Yesterday had been a complete, emotional train wreck. And a physical ass beating.

Emma tried to sink deeper into her pillow as morning weaved its sinewy fingers through the window blinds. It was too early for daylight. And too early for flashbacks.

But the tank-top clad blonde couldn't fight off the visions behind her eyelids: The smoke pluming from the mouth of the mine, the countless orange vests buzzing around the collapse site, Henry's desperate reach toward her hand in the mine shaft… they all fought for dominance, flashing again and again with no reprieve. And then, they stopped.

There was another memory, now, stretching across the dark blanket of her closed eyes. The mayor, in her black sweater and tussled hair, her face filled with worry, staring right at Emma.

"He's MY son," she asserted with a bold confidence that only she could possess in such a crisis.

"He's my son, too," said Emma, seeing Regina's humanity bubbling underneath for the first time.

The two stood steadfast to the earth, unmoved. Emma's periphery was but a blur as Regina took a step toward her. Then another. In slow motion, the Mayor approached, her eyes betraying her façade and revealing some soft emotion that Emma couldn't at this point label. Dark eyes searched Emma's face, for …something. The blonde's breathing labored and in an instant, the two were standing only inches apart. Her eyes were soft, and the silence between them was softer.

"Just bring him to me," said the mayor.

Something had happened in those slow motion seconds that could never be undone. Emma had seen good in Regina, however small a glimmer it was, and found it moved her. And had she just given in to Emma? Had she just relinquished some small amount of control over her son? Emma found herself utterly intrigued at this point but though the tension between her and the Mayor was intoxicating, there were more pressing issues at the moment. Henry needing saving. She'd have to return to this new interest later.

"Emma," a sweet voice called across the room.

"Would you like some coffee?," asked Mary Margaret.

"I'd like a deep tissue massage, a bottle of Advil, and a psychologist. But a coffee will do."

The gurgling of the coffee maker drew Emma completely back to reality, and away from the warmth of the pillow… and the Mayor.

"Ugh. What gives?" she mumbled in the midst of her confusion. Mary Margaret peered around the corner, finding Emma with her eyebrows furrowed.

"Everything okay? You seem… annoyed," asked the teacher.

"No, no I'm fine, actually. Just a rough day yesterday, you know? Guess I didn't know how much of a beating I really took in that mineshaft," replied the blonde.

"Well, it's a gorgeous day outside. Why don't you go out for a walk and loosen up? Besides…you just finished off my coffee. You could go get some more for me and kill two birds with one stone," Mary Margaret suggested.

She opened and closed her mouth, in thought. "I don't really like that saying. But I guess it gets the point across," she laughed.

"Coffee is the least I can do for you. You really have no idea how much I appreciate you letting me stay here while I figure things out," Emma said, crawling out of bed and picking out some clothes to throw on. "Is there anything else you want me to grab while I'm out?"

"If you happen to find a deep tissue massage on sale, you can bring that back with you," said Mary Margaret through a smile.

"No problem," replied Emma, as she grabbed her boots from the floor. The door clicked on Mary Margaret's exit and Emma pulled on a white t-shirt and jeans, finding her whole body sore to the core. That walk was definitely a good idea.

A few minutes later, Emma left her room looking naturally stunning as always.

"Wow. You really have that Mr. Gold impression down pat," said Mary Margaret in jest over Emma's slight limp.

"Ha," replied Emma sarcastically as she grabbed her coffee, which her roommate had already put in a travel mug. She took a sip of the cinnamon concoction and it warmed her to the core, sending energy through her veins and renewing her. Hopefully today would be much less eventful than the previous. She made her way to the door and grabbed her badge from the counter. "Never hurts to be prepared," she thought.

"If you head out now, you'll probably kiss the mayor," called Mary Margaret from across the room.

Emma froze, her mind flashing to the mine and the Mayor, and her stomach stirred. "What?" she croaked through a broken voice.

"The mayor is usually at the coffee shop on Saturday mornings. She does her politicking with the locals over their coffee and then heads to the office. If you head out now, you can probably miss her before she gets there," she clarified.

"Oh, right," responded Emma. What the hell is wrong with me, she thought, struggling to get Regina's face out of her mind as she reached for the doorknob. After a few seconds, her fingers finally found their grip and she exited the apartment. Mary Margaret was right. It really was a gorgeous day, fitting, like the day after a hurricane. She soaked in the feeling of cool air blowing back her hair and she turned the corner and headed toward the coffee shop. But her mind again went back to yesterday, and a pain went through her leg.

"Son of a bitch," she complained and grabbed her leg. She stopped about 10 yards from the apartment, and looked around her. It was such a beautiful day. There really was no reason to hurry to the coffee shop, especially nursing an injured leg. "Really, what's the harm in taking it slow?" she thought, her mind filled with flashbacks, and her stomach stirring.

An hour later, Emma walked through the coffee shop door, a tinkling bell announcing her entrance. The place was quaintly busy, something she wasn't used to in Boston. There were a few empty tables but plenty of people milling about and browsing through newspapers. The aroma of coffee hit her suddenly as the espresso maker began revving. She gulped down the rest of her own coffee and approached the counter for a bag of Mary Margaret's favorite blend. The cash register chimed, money was exchanged, and Emma turned away. But she wasn't quite ready to leave.

