Snow White sat at her dining room table with a dainty cup of tea and wearing a pastel pink bathrobe, the skin underneath her eyes was still shadowed from sleep. Her normally tall, strapping husband Prince Charming was an undignified snoring lump on their bed in the corner.

Not for the first time in the past four days did Emma realize that their living arrangement was less than ideal. The open floor plan of the downstairs was too open, affording no privacy for the newly reunited couple. And while she loved having Henry living with them, her once cozy, lofted bedroom was getting cramped with his belongs and the air mattress that he threatened to out grow any day now. She stored away the thought to discuss later though as she held the procured baked goods and caffeine aloft. "I've brought breakfast."

Emma said in a hushed tone. Snow who had been watching her passively gave a tight-lipped smile and patted the table place across of her, wordlessly asking the blonde to sit with her. She obliged, though her stomach rolled with discomfort as she took the seat across from the other woman, shrugging off her coat to drape over the back of her chair. Mary Margaret set aside her tea and reached for her coffee Emma placed on the table, the name 'Snow' scrawled on the side in Ruby's loopy handwriting. Emma pulled hers from the carrier as well grateful that it was her second cup of the day.

"Thank you." Snow exhaled after taking a sip.

Emma dipped her head once and rolled her cup between her hands, "You're welcome."

"You went out again last night." Her measured tone only vaguely masked her judgment.

"Yes."

"Do you think it's appropriate for Henry to see his mother sneaking out of the house at odd hours?" The disapproval became more pronounced.

"Don't make this about Henry." Emma said pointedly. "If you have an issue with it then talk to me about it."

"Yes, I have an issue with you secretly dating my arch nemesis." Mary Margaret hissed quietly with a fleeting glance at David to ensure he had woken up.

"Well it's not a secret anymore." The blonde mumbled against the lid of her drink.

"Emma, be serious." She flopped dramatically back in her seat. "Regina can't be your True Love. She is a villain."

"Would you say that if my True Love were…" Her mind scrolled through the movies she'd seen as a kid. "I don't know, Captain Hook?"

"That's different. Regina has done nothing but hurt my family."

"Glad to know you would approve of me dating a pirate who tries to murder little boys." Emma sassed.

"Emma please-"

"Look, I'm sorry, okay?" Emma struggled to keep her volume low. "I'm sorry I'm such a disappointment."

The raven-haired woman stopped short at her abrupt apology. The dark expression accumulating in her brow dissipated as she asked, "Is that what you think?"

"Well, yeah. I guess I do." Her shoulders ticked up helplessly. Mary Margaret had been disappointed before the curse broke and ever since it felt like she had been letting her down.

A pale hand fluttered over hers, landing on it warmly like a bird settling on its nest. "You could never be a disappointment to me, to us. You've been through so much Emma. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry you couldn't have the childhood you deserved. If I though there was another way…

Regret crystallized in her voice as she trailed off. Her eyes filled up with glittering diamond tears and she pulled her hand back to wipe them away. Snow gave her a quivering smile. "I will always be proud of you no matter what… I just hope that I stop disappointing you."

Now Emma was confused. "You think I'm disappointed?"

"You've been avoiding the apartment during the day and as soon as you get the chance you slip away to-" Her mother let the sentence go unfinished, the thought too bitter for her to complete.

"I haven't been avoiding you." Emma denied, and then conceded slightly. "At least not intentionally. I just don't know what to say to you anymore."

"We used to talk all the time Emma."

"I know. It's different now though like you said. I feel this expectation to be mother and daughter but… I can't just magically feel that… And I miss my friend." The blonde confessed, already internally flinching for the vivid display of hurt Snow was sure to give her. But she was surprised when the shorthaired woman sighed resignedly.

"And I miss being your friend."

"So can we agree to take a step back?" Emma offered, hope pulling her tone upward. "I'm not saying we'll never get there. I need more time though to adjust."

Snow angrily pouted. "You don't seem to need time to adjust with Regina."

"How Regina and I are working through this is our business." She said firmly. "And it might be hard to hear and I'm sorry but it's easier with her. When the curse broke, nothing really changed between us. I know you remember that she's the Evil Queen but to me she's still Regina."

And comfortingly, she was still just Emma to her. Mary Margaret didn't allow much time for the soothing thought as she snapped, "Regina who kept your son away from you, who held the Huntsman and Kathryn prisoner, who tired to have me wrongfully convicted of murder."

"I haven't forgotten. But I understand more now. I see more now." Emma remembered the painful feeling of rage and unfairness pounding in her temples in the prior weeks as Regina plotted against them. However, it all made more sense now that she knew the truth. There were times when they had been arguing and Regina was lying through her teeth but there were these distilled moments of truth. When she spoke of Mary Margaret destroying her last life, she hadn't been referring to Kathryn. Emma remembered the dismal tale Regina weaved two nights ago and the man named Daniel and echoed the words Regina had said to her what felt like so long ago after Mary Margaret's arrest. "A broken heart will make you do unspeakable things."

"I don't know if I'll ever understand." She shook her head.

"I'm not asking you to understand. I don't understand why you put me in that wardrobe." Snow looked ready to interject but Emma raised her voice as much as she dared to emphasize her point. "But I accept that it's what you had to do. And I could spend the next 28 years being pissed off about it but I can't keep tallying the injustices because no one will ever win that way. I want us to all move forward."

The brunette gave a little helpless shrug and evasively replied. "I guess we all need some time to adjust."

"Yeah." Emma nodded, her fingers restless picking at the cardboard sleeve around her cup.

"And with the tribunal tomorrow." Their eyes met as Snow continued solemnly. "I'm sorry but I can't ignore the past. You understand that don't you?"

No was Emma's immediate and fuming thought. She didn't understand how her friend could so willfully ignore her perspective. Instead she bit back the hurt and said tightly. "We all have to do what we need to."

They both looked away and let the silence stretch between them. The conversation felt like they had gone one step forward and two steps back. Then a high-pitched yawn sounded from the top of the stairs as if a trumpet proclaimed an eminent arrival. Henry's bare feet sleepily plodded down the steps and Mary Margaret put on a cheery smile for him as he came into view.

"Good morning Henry."

"Morning." He mumbled then perked up at the sight of a Granny's take out bag. "Are those donuts?"

"Yeah kid." Emma tried to manage a smile. "And a hot chocolate."

She held up his beverage and he scampered the rest of the way downstairs, happily taking the chair next to Emma. As Henry dug into the paper bag it crinkled loudly. David suddenly sat up in bed as if startled, gasping something that sounded like 'gingerbread man.' Snow and Henry giggled at his disheveled appearance and Emma took a drink of her coffee, wincing as she swallowed. It was still so hot that it scalded her tongue. David sheepishly got up from the bed to join them for breakfast. Bear-claws were distributed around. Smiles were shared.

Emma kept swallowing it all down.