AUTHOR NOTE: A big THANK YOU to all of our readers! Over 50 follows is really awesome since casrinator and I are new to writing within the fandom. It makes us happy seeing that, as well as the reviews and favorites too. Please continue to let us know what you think =)

As for New York and Emma's feelings towards our dear mayor, this chapter should help illuminate what's going on with the savior's uncertainty ...

And as always - We are neither A&E nor ABC; we do not own OUAT. We just play in a certain town in Maine and its fairytale land counterpart…

Chapter Five

Regina had stormed back to the Benz to drive to her vault immediately after Zelena vanished. Her claim was absurd! It had to be a lie! So focused was the former evil queen on this latest twist that she didn't notice Emma Swan's presence as the woman had hurried behind her on the march back to the car.

"What are you doing here?" she snapped as she climbed in behind the steering wheel and finally noticed Emma inviting herself into the passenger seat.

"Coming along in case it wasn't obvious," she explained, clicking the seat belt into place. "I wanted your help in finding Zelena. Least I can do is help you figure out if there's any proof to her claim."

Which is something that she, at least, believes. Zelena wasn't lying when she said her and Regina were sisters. Emma's superpower hadn't been on point since learning the true identity of Walsh and decided to keep her gut feeling to herself. If she couldn't have figured out she was being lied to by her boyfriend of eight months, maybe she was also wrong about her initial thoughts towards Zelena's claim.

Regina rolled her eyes, any prior thoughts about how well they worked together having evaporated temporarily. She was hurt and angered by what Zelena claimed - never mind what she had inferred! - and wasn't in the mood for a partnership. Or back-up.

"Not necessary. I know how to search my own vault, thank you," she said icily.

"I know you do, Regina. Not saying you can't," she said, unfazed by the brunette's unfriendly tone. "But I want to help. You don't have to do this alone."

Emma insisted, wanting the mayor to understand that she wasn't here because she felt Regina was incompetent; it was because she wanted to be here. Regina was going out of her way to help her with Neal, and perhaps part of her motivation could be attributed to guilt for wanting to leave Storybrooke, but the main reason she was helping her was it felt right being here with Regina. The mayor hid her feelings really well, but the brief flash of anger that Emma saw in Regina's eyes? There was no way she was leaving. Not unless she was poofed away.

"Fine. But stay out of my way, and don't touch anything," she warned.

The blonde held her hands up in mock surrender. "Promise!" Emma said quickly before Regina could change her mind. "Fingers will behave."

Regina knew she was being unfairly rude toward Emma, but she was having a hard time reigning in her emotions. She drove in swift silence to the cemetery, parking as close to the vault as possible. Regina scowled at the family crest over the door, then led Emma inside and immediately the steps to the lower level. She went straight for her mother's possessions that she had moved down here after Mary Margaret had caused her death. She hadn't touched them since; when had there ever been time?! Now, the mayor worked like a woman possessed as she rifled through her wardrobe and the other associated chests. Emma's presence was almost forgotten while she searched.

Sadly there wasn't much helping Emma could do because the savior made a promise to not touch anything. Her face was scrunched up towards the side, watching between Regina tear through furniture and storage chests. As she glanced around in a futile attempt to help, she realized the only way she could actually provide assistance was touching stuff or suddenly obtaining Superman's x-ray vision - a thought that made Emma chuckle because her mind immediately went down a not so pure path. Knowing her luck, she'd accidentally see the mayor naked, horrifying the brunette and Emma would end up being poofed off a cliff. Those trains of thought did force her to pause, blushing, because why would her mind even play with such a notion?

She sucked in her bottom lip, ensuring no laughter escaped and into the ears of the mayor. It was hard hiding her face to contain her conflicting feelings of embarrassment and humor. Regina was so fixated on her task that Emma doubted the woman would notice anyway. She might as well be considered non-existent! But I bet if I touch that cool looking black cube thingy, I'd get an immediate lecture.

Emma wanted to be a good presence for the mayor, but since she was shut out of helping in any form, she was getting bored and curious - a bad combination. It made her mind wander back to the conversation with Zelena - specifically the part where the witch had announced herself. It had bothered her then as it did now - Zelena insinuation and Regina's hastened denial.

"Can I ask you something?" she said, finally breaking the deafening silence between them after getting herself under control. "And no - it's not if I can touch something."

