I apologize for the wait, but I've been battling a combination of Life's meddlesome wiles, carpal tunnel, and writer's block. Lucky for you readers, I have heard some of the concerns you've raised in the comments, and I have done my best to address them. You'll be glad to see the story finally making it's big steps toward two very important moments for our leading ladies. As such, you're all being rewarded with the longest chapter yet. Do enjoy!

Regina clutched Stuffles tightly as she got out of the Benz. She swallowed nervously, wrapping her wool trench coat around her a little more tightly. She did promise the blonde that she would bring the suffed animal with her the next time she decided to visit. It had been five days since her last talk with Ruby, and it was October 30th, the day before Halloween.

The weather had been cool, promising to make some children regret choosing costumes that weren't warmer. Regina generally found the holiday to be distasteful, but she had never once let Henry down in his celebration. There was usually a get-together late at night for the adults at The Rabbit Hole, but she never went. She had never dressed up; in fact, she never did anything for it.

Regina imagined that Emma would enjoy many of the festivities of the night, and she wrinkled her nose at the thought of the blonde dressing up in some cheap costume and getting drunk at the Hole with everyone else. Would she have actually done that? The brunette paused. What if she put just as much time and energy into coming up with, and making a costume as Henry did? She would probably gladly take him trick-or-treating, seeing as she was mostly an over-grown child herself.

The mayor shook her head of the image of mother and son going door to door for candy, while she waited next to the car, watching them until they got too cold and hurried back to the Benz, so Regina could take them to the next block. She shook her head more forcefully as the image of shining, green eyes locking on her own while she felt slender fingers lace with hers over the gearshift invaded her mind.

She shivered in the cold, and cleared her head to make her way around the front of the cabin. Those little, domestic fantasies about the Savior seemed to be worming around her brain and dreams a lot recently, and it worried Regina. As much as she tried to deny it, she knew that she felt much more deeply for Emma than she had ever anticipated. It was a problem for many reasons. The first being Daniel. Her feelings for the sheriff felt like a massive betrayal to the man she loved with every ounce of her being. Yes, he had told her that he wanted her to be happy, and that Emma was the key. However, he was still a hallucination. How could she be sure it wasn't just her brain conjuring what she wanted to hear?

Secondly, as far as she knew, Emma was straight. But then again, Regina also assumed that she herself was straight, and look how that turned out. Even if Emma did like women, she certainly didn't like Regina. At least, she had never given any indication of showing any fondness for her, so what if all of this was unrequited love? Regina's heart had managed to bear a few too many blows over her long years, but she wasn't sure she could weather the storm that might crash over her should she be rejected.

Lastly, there was the Curse. Henry had mentioned several months back that he had misinterpreted what was supposed to happen between Emma and Regina. He naturally assumed that there was supposed to be some sort of epic showdown between Evil Queen and Savior, resulting in the blonde's triumph. In a way, they have been fighting a long and grueling battle. The turnover was really the trigger to all of it, leading to blows being traded and tragedy following in their wake.

However, upon discovering the nature of Regina's feelings for Emma, he rapidly changed his mind in the way children are apt to do. He insisted that it was the Savior's duty to save everyone, and that even included the Evil Queen. That Emma would find a way to soften her hardened heart with what else? True Love, of course. Wasn't that what has been happening between them?

Her gloved fist hovered over the door to the cabin, and she sucked in a deep breath before knocking three times on the weathered wood. Her sharp ears were met with a long pause of silence, then some scraping and tired groaning. She heard the uneven stomp of Emma's boots and cane behind the door, followed by her cautious voice.

"Who's there?"

"Regina." Another long silence followed the brunette's identification, but she heard the click of the latch, and the creak of the hinges as the door swung open.

It had been a long time since Regina had seen Emma in proper light, and the last time she had, the blonde was filthy, covered in vomit, and borderline delirious. Now that she was cleaned up, Regina was able to properly take in Emma's state. Without crazed shouting and the ugly scratches marring her face, the mayor could see that the younger woman was far from well.

