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Chapter II

The Town

Emma squeezed Regina tight to her body. She was so warm and fluffy. Warm and fluffy? Emma cracked one bleary eye open. Her arms were wrapped around a pillow. She opened both eyes and looked around her. She was at home, in bed, snuggling a pillow. She sat up and pushed a hand through her hair. Had it been a dream? A really weird, messed up, drank-too-much-tequila-last-night dream? Maybe it had been. She twisted in bed and put her feet on the floor. She didn't feel hung over, not even a little bit. She buzzed, her entire body buzzed like she had just licked an electric outlet. It was a pleasant after-effect of kissing Regina. In her dream, of course. It wasn't the first time she had thought about kissing the other woman senseless. Usually, though, her dreams were less Apollo 13 and little more D.E.B.S.

Coffee, she needed coffee. She would go downstairs and have coffee with David and Snow and then she would walk Henry to school and then go to Granny's and get her usual cocoa and bear claw, her version of normal now. She would put this dream, a disturbing yet beautiful fantasy, behind her. She put on pants, an unhappy and unappreciated necessity now that her father and son lived with her, and stumbled out of her bedroom, leaving her bed unmade and last night's clothes on the floor. A smile crawled across her face when she smelled coffee. She tripped down the stairs with none of the grace that her last name implied, and grumbled a half-hearted "Morning" to Snow as she passed her. She moved on auto-pilot, grabbing a mug and filling it without conscious thought. After a sip or two she looked around. Snow was fussing with a bag full of something and was already dressed as if to leave.

Where was Henry? She didn't hear the shower running, and there was nowhere else he could be. It was a small apartment. Wait, she looked around again, where was David?

"What's going on?"

Were they out having an early morning sword fight or something?

"I'm headed to Granny's before school."

School?

Emma blinked and looked at Snow again, she was wearing a ruffled lilac blouse and a white skirt that reached her knees. It didn't look much like Snow's style at all. It looked like the kind of thing she had worn when she was Mary Margret. Was it laundry day or something?

"So you're teaching?" She hadn't thought about Snow teaching again, she had been too busy being well, Snow.

"Of course. What else would I do?" She smiled, "Now if you'll excuse me, I really need to get to Granny's if I want to have time to enjoy my coffee."

She watched her mom walk out the door and was stumped. No hug, no gentle smile, no mom-ness at all. If she didn't know any better she would swear she was back to being just Mary Margret. That was ridiculous, though, right? She was just having an off-day. Everything was still fresh and new and awkwardness would happen. She shook her head. Since Henry was gone, David would drop him at school she assumed, she should get ready for her long day of doing nothing at the Sheriff's Station.

She showered and dressed quickly, but couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Her dream clung to her, and wouldn't let her go. It had been so vivid. Her palms still tingled, from holding Regina's hands or from producing magic, she wasn't actually sure which. She'd had Regina in her arms, had looked into her eyes, and had kissed her. God what a kiss. It had been everything she had ever thought it would be, only better. She had faced the end of the world with the Evil Queen in her arms and had felt strangely complete. Like the last piece of the ridiculous picture puzzle that was her life had fallen into place. Maybe she should curb her late night snacks? Or get laid? Both, possibly both. Anything to stop the heart-stopping and impossible dreams about Regina Mills.

She grabbed her hip holster, David could keep the leather shoulder bondage gear for himself, and her pistol. The weight settled against her leg comfortably. The last thing she grabbed were her keys, her Sheriff's badge and her red leather jacket. It was time to start a new day in her crazy life.

Emma walked to Granny's and smiled at people as they passed her. Same hum-drum town, same people in the same routine. Marco was nailing a sign up over his hardware store, little Pinocchio was at the base of the ladder holding his tool box. It was hard to imagine that August had been such a cute little kid. He looked especially adorable in his Storybrooke School uniform. Archie, out for his morning walk with Pongo, waved hello to her and she waved back. The cricket-turned-shrink was a stand-up guy and she was glad he was in their corner. He was the little conscience that kept everyone on the right path. She chuckled at her own joke. Ruby and Granny were setting out the large sign for the day. Emma blinked. Ruby had streaked her hair again. Then she caught sight of the rest of the waitress and sometimes back-up-deputy's body. She was wearing a barely-there pair of red shorts and tied off white shirt. It was the kind of outfit that she had worn all the time back before the curse had broken. Was it almost time for another full moon? Because it looked like Ruby was feeling frisky.

