There was no knock that preceded Regina entering, there usually wasn't. She would just walk into his office as if she owned it - since there were never any patients with him at these moments, Dr. Hopper suspected that she actually waited for a possible patient to leave before she came barging in. He appreciated her consideration in this matter and he didn't mind her need to make an appearance at all.

This morning, however, something was different than usual. Even though she just came in without knocking, it lacked her usual flair and she didn't start talking at him immediately but instead stood at his file cabinet, her back turned to him. Archie waited, he knew she would speak to him, she would never come here if there wasn't something pressing on her mind.

"Do you remember when you asked me about my sex life and I told you it's well taken care of?" She finally asked in her no-nonsense tone of voice. She sounded calm which told the psychiatrist that she wasn't really.

"I remember, you told me to mind my own business and if I should ever ask you a personal..."

"I remember what I said," Regina dismissed his words with an impatient wave of her hand. She still hadn't turned toward him and what he could see of her face was a working jawmuscle. "I've got a problem," Regina started saying. "Or maybe..." She turned and looked at him but didn't continue.

"Is this a physical problem? Then maybe you should consult..."

"If it was a physical problem, I would go see a medical doctor, not you. I don't have a physical problem. Everything's working as it should, I assure you."

With any other patient, Archie might have smiled in acknowledgment and encouraged them to go on with a nod but not with Regina. He was too scared of her temper to attempt anything like a smile in her presence. He just looked at her with what he hoped was an attentively intelligent expression.

"There's someone I met a while ago and... this person... I can't stop thinking about this person. We kissed... a while ago and I want to do it again. I just can't and it... drives me crazy," Regina finally admitted. "It interferes with my work, my sleep... I'm a careful driver but suddenly I run over stop signs that I have had installed in this town."

"So you're attracted to someone. That shouldn't be a bad thing. Most people find..."

"Most people are not the mayor of this town. Anyway, it's impossible. This person is... unattainable," Regina told Archie with a stern look.

"Is this person married?"

Regina shook her head.

"Engaged? Or with someone?"

"No, and no, but it doesn't matter. Let me put it this way: If you thought, things in Storybrooke were chaotic before with curses and magical purple dust, this thing might blow this whole town up, literally," Regina said and Archie's eyes went round. He pushed back into the comfortable cushions of his arm chair as his eyes became unfocused and she could see his mind working for something to say, to effuse, to reassure - probably more himself than her.

"You're wondering who this person might be, who might be the other evil one in this equation but you seem to be forgetting the simplest mathematical rule: two negatives become a positive. It's when a negative," Regina pointed at herself. "... engages with a positive that the outcome will be another negative."

"But you're not a negative anymore," Archie argued and Regina raised her eyebrows at him. She had thought the metaphor quite perfect and now the quack was poking holes into it.

"You're not suggesting I'm a positive," she gave back.

"How about we call you neutral, in that case... engaging with a positive..."

"Results in a positive," Regina murmured. She closed her eyes for a moment, shaking her head as if fighting this 'simplest mathematical rule.'

"I take it, you won't tell me his name?" Archie asked into her thoughts and Regina opened her eyes again. She smiled condescendingly at him, as if he'd missed the punch line of a joke.

"No. We both know that doctor's confidentiality is not your forte. I should know, I've made you break it a couple of times in the past," Regina said.

"Do you honestly think I would tell on you?" he asked with emphasis on the last word.

"Probably not, but let's not tempt fate, shall we?"

"Did this conversation help you, Regina? You seem... more relaxed," he noted.

"I'm not sure. You made a valid point and I'll have to think about it."

"Maybe you should talk to... this person about it and see what they say," Archie suggested.

Regina looked at him suspiciously. The pause before 'this person' made her suspect that he might have gotten a clue at the gender of 'this person' at least. It was better to leave now before he could weasel another clue out of her.

"Maybe I will," she said and gave him a curt nod.

"Your hour isn't up yet."

"No, but your time is, doctor," she told him and smiled. Then she left his office to him sighing. At least, he understood how she felt about this person who was driving her crazy.

About a week later, Storybrooke's First Annual Spring Carnival took place. What Regina had originally thought of as a bazaar on a Sunday, the nuns turned into a weekend-long carnival with music, a small dance floor - and, of course, a kissing booth. Mostly everybody in town had helped with the preparations and everybody was excited - maybe except for one sheriff who wasn't much for big social events.

Snow had talked Emma into going as a family and the blonde had just barely kept from wondering aloud if she shouldn't ask Regina to join them then. She had been grumpy the whole week because she had rarely seen the mayor. They had only run into each other once at city hall when Emma had delivered some reports.