Her skin was pale, almost sallow, and tight over her face. The blanched skin threw the deep, purple bags under Emma's dull eyes into sharp relief. Regina took in the way the Savior's cheeks were sunken and noticeably hollow, and how her clothes hung loosely around her frame. Quite honestly, Regina thought the woman looked to be in desperate need of a proper, nutritious meal - or ten - and a decent night's sleep.

"Madame Mayor," the blonde stated formally.

"Miss Swan," Regina gave back with equal formality. "May I?" she asked, gesturing into the cabin.

Emma stood aside and allowed her in. The mayor looked around the space, and immediately noticed the difference. All the puddles of sick had been cleaned up; though, she could still see the stains they had left in the warped wood. All the garbage and dirty clothes had been picked up and put away, and the fire was crackling warmly in the hearth. The bed was made, and it even looked as though Emma had swept. The cabin looked...lived in.

She turned around at the sound of the door closing behind her, and saw Emma looking sheepishly at her guest, nibbling on the thumb nail of her free hand. They stood silently like that for several minutes, occasionally making eye-contact, then hastily breaking it.

"Can I get you something to drink?" the blonde asked nervously. "Coffee? Tea?"

"Coffee would be nice," Regina responded tightly.

"Sure." Emma limped over to the kitchenette. "Uh...make yourself comfy anywhere. You'll probably wanna sit in the chair with the red cushion on it, 'cause the other one wobbles." She put a kettle on the tiny stove. "I hope you like your coffee black. I don't have any milk, but I've got sugar."

Regina lowered herself into the chair Emma had suggested, setting Stuffles on the surface of the rickety table. "You're in luck, dear. I happen to like my coffee black."

"Figures," the blonde said with the hint of a chuckle. "I've only got whatever Ruby's given me, which happens to be coffee grounds in tea bags. I know it's not fancy or anything, but it'll do," she commented with a shrug.

"Why would you think I'd need it 'fancy'?"

Emma raised her eyebrows, shooting her guest a look. "Seriously? You're miss fancy, classy, rich mayor. It's not hard to see that you like the finer things in life."

"You can thank...or blame my mother for that. She disdained anything remotely common, and she made sure I felt the same."

"Does this mean she'd be turning over in her grave right now if she saw you slumming it like this?" Emma teased.

The brunette tensed, her eyes darkening with a subtle mixture of fear and anger at the thought. "What makes you think my mother's dead?" she asked tersely.

The blonde shifted uncomfortably, and unnecessarily repositioned the kettle on the burner. "I'm the sheriff, Regina. Or...I was. There was never any trace of the elder Mrs Mills in Storybrooke. I just assumed...I'm sorry. That was really rude. She's still alive isn't she?"

The brunette absentmindedly stroked Stuffles' fur. "No, you were correct in your assumption."

"Then why'd you attack me?" Emma pointed out.

"To teach you the potential consequences of assumption, dear."

The Savior rolled her eyes, pulling the whistling kettle from the stove. She poured the blistering water into two mismatched mugs, then dunked the coffeebags into them. She brought them over to the table, settling herself into the wobbly chair.

"I see you're walking better," Regina noted, swirling the bag of grounds around the water.

"Yeah. I've been doing my exercises and stuff. I still feel weak, but at least I'm not crippled any more, right?"

"So now you can truly run if you so desired..." Regina said softly.

Emma frowned at the words. "What if I don't wanna run?"

"Don't you, though? Isn't that what you do, dear?"

"Yes," the blonde admitted quietly. "And I can't blame you for assuming that I would again, either. But you should also be careful about making assumptions, Madame Mayor. I'm so goddamned tired of running. I'm just plain tired, and I think that I'm here to stay." She turned her eyes to her mug.

"For Henry, you mean."

Emma tilted her head in a partial shrug. "Among other things..."

"Such as?" Regina pushed.

The blonde swallowed, then licked her lips. She brought her tired eyes up to meet the mayor's steady gaze. "You," she stated after a beat.

Regina's heart jumped to her throat, and she heard herself gasp softly, focusing on the other woman with confusion and skepticism. "I beg your pardon?"

"I mean, like..." Emma nervously rubbed the back of her neck. "To make this right, you know? If I leave now, there'll be nothing but bad blood between us."

"Oh," the brunette said, her cheeks flushing. "I see."

