A/N: As always, thank you for the feedback. I've had some questions relating to Emma's background, and also regarding true love's kiss. While the questioners are correct, I have not given all the answers, this is entirely intentional *wink* so you'll just have to keep reading! Also, please excuse any errors. I wrote most of this while running a fever, seeing double, and trying to separate story ideas from the crazy horror movie pounding in my head.

4 YEARS AGO

"What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?"

Emma rolled her eyes at the line.

"Working," she said to the young man in front of her. He was only about her age, she kind of wondered what he was doing in the tavern, too. He looked rough enough, but he was hiding his face under a cap. Emma didn't trust anyone who wouldn't show their face.

"How's business?"

He seemed intent on making conversation.

"Booming."

There was a pause. Emma gave in to her curiosity.

"Are you on the run or something?"

He looked around the tavern, then cautiously removed his hat. He was cute.

"Not exactly. But I don't want anyone to recognise me here."

Emma chuckled. "Ashamed to be seen consorting with prostitutes?"

He blushed. "No, not that… I don't want my father to find me. Not that he's even looking, probably."

Emma sighed. She could sympathise with that.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Bael- I mean, Neal."

"Neal, huh? That's unusual."

"Stop it. I can't use my real name."

"Okay, okay."

He seemed nervous.

"What's yours?"

"Emma. No need to be shy, honey. There's not much a man can do that'd offend me."

He smiled awkwardly. "But you're so beautiful… And I really don't know what you're doing here."

"Earning my bread, same as everyone else. You got a problem with that?"

"No," he said hurriedly. "But… Why don't you earn it some other way?"

Emma shrugged. "This is my lot, kid."

"Don't call me kid. I'm older than you."

"You're not acting it. Look, it's been a pleasure talking to you," she said sarcastically, "but unless you're looking for a date this evening, I gotta go find someone who is."

Neal blushed bright red, then disappeared into a more vanilla area of the tavern. Emma watched him go, wondering why he didn't want his father to find him.

As it turned out, she didn't pick up anyone that night. There was one guy who was very interested, but he was gross and pervy and Emma reserved the right to refuse service to creeps. The tavern was closing; she wandered outside, scuffing her shoes, looking around aimlessly. She needed inspiration. She really needed money. She'd hardly eaten all week, just leftovers scrounged from unattended plates in the tavern and a raw turnip she'd found in the street. Sometimes she wished she hadn't been raised on three banquets a day for the first fifteen years of her life. She didn't think she'd ever get used to not having food.

That was when she spied it. The necklace. It was beautiful, a leather cord with a carved metal swan hanging off it. It was glinting in the moonlight. And it was hanging around the neck of none other than the boy Emma blamed for ruining her evening. The sleeping boy.

She told herself it was stupid. The necklace couldn't be worth more than a meal or two, she didn't need it, but… She hadn't had anything pretty for years, she hadn't wanted anything, but this was different. It meant something, it pulled her in. And it was good to keep her hand in. With thievery. She gritted her teeth. He didn't need it either. And he was sleeping in the street. He was asking for it.

She leaned down and carefully removed the necklace, hanging it around her own neck just as she heard something from the other side of the street. Shit. Watchmen. She turned to run but someone grabbed her wrist. Then he saw the watchmen too and before she knew what was happening, she was being pulled into an alleyway.

"That was close," he said. "I think I had too much to drink."

"Wait, you're not mad I took-"

He waved his hand. "I stole it from some girl in the tavern anyway. I also stole this." He opened his bag, showing a stash of money, jewellery, even some cutlery.

Emma gasped, then grinned at him.

"Want to come find an inn with me?" he asked, doing his best to make a seductive expression. "I can pay you now…"

Emma ruffled his hair. She didn't care if he was older, he was such a kid. He shrugged her off.

"Will you?"

He was getting more confident. Emma liked it.

"You can keep the necklace."

"Done."

PRESENT DAY

Emma sat up in the big, white bed. It was before dawn but the Queen was gone. She looked around the room, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. She finally saw her companion, sitting at a desk, staring down some papers by the light of a single candle.

"Your Majesty?" Emma said quietly.

Regina stood quickly. It was back to Your Majesty. "I woke you. I apologise. I do not sleep well."

"No, you didn't… I had a dream."

Regina raised an eyebrow. "A pleasant one?"

"Not as pleasant as last night's reality."

Regina chuckled. "I am glad you enjoyed it."

