A/N: Things are slow this weekend, and I feel inspired. Hope you like (it's all fluff).

On Monday morning, Regina and Henry hurried out the door of the mansion and toward the Mercedes when Henry noticed something stuck under one of the windshield wipers.

"Mom, there's a paper under your wiper," he pointed it out to Regina and she pulled the white note free. She opened it and read:

'I know it's a Monday but I still hope it's a good morning. Driving by this morning I noticed that your tires need some air - hence the note. Sheriff Swan'

Regina couldn't help but smile as she read the note while Henry was waiting a little impatiently by the passenger's door. The weather had taken a turn toward colder last night and it was windy, too.

"Mom, we're already late," he called out to her. "Who's the note from?"

Regina looked over.

"Oh, it's... nothing important. Sorry," she said quickly and unlocked her door. She slipped in and reached over to open the door for Henry. When he finally sat beside her, she asked:

"Have you noticed the sheriff's cruiser driving by this morning?"

"No. Is that note from ma?" Henry asked slightly smiling.

"Yes, she... noticed that my tires needed some air," Regina told him and he nodded.

"Good," he said and they drove the short way to Henry's school in silence.

The note was the beginning but it was by no means the last Regina heard of the sheriff that week. On Tuesday, Regina sat down at a table at the diner for her morning coffee and got more than she had ordered: a plate overrunning with delicious pancakes and a smirking Ruby who informed her that the sheriff had ordered breakfast for her - since she knew Regina had missed hers that morning.

Regina wasn't sure how she felt about Ruby becoming part of something that was going on between Emma and her... this strange but somehow comfortable friendship-thing Emma had started. She still enjoyed the pancakes and took the time to thank Emma for them via text:

'I see you have a spy in my own house. Do I need to have a serious talk with our son about ratting me out to you? I ate all the pancakes and blame you for possible weight-gain. And thank you - the mayor.'

On receiving the text, Emma grinned mischievously. She was sitting in the station, still trying to work out a permanent work schedule for herself and her new deputy but not getting very far. She welcomed the break and texted back immediately:

'You're very welcome. I think you should let Henry off the hook this time, it was just out of worry for your health that he told me. How're your tires, btw? - a concerned citizen.'

Regina waited until she was back at her office before she answered Emma's text:

'Dear concerned citizen. I have already driven by the shop and my tires are good until summer for which I have made an appointment to have them changed. I'm trying to stay on top of things but appreciate the reminder. I won't have that talk with Henry, then... for now. But any more indiscretions on his part and all bets are off - same goes for you, concerned citizen. I'm a woman who likes her privacy, the mayor.'

Regina smiled as she sent the text and put her phone next to the file she was reading. She was looking at it from time to time, not even admitting to herself that she was waiting for an answer.

It came about two hours later when Emma had finished her rounds. She was surprised that Regina was indulging her by answering, she was even more surprised at the playfulness the dark-haired woman exhibited.

'Dear Madam Mayor - your privacy shall remain intact, no indiscretions shall ever cross my lips but care and friendship shall be shown, by both our son and me. You better get used to them. I'm glad you take such good care of your car - and by extension, the safety of the good people of Storybrooke. The sheriff.'

Regina read Emma's answer and shook her head bemusedly.

"Nothing but trouble," she murmured to herself, then typed her answer:

'Dear Sheriff, it's commendable that you care about the safety of the 'good people' of Storybrooke so much, just be certain not to overstep boundaries. I'm not sure I should trust an offer of friendship from anyone in this town, least of all you... but I'm trying to roll with it, as Henry would say - for his sake, of course. And now I have to remind you that there's a job that needs to be done, a sheriff's job. The 'good people' of Storybrooke are not paying you for texting all day, nor for keeping the mayor from her job as well - the mayor (who's also a concerned citizen)'

Emma grinned as she read the text and thought of just going back to work, showing Regina that she could be a responsible adult - but that didn't sit too well with the rebellious blonde. She answered:

'You started it - an obnoxious brat.'

Regina was laughing at the answer, she couldn't help herself. But she proved that she was the responsible adult by not texting back. She also proved to herself more sentimental than she'd ever thought possible by not deleting Emma's texts like she usually would but reading them over before she went to bed that night.

Wednesday evening, Emma fell onto her bed moaning loudly. She'd worked most of the day on that schedule and had finally finished it. When she had made her rounds, she had come across that lost boy again, the one she had incarcerated once already, as he was climbing out a window - and it hadn't been the window of his foster parents' house, either. She had given chase by foot and that was when she had for the first time felt like she was thirty. He was half her years and faster but she had known Storybrooke longer and had almost caught him when she had underestimated the depth of a puddle she stepped into. She had been lucky she didn't break or twist anything because her foot and ankle disappeared completely in the dark brown water and the mud at its base almost sucked her boot right off. She had to stop and work it free and by then the boy, Gordon, had been gone of course.

Emma pulled her leg toward her and felt her ankle, the one that had stuck in the mud. It seemed okay now but had hurt earlier. Or maybe it had simply been her overall crankiness with how this day had progressed. The fact that her socks and feet had been drenched by muddy water was just the cherry on top and she had made her way, her left boot squelching, to the nearest shoe store. New boots, boots that she needed to break in, boots that would hurt her feet for the next few days, and the loss of those fantastically comfortable boots she'd worn until now. Her back that hurt from sitting at her desk for the remainder of the day. Tink's critical expression when she had presented the new working schedule to her... it all added up to a really bad day.

And then her mom had come to her and told her that Henry had just barely gotten a C on his book project.