She scanned the crowd and saw only unfamiliar faces, and a well of disappointment drew up inside of her. "Advil" she thought. "That's what I need, and I'll be golden." She made a mental note to swing by the pharmacy on the way back to the apartment and then made a B line for a corner table near the door and sat down slowly. She groaned again as she shifted in the chair and again resorted to her potty mouth, which always made her feel a bit better. "Son of a…"

The door chimed and swung open.

"Bitch," finished Emma.

"Well I knew we weren't on the best of terms, but really, Miss Swan, I'm surprised by such hostility so early in the morning and so soon after yesterday," a cool voice emanated from above.

Flashbacks.

Stirrings.

At least her lame leg was good for something…

"Madame Mayor," Emma began to explain, "I wasn't talking about you. I was – "

"Miss Swan, I know you weren't referring to me. You wouldn't dare…" she said through the smile that Emma had subconsciously imprinted in her brain over the past 2 weeks. "Though you have to admit, the timing was coincidental," said Regina.

Emma could only nod as she tried to inconspicuously take in the Mayor. She wasn't as formal as Emma was used to seeing her. The brunette was dressed in a pair of professional looking jeans and a tight black sweater reminiscent of the one Emma had grown used to in her flashbacks. The blonde was impressed - maybe even Regina took a day off during the weekend.

Emma returned her focus to the Mayor's eyes and found a confused expression awaiting her.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" asked the deputy, attempting to hide her humiliation over her distractedness.

"I asked if you were okay. You seem … not yourself this morning. You're… quiet," said the mayor with what Emma sensed was a teasing tone.

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine, thank you, just a little sore is all."

"Yes, well… certainly for a good reason," Regina responded quietly, her eyes cast downward for a split second. Emma noticed, though, and was reminded of the warmth she had felt yesterday -and this morning.

"Well, I won't keep you any longer, Deputy. Enjoy your day off," said the Mayor as she turned and walked toward the back of the coffee shop. She was soon after approached by a couple who seemed very inquisitive about the mine incident and wanted to know if any other areas of the town were prone to collapse.

Emma watched, completely amazed at Regina's confidence and ability to assuage the residents' fears. She stood tall and spoke articulately, calm and collected, completely professional, and flawless, really. She smiled charmingly, or unnervingly, depending on your interpretation, and listened as the couple continued discussing the incident. The blonde was caught completely off guard as Regina ever so slightly turned her head and glanced her way. She was even more surprised at Regina's response upon realizing Emma had noticed. The Mayor quickly turned back toward the couple and … was she blushing? Emma saw a slight pink hue creep across her boss' face, but had little time to scrutinize as Regina ended the conversation and made her rounds with other community members.

Stirrings and flashbacks.

Emma got up quickly, completely disregarding her soreness, and left the coffee shop. After such a tumultuous day yesterday, this was a little much. Emma knew all along, though, that there was something she found intriguing about the mayor. After their first meeting, she grew to crave run-ins with Regina, but she initially explained that desire away as an attraction to conflict. After all, conflict was the dominant theme in her life. But after yesterday, she understood that there was a bit more involved than just attraction to conflict.

"Oh my god," whispered Emma, as she leaned against the outside wall of the coffee shop. She closed her eyes and let her head slide backward against the wall, letting out a sigh. "How the hell am I going to deal with this?" she thought.

Meanwhile, Regina ordered an espresso and scanned the coffee shop, focusing on the corner table. Finding it empty, she let out an inaudible sigh and walked over to it. She had hoped Emma would still be there, and that she could exchange a few more combative remarks with her. She had begun to crave these exchanges ever since she had brought that apple basket to the deputy at the Inn. She hadn't been able to shake the memory of that afternoon – when Emma answered the door, she was thrown off guard. It took her a second to remember she had come with the intent of delivering a threat. She was thrown even more when Emma stood her ground, looked her right in the eye and threw the gauntlet over the doorway. For once in her life, she had felt totally challenged, and totally attracted to someone else. But this would never work, and her reputation could not survive her acting on any … feelings…

Since then, Regina had struggled over her attraction and hoped it would subside. She realized yesterday, though, that this problem was only going to escalate. She had almost given herself away while she was vulnerable, and hoped to god no one else had noticed the way she approached Emma at the mine. She was surprised she let herself go that far, but in that moment of helplessness, she found the closer she got to Emma, the more she could cope with Henry's being trapped. She basked in that flashback and pulled her coffee in closer to her.

"No way in hell that's ever going to happen," she whispered to herself, leaning back in her chair. Upon shifting, her foot hit something under the table. The Mayor leaned down and picked up a bag of coffee. She squeezed her hand around it, and the bag crinkled. Looks like someone forgot her coffee, thought the mayor. Her stomach stirred as she stared at the bag, a thousand thoughts buzzing through her mind. In true mayor fashion, she made a quick decision.

Regina grabbed the bag and her espresso and left the coffee shop before she normally would on Saturdays. She walked briskly toward Ms. Blanchard's apartment. To the casual observer, the Mayor was completely in character, walking confidently through the streets like she owned the town… because she did own the town, sort of. But with each step, she wondered how this would play out and if this exchange would be as intoxicating as all the others had been.