Regina paused and looked over her shoulder at Emma, eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Back with Zelena, when she first arrived?" she started out, turning around to look directly at Regina with clear confusion on her face. "What was she talking about? You know, referencing Neal like that." Zelena's observation bothered Emma, and she was going to use this moment to ask Regina directly, while it was fresh in their minds and alone.

Regina Mills was a woman of quick, sassy wit. But as Emma now called her out on the inference that Zelena had made about her feelings, she found herself speechless. Her brow furrowed in thought, knowing that Emma's self-proclaimed super power had been able to read her accurately in the past. That was especially annoying right now! Regina shook her head.

"Not right now, Miss Swan," she said after a long pause.

"When will we get a better chance to talk? I'm not seeing it happening anytime soon," she argued, catching on that Regina didn't want to talk, which meant that they really needed to talk. "You can look and talk at the same time, or did Madam Mayor forget how to multitask?"

Regina scowled at her for that cheap shot. "It would be inappropriate to speak of it now. Even if you and Neal had not been together for years, you are in mourning on his passing."

And with that, she went back to searching the bureau, quickly going through her mother's papers and lesser spellbooks for a clue. She had to find some evidence, one way or the other, regarding Zelena. She had to know.

"Why do I even bother?" she said to herself, grimacing, but even with the sounds of books being overturned and papers shuffling about, the vault easily echoed her words within the chamber. Emma knew better than to presume Regina would actually talk. Of course the mayor would find some excuse to dismiss her because why was it inappropriate to talk about it because Neal had just died? It made little sense to the savior.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Regina retorted without turning around. "I'm trying to be good, Miss Swan. And to discuss what Zelena was inferring… that would be selfish and inappropriate of me."

She opened her mouth for a counter argument, but Emma's jaw just hung there. Regina was telling the truth but it continued to make little sense for the savior. Shutting her mouth, she tried to work through what it could possibly be, but sometimes even Emma couldn't always see what was right before her. Oblivious that the mayor's feelings ran so deep, she decided to just be honest with the brunette now because, as she said, when was there a better time for them to talk?

"Regina? I know my timing is bad, but ..." she said with uncertainty, letting her words hang in the air. The savior then set her jaw and took a step closer to the focused woman, still tearing through Cora's belongings without hesitation. "I really doubt what you have to say is that selfish since it's me who's really the selfish one here."

Frowning, Regina stopped and turned toward Emma. "What are you talking about?"

"It's about me and Henry," she confessed and took another deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. "I know it's important for you to find out if Zelena's telling the truth, but it's … terrible of me to stand here and not be honest with you. You don't deserve that. Especially not now and I'll just …"

She halted herself there because Emma felt herself entering into a ramble, knowing it would only irritate Regina, causing the mayor to snap at her and get to the point.

"Look, it's that I want to keep Henry safe. Just as much as you do," she started, knowing that the two of them always had common ground with their son. "Storybrooke isn't though. Safe. It hasn't been since the curse was broken. He's been hunted down, kidnapped, almost killed, body snatched …" she said, gesturing to the open air. " … I don't want to wait and find out what else happens to him here. When this is all over…" green eyes softened, pleading with Regina to understand "... I want to take him away from Storybrooke. For good."

Regina looked at Emma as if the blonde had started speaking a foreign language. Or even Elvish. Either option would be ridiculous out of Emma's mouth, frankly! She forced herself to swallow and to take a breath.

Emma wants to take Henry and leave Storybrooke?!

"Oh, because New York City was so much safer," she snapped, the gloves coming off. "Flying monkey men and all that. Please. And, I may be sheltered in this town, but I do believe that the per capita crime rate in New York is still higher than here in Storybrooke. So, if you want to talk his safety… yes, let's. Or is there some other reason you are so eager to flee your family and everyone else who cares about you? Will Hook be accompanying you, perhaps?"

Eyes immediately became hardened, narrowing viciously at the woman across from her. "They are not my family. Henry is," she snapped back, not touching the snide Hook remark because that point was as inconsequential as the pirate was to her personally. "I want nothing to do with them. Not that you'd give two shits about it, Regina."

Regina sneered at her degenerating so quickly to profanity. She wondered, with disdain, what sort of language habits Henry had picked up in this last year? Of course, if Emma had her way, once the matter with Zelena was handled, Henry would be out of her life, so what did that matter?

"You don't know what - or who - I care about. So don't presume, Miss Swan. That is tactless and rude."

