The tension in the air at the dinner table was thick. Snow and Henry tried their best to keep the conversation flowing lightly. Emma's obvious sulking crawled under Regina's skin. By the time dinner was over, Regina had reached a decision to have it out with the Savior.

"Swan, can we talk?"

Emma turned around surprised. "You want to talk?"

"I think we need to." She turned to their son. "Henry, go on home. I'll meet you there later."

"Ok, but…please don't fight anymore?"

The two women looked at each other apprehensively before Emma put her hand on his shoulder. "It's ok, kid. I'll see you tomorrow."

Emma and Regina walked down the street together in silence before Regina finally spoke. "How could you just leave Henry alone like that?"

"I knew it. I knew you were going to do this. You left him alone too!"

"I thought he was with you! If I had known you were just going to leave him with your parents, I would have been there."

"Oh, so that's my fault too? Great."

Regina sighed. "Emma, I don't want to fight with you anymore. This isn't good for Henry. We need to put our differences aside for his sake. So, let's figure this out."

"I didn't want to fight with you either! In case you didn't notice, I lost someone too. Apparently, you're the only one allowed to just push everyone away. You don't get to do it too and then punish me for it."

"Fine. We were both wrong."

"Oh, sure. Fine. It's all fine."

"What do you want me to say, Emma?"

"I…I want you to say you know you were wrong about me."

Regina stopped. "What?"

"You were wrong about me. You were wrong about the reason I saved you."

Regina sighed and looked away. "I…"

"After everything we've been through, did you honestly believe I only saved you because I was afraid of you?"

"No…"

"Then why did you say that!?"

"Because I was hurt, and I have a tendency to revert back to old fears when I'm hurt the most."

Emma sighed and thought for a few moments. "I understand that I guess. But you were wrong."

Regina nodded. "Why did you?"

"Because I care about you, Regina."

"Because I'm Henry's mother?"

Emma scuffed her boot on the ground. "Partially…"

Regina watched her carefully. "What was the other reason?"

Emma sighed. "Because I honestly want to ma- see you happy."

Regina stayed quiet as she watched her. They began walking again, but Emma kept her eyes on the ground. "I hated being responsible for you losing love again. I never wanted to be the person to hurt you like that. When we lost Robin and Hook, you were the only person I wanted to be around. When you…said what you said…it killed me. I felt like all the work we had done to get to where we are as…friends…was all gone. I felt like I…lost you too. I couldn't live with that."

Regina was shocked. She hadn't quite expected things to turn out this way. She never expected Emma to need or want her at all in any way. In fact, she had been quite surprised at the relief she'd felt talking to her again, no matter how difficult it was. The two of them had always shared a certain understanding that went beyond Henry, and she'd missed that too.

"I'm sorry I hurt you, Emma. I'm sorry I pushed you away. I know you're the one person who has always seen the best in me before anyone else did. I'm not great at letting people in. I don't know how to let other people be there for me when I need it most. I'm used to just bottling up everything and I end up hurting those I love most."

Emma laughed a little. "Who are you telling? It's like the biggest thing we have in common after the kid."

Regina laughed finally and it made Emma feel lighter than she had in months. "Look, we obviously work better together than apart. Shall we call a truce and get back to parenting Henry?"

"And being friends," Emma asked hopefully.

Regina nodded. "I think I could use a friend."

Emma smiled broader than she had her whole life. "Do you have anymore of that cider at your place?"

Regina smirked. "Why, thirsty?"

"Parched," Emma replied making Regina laugh out loud.

When they reached the Mayor's house, Regina poured them a drink as Emma made herself at home. They lounged on the couch in her study once Regina got the fire going. She studied Emma's face carefully before speaking.

"Earlier, you said I was the one person you wanted to be around…"

Emma took a big gulp of her drink to steady her nerves. She wasn't sure she was ready for where this was going. "Yeah…"

"Why me?"

Emma sighed and took another large drink. "Because you…get me."

Regina raised a brow. "I get you?"

"Yeah, you get me."