Emma sighed. She just wanted to close her eyes and go to sleep while her family was still downstairs eating. She had excused herself saying that she had had dinner at the diner which wasn't true but she didn't want to have that serious talk with Henry about his homework tonight. She didn't want to think that she had failed at the mother-thing again and that her son was turning into a slacker. But then again, Henry wasn't just her son, he was Regina's son as well and the dark-haired woman would probably not be too thrilled that Henry had done so poorly on his project. She would also want to know, Emma mused.

She pushed her hand into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She searched for the mayor's number in her directory and then made the connection. The phone rang about half a dozen times before it was picked up:

"Emma?" Regina asked.

"Yeah, hey. How's business?" Emma started the conversation a little awkwardly and flinched at her choice of words.

"How's business? Really? Well, business was good today. I talked the nuns into organizing a spring bazaar and the dwarfs into setting up the booths - all for free I might add. At least the labor... good people are talked so easily into doing things for free," Regina told Emma and the blonde could tell the other woman was smiling.

"That's great. A spring bazaar, I didn't know that was a thing here," Emma mused.

"We had them in the past. Not every year but sometimes. It's nice."

"Will there be a kissing booth?" Emma heard herself asking and rolled her eyes at herself.

"Why? Are you volunteering?" Regina teased and then laughed when Emma didn't immediately answer.

"Oh, you wish," Emma finally said and flinched. She waited for a snide reprimand which never came.

"Well, it would make the organisation easier," the mayor simply said. "But I guess that's the nuns' problem now. So how was your day?"

Emma moaned.

"Don't ask," she told Regina.

"So bad?"

"Yeah, it was pretty bad. I mean, not a complete catastrophe, just... work and that lost boy, Gordon... and, well, Henry had to present his project today, the book project," Emma told Regina.

"And?"

"He didn't do very well. Poorly, is how mom phrased it."

"Really? But... he's been working on it since Sunday afternoon... at least, that's what he told me," Regina said sounding displeased. "He's been lying to me."

"That's a new thing?" Emma asked carefully.

"Well, he had a... difficult phase just before he contacted you until... well, recently, I guess. But I thought things had gotten better after we came back from Neverland. I... has he told you anything? Did I do something to... upset him?" Regina asked and she sounded disturbed, sad.

"Not that I know and I doubt that's it. Maybe it was just about not being able to do this about his favorite books," Emma suggested.

"You haven't talked to him about it yet?"

"No, not yet. I... after the day I had, I didn't want to go off on him just as he came through the door. They're downstairs now, having dinner." Emma told Regina.

"Without you?"

"I'm not really good company today."

Silence filled the line for a long moment.

"Is this just about having a bad day, or is there something else?" Regina finally asked.

"I'm not sure," Emma said. "I wanted to call you about looking at Doc's house but... I can't really bring myself to start this when I know that I'll have to talk to Neal about the house, and to my parents about moving out again... I should be excited about this but I'm dreading what I might be starting here. Does that make any sense?"

"It does. But you shouldn't feel bad about going for what you want, Emma. Your parents will survive you moving and Neal, well, he'll just have to get over the fact that you don't want to be with him... at the moment. It's time for everyone to grow up a little," Regina said.

"Including me," Emma sighed.

"Most definately," Regina agreed and Emma had to laugh.

"You're referring to my last text from Tuesday, aren't you?"

"Oh, I've almost forgotten about that," Regina said quickly then laughed at herself. "Or maybe not."

"Well, I'm taking a first step toward adulthood by asking you to show me the house tomorrow afternoon - that is, if you're free?"

"I can manage," Regina agreed.

"Good, let's meet at the house at... say five?"

"All right, I'll bring my keys," the mayor said.

"Where is it, the house? You never said."

"The address is 127, Mifflin Street," Regina answered.

"Mifflin? The same Mifflin Street where the mayor lives by chance?" Emma asked surprised and then grinned.

"I don't know about chance but the same, yes. There's only one Mifflin Street in Storybrooke and you know it."

"So we're gonna be neighbors?" Emma asked and felt her spirit lift considerably for the first time that day.

"It's not like you'll be living next door, sheriff. I just thought it would make some things easier... for Henry. And also for us in organizing his schedule," Regina explained - too much, as it seemed to Emma. And that made her smile a little brighter still because Regina wouldn't admit that she wanted her near. At least that was how Emma chose to interpret Regina's words.

"Good thinking," she said.

"I like to stay on top of things," Regina answered dismissively.

"I know and I appreciate it. About Henry, though...," Emma continued but wasn't even sure what she wanted to say. She only knew that she didn't want their conversation to be over so soon. "... I'm not sure how to... talk to him about his book project. I haven't done that kind of parenting yet. Do you have any advice?" She finally found herself asking.

"What do you think you should tell him?"

"That it's not okay to lie to you, first of all, no matter how much he hates his assignments. And that he should always make an effort even if things bore or annoy him... and that we still love him, even if he screws up," Emma said and she could hear Regina smile through the phone line.

"That should do it, though I think there's some punishment in order, too. For the lying."

"No dessert when we're next at Granny's?"

"No tv after dinner for the next two days? You know, he's still growing. He needs his nutrients," Regina suggested and Emma had to laugh.

"You're just as bad in punishing him as I am, aren't you?" Regina laughed, too.

"I guess," she admitted.

They were quiet for a while after this, both thinking about what to say to elongate the conversation. Regina came up blank and she was about to wish Emma a pleasant evening and hang up when Emma said:

"Regina?"

"Yes?"

"If I were to volunteer for the kissing booth would you pay to kiss me again?"

There was a breathless pause, no doubt generated by what Regina would think Emma's audacity to even ask such a question. But there was no huffy indignity in Regina's answer when she said:

"Why would I pay good money for something you're obviously eager to give freely?"

It was a dare, it was a flirtation, it was the last thing Regina said before disconnecting the line.