"Kid seriously, give it a rest!" she laughed as Henry continued with his pleading, her head was pounding with his incessant asking and for the first time since he had arrived, she was relieved to find Neal sitting in one of the diner booths. "Go bother your Dad for a while" she winked to show no harm was meant as she made her way over to the counter in order for a little peace and quiet.

Dropping herself down, her head instantly went into her hands as she sighed deeply, "Quite persistent isn't he" she jumped at the statement from beside her, how had she not noticed the brunette beside her? Her scent was quick to fill Emma up and, as was normal whenever she was around Regina, she had to fight to hide her inhalation of the woman's essence.

"Quite being the operative word," she laughed as she caught the small upturn of red lips before it was hidden by a coffee cup. "How've you been?"

If Regina was surprised by the genuine interest in Emma's voice, she didn't show it. Since returning from Neverland, the two had created some sort of acquaintance, it wasn't quite a friendship since neither spent enough time together in order for that kind of connection but there was certainly something between them, what it was…neither could truly identify, or rather would want to admit it to each other.

"I've been…fine, yourself?"

Neither was looking at each other fully, only giving brief side glances as they both stared at the back wall of the diner. "Oh you know…" Emma shrugged, "peachy."

Just as brown eyes finally focused completely on green, Ruby appeared from the back room.

"Em, hey!" Regina held back a scowl at the chirpiness of the waitress, "hope you weren't too bored waiting for me" was that a snipe at her? The scowl fell into its rightful place.

The blonde attempted an apologetic smile at the former Mayor before turning to her friend, "no not at all Rubes, quite the opposite really," the wink she sent Regina didn't go unnoticed by either brunette as one blushed and the other opened her mouth in silent shock.

"O…kay well, your usual?" she asked with a frown, what was going on?

Emma nodded, "Henry's too and a chocolate milksh-" she was cut off by the forceful clearing of the brunette's throat, "mineral water for the kid…" she couldn't help but smile at Regina's sound of approval. With her order placed she had no other reason to stand beside the brunette except her own desire to.

"Thank you…"

Emma blinked at the words she couldn't actually be sure she had heard coming from Regina, "I'm sorry but…what did you just say?"

Full red lips pursed as she inhaled a calming breath, "I said…thank you"

"Yeah that's what I thought," Emma smirked then realized something, "…for what?"

Dark eyes rolled as was normal protocol during one of their talks, "for not bad mouthing me to Miss Lucas"

"And why would I do that?" she responded instantly, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Well…you wouldn't exactly have hesitated to do so before" Regina spoke as though it was obvious and Emma realized…no one had ever really stood up for her, the easiest thing had been either to ignore or bad mouth her. She had never seen the woman look so vulnerable, lean fingers were fiddling as they tapped against a porcelain coffee mug and from nowhere the blonde felt the compulsion to make her feel better.

"True," dark eyes flashed up at this, was Emma going to ruin what she was feeling right now? "But that was pre-Neverland and pre-bad ass Regina Mills."

The brunette smirked at what the blonde was doing, banter was their forte, it was where they lay comfortably with one another, "I was a bad ass before Neverland, Miss Swan" a name once used as if to insult sounded practically endearing rolling from her tongue as she unconsciously leaned in closer to the woman propping herself against the countertop by her elbow with raised eyebrows and her mouth tilted to one side as if in thought.

"Nah…not the woman I remember…the Mayor Mills I met when I arrived maybe before the curse broke," Regina's brow furrowed in confusion.

"And after the curse broke?"

Emma shrugged then, "well you didn't scare me then"

Her hair fell just past her shoulder as she tilted her head in question, "and why's that?"

Ruby timed her arrival with the drinks perfectly as she leaned into Regina and whispered in her ear, "because you liked me too much to hurt me" and with that, she picked up her coffee and the bottle of mineral water for Henry and left for her booth leaving a flabbergasted Regina behind.

Pulling herself together she placed enough money on the counter to cover her drink and stood to put her jacket on, as she turned to grab for her scarf from the back of her chair she caught Emma looking over at her. Draping it around her neck she unnecessarily pushed out her chest, smirking when she watched the blonde's eyes flick downwards and a pink tongue darted out to wet her lips.

With a raised brow to show the blonde that she had been caught, she picked up her bag and walked over to the booth in order to place a kiss on her son's head to say goodbye. With a quick nod of acknowledgment to Neal, she caught green eyes with her own to be sure the blonde caught the wink she sent her way before breezing from the establishment, grinning at the feeling of the woman's eyes on one of her finer assets.

She hadn't realized she had been staring until Neal cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows at her, "what?"

He only shook his head in reply before sparking up a conversation about comics with his son, she played with her mug whilst allowing her thoughts to drift before Ruby came sauntering over with something in her hand.

"I'm guessing this is for you" she stated whilst handing over a piece of folded paper addressed to Emma.

"Uhm thanks…" she replied as she looked at it as if doing so would tell her exactly what was written, neither Henry or Neal had noticed the interruption and so had continued talking.

Unfolding slowly she couldn't help the breathy laugh that escaped when she read what had been written

Believe me dear, I can be plenty terrifying.

Should you keep ogling me in such a manor, I may be forced to show you just how bad I can still be

R x

"Game on Madame Mayor."