"So are your presumptions about Hook. But I guess it doesn't matter since I tactlessly and rudely tried to tell you what I was thinking of doing. Oh wait? No I didn't! I tried to actually talk to you instead of hiding it from you. But no ... let's talk about how much I don't give a shit about Hook or my parents, or how they don't even know that I've been thinking about this. That's obviously far more important." Emma shook her head incredulously. "I wanted to wait, you know. To tell you. But after Neal…" Her voice lost some of her edge then, but her eyes told Regina she was still ready for a fight. "Look ... I know it was wrong to wait. Why I'm telling you now. So it's really up to you on how this goes down, Madam Mayor. We either go ten rounds bitching at each other or we actually talk about this."

Regina didn't stop frowning, though her expression took on a more pensive cast. She narrowed her eyes at Emma mistrustfully, gathering her thoughts. It was obvious that Regina felt threatened and that emotion spilled into her body language in addition to her tone of voice.

"If you are saying this is a conversation and not a declaration, then I am willing to… converse. To hear you out. My initial reaction was that you were declaring to me that you're leaving with my son and I had no say in the matter," Regina said tersely.

But what say do I have when they can easily leave Storybrooke and it's questionable whether or not I can? She folded her arms across her chest. At least I know, now, that I can dash any foolish hopes I had harbored for anything deeper with Em… with Miss Swan.

"Seriously?" she sighed and sat down upon one of the chests, cradling her head between her hands. "We're back to my son now?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "Where is there an 'our' anything when you intend on leaving me, Miss Swan? It comes back to just how we started."

Emma blinked and looked up with strike confusion instead of the normal irritation of hearing 'Miss Swan'. "Leaving you?" She didn't hear 'leaving me with Henry'. Their son totally got dropped out of the conversation and Emma almost missed it.

Dammit. Regina frowned again, looking away as she tried to figure out how to salvage that colossal slip of the tongue.

"Yes, you and Henry would be leaving me. Again. Only this time, you're choosing to."

Emma felt the truth of those words but it didn't answer her question. Thus, she clarified where her confusion lay. "You didn't say me and Henry. You said me." If Regina had said that to begin with, there wouldn't be any confused looks or needling the mayor to explain. And for some damn reason, it felt important to find out what this was all about. The two of them were more hot and cold lately since Emma returned to Storybrooke and she was determined to find out why right now.

This is so wrong, she thought. We shouldn't be talking about this now.

"Fine! Yes! I don't want Henry to go, but I don't want you to leave Storybrooke either, Emma," Regina spat. But then, the venom in her words and the ferocity of her tone diminished significantly. "You… You're… It's not appropriate to talk about this! And besides, it doesn't matter what I feel. History's proven that again and again."

Eyes as wide as saucers, Emma was thinking that it was perhaps better to be referred to as Miss Swan since she was pretty certain that Regina's words would have killed her with the force of their intent that rolled off of each syllable. She was starting to rethink her 'force Regina to talk' plan when the mayor's tone became more vulnerable and desperate.

"Would you please explain to me how why it's inappropriate talking about whatever it is we're talking about?" she said with exhaustion. "And how can it be any worse timing than me bringing up New York down here while searching through your mother's stuff? Or …just you looking through it really. I want to help, but you won't let me!"

Backing Regina Mills into a corner, in any land, was never smart. She would usually resort to magic or an equally vicious tongue lashing. This time, however, Regina only stared in disbelief at Emma. She really has no idea. How do I best handle this? Will telling her how I feel make any difference at all? Or will I simply end up looking foolish?

"Emma, it is entirely inappropriate to speak of one's feelings for another person when said person just witnessed the death of her son's father," Regina finally said with a resigned sigh. "Fairy dust and that idiot, Tinkerbell, tried telling me what my destiny was and I defied that. Now, I find someone I do have feelings for, and you're ready to leave town! And… damn. Now, you know. So. Feel free to rush out of here. Or… whatever."

Soul laid bare as best as she could articulate it while still trying to keep her guard up, Regina looked back at Cora's papers that were spread out in front of her, noticing one with a different penmanship than the others. She plucked it out of the mess but did not immediately read it.

If Emma Swan wasn't already sitting, she was certain her legs would have given out on her and fallen to the floor, looking like an even bigger fool in front of Regina Mills. Not only was she oblivious to what the mayor was getting at the entire time, the savior said she was going to take Henry away from Storybrooke. She was surprised that she was even allowed to be in the same room as her, not being kicked out even with the other woman's feelings towards her.

