A/N: Thank you for reading chapter 1 - I decided just to post the story, no boring authorial messages. This note is just a quickie! I know I have several other fics on the go but this idea has been burning away at me for a while and if you like it, I'd love to keep writing it for you. Your feedback is amazing and I love it… The first chapter had a lot of Pretty Woman undertones, I want to credit it rather than ripping it off. And I want to thank All Time Low for the title - Backseat Serenade is one of my favourite songs of theirs (try the acoustic version too) and that's where that came from.

Regina dealt with her early morning business not exactly benevolently, but she refrained from snapping any necks, at least. In the years since her father's death she had attempted to rule in a way that he would not completely despise. She could still be cruel, she was almost always snarky, but causing pain to others had somehow lost its allure. The only person she truly wished to harm was Snow White, and even her rage at the White Queen had dissipated a great deal… Regina no longer had the energy for evil. She would never admit that, of course.

After an hour of vital meetings, Regina took a deep breath, then went up to the nursery. She told everyone, including herself, that the foundling child who lived there was for show, to prove she was a good person. But the name she had given the now three-year-old boy, combined with the inordinate amount of time she spent with him, suggested otherwise.

"Mama!"

She smiled widely at the bright eyed toddler who immediately raised his arms for her to pick him up. She did so, lifting him onto the hip of her elaborate black dress. He giggled, playing with the lacy collar.

"I am not your Mama, Henry," she told him softly. "I am Regina."

Henry looked her right in the eyes.

"Mama," he said again. He was a proficient talker, but when he wanted to make a point, he still preferred to use single words.

"Very well," she conceded. They had this argument almost every morning. Henry always won.

"How are you today, my little prince?"

"We had pancakes for breakfast," Henry said happily. His nurse had disappeared as soon as Regina arrived, taking away all traces of the meal. Regina was a little disappointed. She loved pancakes, but she would never order them for herself.

"That sounds delicious. And your plans for the day?"

"Are you busy?" Henry asked rather sadly. Regina stroked his cheek.

"Only for the morning. I must attend to the court until lunchtime. But after that we will eat together, and then in the afternoon we can please ourselves."

Regina found the smile she gave him was more genuine than ever before. She had always been affectionate towards the child, she had always liked him, but it was as if the events of the previous night had opened her up to a whole new depth of feeling. Henry beamed back at her. She wondered if he had noticed the change.

"Can we go see the horses?" Henry asked.

Regina had been hoping for this request. Henry was still too small to ride, but he adored visiting the stables. It was a nice day; Regina saw no reason why they shouldn't.

"And maybe we can play…" Henry suggested, his voice trailing off as if his young mind knew this was a foolish question. Regina spent time with him, talked to him, went for walks with him… But she had never played with him. He could not voice this, but his eyes told her he expected to be disappointed.

"I would… I would be honoured to play with you," Regina said suddenly. Henry bit his lip.

"Honoured means that I would love it," Regina clarified. Henry smiled again, his whole face sparkling with delight.

"Really?"

Regina hugged him. "Yes, my lo- Yes, Henry."

Love was weakness. Love was weakness. She spied the nurse, she knew she had to leave.

"I am afraid I must leave, now. Be good for your nurse."

Henry frowned, but did not protest as she set him down.

"Have a nice morning," he told her, echoing what she often told him. She smiled.

"You too, Henry."

He was not her son. He was not her son. But somehow… He made Regina think that blood was not so important after all. She left the nursery and, on a whim, wandered back to her room. The servants would have been in to clean by now, Miss Swan had to have left.

To her surprise, while the room had indeed been cleaned, there was still a gorgeous blonde woman in her bed. The note had moved, though. And the bills were gone. Regina cleared her throat.

Emma blinked, blushing bright red as she realised she'd been caught.

"Shit, sorry, the girl said you wouldn't be back until the evening and you just have such a nice bed and I was leaving, I really was, but then I-"

Regina held in her laughter and held up her hand.

"It is not a problem, Miss Swan. I trust the payment met your approval?"

"Yes, thank you, I…" Emma had been meaning to leave it. She really had. But as she tried to say so, all the possible complications, dreams, idiotic possibilities floated through her brain and she ended up trailing off into an awkward silence.

She jumped out of the bed, waving her hand to magically dress herself in the red ensemble of the previous night.

Regina bit her lip. She did not believe in fate. But she had the chance, she could…

"Miss Swan, I do not suppose you would be interested in creating a more long term arrangement?"

It was ridiculous; colour rose to her cheeks as she took in Emma's bemused expression. Of course she wouldn't be interested, she was young and free and beautiful and she could do so much better than an Evil Queen who was clearly past her prime.

"Wait, are you serious?" Emma asked. Regina narrowed her eyes.

