Emma stared at the door in front of her and nervously twisted a bottle of wine in her hands as she gathered the courage to knock.

Her day at the station had been unusually bland even by Storybrooke's standards. The town wasn't a particularly bustling metropolis that required much tending to but there was usually something to pull her away from her desk. Cliché cats in trees, teenagers spray painting graffiti or getting caught shoplifting, and mild domestic disputes were her bread and butter, that and hauling in Leroy for public intoxication multiple times a week to sleep off his bender in the drunk-tank. But it too early for Leroy to start drinking and all else was quiet throughout the town. Even Mrs. Ginger only called her twice to complain that her hot water was out and both times Emma patiently, then not so patiently, explained that she needed to call a plumber not the Sheriff's station. So with her two regulars uncharacteristically lacking in their attention requiring behaviors, she was consigned to desk duty.

Normally she would be glad for the minor break in the often-tedious dealings with the eccentric townsfolk. Today however it only left her time to deal with her arch-nemesis also known as paper work and anxiously think of the looming dinner with her, at times, other arch-nemesis Regina.

She had come to the conclusion that she really wanted the dinner to go well. Mostly for Henry but she tired of constantly being at odds with his mother and current employer for that matter. She wasn't sure how things had gotten so out of hand with them, perhaps she was really was getting caught up in all of the boy's fairytale nonsense.

Emma still could not begin to wrap her head around his outlandish stories centering on her being the long, lost daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. But Dr. Hopper had cautioned to not destroy his fantasy life and the normally pragmatic woman realized that all of the make believing she had been doing might have started to go to her head. Falling into the complex plot had been easy, like slipping on one of her guises to catch an elusive fugitive. Emma found herself wanting to be the hero, teaming up with Henry and righting all of the wrongs in Storybrooke. The role fit her like a glove; she wasn't precariously teetering around in 6-inch heels or squirming uncomfortable in scratchy, stiff business suits. Her leather jacket and favorite jeans suited everyone just fine as she went about town as the Sheriff; she felt more like herself than she had in quite some time.

But with all her heroic efforts, someone had to be painted as the villain and Regina had been cast the part, acting as the bad guy to hers and Henry dynamic duo. She had been so focused on looking for the bad in Regina that she might unintentionally have ignored the good. She hoped that this would be an opportunity to clear the air and establish a better understanding with Regina.

But first she had to knock. The blonde rapped her knuckles against the smartly whitewashed wood and immediately stood back to wait. It didn't take long for the door to swing open to reveal Henry grinning from ear to ear, "Emma you came!"

He practically bounced up and down with excitement and Emma laughed lightly, "Of course kid. I never turn down free food."

Henry let her inside but grabbed her wrist to stop her from walking further into the foyer. She stopped and looked down at him, mildly startled to see him looking so urgently at her as he began to half-whisper, "What do you think my mom is up to?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why is she inviting you to dinner? She has to have some ulterior motives." He said persistently.

Emma shook her head as she determined not to get swept up in his theories. Henry must be the only ten-year-old who used terms like 'ulterior motives'. She leaned down to be eye level with him, "Your mom invited me to say thanks. Remember the accident with the fire. She wants to show her appreciation, that's all."

His expression gave her the impression that he thought she had just fallen off the turnip truck and was spot on for a look she had seen Regina give her several times. Henry stubbornly pressed, "But she's the Evil-"

"No kid." The sheriff interrupted him. "Not everything has to be about fairytale revenge and evil plots."

He became crestfallen, his gaze fell to the floor in disappointment and Emma knew this was exactly how he got her to go along with all of his schemes. She gently touched his shoulder to pull his eyes back to her, "Henry, I know things are tough right now. You're mom gets scared when you pull away from her and it makes her seem angry. She is trying to figure out where I can fit into your life and her life. Hell, I'm still trying to figure it out. So I need you to cut your mom some slack here. Can you do that for me?"

"I don't understand." His eyebrows wrinkled with confusion. "You're here to save us. You have to defeat the evil queen."

"You said it's my job to bring back the happy endings, right?" He nodded solemnly as she continued, "But you don't know how I'm supposed to do that."

Emma waited for another nod of confirmation from him before she proceeded, "Well I'm not exactly an expert on happiness Henry. But maybe we need to start by making other people happy, including your mom."

His head cocked to the side and furrowed his brow at her like a confused puppy but she just smiled softly at him and stood up to her full height, "Think about it kid. Let's just try to have a nice normal dinner. No talk of princesses or goblins or Big Foot at the table."

"Emma, there's no such thing as Big Foot." He rolled his eyes at her but couldn't quite contain his smile.

"Oh my mistake." Of course he believed she was the daughter of Snow White but apparently Big Foot was ridiculous. She shrugged and bumped into him playfully, hoping to shake away some of the doom and gloom prophesy mood he was prone to sink into. Suddenly Regina breezed into the foyer, wearing a pristine apron that had clearly never seen a splash of food on it over her navy shirt and gray, wool slacks; ever the perfect balance of good housewife and powerful businesswoman.