"You didn't find any comfort with your charming parents," Regina smirked.

Emma rolled her eyes. "They're a little too hopeful for me sometimes."

"Really?"

Emma rolled her eyes again as Regina laughed. "Come on. You know what I mean. Sometimes, you just need to feel pissed off or sad and they don't do well with those emotions."

"I can understand that. So you really were looking to just be miserable with me?"

Emma turned toward her worried. "No! Not like that. I'm never miserable with you. I just…you…have a way of making me feel better. You know, that…tough love thing?"

Regina laughed. "You mean my mother gave me something useful?"

"Regina, you're not like Cora. That's not how I meant it. You and I both now there's something in us that…thrives in the fight, I guess."

Regina considered her notion as she took a long drink of her cider. "I suppose."

"Nobody fights like we do," Emma said with pride, making Regina roll her eyes this time.

"Well, our last tiff didn't quite pan out the way we'd hoped, now did it?"

"No…" Emma said defeated. "I think it's better when we fight together than with each other."

"I agree."

"Although…"

Regina looked are her suspiciously. "What?"

"I really do know how to get under your skin," she said with a smirk.

Regina turned towards her, taking the bait. "Yes, you do know how to be infuriating and insufferable."

"And you know how to be bitchy and controlling."

"Excuse me!?"

Emma threw her head back laughing. "I'm kidding! Kind of…"

Regina smacked her shoulder, making Emma laugh harder. "Ass."

They both downed the rest of their drinks, leading Emma to pour them some more. "Trying to get me drunk, Sheriff? At this rate, you'll be staying in my guest room instead of driving home."

"Whatever. I'm sure it's like a hotel room up there. Besides, we both needed this."

"I'll remind you of that in the morning when you're hung over," Regina said dryly.

"When we are hung over."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Fine. If we're doing this…" she took another big drink. "How are you dealing with Hook being gone?"

Emma suddenly looked stone cold sober. She drank half of her drink before she answered. "I'm fine, I guess. You?"

Regina rolled her eyes and stared into the fire as tears filled her eyes. "I miss him."

Emma felt horrible. She instantly put her hand on Regina's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Regina. I really am."

Regina put her hand over Emma's and held it there as a few tears fell down her cheek. "I know."

They sat in silence for a long time before Regina spoke again. "It's the worst at night. I can hear him telling me to move on and be happy. I just feel so alone," she said as she choked back a sob.

Emma couldn't help but wrap her arms around her and pull her close. That was never something she would have felt comfortable doing before, but she felt like she had to with every fiber of her being. "It's ok. You're not alone anymore. I'm here."

Regina laughed a little wiping away a tear that had betrayed her. "You're going to tuck me in at night and stay until I fall asleep?"

"If that's what you need, Regina, I'll do it."

Regina looked at her for a moment like she was crazy, but then she realized she was completely serious. She would stay with her if Regina asked. With a sigh she shook her head and straightened up. "I'm fine."

Emma felt disappointed. She really wanted to be able to be Regina's comfort in every way possible. Suddenly, she was becoming more aware of that need growing in ways she didn't expect. Emma found herself really looking at Regina, lost in the moment. She noticed she wanted to see a smile on that face more than anything in the world. She wanted to hear her laugh. She wanted to see that light behind those beautiful eyes she'd grown to love and find hope in. The realization of it washed over Emma like a tidal wave. Suddenly, the room felt too small. Panicking, she put down her glass and started to pull her boot on.

"I should get going."

Regina looked at her surprised and concerned. "Emma, are you sure you're ok to drive? You can stay here if you'd like. I meant that."

"I know you did. I just feel like I've intruded enough on your space. You probably want to get some sleep."

"I-"

"I'll see you later, ok?"

In a flash, Emma was gone. Regina looked down at her glass confused and disappointed. Had she done something wrong? Regardless, she was alone again. Reluctant to go up to her bedroom and face those thoughts alone, she pulled a throw cover over her and reclined on the couch, finishing her drink. To her relief, the alcohol put her right into a deep sleep.