"Were you expecting a different answer?" Emma questioned, noting the sudden change in her guest. She knew disappointment when she saw it.

Regina knew that the Savior would catch her lie if she tried to deny that she was indeed hoping for something else, and her convictions were usually strong enough to thwart the woman's innate ability to spot dishonesty. But she was so tired, and she just couldn't believe her own lies anymore. To try and avoid the awkwardness of the blonde catching her feeble attempt at evading the truth, she opted to simply shake her head and hide her face behind her mug. Emma narrowed her eyes momentarily, but didn't press the matter.

"So! Is that him?" The younger woman nodded to the lion on the table. "Stuffy, right?"

Regina mentally thanked the Gods for the change in topic. "Stuffles, dear. And yes, that is him."

"Can I hold him?"

"By all means. I recall you saying that you had to...how did you put it? Oh yes, 'judge his character.' It would be nice to know if he makes the cut."

"Worried?" Emma asked, lifting the toy from his place.

"Hardly," the brunette answered dryly.

Despite all of her stoic confidence, she watched closely as the sheriff interacted with Stuffles. She turned him over in her hands and smoothed out his mane, and stared intently into his golden, plastic eyes. Regina could tell the woman was playing up her mock scrutiny, but then she did exactly what the brunette did the first night she had the little lion: Emma brought him up to her face and inhaled deeply. When she pulled him away, a frown was etched across her face.

"Something wrong?" Regina asked cautiously.

"I thought that it might smell like Henry, but I guess that's kinda stupid since you've been holding on to him." She handed Stuffles back.

"My apologies."

"Don't," Emma said. "You...you smell nice too." Her pale cheeks flushed a brilliant shade of magenta when the other woman narrowed her chocolate eyes at her. "What? It's true. You always smell good. Like...jasmine. It's one of my favorite smells, really. Feminine and earthy all at once." Emma smiled at Regina, who was staring at her, lips parted and heart hammering.

Regina found herself blurting, "I do not understand you, Emma Swan." The blonde smiled softly at that.

"Well, how could you? You don't even know me. For all the months that we've been in each other's lives, up in our faces, we never knew a thing about each other, except for how stubborn we are. The only things I really know about you is that you'd do the craziest shit to protect Henry, and that you lie a lot. Especially to me."

"I do not!" the mayor retorted hotly. Ping.

"Bullshit. You just lied to me right there, and you lied five minutes ago when I asked if you were expecting a different answer from me. You lied when I asked you why you were visiting me in the hospital, and about a billion other things, like why you were out here in the middle of the night. So let's be real here, Regina. What gives?"

The brunette remained silent, toying with the collar of the coat she had yet to remove, not meeting the blonde's gaze. There was only so long Emma could stare down the woman, and her small reservoir of patience had run dry a long time ago.

"Fine. Let's start simple, shall we? You can admit that you've been lying to me a lot lately."

"What good would that do? You have no right to be making any demands of me after what you've done!" the mayor spat.

Emma winced at the accusation, but her temper flared nonetheless. "Normally, I'd agree with you, Regina! But when you told me you wanted to fix things, I thought that stuff was going to be different between us! I thought that meant some truth would actually come out! We can't make any repairs on a foundation of lies!"

"Maybe you thought wrong," Regina hissed. Ping.

"No! No, I didn't! You just lied to me again! God! I know that you want to be honest; I can see it, but you're scared or something! I know that this is weird, and confusing, and I don't know what the fuck's gonna happen either, but I told you earlier...I'm tired of running. From everything. So you can lie to me, and go through this shit alone, or you can nut up, and we'll fix this shit together!"

Regina stared down at the table like a scolded child, blinking rapidly while her eyes darted over the scarred wood, trying to think through her next answer. Emma was still angry, but she knew that look, having seen it on dozens of kids in the system, so she gave the woman the precious moments she needed.

When Regina finally looked up, she stared directly into Emma's eyes, her face bleeding more insecurity than the blonde had ever seen before. The mayor swallowed, preparing to answer, and one, wavering, whispered word left her crimson lips. "Together?"

The Savior's breath caught in her throat, and she found herself softening, her anger ebbing away. "Yeah, Regina. Together. I promise."

