A/N: A little bit shorter then I wanted but it's done, and on time. The next one may not be out for two weeks, I am having a little argument with my muse on how the next chapter should go so. The muse not speaking to me. Alright I won't keep you from it any longer, please enjoy.

Archie's suggestion was met with a swift glare, that morphed into a murderous intent. However, Emma soon made it past her thoughts of killing the cricket and half of the town and let out a sigh that could only ever be called a suffering sigh as she leaned back and stared at the ceiling.

Now, Emma had not been able to make the call. Hadn't known what to say, if anything at all. So she'd thrust her phone into Archie's hands who had stared at it flabbergasted before putting his big boy glasses on and telling the woman on the line that the blonde would like to speak to her with him present.

Before he had even managed to finish asking about scheduling a time for them to both be there none other than Regina Mills was standing before him. The purple smoke clearing out as if it had never been there. She stood, hair slightly messy. Eye mask in her left hand, and silk pajamas still on.

"Well would ya look at that? A disheveled Mayor. A rare sight indeed, especially at such an hour" Emma had immediately joked - Archie couldn't tell if it was good natured or not. He really didn't care, he knew it was not good to poke the bear.

"Dear, I don't know if you can relate, but there were three children, and Henry who have been fighting dragons all night over at our house. Which, naturally, kept me awake. I had assumed, since I had no obligations today, that I could manage to get a few hours rest. With that said, I just assumed this was a little more important. Considering you are actually going to act like an adult and speak to me" Snarked back the still sleepy woman.

Archie got between the two quickly. He knew he had only a mere moment to start blabbering about something or they were going to go at each other's throats. True loves or not the women could be very volatile and he didn't really want that going down anywhere near him. He wanted to help them, not lead them on a murder spree.

"Ladies, ladies. Let's take a moment to breath. We really shouldn't antagonize anyone. This, just both of you willing to speak with me - and each other - is an amazing step forward." Archie slid up his ever falling glasses as he spoke. Hoping he could get through to them.

Having them both here was a first step, and an important one. However Archie knew that they needed to both talk rather than argue. He needed to help them talk, help them heal whether individually or together, and then he needed to make sure they were ready for whatever steps they wanted to take after that and release them from his care. He just hoped to manage to do all that quickly - and without being barbequed.

"Sorry Arch" Emma had sighed out as she plopped down at the far right side of the couch. Looking away from her ex-wife. As much as Archie hated to admit it she did look like an overgrown child as she picked at the armrest.

"My apologies Cricket" Regina said as she sat on the far left side of the couch. Even though there was only a single cushion between them it might as well have been an ocean. "So, where should we start?"

Fifteen minutes in and Archie was ready to start pulling his hair out. Every talking point he had started had been met with grunts and minimalist hand gestures from Emma, or two worded responses from Regina. It was as if they didn't want help to begin with, even though he knew that wasn't true.

"I fucked Ruby. And I don't know how to describe it other than. Disgusting, demoralizing even. It made me feel like a king, I am still running off all the power I got from that. I fucked her, and in some ways I regret it, but, in others I don't." Emma blurted out and Archie wondered if having them both here would quite literally be the end of him.

"I know. I, well, I watched." Regina's words felt like gunshots to Archie. This wasn't just some chasm between the two women. No. This was a war, that he needed to end. War between loved ones was always worse than any other.

"Seriously? Are you fucking serious right now? How could you violate my privacy like that? How could you even fucking watch that shit?" Emma shouted as she jumped to her feet, feeling betrayed all over again. "What is wrong with you!?" Archie pinched the bridge of his nose.

It took Archie several minutes but he finally talked Emma out of just leaving and ending everything right there. As he knew if she did, she'd likely never try such a thing ever again. He got her back into her seat, even if she was refusing to look at Regina. Archie had gotten her to agree that she needed to hear the Mayor out.

"Yes. I seriously had been watching you, but. I didn't watch all of it. Just. Checked in here or there. To make sure you hadn't killed each other, I hadn't even wanted to. I felt like I had to. I couldn't survive if she killed you, and I know you wouldn't survive if you'd killed her. Especially in that sort of situation" Admitted the brunette.