Emma washed her face aggressively when she got home, as if she could scrub the thoughts from her mind. Feelings were threatening her that she couldn't face. Regina wasn't looking for another partner right after losing her true love and she certainly didn't want that attention from Emma. If she did anything to pursue that, she'd most certainly lose Regina. That was one risk Emma wasn't willing to take. She wanted Regina in her life no matter what that meant. If Emma had to spend the rest of her life fighting feelings she didn't realize she had, then she would. It would just be so much easier to get rid of them altogether.

Tossing and turning, she tried like hell to get every image of Regina out of her mind. Unfortunately, Regina was all Emma could see when she closed her eyes. Suddenly, the thought of her felt intoxicating and overwhelming. Emma rolled onto her stomach and growled her frustrations into her pillow. This was ridiculous. She was just drunk and unfortunately aroused. That's all this was. Alcohol makes you do and feel stupid things. Rolling back over onto her back, she decided the only way she'd sleep that night was to get rid of those feelings by taking care of herself.

"Just this once…" she told herself. Then she would never think about Regina that way again.

As soon as she let her mind wander, she was completely lost in her fantasies of Regina. She had no more started to pull her shirt up before she started to whimper at the image of the Queen in her mind. She imagined Regina's soft lips pressed against hers. She thought about how intoxicating it would be to feel their tongues moving together. Her breathing grew heavy as she pulled her shirt off and ran her hands over her breasts. As she teased her nipples and massaged her breasts, she imagined Regina's mouth on her neck. She gasped when she thought about kissing down the mayor's neck, tasting her, making her gasp as well. Oh, if only she could have that effect on her…

Emma's hand trailed down her stomach as she imagined kissing her way up Regina's legs. She cried out when she touched herself at the thought of putting her own tongue between Regina's legs. Her fingers moved faster against her as she imagined absolutely devouring her and the sounds Regina would make. She placed two fingers inside of herself as she thought of Regina's hands pressing her face hard between her legs.

"Oh, Regina…"

It felt so good to say her name out loud. Too good. The sound of Regina's name coming breathlessly out of her mouth made it all a little too real. Emma felt a surge of warmth pushing her closer to the edge. If she couldn't have her, then she could at least say it this once alone in her dreams. Emma pushed herself closer and closer to orgasm as she imagined pushing Regina there in her mind. All at once, they were coming together. Emma imagined Regina crying out with her name on her lips as she cried out herself into the darkness of her room.

"Regina!"

Utterly spent, Emma fell into a deep sleep, more comforted by her dreams than she had been in years.

Regina woke up the next morning terribly confused. She'd had the most intense sex dream, but it was with Emma. That was something she'd never expected to happen. What was even more unexpected was the fact that it was quite enjoyable. There was some guilt for having enjoyed a dream of that nature that didn't involve Robin. She picked up the empty tumbler off the floor and frowned. It had to be the booze. She pulled herself off the couch and made her way upstairs to shower off the sweat she'd woken up in. As she washed up in the shower, it was hard not to replay parts of her dream in her mind as she touched herself. She hadn't taken care of herself since she'd lost Robin. Part of her grief had kept her from wanting anything to replace him having been the last person to give her pleasure. She knew she'd have to fulfill those needs soon, though. Especially if she were to keep dreaming this way.

Once she was ready for the day, she headed downstairs to make Henry's favorite breakfast. That was part one of her apology to her little prince for leaving him alone so long. It wasn't long before the smell of bacon had him bounding down the stairs.

"Good morning, Mom!"

"Good morning, Henry," she giggled.

"You made my favorite!"

"Yes, I did!"

Henry looked at her skeptically. "Are you and Mom still fighting?"

Regina cleared her throat trying not to think of the inappropriate dream she'd had of her son's other mother. "No, we worked things out last night. You don't have to worry."

He smiled. "Awesome. I love you, Mom."

Her heart filled with warmth as he kissed her cheek. "I love you too, Henry. More than anything."

She hugged him tight, promising herself she'd never shut him out again.