"Why?"

"Why? Hasn't this shit gone on long enough? Isn't that why you wanted to make things right? We've gotta start somewhere, right?"

Regina nodded, breaking the eye-contact. "Yes. I have been lying to you, Emma."

"How come?" Emma asked, watching Regina's jaw clench over and over again.

"I...didn't think you were ready for the truth. I still don't."

"Funny how everyone thinks that about me."

"I don't say this to belittle you, nor do I say it as a mere excuse to not tell you. I sincerely believe you're not able to handle the truth right now."

"Why not? What about tomorrow? Will I be able to handle it then? Or the day after?"

"Has it ever occurred to your tiny little mind that this might be about more than just handling it? And it's...it's more than one truth, but they've managed to tie in to each other."

"I don't get it," Emma said, rubbing her temples.

"That much is obvious, dear."

"So help me to understand, Regina! Please?"

"No," the mayor snapped.

Emma grunted in frustration. "When, then?"

"I don't know."

"That's not good enough. When?"

"Emma-"

"No! When?"

"Soon!" Regina half-shouted.

"How soon?" Emma demanded, and both women glared at each other.

"I'll have to talk to Henry first."

"This is between us, Regina. Leave the kid out of it."

"I can't! He's been at the heart of this from the very beginning, and he needs to know something very important. He...he needs to be prepared."

Emma's eyes widened in shock and fear. "Prepared? Prepared for what? Is something dangerous going to happen? What the fuck is going on?"

"Nothing dangerous is going to happen to him, that much is certain."

"And me? You gonna kill me for real?"

"You wouldn't be in harm's way either. Not by a long shot."

Regina's cryptic messages had the Savior's mind reeling, and fear was settling heavily in the pit of her stomach. "Okay, now I'm getting worried and seriously weirded out!" The mayor didn't respond to Emma's statement. "What...what about you? Will you get hurt?"

The brunette's gaze faltered for a split second, and she knew that there was still no point in lying. "Most likely." Her admission came out dispassionately, but Emma could hear the subtle waver in her voice.

"No. You won't. I...I don't even know what you're talking about, but I won't let you get hurt!"

"Miss Swan, there's no point in you protecting me. You have no reason to do so."

"There's every reason to protect you! It's what I fucking do, like with the fire! You're Henry's mom! He'd be crushed if you got hurt, and it's my fucking job-"

"You weren't doing your job when you attacked me!" Regina yelled, tears shining in her eyes. "Why do you even care?"

"I care because...because..."

"See? You don't have a reason! You've never cared about me, Emma! I've never given you any reason to give a damn about me, so why? Why bother?"

"I'll tell you why I bother once you tell me why you were visiting me in the hospital," the Savior said fiercely, her eyes flashing.

Regina sucked her teeth in frustration. "The truth?"

"Preferably, yes. You won't be able to lie anyway." Emma watched as the older woman gave way. Her shoulders slumped in defeat, and her eyes just looked sad.

"Do you recall why I gave you that turnover?" she questioned, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah, you were afraid I'd always come back to Henry, and you'd lose him forever. You thought it was the only way to get rid of me for good."

The brunette flushed with shame. "Yes. Well, it clearly didn't work."

"You sure about that? Seems like it worked pretty well in your favor."

"I'm sorry, I don't follow."

"That much is obvious," Emma said, echoing Regina's earlier words. "Henry loves you again, I'm pretty out of the picture..."

"No, that only happened because you decided to try and murder me, dear."

"Which wouldn't have happened if you hadn't poisoned me in the first place," the sheriff pointed out.

"Regardless, may I continue?" Emma gestured for the mayor to do so. "You were in your coma, and Henry had run away from me. He was living with that twit of a woman, Ms Blanchard. I told you before that it didn't feel like a victory. If anything, it felt like more of a defeat."

"So what happened?" the blonde pushed.

"When you ate that turnover, everything changed. I wasn't lying when I told you that I was there to gloat."

"Uhhh...yes you were."

"Well, I went there to gloat the first time. At least...I tried. But there you were, still as the grave and cold as Death. Henry despised me, the town thought I had tried to murder you."