She has feelings for me? And … damn it, Swan! How the hell did I miss all the signs all day today?! Emma thought, her heart racing so hard that she could feel the throb of its beat resounding in her head. There was always the notion that there was something more between her and Regina - the way they parted before escaping from Storybrooke had touched the savior deeply, hoping that it wasn't the immediate severity of the situation that had brought them to tears but mutual respect and friendship. Never would she have guessed that it was because Regina had any romantic feelings about her.

I was … right. I wanted to believe she was upset in seeing me go, but it was more than that. A lot more than that.

Her mind was racing with questions, wanting to work through the why, the how, and the when, but she was also looking inward to become cognizant of her own feelings regarding this revelation. She took the last year out of the equation, keeping it to the same time frame that Regina held as the mayor resumed looking through some paperwork.

Only Regina could pull off being business as usual after something like this, Emma mused, scrutinizing the mayor as she remained speechless. Come on, Swan. You got to say something.

But speaking to just break the silence without any meaning behind it was foolish. Regina didn't need some half-assed remarks about her feelings. She needed something of substance. Something meaningful that acknowledged Regina and her feelings. But what could have happened in the last few weeks, or even months, to have shifted their volatile relationship into something that Regina felt could be more?

"The trigger," she said suddenly, the epiphany coming to her as clear as the memory of what happened then. It aligned everything into place, immediately answering all of the questions that had barraged the savior - and it more than made up for being a blind idiot today! Or at least, in Emma's mind it did. "It was the trigger." She said with more conviction. "I wouldn't let you die…"

"Yes," she admitted uncomfortably. "Of course, I was attracted to you before that, but... yes. Everything changed when you insisted on standing by me."

And with that said, Regina felt anxious because she had admitted her feelings and there was no immediate confirmation from Emma that she felt the same way. Of course not. Why would she? How could she? She looked down at the letter, then, and realized she recognized it. It was the letter Rumplestiltskin had sent to her mother. Regina has read it many times, feeling heartened by Rumple's faith in her.

Which means that - if she is my sister - the letter is about Zelena. Not me.

Emma had noticed Regina's attention was focused on a bit of old parchment in her hand, but she was still reeling over what had been said to express any interest in what the mayor found.

She was attracted to me before the trigger too? How was I dumb enough not to see it? She rolled her eyes, explaining it off by two methods. One - she missed seeing Walsh's true motivations. For being able to find people so easily and manipulate them into believing she was someone she wasn't, Emma was duped. Two - Regina was so easy at bottling up her emotions that there would be no indication of how she truly felt unless she willingly gave it up or was backed into a corner. Which is exactly what Emma had done. She forced Regina to confess her feelings when she wasn't ready, and now the savior could see the vulnerability beginning to deteriorate - the walls building back up slowly.

I wish she would've told me. But get off it, Emma. Why would Regina tell you anything with how badly she's been burned in the past? She barely trusts anyone. And when the hell did you have time to notice with all the shit that's been thrown at us since Cora's death?

She sighed, working through her own emotions regarding the most difficult woman she ever had the pleasure to come across. That made her smile wistfully, never thinking she'd find Regina's company pleasant after the first time they met, let alone the private war the two of them had during the first year she was here. But after understanding just how much she loved Henry - a fact that she knew was true since the day she met Regina - and with a glimpse into how she was raised facing Cora, Emma began to respect Regina. That respect culminated into fierce determination to save her life. It wasn't just about doing the right thing; Emma had the power within her to stop the trigger, and Henry needed his mother. But it was more than that. She didn't want Regina to die. Emma's respect for the mayor had magnified tenfold in witnessing what was to be her sacrifice - to save a town where the majority of the citizens still loathed her. The quality of Regina's character then had only affirmed what Emma was beginning to feel towards her - respect and friendship. Henry's kidnapping and working together in Neverland was the defining moment for Emma's belief in the former evil queen. How Regina fought against the darkness within herself, not relapsing into old, familiar ways. She was trying so hard not to be the woman she was, but Regina also held no regrets because all of her suffering and the suffering she had inflicted gave her Henry. It was a perspective that Emma had difficulty wrapping her mind around because her heart was filled with regrets, but it was Regina's steel will that had allowed her to escape Pan in the end.

"Pan's tree," she said quietly, coming to terms with her own feelings towards the mayor. "I think ... " Emma sighed, lips tightly pressed together as she stood up. "No. I know that's when I really knew I cared for you."

