Warning for an OQ kiss (though I promise this is still a Swan Queen story! Don't worry!)

Chapter Sixteen

"Emma, focus!"

Emma drew in a deep breath and put her hands up in front of Regina's smashed window for what felt like the hundredth time. She could feel the magic surging in her fingertips, but it wasn't working.

"I don't want to do this anymore," she pouted, turning away from the window and crossing her arms in front of her chest like a petulant child.

"Seriously? What are you, sixteen or six?" Regina asked, unable to shield her annoyance.

"I can't do it!" Emma insisted. "What's the point?"

"Yes, you can," Regina said, putting her hands on Emma's shoulders. "You just need to focus."

"I miss when you were sixteen and you weren't so bossy."

"Yes, well, I'd like to say I miss when you were an adult and you didn't break my windows, but, unfortunately, you did it then, too, and you'll probably do it again. Consider this a necessary life skill," Regina said, spinning Emma around to face the window again. "You can do this, Emma."

Emma breathed a heavy sigh, knowing this Regina wasn't going to back down until she got what she wanted. She really did miss her sweet Regina. She held up her hands once more, pulling the magic forward as Regina had explained to her, and this time, something happened.

"See, I knew you could do it," Regina said, when the window was back in place.

Emma turned around and grinned, proud of her accomplishment. "Can we pack our picnic now?" she asked, excitedly. "For our date?"

"It's not a date," Regina sighed, as she led Emma into the kitchen.

"It is in my mind," Emma shrugged, and Regina decided not to argue as they set about making sandwiches.

"Why is it you are so willing to help me in the kitchen, and yet it's like pulling teeth when your mother asks you for help?" Regina asked.

Emma looked down at the counter. "It's just… different."

"Okay," Regina nodded, deciding not to press the issue right now.

But Emma didn't look up from the counter. "Regina, um… do you think I'll regret not reaching out to them? Granny says I will when I'm back to normal."

Regina sighed and put her hand on Emma's shoulder. "I think you have every right to be hurt and upset and reluctant, given what your life has been, up to this point. However, as much as it pains me to admit it, it wasn't all your parents' fault. The curse was real, that really happened, and I'm sure they were terrified. Then again, you were meant to be the savior, and they put you through that wardrobe to save themselves just as much, if not more so, as they did to save you. It's a lot to digest, at any age, and I don't envy the position you're in right now."

"So what should I do?" Emma asked, looking up at Regina, her eyes wide with expectancy.

"You need to follow your own advice, and do what your sixteen-year-old self wants. You've made peace with your parents as an adult. It's up to you if you want to do it again, as a teenager."

"Okay," Emma nodded. "Yeah, okay."

Regina didn't ask what Emma's decision was on the matter, assuming she'd tell her if she wanted. "Well, looks like the picnic is ready to go. I have to get some work done at my office before lunch, but you can come with me. I don't even want to know how behind I am now."

"Ugh, your office is so boring!" Emma whined.

"Here, take this," Regina offered, reaching into a cupboard above the counter and pulling out a GameBoy. "I grounded Henry from it a while ago. I know it's probably more advanced technology than you're used to, but I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"Fine," Emma sighed, in a mock whine, though secretly she was excited about the GameBoy. "Henry's not gonna mind?"

Regina shrugged. "Well, I bought it. And since when are you suddenly so concerned about other people's property?"

Emma blushed and didn't reply as she grabbed the GameBoy and the picnic basket and followed Regina out to her car.

When they got to the office, Emma flung herself down onto the couch with the GameBoy as Regina got to work on the mountain of papers piled on her desk. After about half an hour, there was a knock on the door. Emma looked up at Regina, expectantly, and Regina nodded for her to go answer it.

Emma hopped up and walked over, laughing as she opened the door.

"Oh, Tink," she grinned, "you're in so much trouble!"

Tink smiled and rolled her eyes as she walked past Emma and up to Regina's desk. Emma couldn't help practically skipping up behind her, ready to watch Regina lay into her about the credit card.

"Welcome back, Madam Mayor," Tink said, grinning at Regina.

"Yes, thank you, it's good to be back. Now, I believe you have something of mine?" Regina said, holding out her hand. Tink sheepishly pulled the credit card out of her pocket and placed it in Regina's palm.

"Now, before you say anything," Tink started, her eyes still twinkling impishly, "I actually did you a favour."