"They weren't wrong were they," Emma remarked. Regina looked at her, about to throw back an insult when she was met with one of the blonde's shy, yet goofy grins. The bloody woman was making a joke, and it had somehow managed to work. Regina found herself smirking back in return, and she thought that she might need to question her sanity.

"Yes, well...they had no proof, but we're getting distracted. I saw you like that, and..."

"Realized your mistake?" Emma offered.

"Not exactly."

"Gee...thanks."

"You did ask for truth, dear. No, what I saw was you."

The sheriff blinked stupidly across the table. "I think you've established that you saw me there. That was the whole point of your visit, remember?"

Regina sighed in obvious irritation. "No, I meant that I actually saw you. With you in that state, I wasn't distracted with your childish antics, or us fighting over Henry. I didn't..." She faltered, biting the inside of her cheek. "For the first time ever, I didn't see you as my enemy."

"Then...what do you see me as?" Emma asked, not realizing that her knuckles had turned white with the intensity of the grip she had on her luke-warm mug.

"I saw you as...innocent," she finished.

"What?" Emma said incredulously. "That doesn't even...please explain," she requested weakly.

"Remember when you yelled at me after you helped me escape the fire?"

The ghost of a smile crossed the blonde's face. "Yeah, that's a night I won't forget any time soon."

"You told me that you'd do it again, because that's what decent people do." She paused, taking a deep breath. "You were absolutely right. That is what good and decent people do, and seeing you in your coma was when I realized that you were a decent person. That maybe you didn't deserve all of things I did to you, and the way I treated you."

"Okay, I get that...sorta. But why did seeing me like that flip the switch for you?"

"Because you were stronger, and braver, and better than I would ever be."

"That's really nice and all, but that still doesn't answer my question."

"Because I have put so much hardship on you, and the turnover...it was one you couldn't escape."

"You didn't make me eat the damn thing, Regina. It was my choice to put it in my mouth. I mean, I could've thrown it away or something."

"I still made it in the first place, and I still put it in your hands. The fault is entirely mine, so why are you defending me and placing the blame on yourself?" the mayor inquired, repeatedly dunking her coffeebag into the over-steeped beverage.

"Still haven't fully answered my questions."

"Sometimes I really despise you, Miss Swan." Emma just smirked, waiting for the mayor to continue. "You were in a coma by my hand, bearing unwarranted punishment. It left a bad taste in my mouth, and I couldn't shake the guilt I felt over my actions. It especially bothered me, because I assumed I was going to feel pleasure and triumph.

"It wasn't long before I found myself frequenting your hospital room. Henry was still rightfully angry with me, and he still believed me to be the guilty party. As such, he had people volunteer to watch you in case I came by to cause further harm. That meant the only window of opportunity was late at night.

"2am became my regularly scheduled time to see you, and I felt the oddest sense of peace when I was with you in your room. You never spoke, never demanded anything of me, never gave me dirty looks...nothing. It's crazy, and I don't fully understand it, but I somehow bonded with you during your time in the coma." A long silence followed her explanation, and Regina began to fidget as she waited for the blonde to say something.

"I don't suppose it's ever occurred to you that this isn't as one-sided as you might think?" Emma said with a smile teasing her lips.

"What do you mean?"

"Why I care what happens to you...if you get hurt or something. There's a lot of bad stuff between us, but you've somehow managed to care about me despite it all. You may be all no-nonsense, hard-assed mayor on the outside, but on the inside you're still just as human as I am, Regina. You've never fooled me, and I too give a damn about you. I'm sorry that I can't give a more solid answer, but I can't really explain this either. All I know is that...I can't hate you, Regina."

"You should," came the quiet response. "I have given you no reason to feel anything kinder than loathing toward me."

"You're right...I should hate you." She ran a hand through her unruly curls. "I can't, and I can't even explain it either. But...there's-"

"A connection," the mayor finished, looking into Emma's eyes.

"Yeah," was the Savior's only breathy response, with a look of muddled comprehension. "What kind of connection?"

"You tell me, dear." Regina observed the other woman with a sly glint in her eyes.

