When she knocked on Regina's door, Emma hadn't planned on facing the elfin little blonde who was currently populating Regina's bedroom. But there she fucking was. Looking smug. And just a little mischievous. "Uh. Hey. Regina here?"

"Hey yourself. Yes, she is. And don't sound so enthused to see me." Tink rolled her eyes and moved aside to dramatically wave Emma in.

It was common knowledge in Storybrooke, that Tinkerbell (usually T or Tink, for short, because she couldn't let the idiots know who she was in this world) and Emma didn't get along.

"I wish you two would just…" Regina could be heard muttering half thoughts like these frequently. Because no one knew what the problem was and no one could figure out a way to fix it.

They'd dragged Tink back from Neverland, bleeding and injured badly, wearing only the rags Pan had left her with. She'd saved Regina's life and on top of that, she seemed to have some deep bond with the former Evil Queen.

The way they'd looked at one another. It made Emma want to gag. Or cry. She couldn't decide which.

There was talk of 'true love' and fate and blahblah—Emma avoided her own mother like the plague when Snow started yammering about how Regina's redemption was finally beginning. All because of Tinker-fucking-bell.

And when Tink had awoken, she'd scanned the group of people warily. Hook, she already knew, but the others she had to size up. It was Emma's glowering, frowning face—and her eyes that flitted back again and again to where Regina's hand lay flat on Tink's stomach—that initially put the smaller woman off.

Today she just rolled her eyes and welcomed Henry's other mother into her girlfriend's house with a wave. Tink wore only a thin black t-shirt—so thin it was see through—and a pair of short shorts that hugged the curves of her ass. She glanced over her shoulder with a smirk when Emma couldn't help but stare.

"T, please put on some decent clothes." Regina's words were muffled and far away, but only because she was hovering at the furthest point of the ceiling, dusting the corners.

"Hey Regina." Emma tried to be casual, but Regina's outfit was even hotter than Tink's. A flimsy tank top and a pair of black, figure hugging leather pants made the levitating woman look like a bartender Emma had known once. When she turned to give Emma a terse smile, a strand of dark hair fell over her eyes and made Emma wish she were up there with her. Dusting. Dusting was suddenly the world's most erotic activity in that moment.

In Neverland, Emma had realized that she had feelings for Regina. It happened when Regina asked, sarcastically but also slightly hopefully, if she wanted to be friends. Something clenched in Emma's chest, leading her to realize that she wanted that and more. She'd looked at the ground, at a loss. That night, when they'd slept near one another, Emma had dared to look at Regina's features. The curves of her lips, the slant of her nose. Emma realized how beautiful Regina really was. And the crease of worry between her eyes as she slept made Emma want to fix things so badly for all of them.

Days later, with Henry safely back, the game had changed. Emma wasn't the only savior any longer. And Regina had actually wept over Tinkerbell's limp form, pushing wet, bloody hair away from the gash across her forehead. She'd clung to the woman as they sailed back to Storybrooke on Pan's stolen boat. Clung to her and murmured in her ear and kissed her pale skin.

Fuck. It almost felt like maybe…

It should have been her. It should have been Emma, all flailing and dramatic and nearly dying but back from the brink with a bit of care.

Fuck, fuck, double fuck.

Still, Emma had a job to do. She was a parent. She couldn't avoid these two lovesick assholes and their stupid fucking happiness.

So while Tinkerbell painted in the back yard (from what Emma heard she was actually selling her work outside of town) Regina put sandwiches and tea and salads between them, and prepped to discuss Henry.

"T got tickets for the ballet in Boston, did I mention? For her and for Henry. I hope that that's all right." Regina hadn't blinked when Henry's interest in ballet had started to form. She indulged whatever the kid wanted.

"Wow, that's…yay." Emma finished weakly.

It hadn't been enthused enough.

Because if Tinkerbell grew closer to Henry, it would mean seeing more of her. It would mean she and Regina were becoming closer as well.

Emma felt the urge to throw up just as a wave of confusion and worry swept over Regina's face.

"What is it?" Regina's hand hovered at first, then covered hers warmly. Emma instinctively curled her fingers into a fist and waited for the ache to pass.

Their travel from Neverland to Storybrooke had taken many long days. Once Tink had recovered a bit, she and Regina had disappeared below deck, holing up in one of the private bunks. When Emma walked by, she felt their energy and her stomach sank. They were obviously doing more than just talking. She didn't need to hear it to know. She just knew.

Now she saw the two of them everywhere. At the local fair, where the 7 Dwarves all fawned over Tink; at Granny's, over breakfast, always exchanging these small intimate gestures. When Regina brushed a lock of Tink's blonde hair behind one ear, or kissed the corner of her mouth as they parted….well. It was those little things that hurt the most. She'd seen Tink fist a handful of Regina's hair and kiss her and the closeness and heat of it had felt like some stabbing shard of glass in Emma's stomach.

It hurt. It hurt worse than anything Emma could have imagined or predicted.

Sometimes though, she wondered why it hurt so much. She lay awake in bed, wondering what Regina might be doing. Was she reading a book with those cute reading glasses of hers? Were the women making love right then?

And what did it matter?

What if Tinkerbell made Regina happy? Shouldn't that make Emma happy? And if not, why not?

