A/N: I have moved a few canon things around(obvs, right? This is SQ haha!) Thanks for reading. Xx

Emma left Regina's Sunday close to lunchtime. She forgot to bring any change of clothes out and Henry decided he wanted to go to the beach for a picnic. She got in and froze in the doorway, seeing her mom and dad in the kitchen. "Oh, hey. You're back early. What happened?"

Snow looked her daughter up and down noticing the fainttraces of last nights make-up smudged under her eyes and the outfit. "We said we were coming back early today. We've both got jobs to prepare for. Where have you been? Looks like it was a good night."

Emma kicked off the stilettos and berated herself for not letting Regina dress her in something more casual before she left. "Regina, Henry and I went to Tony's last night. I stayed over. We're going to the beach for a picnic now. I just came to get changed."

Snow and David looked at each other. David nudged his wife. They'd talked about this on their trip. Snow stuttered. "It's nice that you are spending more time together. It's good for Henry that we all get along."

Emma paused in the doorway to her room and smiled. Her heart was racing and she wanted to blurt it out. It would be the perfect opportunity. "Yeah, it's good for all of us." She bottled it and swallowed hard. "I'm gonna go. They're waiting in the car." She ducked in her room and leant against the door once inside. What was the big deal in telling them? Sure there was the crazy history but was it just that? Emma realized her parent knew very little about her other than what she'd told them. Her bisexuality had never come up in topic, even before she knew who Snow was. She didn't even think about it. Maybe she should officially come out to them before she let the queen out of the bag.

She grabbed the first pair of jeans and a white tank top and layered it with a plaid shirt and her red leather. It wasn't cold but just incase it got windy down by the sea. She scraped her hair up into a messy pony tail and gave her face a quick wash. She'd showered at Regina's but the eyeliner was still clinging under her eyes. When she stepped out the bathroom, Snow was waiting with a Tupperware container and a beaming smile. "Turkey tacos."

"What?" Emma barely got out the bathroom before she was assaulted.

"For your picnic. Uhm, we got extra in case Henry was coming here, but you take them. Does Regina like tacos?"

Emma groaned internally. "Yup. Pretty sure she does. Thanks Mom. Catch you later." She darted out of the building and got into the waiting car downstairs unable to make eye contact.

"What's that?" Regina asked looking at the container.

"My mom gave us tacos for the picnic."

Regina smirked and tried to stifle a laugh as she pulled out of the space. Emma caught the giggles and they both were in hysterics as they headed towards the beach. Henry had his ear buds in and took them out. "What's the joke?"

"Nothing. We're just being silly. What you listening to?" Emma changed the subject smoothly.

"Eminem."

Emma raised an eyebrow at Regina who looked as white as a ghost. "You got him the Eminem album?"

Regina huffed. "I thought it was related to candy."

That was it. Emma was in hysterics again and Regina even managed to giggle. It was a huge faux pas on her part and she'd tried desperately to get rid of the thing once she realized the content, but Henry clung to it stubbornly and used his usual manipulative tactics. If it had been anyone else, she would not be laughing, but Emma made her see the funny side of things, even at her own expense. "Okay, remind me never to send you to the record store. Seriously. What have you been listening to for the last twenty years? You know he's been around since I was a teen."

Regina rolled her eyes getting a little annoyed at being the butt of the joke now. "In case you forgot, we were cursed to listen to the same top forty for the twenty-eight years prior to your arrival."

"What was number one?"

"Dirty Diana."

Emma nodded in appreciation. "Oh yeah! Great song! I haven't heard it for years. Do you have it here?"

Regina pointed at the glove box. "There's a few tapes in there." Henry groaned in the back seat and turned the volume up on his iPod. He couldn't listen to them again. Ever.

Emma stuck a tape in and started twiddling her fingers on the dashboard when Faith started playing. She was soon singing along and doing the iconic body shakes and hand claps. Regina joined in on the chorus.

"Cos' I gotta have faith, faith, faith.Baby!"

The next song came on and Emma screeched in delight. "Oh wow, you picked a great year to cast the curse!" She started playing air guitar as ths opening riff to Sweet Child O' Mine rung out through the car. Regina bopped her head along smiling. It surprised her that Emma knew most of the words to every track thatcame on.

"How is it you know all of these so well? You would have only been a few years old."