One was about the lost Lost Boy, Gordon. She was struggling to find a home for the boy. She had picked him up twice more since the time he'd spent the night in her prison cell and they had talked a little. Gordon wasn't stupid, he was actually quite clever but he had a hard time adjusting to rules. He'd been kidnapped by Pan when he was about three and had never really known any rules. Emma symathized with him and she wanted to find him a new home - the foster parents who had taken him in after they had all returned from Neverland had jumped ship, so to speak - not just a bed in the orphanage which barely deserved the name.

The worry over the boy and the question where she stood with Regina nagged at Emma and she couldn't help but nag at others in return. Tinkerbell was the major recipient of Emma's bad mood but her mother had also noted that something was off. While David and Henry went exploring the fair this Saturday afternoon, Snow hooked her arm in Emma's. They strolled after the two male members of the family at a leisurely pace.

"You seem preoccupied," Snow said.

"Hm?"

"Exactly," the dark-haired woman said and smiled.

"I'm sorry, ma, it's... that boy Gordon, one of the lost boys. He tried to make a run for it again last night. Me and Tink were out searching for him for three hours, in the rain. I don't know what to do about him," Emma told her with a worried face.

"I'm so sorry. Are there no families in Storybrooke who would take him in?"

"We've already tried that but he... pretty much did as he pleased, stole some things - nothing major - and ran around town. Luckily there's nothing much to do here, no way to get into a lot of trouble."

"How old is he?" Snow asked.

"17 going on 30. And he's clever, he would do well in school. I hate to think that Pan not only took him from his parents but also his whole life from him. The others seem to adjust well, it's just Gordon... sorry, I didn't mean to worry you, too."

"No, I mean, we're responsible for him. We told the boys we would find a home for them, a family. The least I can do is talk to some of the people, see if anyone would be able to care for a boy like him," Snow smiled encouragingly at Emma who nodded.

They kept walking, Snow pointing out some things to Emma but the blonde still seemed far away.

"Is there something else that's bothering you, honey?" Snow asked after a while.

"No," Emma answered too quickly and too vehemently. Her mother raised her eyebrows at her but Emma chose to ignore the gesture. She looked around the fair ground, maybe even wondering if she might see... the mayor?

"How're things between you and Neal?" It wasn't like her mother to just leave things alone. She wanted to help, Emma knew, but with this problem she simply couldn't help. She could only make it worse.

"We haven't talked much since I rented the house. He spends some time with Belle, talking to her about Rum... Mr. Gold. Did you know that?"

"Ruby has mentioned it. I think it's really nice that he tries to connect with her, to keep his father's memory alive."

"He is nice," Emma agreed but it was clear from the answer that she didn't have any more feelings for him now.

"Have you seen a lot of Hook since you moved?"

Emma shook her long mane.

"He came by once... no, twice. Checking in, as he put it. We talked a little, he spent some time with Henry. I think he's getting restless... but he hasn't found a way to leave Storybrooke yet," Emma told her mother.

"Is that why you keep your distance, because you think he'll leave as soon as he's found a way?"

"No, and I'm not really keeping my distance, either. It's... I'm not interested at the moment, okay?" Emma gave back more annoyed than she had realized she was. But why was Snow always pushing her into the direction of some... love interest. Emma was thirty years old, she could find a companion, lover, husband... or wife on her own. Or maybe not. She had all the family she needed in Henry, he was more important right now than hooking up with anyone.

"I'm sorry, Emma, I didn't mean to..."

"I know but... I'm just not interested at the moment. I'd like to... settle down a little, spend time with Henry and you. I don't need a man just now," Emma interrupted and Snow nodded.

"I didn't mean to imply that you need a man. I just want you to be happy and... you don't seem especially happy at the moment. You seem restless," Snow explained her worry.

"I'm not... I... I just got a lot on my mind. Work, mostly," Emma answered evasively. Snow nodded but it was clear to them both that she didn't quite believe Emma. And that they would talk about this again soon.

They had to meet eventually, Storybrooke was too small a community for them not to. And Emma felt she was lucky that her family wasn't around when she heard the low tones that had lately started to make her stomach tingle in a not too unpleasant manner:

"Sheriff Swan," and it sounded like a purr.

Emma turned.

"Madam Mayor," she answered in the expected fashion. And then they looked at each other and all the confusion Emma had felt the last few days, her anger and irritability, they just went away and she found herself smiling.

And Regina smiled, too.

"What do you think of the fair?" she asked of the blonde who looked around approvingly.