"Hello, so glad you could make it." The older woman seemed tense but also determined to paint on a smile as she looked down on them from the elevated landing. "Henry, have you offered to take our guest's coat?"

Henry dutifully reached his arms out as Emma shrugged out of her army green parka that she had worn. She had decided to walk over in attempts to calm her nerves and needed the extra warmth as the Maine temperature dipped lower in the evening. After hanging up the heavy jacket, Regina was ready for him with another request, "Now please go set the table. We'll be in momentarily."

The boy looked prepared to protest but a simple arched eyebrow had him stamping up the few steps and shuffling off into the dining room to comply but his pout let them know he was not pleased about it. With Henry gone, it left Regina to turn her dark stare to Emma, "Ms. Swan, I didn't realized you owned any pants that weren't made out of denim."

Given all of her time to fret today the blonde had decided to put forth a little more effort to her attire than her standard jeans and leather jacket combination. She had decided on wearing black slacks though they were still a slender cut and a knit sweater with gray and white stripes. It was nice but still comfortable and causal enough without drawing attention to her choice, or so she thought. Regina seemed to have a knack for detail however and the change didn't go unnoticed. Before Emma could stop herself she replied back sassily, "I didn't realize my pants were under such scrutiny."

"It's a small town. There aren't many pants worth scrutinizing." Regina shrugged acting bored but Emma could see the amusement sparkling in her eyes. The statement gave her pause. If she didn't know any better she would say the older woman was flirting with her as her unwavering gaze seemed to travel up and down her form. She had seen Regina do this before, generally with a judgmental sneer but replaced with that ghost of a smile the act was down right playful. Emma considered her options, her first instinct was to flash a cheeky grin and ask her hostess if she enjoyed what she was scrutinizing but she thought better of it. She wasn't sure she was ready for the repercussions of it. Instead she changed the subject.

"I brought wine." It was one of the more expensive bottles from the grocery store. A cabernet sauvignon, vintage like most things in Storybrooke. "I don't know what you normally drink but I guessed red."

Finally ascending the stairs she was mostly eye level with the brunette though Regina seemed taller still donning her high heels while Emma had opted for simple flats for her trek over. She handed off the glass bottle and Regina glanced at the label. "Good guess. This will pair nicely dinner."

Suddenly turning, Regina strutted away as she was prone to do, leaving Emma with nothing to do but follow. They entered the dining room, as Henry was finishing up his chore. "Thank you Henry. Ms. Swan you may take a seat. I'll just go open this."

The sheriff sat on one of the cream-cushioned chairs at the large, round table. The deep-chestnut surface was already covered with appetizing dishes including a steaming pan of lasagna, roasted asparagus, and French bread brushed with garlic and butter. Henry hopped into his seat as well and they both waited for his mother to return. Regina came back missing her apron and hold two fine-stemmed wine glasses in one hand and the cabernet in the other. She first hovered by Emma to pour the burgundy liquid into the spotless crystal. She was better able to smell the complex fragrance the woman wore with notes of rose hips, amber, and cinnamon, then when she had gotten the subtle trace of it in the diner earlier that afternoon. She found it quite intoxicating as the woman glided away to the seat directly across from her and elegantly lowered herself onto the chair.

These were the times that Emma could actually believe that the mayor had been some sort of queen, evil or not. The way she moved with such grace and poise screamed of sophistication that the former bail bonds person could never fathom achieving. She must have come from a family with an impressive lineage and a lot of money, also considering Regina's expensive taste in everything from home décor to her impeccable wardrobe. She had probably even gone to some finishing school with proper manners like hers while Emma had barely finished high school. "Ms. Swan, would you like to start plating your food?"

Emma realized she had spaced out as her attention snapped back to the Mills family sitting in front of her. She quickly reached for the first platter, the asparagus, and forked some of the green stalks onto her plate. She passed it to Henry who scrunched his nose at it and tried to surreptitiously slip it off to Regina without taking any. The practiced mother was not fooled as she pointedly dropped some of the vegetables onto his plate before taking her own portion. The room was silent expect for the gentle clinking of silverware on ceramic as they scooped the cheesy noodles and grabbed slices of bread still warm from the oven. Emma looked at her heaping plate, "Everything looks really good."

"Thank you. Lasagna is one of my specialties."

"Mmm." Emma moaned into her first bite. "I'd say. This is delicious."

"Thank you." Regina murmured again as she took a dainty sip of the wine. She hummed in approval at the blend encouraging Emma to pick up her glass as well. The selection she made was quite good as the mildly sweet, heady flavor complimented the slight kick of the lasagna. Before she could comment the brunette spoke again, "How was school Henry?"

