A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry about the incredibly long delay in updating this one. Thanks for sticking with me, and for all the messages of encouragement I've gotten to finish this one :) I promise I have not and will not abandon it permanently! It will be finished. This is my first ever Swan Queen story and it is very special to me, too :)

There's still a fair bit to come, as Emma has barely scratched the surface of Regina's deeper issues, and, you know, the whole cursing breaking thing is yet to come as well... I don't know how long it will take to finish, but I promise I will!

Oh, and this is going to continue to loosely include canon events from season one, though I don't plan on killing off Graham because I will never forgive OUAT for that. Emma needs a best friend, anyway. (Well, one that won't turn out to be her mother lol)

Chapter Seventeen

"I take it things didn't go well with Regina last night?" Mary Margaret asked, as she came into the room where Emma was sitting cross-legged at the table, eating her Froot Loops.

"How did you know I went to Regina's last night?" Emma asked, looking at at Mary Margaret, confused.

"Because, you always give your cereal that death stare after a run-in with her. It wasn't hard to put the pieces together," Mary Margaret sighed, as she sat down across from Emma. "So, what happened?"

Emma shook her head. "Nothing, really. Nothing ever happens. She's so closed off, I don't know what to do."

"Maybe…" Mary Margaret said, thoughtfully. "Maybe it's time to back off."

"What? That's the opposite of what I want to do. I want-"

"I know what you want," Mary Margaret cut Emma off. "But it's not what she wants. Or, at least, it's not what she wants right now. Her defenses are up, Emma, and that's not going to change if you keep confronting her. Maybe just back off, and give her some time to process. Giver her a chance to miss you."

"She had nine years to miss me," Emma reminded her. "And she didn't then, so why would she now?"

"How do you know she didn't then?"

"Because she ended it She made it impossible for me to reach her. She could have called me again, and she never tried, not even once. She-"

"It sounds like perhaps she got a little scared. I've lived in this town, well, forever, and never once have I known the Mayor to be in any sort of relationship. That's just not who she is. Maybe she was afraid of something casual becoming.. something more than casual. But it's been nine years, and people change… maybe she can to, if you give her a chance."

Emma nodded slowing, processing what Mary Margaret was saying. Of course Regina was scared. Emma had apparently told her she loved her, even if she didn't actually remember it. So maybe Mary Margaret was right. Maybe time and space was all Regina needed.

During the next few weeks, Emma put herself head first into work, picking up as many hours at the Sheriff's office as she could. It was hard being in Storybrooke and also attempting to avoid Regina so as to give her space, so spending more time at the station seemed like a good enough way to keep herself occupied.

Of course, spending more time at the station meant spending more time with Graham, and though Emma could tell he was developing a little crush, after how everything had gone down with Neal, she was determined to make sure this stayed platonic. Emma had never been great at cultivating friendships, but now, here in Storybrooke, with Mary Margaret and Graham and even Ruby, Emma was starting to feel like she finally found a place to belong.

That is, until she discovered Graham and Regina's dirty little secret.

"I can't look at you the same," Emma sighed, shaking her head as she sat across from Graham at a table at the Rabbit Hole, nursing her drink.

"Emma, we're two consenting adults. We're not doing anything wrong," Graham insisted. "It's just casual. It's…"

"It's just sex," Emma nodded. "Yeah. I know how that goes. But what happens when one of you gets attached, and the other one gets scared?"

Graham shrugged. "If it hasn't happened yet, I doubt it will. I can assure you, I don't feel anything for Regina, and I don't think she's capable of feeling anything, for anyone."

"Don't say that," Emma said, trying not to sound defensive. "I mean, she loves Henry."

"Does she?"

"I think so," Emma nodded. "I mean, she wants him. She must love him."

"We don't have to talk about this, you know. I know it's not an easy subject for you."

"Why? Because no one has ever wanted me? I've seen a lot of shitty parents in my life. I just don't think Regina is one of them. She's just… she's got her walls up."

"And so do you," Graham pointed out.

"What?"

"Emma… I'm not blind. I may have thought about the possibility of something between us, when we first met, but now… I see the way you look at her."

Emma blanched. Since when could everyone just see right through her? "I… I don't love her."

Graham raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I never said anything about love."

Emma cringed. No, he hadn't said anything about love. It was just what was on her mind, all the time now. Every time she saw Regina and every time she didn't, ever since Regina had told her what she'd said that night.

"I think I'm gonna go home," Emma said, quietly.

"I'll walk you."

Emma nodded and accepted the escort. It wasn't that Storybrooke was an even remotely dangerous place, but she was still grateful for Graham's company, since had he not been there, she was sure she would have ran all the way to Regina's and made an ass out of herself, again.

"You still good to cover for me tomorrow?" Graham asked.

"Yeah, I got this, Sheriff," Emma smiled. "Good night."

The next morning, Emma was sitting alone in the station, idly tapping her pen on her desk and trying to think about anything other than the dark haired Mayor, while Graham picked up an extra shift at the animal shelter, when the phone rang, causing Emma to jump.

"Good morning, Storybrooke Sheriff's Department. This is Deputy Swan," she said into the phone, as professionally as she could.

There was a long pause on the other end, and then finally, an all-too-familiar voice. "Deputy Swan. This is Graham's personal line," Regina said, sounding utterly unimpressed.

"Yeah, he's not in today, so I'm holding down the fort," Emma said, trying to sound as casual as she could, considering the awkwardness of this being their first conversation since the last time she'd shown up on Regina's doorstep.