"They're classics, Gina. They playedon the radio for most of my life, and, there's this thing called MTV outside of Storybrook." Dirty Diana came on just as they arrived at the beach. Emma wasn't ready to get out the car. She looked at Regina and mouthed the words looking straight in her eyes.

"I havethe stuff that you want. I am the thing that you need."

Regina suprised her and sang back in full evil queen mode. "She looked me deep in the eyes. She touchin' me so to start "

Emma leant over the shift stick getting up in her face. "No turning back."

Regina pressed her forehead to the blondes. "She trapped me in her heart." Emma closed the distance between their lips and Henry got out the car, slamming the door and making sick sounds. It was hardly a romantic song but it kind of felt like theirs in that moment. Emma was falling hard and fast. Her magic was sparking and it took Regina to pull her back into the present. "We're in my car in a very public place, and our son is waiting for us." She slapped Emma's knee and tore herself out of the car before her passions could get the better of her judgement.

Emma closed her eyes and took a deep breath to center herself. She was about ready to become the totally stereotypical u-hauler and propose to the woman. Every day with Regina surprised her in new ways. She had everything that Emma didn't think was humanly possible. Well, even what wasn't humanly possible, namely magic. She knew from experience, when things felt this good, it was only a matter of time before they took a nose-dive. She had to keep it together. Nothing had ever come close to feeling this good. One step at a time.

The trio walked a good few miles along the beach. It wasn't warm enough to swim, but that didn't stop Henry from kicking off his shoes and splashing in the tide with his pants rolled up around his knees. A couple walked by in the opposite direction with their dog. Henry gave it some fuss and the couple looked at Regina in fear. She smiled civilly and carried on walking."You know, I used to think fear was enough. If they couldn't love me, it was the next best thing. Now it just stings knowing how everyone hates me."

Emma gave her an apologetic smile. "They'll get there. Hey, if they don't, you can always do what I do."

"What's that?"

"Pick somewhere at random on a map and start over."

Regina chuckled and slipped her hand into Emma's. They were pretty much alone now this far down the beach. "Who would run the town as well as me?"

"Nobody." Emma grinned and they stopped in a nice spot with some trees and shade for their picnic. Emma was contemplating something and had hardly said two words since they left the car. Regina stared at her in concern.

"What is it? You've been really quiet since we got here."

Emma shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I'm thinking I should come out to my folks."

Regina eyebrows went up and her mouth fell into a soft oh. ""I imagine that might be wise." She really didn't know what she was expecting but that was not it.

"How did you do it?"

"I didn't and wouldn't have done. My mother had a habit of ripping out hearts." She busied herself taking things out of the hamper and laying them on the blanket.

Emma fidgeted on her feet. "Yeah, I didn't mean that. I mean, is it a thing in the Enchanted Forest? Do you have to make a big speech or is it just a normal thing that everyone accepts? I don't know how this works."

Regina sighed lightly. "I'm honestly not the best person to ask about normal. I have no idea how the rest of them lived and loved. As far as I know from court life, it was... Traditional. I have known many, ahem, women like us. It wasn't talked about, and nobody questioned the Queen. At least, not the Evil Queen."

Emma laughed pathetically. "You know, I used to joke when I was younger that the one benefit of being an orphan was never having to have that conversation." She sat down on the blanket and took a can of soda.

Regina's lips pulled into a pained expression. "Well, one of thegood thingsabout my curse was that it gave the victims false memories of life in a land without magic. I'm sure they would like to know. I know this might sound bizarre coming from me, but honesty is usually the best policy with these things, or so I've heard."

Henry ran over and helped himself to a taco. "I just saw a mermaid!"

Regina rolled her eyes and seethed, remembering the last time she spoke to a mermaid. Emma stared her down. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything! I gave have what she wanted and she stabbed me with a fork! I can't believe she has the nerve to show up in my town!"

Emma laughed and rubbed a supportive hand up her back. "A fork? Come on, that's gotta be a lie!"

"Why would I lie about something that humiliating? She called it a salad trident. Idiot."

Emma and Henry shared a small laugh at Regina's expense but not in a nasty way. "So, is it Ariel?"

Regina looked out over the ocean and spotted the red head bobbing in the distance. "Yes, it is. No doubt looking for her sea man."

Emma spluttered and the mayor's lip quivered. She hid it behind a taco. All these years and finally someone got her humor. A part of her wished Emma had been around when she was at her most evil. She had the best jokes and they were wasted on the sycophants and minions, though she highly doubted she'd have done half of her evil deeds with the savior by her side.

