about the weather or who might win the football game that the men had all been so interested in when she'd slipped out.

"A jo—are you high?"

Emma nearly laughs at how high pitched Regina's voice has gone, but she knows that won't end well for her and while she isn't looking forward to the dinner she's about to attend, she'd sooner not die today.

"Not yet." She's only gotten one good toke in, not even enough to take the edge off yet, but she'll rectify that momentarily.

Except Regina's faster than she is and she snatches the joint out of Emma's grasp before she even manages to lift it to her mouth. "Where did you get this?"

Emma thinks about saying she stole it from evidence at the station, but she knows that would go over like a lead balloon and while she might have thought about covering Neal's ass once, that time has long since sailed. "I lifted it from Neal's coat pocket." She shrugs.

"Of course you did." Regina growls, but she sounds almost triumphant, like this just proves that she's the better parent because she doesn't do drugs. That, Emma knows, is about the least of the reasons why she's the better parent, but she doesn't say that. Not today.

"Hey!" She yelps as she watches Regina drop the joint and crush it beneath her patent leather fuck me pumps that she knows Regina wore just to piss off Snow.

"Have you lost your mind, Miss Swan?" Regina hisses. "Doing drugs behind your parents' house when you are supposed to be inside having Thanksgiving dinner with your family. Do you have any idea –"

"No!" Emma bursts out then, feeling tears building and knowing that she can't blame her heightened emotions on the drugs, although she'd certainly like to. "I don't! Okay? I don't have any idea!"

Regina falters at that, taking a step back and looking at Emma like she's grown a second head.

"I don't have any idea about any of it. Parents. Thanksgiving dinner. Family. I've got no fucking idea, Regina!"

"Emma." Regina whispers, suddenly understanding.

"Do you know how many family Thanksgivings I had growing up?" Emma continues on, pushing away from the shed and starting to pace, trying to burn off the access energy and pain that she's finally allowing herself to feel. "Two." She spits the answer. "And I don't even remember them because I was a baby! Three years with a family, two Thanksgivings, and all I can remember is how they didn't want me. How nobody wanted me!" The tears are falling hard and fast now as the words fly out of her mouth.

"Emma." She says louder, trying to break through the haze of grief and pain, but it's too late. Emma's already on a roll.

"But I should be happy right? Because I got what I always wanted. I got parents. Parents that want a redo with a new baby instead of me. And I'm supposed to just go in there and sit down and smile. But hey, it's okay because there are plenty of other people to distract me, right? Like the man who let me go to prison pregnant and alone just because August told him to. Or his father – The Dark One – who has been pulling all the strings for centuries. Or the man who suddenly thinks I'm his second shot at love when I want nothing to do with him."

"Emma, stop." Regina reaches out and grabs her arms, holding tightly until Emma calms a bit.

"We all hate each other." She chokes on what could be a laugh or a sob. "We all hate each other, but we're sitting down around the same table for Thanksgiving."

"Well, I wouldn't say we all hate each other." Regina gives her a soft smile. "And you know that all of this is for Henry. And you. Your parents are trying."

"I'm sorry." She whispers then, looking down at the ground. She knows what it's costing Regina to say these things – to even been here in the first place. "I know how fucked up this all is and I'm not helping anything by being out here smoking but I – I got so overwhelmed and I knew Neal would be carrying – because he's always carrying – and I thought I could just take the edge off and come back in and be fine."

"Why did you get overwhelmed? It's not as though this is the first time we've all been together."

"I know. I guess I just let it get me upset but I just wanted –"

"What?"

"I just wanted a family Thanksgiving, you know?"

"I think you really are high, dear, because as much as I don't like to admit it, everyone in that house is in same way or the other related to you or Henry. They're all family."

"God, how fucked up is that?" Emma murmurs, before she shakes her head. "No, I meant – I thought that it could just be us. You, me, and Henry. And maybe I'd stop over to see my parents but – I guess I just wanted it to be just us for my first real family Thanksgiving."

"Oh, Emma." Regina pulls her close then, and Emma buries her face in Regina's neck, taking in her scent and finally allowing herself to relax. Regina strokes her hair for a while before she pulls back and gives her a soft smile. "We can still have that."

"Yeah?" Emma perks up.

"Yes." Regina confirms. "I'll cook us a meal and we can have our own family celebration. Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Emma whines.

"You have already dragged me here, Emma. If I'm going to be forced to endure this company and the food that your mother has prepared, then so are you. Today will be for your family – fucked up as it is." Emma gasps at that before letting out a small laugh of delight. "And tomorrow will be just for us."

"Damn. I love you." Emma says against her lips, kissing Regina softly. It's only as she's pulling back that she realizes it's the first time she's ever verbalized her feelings.

"That had better not be the marijuana talking."

"It isn't!" Emma assures quickly, relieved at this reaction from Regina, even if it isn't exactly the one she wanted.

"Tell me again tomorrow." Regina whispers, a hint of doubt still creeping into her tone.

"Tomorrow." Emma affirms, her mind adding in 'and every day for the rest of my life'.

She watches Regina walk back toward the house and can't stop the smile from forming. Damn, she's got a lot to be thankful for.