"Incidents such as the one that Emma and Ruby shared are, well, frankly uncommon. Not completely unheard of, humans make all sorts of mistakes and bad choices. Truthfully speaking, that level of action tends to be immensely rare, especially considering consent wasn't an issue" He could tell Emma was ready to snap at him. "In many incidents similar consent was not given, in your case it was" the blonde calmed down immediately.

This was not the topic he would have chosen for them to talk about, to be truthful it likely wouldn't have even made the list until they were less likely to cut out each other's throats while roasting him like a pig over an open fire. However, if it was the one they wanted to talk about and they were not killing each other he would try and help them work through this issues.

"As much as I hate to say this. I know that I have no right to feel like you cheated on me, especially considering who you were with. That doesn't change the fact that I do, and I hate that I made you feel this way." Regina said softly. "I just. Don't get why yet."

"Talking about your feelings is very important, and a great step. You both seem to want to understand this incident more, so, Emma could you explain the emotions and thoughts that were going through you at the time to us? If you are comfortable of course" She nodded her consent.

No one spoke as they waited for her. Emma was never the most articulate of people, that had only ever be exasperated by having to explain something. Not to add insult to injury but the topic at hand wasn't one she wanted to be so open about but she understood it needed to be said. For herself, and Regina.

"It was. I. Fuck. I didn't even recognize it as sex, not really. It was dirty. And I can only think I did it because I was so sexually frustrated from not having any sort of. Relief. Of that nature in so long. Combined with wanting to know what she had to offer that I didn't. But beyond that, I was just so fucking angry. So. So filled with loathing and hatred. Hate. I didn't even know their could be a hatful aspect to consensual sex. Not until Ruby. I-"

"Yet you enjoyed it!" Accused Regina, anger and pain dripping from her in waves. Anger at herself, and Emma. Pain swirling around her gut. "You enjoyed it" She repeated. Archie held back a groan.

"If you mean did I orgasm? Yes. Yes I did. It didn't even feel normal. Everything that happened was about power and strength. I felt like. Like I fucking owned her in that moment. That I had taken from her. Like I had destroyed her. Like I had placed some sort of invisible mark upon her. That anyone who touched her again would know I had marked her as filthy and disgusting. I still don't even comprehend half of what I felt, let alone why I truly did it. But I won't lie about it to make you or anyone feel better." Was shouted back.

The screaming began then. Both screaming at each other loud and fast, so much so that Archie couldn't even get up. Just watch in a stunned horror as they both got to their feet, still screaming. Watch as Regina shoved Emma. Even if Emma didn't move back more than half an inch it was what snapped Archie his stupor.

"Ladies! Quiet!" They stopped to look at him. "Sit down, please" They sat. "Working through these issues can be hard, as can honesty. Even in times of great pain. Like now. Honesty can lead to trust as long as both parties are forgiving"

"There is absolutely nothing her to forgive! She cheated on me for years, we've been divorced! We are not together at all anymore" Argued Emma. "That means I could fuck whomever I want whenever I want as long as it's legal!"

Regina opened her mouth to battle Emma's statement, but Archie raised his hand. Holding up one finger, silently asking for a moment to think over his response. He was trying to find some sort of way. He nearly fistpumped when the right thing to say came to him. As he had been searching for something that wouldn't start another argument.

"While that is true, can you not see that it is also true that it could hurt her? Follow where I am going for a moment. Tell me this. Does the thought of Regina with someone who is not you not also cause you pain? Even now when you are divorced?" He asked.

While a war did not break out Archie still wanted the floor to open up and swallow him as Emma ground her teeth together as she glared at him with such intensity he thought he might be engulfed in flames at any moment. He was sure if nothing else they would cause him a heart attack.

"I love you Emma Swan. I truly do, so much. I am so, so very sorry about all the pain I caused you. All I want is to do is earn your trust and love back. To move forward, because I always loved you." Regina said. She looked at Emma as she spoke. Emma looked at Archie.

Regina's heart broke as she looked at the woman she couldn't help but love, even now. She loved her, nothing could ever change that, could never make her stop. All she could do was hold onto what little hope she still clung to that one day, somehow, someway, Emma could not only forgive her but love her again.

A/N: As always please let me know what you thought, and as stated it might be two fridays before the next chapter is out.