"Oh?" Regina asked, quirking an eyebrow in surprise.

"Well, as your friend, I thought it would be terribly wrong of me to let you walk around Storybrooke in the skinny jeans and leather jackets you could have borrowed from Emma. I mean, I suppose you could have borrowed clothes from Snow…."

"I had my own clothes, if you recall," Regina pointed out.

"I was not about to let a sixteen-year-old walk around town looking like she's running for congress," Tink smirked. Emma laughed, remembering how Regina looked on that first night, all wide eyed and innocent in her obviously expensive power suit.

"I suppose, given our history, I can let a little credit card theft slide," Regina smirked back, before placing the card back in her wallet. "Thanks, by the way, Tink, for everything."

"I'm glad your back," Tink smiled, before turning to Emma. "And I hope you're back soon, too."

Emma looked positively offended as Tink walked back out of the office. As soon as the door shut, she spun back around to face Regina. "See. She hates me. I told you."

"Emma, don't worry about it. You're barely even friends with her," Regina shrugged, as she turned back to her paperwork.

"Everyone thought you were gonna kill her," Emma pointed out.

"Everyone thinks a lot of things about me, unfortunately."

Emma sighed and headed back over to the couch, flopping down again with the GameBoy, until Regina finally got up and told her it was time for lunch.

"Finally! I'm starving!" Emma exclaimed, dramatically, as she jumped up from the couch. "Please tell me we can leave here after lunch!"

"Yes, dear, we can," Regina agreed. She knew she still had a ridiculous amount of paperwork to get to, but she decided it wasn't really fair to make Emma sit there all day with her, and she couldn't exactly let her out of her sight, knowing the teens propensity for getting herself into trouble. The paperwork could wait.

Regina laid out a blanket under her apple tree as Emma stood, holding the basket, staring at the cut off branch.

"Sorry about that," she said, when Regina saw where she was looking.

"No, you're not," Regina chuckled. "It's fine, though. I really did have it coming to me. Come, sit down, let's eat."

Emma grinned as she sat down cross-legged on the blanket, and opened the basket, pulling the food out.

"So," Emma said, thoughtfully, through a bite of her sandwich, "I had a kid in jail. I attacked your tree. You said I broke a window as an adult… why is everyone so surprised at how I am right now? It's like they were expecting me to be all like sweet and stuff?"

Regina smirked, shaking her head. "I think the whole savior-thing is your saving grace. That, and all those things happened a long time ago. You stole that yellow Bug of yours, too."

"Grand theft auto," Emma laughed, "even I didn't see that one coming."

Emma was about to say something else, when she noticed the sudden change on Regina's face. She turned her head to see what Regina was looking at behind her, and saw an unfamiliar man.

"Robin," Regina said, her eyes wide. It only took a split second for the name to register as the name of Regina's boyfriend, as Henry had told Emma. Even if he hadn't, she would have figured it out quick, as Robin immediately dropped to his knees onto the blanket and laid a kiss on Regina.

Emma felt her heart stop. The kiss probably only lasted a second or two, but to Emma, it felt like an eternity. It was enough time for her to realize what was happening and that Regina was lost to her now and panic and stand up and take off running.

"Emma!" Regina cried, pushing Robin away from her, and standing to chase after the girl. Emma ran until she tripped over a protruding tree root and fell forward onto the grass on her hands and knees. Her shoulders were slumped and shaking and Regina thought the girl might be hyperventilating.

And she was right.

"Emma! Emma," said, as she dropped to her knees beside her, and pulled her tight into her arms. Emma was shaking and sobbing, though no actual tears were coming out, just the sound. "Shh, shh, baby, it's okay. It's alright. I'm right here."

"You're not here!" Emma cried, trying to pull herself out of Regina's arms, but Regina held on right. "I want my Regina back! You're going to pick him and leave me all alone!"

"Emma, I'm so sorry," Regina breathed into her hair, rocking her as the tears started to fall in earnest. "I didn't know he would show up, and I didn't know he would do that. I promise you I will not make a choice until we get to talk it out, as adults, okay? I'm so sorry, Emma."

Emma let herself relax into Regina's arms, as the tears continued to fall. "It's not fair."

"I know," Regina nodded, still rocking her.

"I feel like I just lost my best friend. And you're here but it's not the same and it's not fair."