Too used to being deceived where emotions were concerned, Regina's first reaction to that was denial. She felt like Emma would try to say something, anything, simply to make her not feel so dreadfully awkward. But, this was a unique moment, and even she recognized that snapping just then would ruin any chance. Regina's expression was difficult to read when she looked at Emma, lips pursed. Emma had never given any indication that she had feelings for her, so it was impossible to believe that the former sheriff meant what she said in any way than platonic.

"Of course. My ruthlessness gave us the edge to defeat that teenaged brat," Regina voiced softly, despite her content. "And save our son."

"No, Regina. Your love for Henry did," Emma corrected. "You love him that much you wouldn't change anything. Despite everything you've endured."

"Regardless, I can understand that that moment would allow you to see me in a better light."

"I saw you in a better light much longer than that, Regina," Emma said with an earnest smile. "I just mean that … I can see where things became… deeper. I guess?" She scrunched her face, hating how she couldn't articulate herself very well when it came to sensitive emotions like this. "I mean, we were friends before right?"

Regina's pulse quickened, a shy smile lighting her face. "You think so?"

Despite the smile directed at her, Emma looked confused. "Didn't you?"

"Well… yes. Honestly, there hasn't been time to analyze how I view 'us' in any detail," she admitted.

Then, Regina lapsed into another awkward silence because, again, Emma had only acknowledged them as friends and nothing more. If it was her subtle way of saying there were friends-only, then that was that. She looked back down at the letter from Rumpelstiltskin to Cora and tried to put it into context. Regina had always assumed that it was written about her, but now, as she really studied the imp's writing, dread filled her as she began to doubt.

"Well, why don't we then?" Emma suggested. "Figure us out? I mean … I was so sure about a lot of things with us, Regina. But now?" she trailed off inside her own head again.

Like going to New York with Henry. It was her main motivation: to protect their son. A more selfish reason was to escape Storybrooke. Despite the familial ties that the mayor had pointed out, Emma felt she had nothing here. But was she wrong in believing that was the case now?

Regina looked from the letter to Emma's earnest expression, then back to Rumpelstiltskin's letter to her mother. She looked pained as she forced her gaze up to Emma's green eyes.

"You are going to need to express your feelings clearly or I'll believe you want to plan a coffee club with me," she said tersely, and only because she was on the defensive. Regina held the letter out in front of her. "Zelena is my sister."

She closed her eyes, inhaling a shaky breath before glancing towards the letter - feeling like an idiot for trying to steer the conversation onto them. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way," she said quietly, looking away now. "You want to try and go find her?"

Emma was filling the air with words because she really couldn't handle anything more uncomfortable between them.

Regina shook her head no, and sat down on the stone bench in a huff. She set the letter down and sighed heavily, resting her elbows on her thighs, running her hands through her hair before covering her face with them.

"No. Emma… I… I can't face her. I… read this."

Leaving their personal distresses aside, Emma took the invitation to read the letter, sitting next to Regina where the parchment had been placed. She had promised to help and she intended to keep her word, regardless of whatever was, or wasn't, happening between them now. Green eyes read over the letter and immediately realized why Regina was shaken up. The letter referred to Cora's oldest child being quite powerful and talented and all this time, Regina had presumed it was about her.

"It doesn't matter what Gold said back then," she said, touching Regina's shoulder gently without thought, being her typical determined self. "It's not like you're going to face Zelena alone when you have me. We'll stop her together."

Regina shook her head impatiently. "It's not that simple, Emma. If he trained us both and he believes Zelena to be the more powerful… I don't stand a chance against her. And you? No offense but sparking an occasional fire is not going to help. Your magic is too random."

"No offense taken. I suck," she smiled, making fun of herself. "But Gold told me that Zelena's afraid of me. I figure it's because of my magic. So … you'll just have to teach me again. Like in Neverland," she stated firmly, squeezing Regina's shoulder. "We create some serious magic together, and I know we'll kick your sister's ass back to Oz with it."

"How can you sound so confident? Oh wait. Charming family optimism. Right." Regina sighed, then added, "Sorry. It's just that… if he trained her, she knows everything I know. And you'd learn as much as you can of what I know. So how does that help exactly?"

"She's doesn't know everything you know. Just like you don't know everything about her. Which I know's a major understatement at this point," she said seriously. "What little she does know about you, she's crazy jealous over it. Use it against her. I mean, you told me magic's all about emotion and focus. Take one away from her, she's going to fail. As for me?" she shrugged, her hand slipping away. "I got savior magic. Or… whatever. It's got to be different in some way? Why she's afraid of it?" she asked with uncertainty because this topic wasn't where her strength lay.

