Chapter thirty-seven

-One week later-

The door to the sheriff's station slammed open, and Emma couldn't even try and hide the smirk that began to play across her lips. A part of her was beginning to wonder whether her amnesiac girlfriend might genuinely hate her by the time Operation SwanQueen (Henry's idea) was over.

Leaning back in her chair, she deliberately put her legs on the desk, and continued throwing crumpled pieces of paper into the bin, more often than not missing.

The clicking heels sounded around the corner, and Emma feigned disinterest as the mayor appeared.

"Are you actually a child?" the woman seethed as she inspected the mess the station was in.

"Some people find it endearing, madam mayor," Emma smiled.

Regina simply rolled her eyes, she had spent the last week almost constantly dealing with this woman, though only for minutes at a time. Every time they almost talked for too long, her mother seemed to interrupt, something she was sure she should question, but she simply didn't have the brain space for anymore questions. Everything around this town just seemed so strange. She had received tentative smiles from both Snow and Charming, and when she sat in Granny's she would often turn to find the saviour's son stealing glances at her.

"I can't imagine who?" she sneered, holding up her hand she stopped the sheriff from trying to reply, "I need the forms that you were supposed to bring to my office this morning."

Emma let her legs fall off the desk, and reached into a draw pulling out a set of papers that were all pristinely ordered.

Regina eyebrows raised high as she was handed what she asked for, and began looking through them in disbelief.

"You actually did your work?"

"You asked me too," Emma replied with a smile.

"I also asked you to bring them to my office, I'm missing lunch because of you, Miss Swan," she quipped.

"If I had come to your office at nine then you would have been in a meeting and I would have had to give them to your assistant. This way I get to talk to you," she said charmingly.

Regina narrowed her eyes at the blonde, though she was desperately trying not to agree with her that it was an excellent plan.

Turning on her heels, the mayor made to leave.

"Regina, hang on," Emma ran forward. She had been craving Cora-less time with her girlfriend all week, and she was going to milk it for all it was worth. "I can't let you miss lunch for me, let me buy you some."

Regina turned and looked at the blonde for a moment, an unexplained yearning ignited within her, and she decided that she needed to get as far away as possible.

"That won't be necessary," she replied shortly.

Emma sighed, and watched her true love leave, this operation is taking way too long, she thought while falling into her chair.

-One week later-

Regina stood in the kitchen brewing some coffee.

As she did most mornings, she tried to work through every confusing aspect of her memories.

Most specifically, she thought about Emma and her son, she couldn't help but feel the need to be near them. Each time these thoughts began to consume her, she would just shake her head and tell herself that she was being absolutely irrational, and that there was no basis to these feelings. That was until she was near the sheriff, and she wanted to do was spend forever talking to her (among other things that she refused to acknowledge). Each time she had to tear herself away from the woman's presence and she really wished that she knew why.

"Regina," a voice interrupted her reverie.

Said woman looked up to see her mother approaching with a smile that she didn't know was fake. She had to admit that it was nice having her mother around, even if she was almost constantly questioning whether her mental struggles had something to do with her.

"Good morning," she replied, "coffee?"

Cora inspected the machine with distaste, she wasn't exactly used to the technology of this world yet, and though she would never admit it, she did find some of it rather ominous.

"No thank you, dear," she answered as she took a seat at the counter, "I was thinking that maybe we could go out for breakfast."

Regina nodded in agreement after checking her watch.

Cora still sensed her daughter's mistrust in her; she was just happy that she had always been a patient woman, for what she planned, she had to have her daughter's complete and unwavering trust, and she knew exactly who was getting in the way of that.

"Excuse me," Regina smiled, as she stood and made her way to the rest room.

The moment that her back was turned, Cora's smile dropped and her harsh gaze fell on the woman who had been staring distastefully at her for the whole meal.

Once Regina was out of sight, Emma stalked over to the booth giving the woman a hard stare.

"Persistent, aren't we dear?" Cora chuckled, as she began to organise the condiments.

"It's genetic," Emma sneered, "why are you doing this to her?"

Cora raised an eyebrow at the blonde, and abandoned the organisation, "I've made her happy."

"No, you've made her lonely."

"Her or you?" Cora sneered.

"Both of us," Emma replied, with a tightened jaw, "you can't possibly think that she was ever happy as the Evil Queen."

"Happiness is irrelevant," the Queen of Hearts replied with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Of course a heartless bitch like you would-"

"Miss Swan?"

Emma looked up at the mayor, feeling like a schoolchild caught breaking the rules, she offered the woman a smile.

"Hey Regina," she tried.

Regina maintained her stone cold expression, she wasn't exactly sure why the sheriff's words cut deep, maybe because they pointed out a blatant lie, that she refused to acknowledge.

"I'm sure my mother doesn't appreciate being ambushed," she replied coldly.

Cora nodded with a fake sad expression, and Emma felt the urge to strangle her.

Emma quickly stood from Regina's seat, Cora's triumphant smile burning into her.

The sheriff wanted to slap it off her, but instead decided to take a different tactic.

Walking the few steps to the mayor, she leaned to her ear and whispered, "please accept my apology your majesty."

The blonde sauntered away.

A shiver ran down the brunette's spine and she blinked a few times, her mother clearing her throat bringing her back to earth.

Regina swallowed hard and took her seat, "please ignore her mother, that woman is an imbecile."

Cora looked over the counter where Emma was smirking at her, and Cora nodded, "indeed she is."

A/N Sorry I haven't updated in a few days, I just didn't feel like writing much

Anyway I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please feel free to let me know what you thought of it :)