"Please explain to me Miss Swan, why you found it necessary for us to meet here?" Regina asked as she approached the table at which the blonde was nursing a beer.

She sighed deeply but kept her eyes on the pint glass before her, "Because, Madame Mayor, I've had a really shitty day and would appreciate a little escape from reality" her words were heavy and, against her better judgement, Regina gave in a scooted into the booth in the Rabbit Hole. She didn't frequent this place often, mainly because she had no one to come here with and the thought of intoxicated residents becoming brave and taunting the Evil Queen did not seem particularly appealing to her.

"I happen to have a very nice decanter full of cider in my office at home," she stated hopefully but could tell, by Emma's expression, that they weren't going to be leaving. She caught the bartender's eye and indicated her want for a drink, although she didn't come here often, the staff always made sure to know what the Mayor drank and sure enough it wasn't long before their best bottle of red was placed before her with a gleaming crystal wine glass. She nodded her thanks and turned back to the sullen blonde beside her. "So are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

Another sigh left the younger woman's lips as she considered Regina's offer, they had grown much closer since they had returned from Neverland, both working harder to create a nice environment for their son to grow up in, especially after all he had been through at the hands of Pan. "Just all this crap with my Mom and Dad…" she began, she didn't like to whine about her life but sometimes she felt like if she didn't get it off her chest then she would explode.

She couldn't speak to Ruby about it, she was Snow's best friend and would try to make her see reason, she didn't want to see reason, she wanted to see what her heart told her to without interference from people who were level-headed, she wanted Regina.

The brunette remained quiet as she sipped her wine and waited for Emma to continue on, she could feel a rant brewing and didn't want to scare the words back into submission. It didn't take long.

"It's selfish; I know it is but…"

"Emma," Regina interrupted this time knowing that the blonde wouldn't fully say what was on her mind if she felt it was going to sound conceited, sometimes it was easier having someone else say it for you. "Feeling upset that they are trying to have another baby is not selfish, it's natural"

Finally forest green eyes flickered up to Regina, it was the first she had seen of the woman in a while and she couldn't help the small smile that rose at the sight of her. Coming back to reality however, her smile faded and she took a long pull from her drink before moving her fingers around the rim as she thought, Regina simply waited.

"It is selfish…I should be able to understand but it's like…I'd never do that to Henry, no matter how much I wanted another baby, I would never ever make him feel like I do now because I know he would." She couldn't help the tear that fell from her eye as she looked down once more, her feelings getting the better of her, "I gave him up willingly and missed so much of his life and I know that he's still only a little boy but even if he weren't, even if he were a grown man I would still never ever try to replace him with another child simply because I chose to give him up"

"Emma, they had no choice" she loathed defending the idiots but throughout Emma's speech she couldn't help the guilt from rising, she had heard little pieces of Emma's childhood whilst in Neverland and each time she had felt the bile of shame rising in her throat but now that the woman was clearly in so much pain, she couldn't let herself become detached from the situation, she had brought them all here, she had caused this.

Emma's eyes snapped up and she caught the emotions in Regina's eyes, instinctively her hand reached out to cover the brunette's that was resting on the table, "no Regina, they did have a choice."

"But-"

"No," she cut her off instantly, her grip tightening on the lightly trembling hand, "they were told by a crazy imp that to save everyone else they would have to send their daughter to a place they knew nothing about…if you were given that ultimatum would you send Henry away from you? If Gold told you that to save all of us we would have to send Henry off to the Enchanted Forest by himself and just sit around hoping he'd find his way back, would you?" her green eyes bore into Regina's knowing the answer she would give because it was the same as hers. "So do you see why I can't lay the blame on you even if you do it yourself?"

Regina shook her head softly but never removed her hand from the warm embrace of Emma's, "you should Emma…I have done terrible things"

"Yes, but in doing those you brought us Henry…you brought us each other"

Brown eyes snapped up at this in confusion, a light blush coloured Emma's fair skin but her gaze never wavered.

"I'm glad you're here okay?" Regina nodded.

"Me too"

Emma straightened up and smiled softly at the brunette, "well, now that all the heavy stuff is out of the way," both let out a light chuckle, "I'm heading to the ladies room and when I get back, you Miss Mills," she pointed a finger at the older woman as she slid out of the booth and began backing away, "are getting me good and drunk"

Regina merely raised an eyebrow in amusement as the blonde laughed and made her way to the bathroom. Left alone with her thoughts she couldn't help but miss the absence of Emma's hand in on her own, the smell of the woman lingered nearby and she couldn't help but inhale deeply. She didn't know what she was feeling but she found she didn't care, she wanted to stay and find out for herself.

"What's a beautiful woman such as yourself doing alone in a place like this?" came an unfamiliar voice, upon returning it had been voted that magic was something they could all do without, it was nothing but trouble and so they had successfully managed to rid their small town of it. This in turn meant that the barrier used to keep strangers out was now void and in time some of the town's residents had moved on for a fresh start in a different town, city and even country. In their place came new people who had become accustomed to their traditional way of life. This meant that they were always faced with a new face; this was one of those times.

