Emma had never put out a campfire so fast in her life. She surveyed her work one last time before she took a deep breath and entered the tent, silently begging the knots in her stomach to settle. She should have known better as she took in the view in front of her. The glow of the lantern in the corner revealed a tantalizing vision of transparent black lace and beautiful olive skin that caused Emma's heart to beat so fast she thought she was going to pass out from a heart attack. She noted how Regina had curled up on the bed with her head perched on her arm as though waiting for Emma to…no, the thought was too ridiculous. Emma chastised herself as she felt a blush come to her cheeks. She was clearly tired and imagining things.

"Miss Swan, you're staring," Regina smirked. Clearly, Regina had chosen well, and her plan seemed to be working perfectly.

Emma stuttered, "I...um…just…had a long day. With Henry."

"Children do take a lot out of you, especially if you aren't used to watching them," Regina nodded in agreement, allowing her eyes to wander slowly over Emma's body.

"I envy you, you know that? Being a mom just comes naturally to you," Emma still felt the need to reassure Regina after Henry's earlier outburst. Emma did mean it though. As Emma saw it, Regina always seemed so put together and effortlessly handled all of the cooking and cleaning and even the disciplining that went along with being a parent. Regina was even allowing Henry the opportunity to get to know his birth mother because it was what he wanted, putting him first. If their positions were switched, Emma wasn't sure she would be so selfless.

Regina smiled at the compliment, "You have some potential yourself. My son seems to think so at any rate."

"That's because he doesn't know me. If he did…he needs someone who can be there for him day in and day out. He needs roots," Emma explained patiently. "A quality I most certainly lack."

Regina wasn't quite sure how to take what Emma had said. Her own research would tend to agree with Emma's assessment—that Emma never stayed in the same place for very long. However, that didn't mean she wasn't capable of settling down if she chose, and whether she realized it or not, Emma was settling down in Storybrooke. Out loud, she responded, "Perhaps you just didn't have the right motivation."

"Yeah, well…I should get ready for bed," Emma mumbled, taking off everything except her tank top and panties and setting them next to the bed. She wasn't ready to talk about her past with Regina. It would only hurt more when she had to leave. She'd already stayed far longer than she'd originally planned thanks to her scheming son and his bewitching adopted mother. She'd told herself she just needed to make sure he was safe and loved, but each day that went by, she grew a little more attached. Maybe getting attached wouldn't be such a bad thing…maybe she could stay in Storybrooke…if only she were a little less damaged, she wouldn't be so conflicted.

Emma lay down on the bed next to Regina and stared at the roof of the tent. She knew if she looked at the other woman's face right now her resolve would completely disappear. She'd fall hopelessly and completely in love, and her heart would be crushed into a million tiny pieces. If she could only keep what was happening between them on a purely sexual level, she would be able to deal, but all these feelings kept creeping into her heart that she didn't want. She desperately thought to herself, 'It's just sex.'

Regina leaned over and turned off the lantern, leaving them both in darkness. She said nothing, allowing the beauty of silence to linger between them. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness as she admired the alluring form lying next to her. She worried for a moment that her plan had failed, that she had overstepped. This woman, this Emma Swan, was so complex and layered that they could share a lifetime together, and Regina still wouldn't know what she was thinking. Perhaps that was what Regina found so intriguing; all her life she knew exactly what to expect from those around her. The Enchanted Forest was black and white with very few shades of grey.

Emma finally spoke, "Regina? Would you tell me a story about when Henry was a baby?" Her voice sounded much younger as she voiced her request, "Please?"

"I suppose. I shouldn't be surprised that you shared Henry's penchant for stories," Regina sighed. This wasn't exactly how she had pictured their night going, but she was willing to oblige. "About 10 years ago, Mr. Gold came to me, saying he had found the perfect child for me to raise. I was skeptical, especially when he said it was a closed adoption and that the birth mother wanted no contact. But from the moment I looked at Henry's tiny face and held him in my arms, I knew I never wanted to let him go. At first, there were a lot of sleepless nights when he would wake up crying because babies do that, but also because he missed his birth mother. The sound of my voice…well it was different than he was used to, and it took him a little while to adjust. Every night I held him and bounced him on my knee, and I told him he was better off because there is nothing worse than having and living with a mother who doesn't want to be a mother."

Emma interrupted, "It wasn't like that."

"Miss Swan, I'm not judging you," Regina insisted. She was telling the truth. She had been thinking of her own warped childhood with a mother who saw her as a tool to move up the social ladder instead of a person with feelings. She had wished many times growing up that she would have been given a fresh start like the one Emma had given Henry.

"I did want him. But I wanted him to be safe and loved and to have his best chance at life," Emma continued, "And with me going from paycheck to paycheck and hunting down criminals, let's just say that was no life for a child."

"And now?" Regina asked with trepidation.

Emma reached out with her hand, grasping the other woman's hand in her own, finally daring to look Regina in the eye, "Now I know I made the right decision."