"I know, sweetie," Regina said, running her hand through Emma's hair. "It won't be like this for long, though. Soon everything will be back to normal, I promise."

Emma finally pulled herself away from Regina, and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "So, I guess that kind wrecks our plans for the rest of the day," she said, looking over Regina's shoulder to Robin, who was still standing back under the apple tree, watching them.

"No, it doesn't. I promised you I would spend the day with you and I still have every intention of doing that. Robin can wait," Regina said, as she stood up and held out her hand to Emma, to help her up. "Now, are you alright? Did you hurt anything in your fall?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "No, I'm fine. I'm tough."

"That you are," Regina agreed, as they headed back over to the tree.

"Regina," Robin started, but that's all he could get out before she cut him off.

"You need to go," she said, firmly, as she put an arm around Emma's shoulder, pre-emptively, in case the girl decided to bolt again. "We will talk later, but right now, I promised Emma my time and I don't' intend to break that promise."

"Regina, come on, I haven't seen you in days," Robin protested.

"We survived months when you were in New York," Regina reminded him, "you'll be fine."

Robin let out a sigh of annoyance, before turning and walking away.

"What is it with men?" Emma asked, once Robin was out of earshot. "Like, what, he's not gonna survive another second if he doesn't get to bang you?"

"Emma!" Regina gasped.

"What? I mean, come on, look at how he was acting. He didn't miss you, he just wants to fuck you."

"Emma, that's enough," Regina said, more firmly. "You don't know him. Now, come on, do you want to bake with me this afternoon or not?"

"Yes," Emma sighed. What she really wanted to do was punch Robin, but she was sure Regina wasn't going to go for it. She supposed baking an apple pie might be the next best thing.

"Maybe we could bring a pie to dinner tonight at my parents'," Emma suggested, once they were in the kitchen baking. More accurately, Regina was baking and Emma was watching.

Regina smirked. "Your mother's not all that fond of apples."

"Really? Why?"

"Seriously?" Regina asked, staring at Emma in disbelief. "You're actually asking me why Snow White wouldn't want to accept something made from apples from the Evil Queen?"

"Wait, so that was real? Like, you really poisoned her with an apple?"

"Yes, dear. But that was a long time ago. We're much more civil now, as you may have noticed."

"Yeah, so, okay… no pie. But you're still gonna come to dinner tonight though, right?" Emma asked.

"Are you really this afraid to have dinner with your family?" Regina asked, sitting down at one of the stools at the kitchen island, and motioning for Emma to do the same.

"It's not really about the dinner. It's about the family. Families and me don't always, you know, mesh," Emma tried to explain.

"I know," Regina nodded. "And if you want me there for moral support, I will be there. Lord knows I've relied on you for enough moral support the last few days. It's the least I can do."

"Thanks," Emma smiled. "And hey, then you get to see Henry again, right?"

"Henry… actually lives here," Regina said, tentatively.

"Oh, yeah, right, that would make sense," Emma nodded.

"Emma, if you want him to stay the night at the loft again tonight, I'm sure he would be thrilled. He loves it there."

"I want you to stay the night at the loft," Emma said, quietly.

"And sleep in your bed? That would be highly inappropriate, dear, and I think you know that," Regina said, placing her hand over Emma's in hopes that the girl would understand that she was saying this for Emma's benefit, and not to reject her in some way.

"Yeah, I know, but… what's one more inappropriate thing in my life? I mean, at least I want you in my bed."

"What do you mean by that?" Regina asked, wondering if this had to do with the same previous foster home her other comment had been about.

"Nothing," Emma sighed.

Regina reached forward to cup Emma's face in her hands. "Emma, listen to me," she said, softly, "I want you to know that you can tell me anything, okay? I'm serious."

"Yeah, okay, whatever," Emma said, adverting her eyes.

"Emma, can you look at me for a second?" Regina asked, still holding Emma's face in her hands.

"What?" Emma whined, turning her gaze up to meet Regina's again.

"Are my eyes the same?"

The question caught Emma off-guard, and she stared for a moment, before smiling. "Yeah."

"I told you I'm still that girl, inside. You didn't lose your best friend, Emma. I'm still right here, and I promise you, everything is going to be fine."

"Thank you," Emma breathed as she leaned forward to hug Regina again.

This time, there were no tears.