The man who now sat before her, in place of Emma, wasn't horrific, nor was he hugely attractive. He was clearly on his way to inebriation if the slurring of his speech was anything to go by and the predatory look in his eyes as he gazed at Regina.

"I'm with someone actually," came her indignant reply, she barely even glanced in his direction before looking out in the direction that Emma had left in.

"Oh come now," he drawled once more, "I'm simply looking for a spot of friendly conversation from our town's illustrious Mayor"

Plastering on her best politicians smile, she turned to him finally "is there a matter of urgency you are wishing to discuss? Only I am actually with someone tonight and so would very much like to get back to what I was doing"

He smiled sweetly, if a little maliciously, in response. She let out a breath of relief as he stood and made to walk away, turning back to her fixed gaze on the wine bottle before her, she didn't notice when he slipped in beside her and placed a strong arm around her shoulders.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" she exclaimed, trying to move away but his grip was too much, his hand came up to stroke a lock of hair behind her ear as she attempted to squirm away from him.

His face came within inches of hers, his breath was foul, stinking of the drinks he had consumed earlier, "oh don't act like you don't want this," she was mistaken before, he was clearly highly intoxicated, "I saw the way you were looking at me just then Madame Mayor, I'm no fool" and with that he lunged forward and pressed his lips forcefully to hers as her hands came to push against his chest but to no avail.

She was trying to scream out for help but her cries were muffled by his mouth, she clawed at his face and finally he pulled away hissing in pain.

"You fucking whore!" he screamed in her face as she moved away and his hand came away from his face complete with a trail of his blood, "how dare you!" she froze as she watched his hand snap back in readiment for the blow he was about to give. Her eyes instinctually closed but after a few prolonged seconds after which the hit didn't come, she opened them again to find the man's arm being held in a vice-like grip by a certain blonde.

"You wanna try that again pal?" came the challenge from Emma, Regina couldn't move for the shock of what had just happened, how had things changed so drastically in the space of a few minutes?

The man in question turned his drunken gaze onto the blonde behind him and laughed, Regina didn't see it happen but one minute he was stood tall with his head thrown back in amusement and the neck he was lying on the floor on his back clutching his groin whilst screaming out in agony.

"Yeah," Emma scoffed as she indicated for security to come take him away, "didn't think so dickhead." She instantly sat and moved close to Regina in order to cup her cheeks and look the woman over, "are you okay?" all Regina could do was stare as the blonde's thumbs instinctually began stroking her cheeks soothingly, she couldn't find any words, "Regina, I've got you, you're fine now, he's-" but the rest of her placating speech was cut off by the brunette's lips on hers.

She was shocked to say the least but it wasn't long until she allowed herself to melt into the older woman's kiss, their lips didn't move, they just came and stayed together in a tender touch. Emma's eyes were still closed when she felt Regina pull back, she didn't want to open her own and find regret there, and she knew the woman too well and remembered how she liked to run hot and cold at the worst of times. Emma hadn't realized her feelings for the woman ran deeper than friendship until she had returned from the bathroom to see, what she thought, was Regina flirting with some idiot but when he had moved over and lunged at her, it had taken Emma all her strength to push through those in front of her and make it over to the brunette. She had seen red upon watching his hand come back in readiment to hit her, especially after all she knew about Regina's past. She hadn't even thought twice about throwing him to the ground with a sharp knee to the groin, he had been about to hurt the brunette and that was not something she could stomach.

"Emma…" Regina's voice was soft as she waited nervously for Emma's reaction, she hadn't even thought about kissing the woman until she already was, it was like a knee jerk reaction and it had surprised her to find that she actually enjoyed it.

Slowly green eyes opened to focus on her own brown orbs as both tried to decipher what the other was thinking. Regina's eyes flitted between the blonde's nervously as she awaited her reaction, her face was giving nothing away as she studied the woman before her.

A small smile began spreading across Emma's face as her hand came to rest upon the one Regina had lying on the table, when she didn't remove it her smile only grew, "that was…unexpected"

Regina let out the breath she hadn't realised she was holding as she couldn't help but laugh in relief at the statement as Emma began trailing circles on the back of her hand. "Thank you…"

She shook her head in the negative, "don't thank me for hitting that idiot, thank me for not killing him" she responded, her jaw clenched slightly as the image of Regina trying to push him away came into her mind once again, "when I saw him grabbing at you I just…"

"Hey…" Regina placed both palms against Emma's cheeks in an attempt to placate her, "I'm a big girl, I'm okay" Their eyes met once more as the blonde noticed how close Regina had moved to take a hold of her face. Hot breath danced across her lips as their noses touched, her heart was pounding as this time there was no element of surprise, this was them making the decision.

Their lips brushed together lightly for a second before Emma pulled back slightly to look into Regina's eyes, "you sure you're big enough to handle me Regina?" her smirk mirrored the brunette's as she felt the woman's lips move beneath her own.

A hand came to tangle within golden locks as Regina's head tilted in preparation, "oh no dear Sherriff, the real question is," her tongue darted out to wet the blonde's lip, her smirk grew at the groan that was emitted instantly, "can you handle me?"