"What is wrong with you?!" Snow said as she walked down the hill from the archery range. Why Emma had forgotten she was going to practice today she wasn't sure. Mostly because she tried not to think about Mary Margaret with the bow and arrow like an extra from Xena Warrior Princess.

What really surprised her though, was not her mother's presence, or the yelling, because she was pretty sure she had expected that, was how quiet Regina had become beside her. She was holding the reigns of her horse, and just looked over to the side. "Henry... I think you need to go into the stables and brush down your mount."

"But Mom..."

"Now." Both his mother's said firmly, and facing a united front he obeyed.

"You are going to answer me Regina. What is wrong with you. She's... you're ... my stepmother which makes her..."

"Do not complete that sentence if you want to still have a tongue Snow. We are not related in any way."

Emma was reminded of the conversation she'd had about the King... about her grandfather... and she silently thought that perhaps she should sit down and have a chat with Mary Margaret about why that subject should perhaps never come up again. Among the thousands of subjects between she and Regina that they should never bring up again. Mutual parental homicide seemed high on the list though.

"You've taken everything from me, Regina... why? Is this some sort of enchantment?"

"You can't make someone love you with magic, Mary Margaret. It's against the laws of magic."

Regina turned slightly, "You are actually paying attention in your lessons with the little blue moth?"

"Can we really not insult the blue fairy in the middle of discussing why you are kissing my daughter?"

"Can we really not act like I'm sixteen and you have any right to an explanation for why I'm kissing anyone?" Emma shot back. Regina seemed to be shrinking further and further against the horse. It was nuzzling it's head against her protectively. And just the way Regina was acting made Emma doubly annoyed. Was this the way Regina had been around her own mother? That was the last time she loved someone and ... "Stop. You don't have this right. You can judge Regina for many things but she's behaved nothing but honorably with me about this."

Snow was shocked into silence. "I don't know what we're doing but I do know you don't get stop it. Because I'm not a kid and she's not some cardboard villain. And I don't know if I love her but I would like to see and if you want me to speak to you any time soon you are going to not say anything right now and walk away, Mary Margaret."

Snow opened her mouth, but looked between them, and shut it again. Took a long look at Regina before walking off. Clearly not entirely satisfied.

"Are you alright, Regina?"

She was stroking the horse but shook her head. "No... but it wasn't unexpected."

Emma took her hand. "You haven't done anything wrong."

"And if I feel like I have. For what I've done to you..."

"You haven't done anything wrong here." She leaned her forehead against Regina's. "I'm going to call Neal and see if he can watch Henry for the rest of the day. I'm sure she'll be back. With my father as backup."

"Should I bake some apple pie for this family meeting?" Regina asked with a slightly mischievous and slightly nervous smile.

"I think that would be in poor taste." Emma said with an equally small smile.

Neal took Henry for the weekend, happy for the time with him and understanding that what was going to go down may be something none of them wanted him to witness. Of course he wanted to stay. Because that wouldn't have been awkward at all. Regina went home to her house, knowing someone would come to her when her part in the farce was to be played, and Emma went to the Sheriff's station, because going to her apartment seemed both too easy and part of her had no desire to make this easy on anyone.

It was David who came eventually, which had a certain amount of logic and at least meant even if her mother wasn't rational the two of them could think somewhat clearly, "Hey."

"Hey."

He stood there quietly for a long time saying nothing.

"This is going to be a really weird conversation if you don't start talking." Emma grumbled.

"It's going to be weird either way," David shrugged. "Your mother is crying."

"Of course she is. Because it was all about her."

"Well, in my experience, when it comes to Regina, it generally is all about Snow."

"This time it's not."

"Are you sure?"

"David, I've been dealing with Regina for a while now. And... we've been getting close for a long time. It kind of happened naturally and really if anyone tried to make it not happen it was her."

"You can't trust her, not with something as valuable as your heart Emma." David said with a great deal of sympathy.

"Why... she's trusted me with hers." Emma tilted her head. "I told Mary Margaret. We don't know what's going to happen. Whatever this is... it's just starting. But we've been putting it off for a long time and I think it's time we stopped. And I... I really need you and Mary Margaret to trust me even if you don't trust her, to see if this is real. Because it feels real now."

David watched her for a long moment. "You'll protect yourself?"

"I'm pretty sure that's not how relationships work, Dad."

He nodded after a moment. "Your mother is still not going to like it."

"She doesn't have to. I'd just... appreciate if she'd respect it for now." She tilted her head to the side. "And... not kill Regina."

"Well, she's heading over to her house now I'm sure. Since I told her to stay at the loft. So I think we'll know in a little bit if it results in murder."

"Should we go over there?" Emma asked concerned.

"Do you think Regina will hurt her?"

The question seemed so strange to Emma. "I think it's more likely that Regina will curl up in a ball and take whatever Mary Margaret throws at her." That was the problem with self hatred. You didn't need to hurt yourself. You could just let your enemies do it for you.

She knew who it was when she heard the knock on the door. She mentally prepared herself for more screaming, and at least this time not allowing herself to slip back into a memory of long ago. Of another lover on a hill above a stable. Of being caught. It had been the smell of the horse that had done it she was sure.

Snow wasn't her mother, but for a moment in her own mind she was back with Cora, back watching everything be taken from her.

She opened the door and folded her arms.

"Regina, can we talk?"

"Can we?" She asked with a sneer.

"Please." Snow said quietly. "We've been at this so long and now ... why Emma?"

Regina shook her head and walked out of the doorway, expecting Snow to follow. Which she did. Because walking into someone elses home uninvited was something Snow would do.

"Believe it or not everything isn't about you."

"You've been hiding. You even tortured squirrels so they wouldn't share your secrets."

"I threatened birds thank you, I never had any conversations with squirrels. Perhaps your woodland friends understand the value of secrets better than you do."

Snow rolled her eyes. Because she would. She never understood that hurt.

"Why have you been hiding? If you were going to take her from us like this..."

"I'm not ..." She closed her eyes. "Believe it or not, as I've already said it's not about you. It's about Emma and maybe the only person whose actually listened to me and seen me since I was..."

And then something seemed to snap in Snow. Her eyes got big, "Since you were a young woman on a horse."

"Since about then, yes."

Snow almost reached out to her, but seemed to think better of it. It was good. In the mood Regina was in she wasn't sure if she'd cry or light the younger woman on fire. "Do you love her?"

Regina laughed. It was totally inappropriate to the question and to the situation and had no humor in it at all. But it still managed to be funny. "The last time a Charming asked me if I loved someone it was Emma. About Henry. And she decided I was lying."

"Tell me and I'll believe you."

"Well, the answer isn't as simple as that, Princess. I..." Regina's voice caught, "... I'm not really sure if I can. My heart is so dark... and it's been so long. But... yes. I think I love your daughter."

She tilted her head to the side as if waiting for the retort or the next accusation.

"If you don't know for sure... I think that's probably a good indication that you do." She leaned against the nearest wall. "What a mess."

"Why do you think I've been resisting."

"How long?"

"How long what?" Regina asked confused.

"How long has this been going on?"

"Forever, and ... not long at all."

"That's not an answer." Snow replied.

"It's what I have. I've been in love for a long time... but we've only come to this place recently."

"Why can't you do anything simple Regina?"

Regina laughed and answered honestly for once, "Because I mess up everything I touch. And I really don't want to mess this up."