"I see. Well, I was going to ask Graham to pay me a visit at my office, to discuss some procedural policies, but I suppose it will have to wait until tomorrow, assuming that he plans on reporting to work."

"Oh… uh… or I could just come?" Emma suggested, on a reflex, momentarily forgetting that she was supposed to be giving Regina space.

There was another long pause, and Emma cringed, suddenly wondering if this 'visit' Regina had wanted wasn't meant to be professional at all. "I suppose you could," Regina said, finally. "I expect you here in ten minutes."

Emma's heart skipped a beat, as she remembered the last time Regina had given her a deadline to be somewhere. She swallowed hard, trying to forget the jealousy she'd felt that night when she thought Regina was about to hop into bed with some random stranger, instead of her, as she grabbed her jacket and bolted from the station.

Truthfully, ten minutes was plenty of time, but Emma wasn't planning on making Regina have to wait for her, anyway. She knew that never ended well for her.

When she arrived, Regina was sitting at her desk, filling out some paperwork, and Emma stood awkwardly in the doorway, waiting to be officially invited in. She chewed on her bottom lip, as she watched Regina continue to work, seeming to pay not attention to the blonde's presence.

Finally, Regina closed the open folder on her desk, and looked up. "Come in, Miss Swan. And please close the door."

Emma nodded and did as she was asked, taking a deep breath as she stepped up to Regina's desk.

"I may have been less than truthful when I said I wanted Graham to come here and discuss procedural policy," Regina informed her, her voice void on any inflection.

"Oh," Emma said, feeling deflated as she realized she was probably right: this was supposed to be nothing more than a booty call. But, if that was all it was, why would she allow Emma to come in Graham's place?

"But what I wanted to discuss with Graham, I suppose I can discuss with you just as well," Regina continued, narrowing her eyes as she studied Emma's face.

"Okay. And what's that?" Emma asked, trying to sound nonchalant in spite of her nervousness.

"Just what the hell is going on between you and Graham?" Regina asked, point blank.

"Uh," Emma faltered, as the unexpected question took her aback. "Um… nothing? What are you even talking about?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "Don't. You're with him all of the time. I see how he looks at you. Don't pretend there's nothing going on because I know there is, and it's unprofessional."

"Unprofessional? Wow… okay. Regina, there is absolutely nothing going on between me and Graham. But if you want to bring professionalism into this, I know all about what's going on between you and Graham, and I don't intend to get into the middle of… that."

Regina narrowed her eyes again. "What goes on between Graham and myself is my business. Need I remind you that this is my town? You don't belong here and you don't get to pass judgment on me. Furthermore, you already are in the middle of it, since you've put yourself in the middle of everything in my life since the day you arrived."

"That's not what I'm trying to do," Emma insisted. In fact, it was what she's actively been trying not to do for the last few weeks.

"I don't care what you are trying to do, Emma, I just… I can't…" Regina shook her head, unsure of how to end that sentence.

"You just can't what, Regina?"

"I just can't have you here and not have you," Regina finally blurted out, and immediately cringed, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

"But you could have me. Regina, I'm right here," Emma said, exasperated.

"You are, but I can't have you. You don't understand and you can't understand, because you would…."

"Hate you? You keep saying that, but you're just scared," Emma insisted.

"I'm not scared. I'm just not stupid."

"Regina… if you want me, you can have me. I'm right here and I don't plan on leaving," Emma said, worrying her bottom lip again. It wasn't like her to put herself out like this, but she knew no one was ever going to be like Regina. She'd looked. She had to do something.

"And what happens when you inevitably want more?"

"Then… I guess we cross that bridge when we get there?" Emma suggested. "I don't know… you know I have no experience with the whole relationship thing. All I know is I want you. Maybe one day I'll want more but I can't even think about that because I can't get you out of my head."

"I've never been able to get you out of my head," Regina confessed, quietly. "So, what then? What are you proposing we do? Casual hook ups like I have with Graham?"

"Maybe we could date?" Emma offered, hoping she wasn't pushing too far, too fast, considering this was the most headway she'd made with Regina since arriving in Storybrooke.

Regina seemed to mull over the idea in her mind for a moment before answering. "I don't date. But… I've done a lot of things with you that I've never done with anyone else. So… I'll agree to one date, and if I decide that's it, then that's it. Does that sound fair?"

Emma smirk. "About as fair an offer as I could expect from you, yes."

"Right. Well, we'll go to dinner tonight then? Get Ruby to cover you at the station. Henry is going to the animal shelter to help Graham after school, so he'll be gone all evening. Be at my house at six, and I will take you out. Don't be late."

Emma nodded, and then narrowed her eyes. "Wait.. you already knew Graham wasn't at the station today? Before you called?"

"Six o'clock, Miss Swan," Regina repeated, with a dismissive wave. "Don't be late. I don't give second chances."

Emma nodded again. "Right. Got it. Six o'clock. I won't be late," she said, as she turned to leave Regina's office before the Mayor had a chance to change her mind and reneg on the offer. She also decided not to question why Regina didn't offer to just pick her up, if she was planning on taking her out, anyway.

None of it mattered. All that mattered was she had her chance. Mary Margaret had been right: Regina needed space, and time to miss her, and clearly she did.

And Emma wasn't going to waste this opportunity.

A/N: I wanted to include some of Regina's perspective this chapter, but I ran out of time as I am going out of town and leaving shortly, so I wanted to get this up before I left... next chapter will have what was going through Regina's head in the two weeks that Emma was avoiding her, and why the sudden change in her :)