Emma came over to the desk and looked down at the papers.

"As fascinating as these seem… Why don't you come back to bed?"

"Unfortunately, what with you and Henry, I am behind with state matters. I must continue to work."

"Can I help?"

"I doubt it. Legislation, land disputes, proposals for new laws… Nothing of much interest."

"You're very committed to your kingdom."

"Yes."

"That's not… I mean, in the stories you are a lot less caring."

"And a lot more evil. I know. Forgive me for asking, Miss Swan, but… Your accent. Are you from the White Kingdom?"

Emma sighed. She should lie. But… "Yeah. That's where I grew up. I haven't lived there for many years, though."

"I do not hold it against you," Regina clarified. "I was simply curious. There are not many people who choose to move from the White Kingdom to mine."

"I never fitted in there. And I've always been curious about you… Your kingdom, I mean."

Regina sat back down and looked to her work. "You should go back to bed," she told Emma.

Emma sat on the desk. "So should you. Come on, I'll help."

"You are doing the opposite. You are distracting me."

Emma shrugged. "I'm not tired any more."

Regina rolled her eyes. "You are worse than Henry. Fine. Go… Take a bath."

Emma looked at her questioningly. Regina stood and led her to the large bathroom. There was a tub which she filled magically with hot water and bubbles. She handed Emma a shell.

"It makes music. Now. Do you think you can occupy yourself here for an hour or so?"

Emma bit her lip as she shrugged off her light robe, her skin glowing silver in the moonlight as she stepped slowly into the water.

"Will you join me later?"

Regina felt a shiver shudder through her body.

"Yes," she said, her eyes glittering as she went back to her bedroom, lighting some more candles and trying desperately to concentrate on her work.

Emma was almost asleep when Regina came in, but the sight of the queen jolted her into wakefulness.

Regina was naked. The golden dawn light just beginning to flood the room glowed on her skin; she swayed her hips as she sauntered over to the tub. Emma controlled the gasp that rose in her throat, smiling seductively instead. She brought her arms up to rest on either side of the tub beside her, and let her legs fall apart.

"I've been keeping it warm for you," she said. Regina quirked an eyebrow, but stepped into the fragrant water and settled her back against Emma's chest. She rested her head on Emma's shoulder and Emma reached for a sponge, making a lather on it before slowly washing Regina's body, starting with her toes and working her way up.

They didn't speak; Regina almost said something but Emma exuded a kind of calm which she did not want to resist, and for once, she let herself fall into it. She relaxed against Emma, into the warm water, into the sweet soapy smell…

An hour later, Regina had never been cleaner. She looked outside. Henry would be up soon.

"Miss Swan, this is by no means an order," she said suddenly, her voice shaking them out of their exquisite silence and back to reality, "but you are welcome to join Henry and me for breakfast."

She got out of the bath, pulling a towel around herself. Emma followed, helping her with the towel, stroking her body to dry it. They had not had sex, there had been nothing… But Emma did not think she had ever been so intimate with anybody.

She froze. She hadn't. Which meant that now…. She had gone too far. She was falling for this. She was getting used to it. She was falling in-

"Okay," she blurted out before she could stop herself. She knew it was wrong, she knew it was stupid, but hell, she wanted this. She wanted to have breakfast with Regina and Henry. She wanted to pretend, she wanted to live in a fairytale, she wanted, for once in her life, to feel as if she was a part of something, part of a family… And Regina made her feel like that. Here, she mattered. She was wanted.

She told herself it wasn't real. She reminded herself over and over that she was being paid, that she was providing a service, that at the end of the week she would leave and never see Regina or Henry again. She reminded herself that this was a good thing. She had the life she wanted. She did not want to be attached. She did not want to be stifled.

Regina watched emotions flicker across Emma's face. They were standing in the bathroom, a single towel between them… Regina reached down and took Emma's hand. Emma laced their fingers together. It felt so real. Regina reminded herself that it was not. She was paying for this. She was paying for Emma to do exactly as she wished. It was worth every penny. And yet, it was also… The worst torture imaginable. Because it felt so real. Last night… Last night had been the most real, the most truthful she had ever been. She gritted her teeth. Why could she only be honest in an entirely fabricated situation?

"What?" Emma whispered.

Regina shook her head. She couldn't say. Everyone convinced themselves what they felt with their whores was real. It never actually was. It was just her lonely mind playing tricks on her.