"Fine." He barely looked up from his meal.

"Just fine? I saw Mary Margret leaving the apartment with enough craft supplies for a small crafting army. You had to have done something." Emma shot him a meaningful look for him to try harder than that.

He caught on and looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "We're making birdhouses for an art project, that's what all of the supplies where for. I don't know why the birds care if they have glitter on their houses though."

"An excellent thought." Regina said clearly not impressed with the project as she lower her voice further muttering something about inadequate teaching techniques.

Emma chuckled, "Jeez guys, I'm sure it's just supposed to be fun. Lighten up."

"It was pretty fun, especially after we do our multiplication tables." Henry admitted. "Those are so boring."

"I can agree with you there, kid."

"Multiplication tables are important." Regina lectured.

"I know Mom." Henry puffed in annoyance. "It's easy and predictable though. It's boring."

"Too easy?" The mayor perked up. "Are you not being challenged enough?"

The boy only ticked his shoulders up with little concern and pushed around his uneaten vegetables. Emma piped up, "I can mention it to Mary Margret. I bet she could give you some extra material."

"I think that-" Regina began but Emma rushed to cut her off.

"I mean, or you can, that is totally your call. Maybe at the next parent-teacher conferences or something." She began to backpedal, suddenly feeling like she was over stepping her bounds. The blonde hoped to keep the evening light and casual, but it would not do to have her reminding Regina that her son had an auxiliary mother lurking around.

"I was going to say I think that's a wonderful idea. I appreciate the offer."

Emma was pleasantly surprised to find that Regina was entirely unperturbed and actually grateful for the suggestion. "Oh. Well, I'll be sure to say something."

"It makes the most sense, since after all you live with the woman. Though I don't know how you can stand to be around all of that pastel." She explained but not without attaching a glib remark to it.

Emma laughed in genuine amusement at the jab aimed towards her roommate. Regina might have softened up for the moment but she was still Regina, unable to completely keep her snide comments at bay. And, if she was being honest, Mary Margret did have a certain fondness for soft colors and overly cutesy knick-knacks centered on woodland creatures that adorned her apartment. "It's a struggle. I may have to stage an intervention soon. Get her into NA."

"Narcotics Anonymous?" Her brow dipped in confusion.

"Neutrals Anonymous." Emma corrected with a joking grin. Now Regina laughed unexpectedly with delight and instantly the sheriff felt lighter somehow. It had to be the first time she heard true laughter from the older woman. The sound was absolutely musical, coming from low in her chest and singing out from her mouth, like a choir filling a cathedral.

"Um, I don't want to do extra work." Henry groaned breaking the spell of Regina's laughter.

"It'll be good for you Henry." His mother said, the mirth draining from her voice and adopting a no-nonsense tone as if that would be the end of the discussion.

"Don't think of it as extra work. Think of it as getting ahead. Maybe you'll even be able to skip a grade." Emma gave him a more positive spin on the idea.

He seemed happier to accept this concept, his eyes widened at the thought, "Really?"

"Kid, you're so smart. I think you can do anything you put your mind to." In her head, she ruefully added, including convincing her to leave her whole life in Boston for some rinky-dink town in nowhere Maine. Not that she had much of a life to speak of in the city to leave behind.

"You think I can Mom? Do you think I'm smart enough?" He turned his earnest gaze to his mother who appeared startled that her opinion was pertinent to the matter. Emma wanted to shake the both of them silly sometimes. It was so clear to her how important they were to each other but somewhere along the way they lost the ability to communicate that.

Regina only gave the briefest hesitation before she caught up with his question. "Of course you are. You're more than capable to rise to the challenge."

"I'll think about it." Henry concluded as sniffed a stalk of asparagus speared on her fork, taking the smallest bite he could manage.

Emma decided it was time to ease up on the kid for a while, "So Regina, how was your day?"

"My day?" Regina once again seemed baffled that someone was taking the time to actually converse with her. The sheriff wondered when the last time she had a real conversation with someone. She noted that most people tended to avoid the intimidating mayor or hurry away as soon as they were given permission to leave. Emma imagined that it would get rather lonely. A feeling she was all too familiar with. She pushed the negative thoughts aside and pressed the woman for information.

"Yes, how was your day? What did you do?"

"It was fine. Just a regular day."

"You run an entire town and you just had a fine, regular day?"

"Well, I started with reading over the new legislation that the state department faxed over concerning traffic law updates that I need to sign. I had a meeting with Dr. Whale regarding renovations required for the hospital. Then I started preparing for the upcoming budget report the rest of the day." She rattled off her day's activities in her light, matter of fact demeanor. "Pretty standard business."

"Oh," Was all Emma could muster up, feeling overwhelmed just listening to all of the work that Regina had to accomplish.

"And I thought multiplication tables were boring." Henry interjected. Both women paused before they laughed with their son.