"I was, but it was a foolish-"

"How long?"

Regina was thrown. She really hadn't expected Emma to consider it.

"I… Perhaps, a week, to begin with? How much would you charge?"

Emma bit her lip, holding back a smile. "600 crowns."

"Done."

Emma gasped. "Wait, Your Majesty, I couldn't, that's a fortune-"

"I have it. It is what you asked."

"I didn't expect you to say yes!"

"I did not expect you to consider my offer. And yet, here we are."

Emma grinned.

"What are you grinning at, Miss Swan?"

"You. Hiring me as your mistress. Your courtesan. Your whore."

"You do not need to use that-"

"That's what I am, Your Majesty."

Regina pursed her lips. "My terms, before you agree," she said, "are that you will sleep here. With me. I work during the days, but we can take supper together, and in a few days is an event to which I would appreciate an escort. When I am busy you are free to do as you wish. All rooms of the castle left unlocked are at your disposal. Or you may leave… Of course, you may always leave, I mean, I would not demand as part of your service that you remain a prisoner-"

"I get it," Emma said with another grin. "Sounds pretty fucking amazing to me."

"Please refrain from using such vulgar language, Miss Swan."

"You used some pretty choice phrases last night."

"Extenuating circumstances. I will meet you here at nightfall?"

Emma grinned. "See you then." She looked down at her dress. "I should probably go get some stuff…"

"That might be a sensible plan. I have to go. See you later, Miss Swan."

Regina returned to the main hall in a kind of daze. At the back of her mind, she knew that this was a very bad idea, but she had been unable to help herself. Emma wanted it, too. And… Regina couldn't help it, she was hooked. When she was with Emma, even just standing in a room with her, she felt… Hope.

She knew that hope was a dangerous emotion. She knew she was stupid even to indulge herself once, let alone for the next week. It was nothing more than a business transaction, it couldn't be. And yet there was something in the way Emma looked at her-

No. She was paid. She did it for a living. None of it was real. Regina sighed. It might only be a fantasy, but she was the happiest she'd been in 22 years. At least. She chuckled. And it had all started with whiskey.

Emma hurried out of the castle, a huge spring in her step. She could magic herself home, but she preferred to walk. She had time, and it was a beautiful day. She walked in the forest, sparking magic from her fingertips, pink and purple fireworks…

It took an hour for her to reach her cottage. In that hour, she did not allow herself to consider, even once, the crazy situation she was about to put herself in. Because the reason she was doing it, the reason she said yes, was that she felt something. She had all kinds of sex. But the thing all her encounters, all her clients had in common was, she never felt anything for them. Sure, she felt things in the moment - she definitely made sure that they did. But the key to succeeding in her line of work was remaining detached. Well, that and hygiene.

She let herself in to the wooden cabin, smiling at the familiar surroundings. It was tiny and sparsely furnished, but it was hers - well, rented, at least.

"Jen?" she yelled. Her housemate stumbled into the living room, bleary eyed. Emma grinned, then went to her room to start packing. Jen followed, waiting for the story that was bound to follow.

"I'm going to be away for a week."

Emma pressed most of the money Regina had given her into Jen's hand.

"This is for food and stuff. Don't waste it, yeah?"

Jen grinned. Emma could tell by the look in her eyes that she was definitely going to waste at least half of it.

"Where are you going?"

"A job," she said.

"He wants you for a week? Wow, you must have impressed him!"

It wasn't really lying, Emma told herself. She just wasn't correcting anything.

"I know, right? Anyway, just make sure you put something aside for next month's rent. And have fun!" Emma kissed her on the cheek. "I'll miss you…"

Jen rolled her eyes. "No you won't. You're glowing. He must be hot. And rich. Is he hot?"

"Very."

Jen finally counted the money. "Oh my Gods! He is rich. How much are you getting for the week?"

Emma beamed at her. "600 crowns."

"600?! Em, that's a fortune," Jen squealed. "We could move, we could travel, we could-"

"I know! It's like a dream."

"You're so lucky! Why do I never meet the hot, rich guys? Wait, is he an asshole though? Or really kinky? I mean, he must have something wrong with him…"

Emma shrugged. "I guess… Everyone has quirks. But this seems like a good thing."

"You're so vague. You haven't said anything about him?"

Emma sighed. She was fully lying now. "I kind of have to protect his identity. He didn't actually say I had to, but I don't want to make things complicated for him."

It wasn't that Jen would be horrified if she knew the client was a woman, it was just that Jen didn't service women at all and Emma only did so occasionally. Also, Emma suspected Jen might guess who it was… Using 'he' was a pretty great way of keeping her off the trail.

"Did you meet him at the tavern?"

Emma grinned. "They don't call me Whiskey Princess for nothing."