"Nothing," she replied.

Emma kissed her softly on the lips. Regina sighed. This was real. It was against the rules, it was special, it was- Emma broke away.

"Tell me."

"No. I must dress, Henry will be awake."

Emma ended up borrowing riding pants and a loose shirt so she could be dressed in a similar style to the Queen. She had her own boots, brown and worn. Regina approved. Every respectable woman needed respectable boots. Every respectable person, in fact.

There was a pounding on the door. Regina shook a hand through her still damp hair. The pounding accelerated. Regina marched to the door and opened it regally.

"Henry Daniel Mills, do you consider it gentlemanly behaviour to hammer on a lady's door?"

Henry blushed, but only for a moment.

"You're not a lady. You're a Queen."

Regina raised her eyebrows.

"That's even worse."

"Sorry, Mama," he said. He actually seemed a little guilty.

She lifted him up. "That's alright, Henry."

He saw Emma over her shoulder.

"She's here," he said, now on the verge of being cross.

"Miss Swan is going to eat breakfast with us."

"Does she have to?"

Emma was about to say she didn't, but Regina caught her eye.

"Yes, she does. She is my friend. You can make friends with her, too."

"Don't want to," Henry said. Regina brought his face right up to hers.

"That is rude, Henry. Why would you want to be rude to Miss Swan?"

Henry tried to avoid her gaze. She didn't let him. He bit his lip.

"She slept in your bed… Does that mean you like her better than me?"

Regina maintained eye contact.

"She did. She and I have a very different kind of friendship from the one you and I have. This does not mean I like her better. I… You are right when you say it, Henry. I am your Mama. I love you more than anything. But you must not be jealous of my other friends. That is not fair. Miss Swan is a lovely woman, and she would like to be friends with you. I would like for us all to be friends."

Henry nodded, then wriggled to be put down. Regina set him on the floor; he went over to Emma.

"I am sorry, Miss Swan. I did not mean to be rude."

Emma wanted to grab him and hug him, it was so cute. She also wanted to hug Regina for similar reasons.

"Don't sweat it, kid."

He didn't understand.

"I mean, don't worry about it. Every kid's protective of their mom. I'd love to be friends, though."

Henry smiled. "You can have breakfast with us," he decided. Regina winked at Emma over his head.

"Do you like games?" Henry asked as they walked to the sitting room. Emma grinned.

"I love them."

"Then we should play. Can we?"

Regina let the question rest over breakfast. She had to attend court; she left leaving until the last possible second, dressing herself with magic (much to Henry's delight).

"Can I… Can I stay with Henry?" Emma asked. Regina knew she should say no, she shouldn't let Henry get attached to someone who was leaving… But he was so young, and it was only a few days. She doubted that it would really do any harm.

"If you really want to," she said, watching Emma's face light up like it was Christmas morning.

Emma kissed her. "Thank you," she said, grinning widely.

Regina left to attend to her kingdom and Henry smirked at Emma.

"Can I have chocolate?" he asked as soon as his mother was out of earshot.

"No," Emma said. "I don't want to be executed."

Henry frowned, but he wasn't really upset.

"Are you a knight?" he asked.

They went to his room. Emma located the toybox.

"No, I'm not a knight," she said, taking out a unicorn.

"A prince?"

"I'm a girl."

Henry shrugged, not understanding the explanation. Emma liked that.

"A girl prince is usually called a princess."

"Are you one of those?"

Emma bit her lip.

"Promise not to tell?"

Henry nodded.

"Okay. I used to be one. I guess technically I still am."

"You're not like princesses in stories. Mama is the princess. So you should be the prince."

Emma batted the dragon he had taken out with her unicorn.

"You're a smart kid. You're right. But stories aren't varied enough. People in real life aren't like people in stories."

Emma wasn't sure if Henry was really listening, but she pressed on valiantly.

"So, like… A Queen, like your mom, she might love a prince, or a king, or just some regular guy, or she might love a girl, too, or a princess…" She trailed off, pretty sure the three year old in front of her didn't have a clue what she was talking about.

"She loves me," Henry said confidently.

Emma smiled. "Yes. She does."

"Do you love anyone?"

Emma thought about it. She didn't want to say no. That was too sad. She wondered if you could love someone you'd never met. If you could, she did. And then there was…

"I'm not sure," she told him eventually. "But I hope I will, one day."

A/N: Reviews are love. You never know, they might even cure flu!