She met them at the door. Granny went through ahead of them, grumbling something about Ruby's attitude. Ruby only grinned, "You want your usual, Sheriff?" She flicked her red-streaked hair and grinned. Emma blinked, momentarily confused. Was Ruby flirting with her? Not that she was opposed to it. Ruby "Red" Lucas was a beautiful woman, but she was also her best friend and technically her God Mother. They had stopped the playful banter after the curse had broken because flirting with a woman who had patted her head while she was in-utero had been weird. Really really weird.

She stepped inside the Diner and took it all in. Mary Margret was sitting at one of the tables, drinking her coffee and watching the door. Emma waved to her, but the other woman didn't respond. Leroy was at the counter, dressed in the hospital cover-alls she hadn't seen him in for months. Well, even dwarves needed day jobs she supposed. Belle was leaned over a plate of food at the end of the counter. Wait, no, the short green skirt and black halter top very clearly declared the brunette to be Lacey. Hadn't Gold and Mother Superior brought back Belle, though? That must have been part of the dream too.

Ruby, coffee and bear claw to go, paused to say something to the obviously hung-over brunette as she passed her. There was that smile again, and Emma blinked. Now that was just random and odd. If she didn't know any better she would say Ruby was flirting with Lacey, which was crazy because everyone knew the woman was Mr. Gold's new-slash-old-slash-whatever girlfriend.

She took the bag and to-go cup and reached for wallet but Ruby just winked at her, "I'll just put it on your tab."

Right, well, okay then.

The door's bell jingled and Emma turned to see David, her dad, come in. Oh thank God, normalcy had finally arrived. He would look at Snow and tell her that he'd found her and they would snuggle together in a way that sometimes made Emma throw up in her mouth a little and everything would make sense again.

"Hey Ruby, Emma." He walked past Snow with only a small hitch in his step. "Can I get two coffees to go, one black and the other-"

Ruby waved her hand to cut him off, "Yeah yeah, I know what you need."

Why was he getting two coffees? Snow already had- She turned around and looked out the door and then did a double take. Was that Katherine Nolan's car? Katherine, as in David's fake wife during the curse, Nolan?

It hit her like the proverbial ton of bricks. Wait, was the ton of brick a real thing? Was there, like, a big ass pile of bricks somewhere in the Enchanted Forest?

Focus, Swan. Emma actually physically shook herself.

It had not been a dream. She and Regina had gone to the mines to stop the diamond from detonating. They had succeeded, but something had happened. Something really weird. They had, she didn't even know what they had done. She walked out of the Diner without another word, confused and somewhat concerned for her own sanity. What had they done? What the hell had she and Regina done to Storybrooke?

She was lost in her thoughts, completely in a daze, so she didn't even see the body in her way until it was way too late.

She crashed into the other person and gracelessly fell on her ass. Her cocoa, hot and laced with cinnamon, splashed all over her white tank top and Emma hissed in pain.

"Shit! I am so sor-"

She looked up from her place on the sidewalk and immediately lost her words. Greg Mendelson, arm in arm with Tamara, smiled down at her.

"Oh I'm sorry, Sheriff Swan." He offered her a hand to help her up.

"I hope she doesn't arrest you for assaulting an officer, Honey."

Tamara smiled at her, "Are you okay, Emma?"

She scrambled to her feet unassisted. "Yeah, I uh-"

They had tried to kill everyone in Storybrooke. Emma felt rage rising in her as she remembered Tamara's words. This woman had killed Neal. Shot him and then opened a portal that had whisked him away to God only knew where.

"Well you'll have to change your shirt, but I think you're okay." Greg chuckled, "So you won't arrest me, right?"

Arrest him? She wanted to do more than arrest him. The bastard had almost killed Regina. He had tortured her for hours without mercy. Arrest him? She wanted to murder him.

Regina. Her heart leapt into her throat. Where was Regina?

"Not today."

She excused herself and headed to the station. She had to get to Regina. Mendelson and Tamara were still in Storybrooke, and no one was safe. Especially the brunette. She wouldn't-couldn't let Regina be taken again. She couldn't imagine going through another day like that, having to control her panic at the idea that they wouldn't find Regina in time. She couldn't survive seeing Regina like that again. So still, pale and broken, tortured until they could only barely find her pulse. Never again.

Her cruiser sat in front of the Sheriff's Office and Emma made a bee-line for it. Walking to Regina's mansion would take far too long. Driving would only take five minutes, three if she put the pedal down. She climbed in and flipped the visor down to reveal the keys that she always stashed there.