Regina nodded, pulling inward as she tried to think how this could possibly work. If she hadn't promised Henry to be good, Regina knew how she would've handled Zelena. But, she was doing so much to prove herself worthy of her son that it left her somewhat incapacitated - she felt - against her sister.

"Alright. Fine. I'll continue your training," she said decisively. "Then, when this is all settled, you and Henry can go back to your lives in New York."

"What?" Emma was unable to hide her shock. "You're … just letting us go?"

Regina rose and stood so quickly, one might've thought she'd been zapped by magic in the backside, forcing the savior to jerk back in response. She cleared her throat and nodded, keeping her back to Emma. Quickly, she wiped her eyes and put steel in her voice.

"That's what the hero does, right? Make sacrifices."

Besides, she thought but did not say, you are only interested in us as friends. This is too small of a town. I can't live with that if you stay.

"I don't understand. I sorta thought we were going to talk about us before we figured out what to do about New York," she forced out, not understanding why Regina had suddenly made a snap decision right now.

But, Regina didn't want to talk about them any further. She had needed more from Emma than being unsure about New York after her confession. She had needed to hear more than Emma seeing them as friends. The mayor shook her head and drew inward further, composing herself in the process.

"Not now. We have a villain to thwart. And making arrangements for Neal," Regina said adamantly.

"No. You don't get to brush me off like this," she snapped back defensively, feeling the sting of tears. "I get you wanting to protect yourself after what you admitted, but instead of listening to me and giving me a chance to process anything, all I get are backhanded remarks and a cold shoulder. But I guess I should've expected that. Emma can't articulate herself so she obviously doesn't care." Swallowing back a sob, she got up and shook her head, feeling rejected. "Forget about the arrangements. I'll do them myself. Only thing I'm good for right now is getting rid of your sister."

"Emma." Regina growled her name, but then helplessness slipped into her tone when she spoke. That was telling because Regina never showed that level of vulnerability. To anyone. "I'm only trying to do what's best. To protect you and Henry both. Let's face it… even if you did have any sort of feelings for me, I have a terrible track record with love. If you were both happy there, and that's what you had felt you wanted… then I'm going to be unselfish for once and respect that."

"But that was before I found out you cared about me!" Emma urged. "I …" she faltered again, throwing her hands down against her sides. "It's just not so simple anymore, Regina."

Regina waited her out, finally turning to look at her which gave the savior some strength to find her words. Talking to the mayor's back was unnerving because she couldn't read her expression.

"I felt terrible that I was going to take Henry away from you, Regina. So I didn't want to leave initially, but I felt there was no other option to keep him safe. I also felt it was the right decision for me because I didn't feel close to anyone here that mattered. I had no connection here in Storybrooke. And I don't count my parents. Or the people that loved me just because I broke your fucking curse," she said angrily, balling her hands into fists to stop them from shaking. "Neverland changed my perspective on a lot of things around here. Especially when it comes to David and Mary Margaret. But also you too. I …" eyes fell away from Regina's to steel her own resolve. "I had no idea that there was someone here that cared about me like you do. That there was a reason to actually stay …"

Regina exhaled, then bit down on her lower lip. Impulsively, she reached for Emma's hand and gave it a firm squeeze. "I'd like very much to be that reason."

It was taking every ounce of willpower to keep her head on straight. Much like Regina, Emma despised feeling so vulnerable with anyone. But as often as it was the case with the mayor, Emma found herself being able to do a lot of unexpected things with her by her side.

"Really?" she asked, looking unsure despite her eyes glistening with hope. Emma wanted to believe and squeezed Regina's hand back in response.

"Yes, really. But, this conversation was entirely forced on us by what Zelena said," Regina pointed out. "Let's take things one step at a time. We can't let her causing this moment distract us. That may well be what she was intending."

"Point taken," Emma admitted, blinking rapidly to reign herself under control. When she spoke up again, the strong, determined, tone that Regina was used to from Emma had returned. "Long as you promise me we do. Take this, us, seriously. When we can."

Letting go of her hand, Regina smoothed her outfit and nodded. "Yes. I promise."

"Alright. Great," she said with relief, her face brightening with a smile that reached her eyes. Emma's face did soften quickly though, feeling disappointed at her earlier outburst. "And you know I didn't mean it. About the funeral, right? I really do need your help, Regina."

Regina's knowing smirk returned. "I know, dear. Let's go."