"I...don't really know. It's just these little, weird things, like how you're almost always in my dreams now, chasing away the nightmares. Or how you're the only person who can make me feel warm...and the way Ruby was right about you." The brunette shot Emma a curious look, and a smile crossed the blonde's face when she said, "Ruby told me that we've really misjudged you. I think she's right.

"You told me that seeing me in the coma was the first time you really saw me as a person. Well...seeing you like this," Emma gestured to the mayor's visible injuries. "Not broken, just...raw. Exposed. I got to meet you for the first time, Regina. It was jarring, and terrifying, and beautiful, and heartbreaking, and-"

"Beautiful?" Regina cut in, and Emma's next words caught in her throat while her eyes widened comically.

"Did I say beautiful? I mean, like...I don't mean it like it was pretty or anything. What happened, that is. I meant more like...fuck, this is weird."

"Are you always this articulate?" the older woman teased.

"No, I-I mean yes. I mean...you're confusing me, and it's weird to say what I was gonna say. Unless you wanted me to lie for once?" she said with a hopeful lilt to her voice.

"Nice try, Miss Swan, but I thought today was about actually being truthful."

Emma glared for a moment before rubbing the back of her neck again. "When I said beautiful...I meant that seeing you was beautiful." She tried smiling, but it came out as more of a painful grimace.

"Seeing me looking like a monster, at your own hands no less, was beautiful?" Regina deadpanned.

"No, you're twisting my words again! Not your physical appearance, your...self? Like, the inner-you. Seeing who you really are underneath your bitchy exterior was what was beautiful. I...don't like seeing you beat up. By my hand, or anyone else's for that matter."

"I don't know if I'm supposed to feel flattered or insulted by that."

"What's your gut reaction say?" A beat of silence followed Emma's question.

"Both."

"Have it your way," the blonde shrugged.

"What was it you said..." Regina trailed off, averting her eyes again. "What did you say about feeling warm?"

Emma blushed and also looked away from her guest. "I'm freezing all the time now, but...when you touch me, it goes away. And it's only you. Henry doesn't have that effect on me, nor does Mary Margaret, Ruby, or even Dr Whale. But when you touch my skin...God, it's like I've been dipped into a pool of warm sunshine, or something. Do you have an explanation for that?"

"I'm going to lie to you and say that I don't."

"But...the honesty thing," Emma said very much like a pouting child.

"Now I know where Henry gets that tone from," the brunette remarked almost fondly. "This is one of those things that I cannot tell you yet, but I will. I just need some time."

"Does this have anything to do with our weird connection?"

"Yes," Regina answered truthfully.

"And what about the part where you and I are both having hallucinations?" the Savior bluntly asked.

"How did you...?"

"When you had your panic attack the other night. You thought I was a hallucination or something. You mentioned that the air gets warmer when you see them, and the same thing happens to me too."

"You sound so...unperturbed by that. It's someone from your past, isn't it?"

"I'm going to pretend like I know what that word means, but yeah. Sorta. It's Graham." Regina gasped loudly when she heard the name slip from the blonde's lips. "Does this mean you see him too?"

"No. No, I see...someone else. No one you would have ever known." The mayor's voice caught in her throat, and Emma saw the sorrow she failed to conceal flash across her face.

"And this is another one of those things that you can't tell me about, right?"

"Correct."

"What's happening to us, Regina?"

"If you haven't figured it out yet, you will soon."

"What the hell is that even supposed to mean?"

"It means that you're still as dim-witted as ever, dear. It also means that your solitude out here has prevented you from having the same things shouted in your ears as I have."

"Like what?" Emma said, raking her fingers through her hair in frustration again.

Like how you're my True Love. "Nothing that's important right now."

"God! You're so fucking frustrating! Why don't I get to know?!"

Regina paused and considered Emma for a long moment. "You said that this whole ordeal has allowed you to see me as I truly am, yes? Some very important, very major things are going to transpire in the near future. Once those events have come to pass, you won't know me at all."

I have to extend a huge thanks to my Beta, Jasmine, for helping me a lot with this chapter, and kicking my ass to do what needed to be done. Find her sarcastic self at obligatory-regal-name. tumblr. com and find me at Writers-Dilemma. tumblr. com