She started the car and felt it roar to life. She resisted the very strong urge to hit the lights and sirens. She backed up, pulled into the street and pointed her hood towards Mifflin Lane.

It had not been a dream. Emma pushed the hand that wasn't on the wheel through her blonde curls. She hadn't even noticed that the curls were back. Had they reversed time or something? Could magic even do that? Maybe, Emma mused, their magic could do that.

Together, she remembered saying, they were unstoppable. Together, in their last moments, she and Regina had been together. They had shared the kiss that Emma had wanted ever since she'd laid eyes on her son's adoptive mother.

She pushed the gas down harder and felt the vehicle surge forward. She was breaking the speed limit, but who was going to give her a ticket? She was the only damn cop in town. She made the last turn and could see the large white manor house just ahead. She started to slow down, but her tires still squealed in protest when she turned into Regina's driveway. She came to a shaky stop behind the woman's Mercedes and she turned the car off, jumped out and slammed the door behind her.

Regina had to be okay. She was the Evil Queen, for God's sake, a little diamond couldn't put her down for the count.

What if she didn't remember what had happened? Oh God. Emma didn't know if she could handle being the only one in town that remembered. She paused in the middle of the walkway between the driveway and the manor's white door. What if she didn't remember their kiss?

The door opened and Emma relief rush through her. Regina was okay, she was standing in the door in one of her thousand dollar dresses. She looked as regal and beautiful as she ever had, but did she remember?

"Please tell me that you know who I am."

Please God, let her remember. Emma didn't remember if she had ever really prayed before, and she definitely hadn't since she had found out that Fairy Tales were real and she was a Princess from a magical realm. Still, though, if God could pay her a solid in this one thing, she would be a good girl for the rest of her life. She would buy every damn candle the nuns made if God would just let her have this one little thing.

"You're Henry's birth mother."

It was the same thing Regina had sputtered at her on the very first night they had met. Oh no. No, damn it, no! Emma felt her smile fall and she scowled. Regina didn't remember.

"And the savior."

Light burst in her chest and she felt her smile return.

"We did it."

They had saved Storybrooke. Then, in the blink of an eye, Regina Mills was wrapped around her. All five-foot five inches of the former mayor was pressed against her. Any and all thoughts of Greg, Tamara, her parents and Storybrooke evaporated. All she could think about was how perfectly Regina fit against her. Her arms wrapped around the other woman and pulled her closer. Regina was safe, she remembered everything. They could face whatever had happened together. Then she, Regina and Henry- Henry!

She nuzzled close to Regina, and the woman's dark hair tickled her nose. "Henry?" Her word was almost a whisper, but her lips were almost close enough to the other woman's ear to nibble on it so she knew it was audible.

Regina's arms tightened around her neck, "I woke up and he was here, home, in his bed. Safe and sound."

He was safe, relief filled her entire being. Their son was safe. She felt lips brushed against her neck and drew in a deep breathe. Regina didn't regret it, she was in her arms once again and she wasn't pulling away. Her non-reaction made the queen in her arms stiffen. She smiled at the sudden shyness and dropped her head a fraction of an inch to press a kiss to Regina's head. They were safe and they were together, and everything was going to work out. Everything was going to be okay, somehow.

"Mom?"

Both she and Regina turned to see Henry standing at the door. He looked utterly adorable in his Iron Man pjs. His hair was tousled and he had his book tucked under his arm. Damn, she had made a cute kid.

"Why are you hugging Sheriff Swan?"

What?

She felt all the strength suddenly leave her body. Sheriff Swan? Why was her son calling her-Oh God.

She looked down at Regina and then back at Henry. The realization settled over her like a soaked wool blanket. Henry didn't remember. He didn't remember that she was his mother and that they lived in a real-life fairy tale.

She felt tears well in her eyes and fought to push them back.

Her son didn't remember her and that hurt more than a knife or bullet to the heart.

"Henry."

Regina's voice was surprisingly steady. The other woman let her go and took a step closer to the boy at the door.

What was the woman going to say? Would she deny everything? She was Henry's only mother again. This was exactly what Regina had wanted ever since she'd brought Henry back to her.

"We have a lot to talk about."

Emma wasn't sure if she liked the sound of that or not. Then Regina turned back towards her, just a fraction of an inch. Emma prepared herself for a harsh, Evil Queen Style dismissal.

Regina held out her hand, and though she didn't turn enough for Emma to see her face, she knew that a small smile graced the woman's face. Emma once again took Regina's hand in her own and her earlier confidence returned. Together, she smiled, they were unstoppable.