They afternoon passed by in a blur and soon enough the sun started to set. They stayed and watched until it almost disappeared over the horizon, fingers laced behind Henry's back. "We should get going. It's a long walk back to the car." They ambled back up the beach and found the Benz. There was a strange looking man by the car and Regina scowled at him.

"If it wasn't bad enough that the mermaid's in town, now the pirate's here too."

Emma's eyebrows shot up. "Really? Don't tell me, Captain Hook?"

Regina's eyes rolled. "The one and only."

Hook dipped his head towards Regina. "Majesty. I hardly recognized you inall those loose layers."

"What do you want?"

"Well, for a start, I'd like to know why you left me behind. We had a deal." He came closer menacingly twisting his hook.

"Oh yes, we did didn't we? Remind me how that went."

He narrowed his eyes at the queen and retorted. "Well, you'd know wouldn't you, if you hadn't abandoned ship."

"What do you want? Gold? Pieces of eight?"

He looked Emma up and down and winked at her. "I'll think of something. I might stay around a while. Take in the natural beauty."

Emma's eyeswent to the floor. It was cringy and she'd heard pretty much every line in the book over the years. She could handle it usually, but Regina was doing a great job already.

Regina spotted the Jolly Roger behind him. "How in hell did you get that here?"

"I sailed it. It's what I do."

Regina groaned audibly and started getting in the car. "Fine, Captain. I don't care anyway. I'll be in my office when you decide on your payment. Monday through Friday. I no longer conduct business on the weekends." She slammed the door shut and turned the key in the ignition.

Hook rested his hand on top of the car and tapped the window with his hook. Regina pushed the button looking exasperated. "Get your accessory offmy window or I'll give you the matching one."

He chuckled. "Yes, I forgot. You quite liked my attachments, didn't you?"

Regina's chest heaved and her stomach turned. "Whatever you need to tell yourself, Captain. Now move before you lose a foot too."

She backed the car away not caring if she did any damage to the pirate. Things were getting out of control with all these old faces popping back up and bringing their memories with them. She drove off grinding her teeth and Emma reached a hand out to offer support. "You okay?"

"I'll be fine. He'll be bored in a day or two and disappear off into the sunset again."

"Ex?" Emma asked remembering a few flashes.

"Acquaintance, and not one I particularly liked. He did a few things for me. I did a few things for him. Are you coming back with us?"

Emma groaned. "I better go home. I have to figure out some things."

Regina smiled in understanding. "Good luck with that." They arrived back at Emma's place and she ghosted a kiss on Regina's cheek before stepping out. The mayor wound down the window and called after her. "Sheriff. You might want to double down on security now he's in town."

Emma nodded back with a smile. "I figured. He seems the type to cause trouble." She knew those types too well. Regina drove off and the blonde headed upstairs. Her parents were cuddled up watching something on the TV.

"How was the picnic?" Snow asked without looking up.

"Good. Tacos went down well." She chucked the Tupperware container in the sink and yawned. She'd wash it in the morning. She hovered around the kitchen debating whether or not to start that conversation. They were pretty engrossed in whatever horror movie they were watching. She averted her eyes from the screen cringing and decided now was not the time. "I'm gonna get an early night. Thanks for that today. Good night."

"Night, sweetie."

She took a quick shower and shut herself in her room for the evening. Her mind started going over the past and all the things her parents didn't know about her. They hadn't really had chance to talk and for years she'd assumed if she ever found them, she'd lay into them about abandoning her. The reality of what had truly happened still hadn't hit her. She struggled with the whole concept of magic and fairytale characters, and multiple dimensions. It really wasn't something you could believe unless you saw it with your own eyes. Even seeing it still felt surreal.

eel

Her youthwas sad but it toughened her up. It was nothing compared to the stuff Regina had dealt with and once she started to know her parents, she didn't feel like she had anything to complain about. If she'd grown up with them, she wouldn't be the person she was now. Still, they saw her as a beacon of light, the savior and she didn't want to disappoint them so soon.She wasn't ready for to come down from the high just yet.

A/N: I went back and changed chapter 11 where Ruby mentions Killian to Whale. Just noting here so you don't have to go back and re-read that teensy-tiny slip up! Sorry. I'm on an hour's sleep...