"It's a nice thing for the town. Everybody seems to be enjoying it," she said. "You did a good job."

"I would love to take the praise but it wasn't me. Blue... ah, Mother Superior and the other nuns organized it all, everybody pitched in, not just the dwarfs... the whole town came together."

"Yeah, but it was your idea," Emma argued and Regina smiled in a way that told her that the dark-haired woman was well aware of it and proud of her effort.

"Are you here alone?" Regina then asked.

"No, Henry's over there with David, he's trying to teach him how to shoot bow and arrow and Snow... over there talking to Granny."

"You know, I'm not sure I want my son learning how to shoot weapons," Regina said and then immediately put a hand up to say: "Our son, of course. I know that... it may come in handy along the way, I'm not that naive but... shouldn't Snow be the one teaching him that? As I recall she had the much better aim with that kind of weapon."

"I'll ask if you want. Speaking of... if you don't want Henry to learn how to use weapons... you wouldn't be teaching him any magic, would you?" She probed and Regina looked back at her immediately and with blazing eyes.

"Never," she said.

"I didn't mean to accuse... I wasn't sure..."

"Magic can be very persuasive and with him liking the Potter-books so much... Henry and I talked about it and I told him that I wouldn't teach him magic," Regina told Emma.

"Not even the good kind?"

"That's the thing, I'm not sure there is a good kind, Emma. Sure, the fairies think their magic is holier than the word of the lord but... all magic has its price, right? And I know its corruptive power, I'm not gonna expose Henry to it."

Emma nodded.

"What if it comes naturally to him... like with me?" she asked.

"That's what he asked, too, and I told him we'd cross that bridge when we come to it... Unless, of course... you want him to learn magic?"

"No, I mean... I agree with you. But next time, maybe, if you're talking about something so important... I could be part of the conversation?"

Regina smiled softly, her look almost felt like a caress on Emma's face.

"I think that can be arranged," Regina agreed and Emma nodded.

"Good," she said.

"Hey, Emma, listen... oh, hello, madam Mayor," Ruby greeted them both and then grinned a very toothy wolfish grin.

"Ruby, hey. You're looking like you're having fun."

"I do, you know there's this guy who brews a devillish punch... I may have had a cup or two," she admitted. "Of course, it's also because of the fair, it's great, everybody's here."

"So it seems," Regina agreed looking around. "I haven't seen Miss French, though. How is she?"

The question threw a wet blanket over Ruby's enthusiasm and Emma would have liked to soften the blow but it wasn't like Regina had done this on purpose or out of malace. At least, Emma hoped so.

"She's... at home. She hasn't gone out much since Mr. Gold died," Ruby answered working her jaws.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Do you think there's something I can do to help?" Regina asked and the other two women looked at her surprised.

Emma's face turned from surprised to proud while Ruby's stayed a little perplexed as she said:

"I don't think there's anything that can be done for her at the moment. She's talking to Neal about him but... she doesn't like to be around people these days."

"I understand. Where does she live? With you and your grandmother, I presume?"

"No, she moved back into her own apartment above the library. She wants it that way," Ruby said and it wasn't hard to deduce that she'd rather Belle had stayed at the inn.

"Well, when you see her tell her that we're thinking of her and hope she'll...," but Regina stopped. Her eyes clouded with sadness for a moment before she hid it behind a fake smile. "Tell her we miss her."

"I... I will, thank you, madam Mayor."

Regina nodded.

"Excuse me, I... I think I'm gonna see to it that Henry doesn't poke one of his eyes out with those arrows," she then said, smiled at Emma and walked away.

Emma followed her with her eyes, her thoughts, she was smiling, too.

"Whoa, there, tiger. You better check your vision. People might notice," she heard Ruby whisper into her ear and doing little to hide the glee in those words.

Emma looked at her.

"It's just... what she just said was pretty... nice, right?"

"It was more than nice, actually. Hard to believe that the woman who had Belle locked up in a cell for nearly thirty years would care so much," she said.

"I think she cares," Emma said. "I know she did... evil things in the past but I do think she cares."

"You know, I think you're right. Either that or... she just wants to get into your pants and figures 'nice' is the way to do it," Ruby said and grinned again.

"You're quite drunk, aren't you?"

"That punch is really good," the dark-haired woman merely answered and then pulled Emma in the direction of the tent with the refreshmants.

A/N: Some of you may have realized that I changed the 'Valentine's Bazaar' into 'Spring Carnival' - I felt that I was weather-wise beyond Valentine's Day and had to change it. I just don't want you to think, you're imagining things - it was my fault.