The next day, after the whole ballet discussion, Emma decided to do better with the whole thing. She decided to be happy for Regina and to get on with her life.

It almost worked.

"Hey Em-ma." Tink said her name like this when they passed in the street. She also liked to leap about and jump onto things, teasing people with her mere presence. And everyone loved it. Loved her. Upbeat, sexy, sensual Tink, with her just-had-sex hair and her playful smile. And those eyes. They could draw beauty from anyone.

But Emma just smiled and walked on. She wasn't pulled in by any of what Tink had to offer. Others were, but she was pretty much frazzled by Regina these days and no one else.

Wait, but…others were enticed. Emma suddenly realized what she'd been thinking without admitting it to herself.

And then she looked around with wider eyes and clearer vision.

The butcher, a burly, handsome guy with a skeevy little smile, came out of his shop to watch Tink go by. She winked at him and in that moment, a magical arc of light connected them. Emma saw, in the light and energy, a flash of an image. Tink and the butcher, her with him bent over, and a strap-on…

"Ah!" Emma shouted, swiping a hand over her eyes to erase the image.

With growing realization, a now terrified looking Tinkerbell slowly turned to look at her.

"Wait…" Was all she said.

But Emma had already bolted.

She ran and ran and was halfway to her offices, when Regina of all fucking people, drove up beside her, evoking a strangled sob in Emma's throat.

"Do you need a ride?" Regina asked.

"No, no, I'm good…" But Emma nearly tripped over a fire hydrant and was only saved from a broken nose by Regina's magic.

Things started to fall apart after that. Tinkerbell hadn't actually slept with the butcher, but it was one possible future for her and she seemed to be fighting urges all around. Especially when it came to Ruby and a few others—Tink's thoughts were crystal clear to everybody in time.

Everybody, including Regina.

One day, over tea and pasta left untouched, Regina admitted that she and Tink were in trouble.

"She wants to leave. For New York. She has buyers all set up and a gallery she's been secretly putting together." Regina touched her neck and chin nervously, her eyes dark with despair.

"Regina, I'm sorry…" Selfishly though, so so very selfishly, Emma was not sorry. Because maybe they can get back to their old routine. Bantering, bickering. And besides, Regina deserved better than this.

But something in the look on Regina's face gives pause to Emma's thoughts. It made her heart twist and stumble in her chest. "Oh shi…Regina. I'm…I'm sorry…" This time she meant it. "Regina, I'm so, so sorry."

For the first time, the ache in Emma's chest wasn't caused by jealousy but by Regina's sadness. She touched Regina's cheek, so lightly, then withdrew and sat back in her chair when the front door opened and then slammed shut.

Tink came back just then, took one look at Emma, leaned and kissed Regina while she glanced out the corner of her eye.

When Emma just smiled sincerely at the shorter woman, the ice thawed at last.

"I'll go. Leave you two alone. Hey, Tink? Let me know if I can help. And congratulations." There was something new between them. A color or a feeling. With magic, Emma couldn't tell. But her smile was returned.

"Thanks Em." There it was—that unspoken bond. Because at the end of the day, they both wanted for the same thing.

They both wanted Regina to be happy.

Weeks went by and whenever Emma saw Regina with her girlfriend, she'd wave from a distance before deciding whether it was ok to approach. They weren't, as it turned out, on a break. T had managed to keep it in her pants for months by that point and things were calmer.

Still, Emma wondered. And worried. She'd have dinner with Regina when Tink was out of Storybrooke. She'd even invited her to Snow's apartment on occasion, where the group seemed to like spending time. After the traumas of Neverland, Snow and Regina actually appeared to crave a connection of some kind.

Over time, the cracks began to appear again. Tinkerbell hadn't strayed, but Regina was growing weary of worrying about it.

"What are you going to do?" Charming, ever the pragmatist, was nonetheless sympathetic. He rubbed Regina's elbow awkwardly, earning a weird look from her and an even weirder one from Snow.

"Um. I'm not sure." Regina relaxed into the touch, recognizing friendship for what it was for perhaps the first time in her life.

"You deserve happiness," Were Snow's words. She and Regina blinked back tears and everybody pretended to watch television while they collected themselves then.

A week later, Emma was at her desk working, when the Blue Fairy of all people dropped by. She asked, "Have you seen Tinkerbell? I have a fair dust issue I really need advice on."

"Hardly police business, but I'll call Regina when I get time." Emma muttered. Tink was supposed to be visiting the next day, so who the fuck knew.

"Oh." The Blue cape or whatever it was that the Fairy wore swooshed across Emma's desk, throwing her paperwork into the garbage can.

"Oops." She shrugged and looked apologetically at Emma.

Emma sighed and straightened up. "Ok, I'll call Regina now." Why the Blue Fairy couldn't call Regina herself was a mystery beyond solving. There was some unspoken code written into the universe—the Blue fucking Fairy did not help Regina Mills. She helped every other damned person in the world but never Regina.

"If I wanted you to call her, I'd have done so myself." The fairy said haughtily. "She's home, by the way. Stayed in from what I hear due to exhaustion. Who knows…"

The ride to Regina's was long and hot. The air conditioning in the Sheriff's car was busted and Emma's shirt was soaked by the time she got herself to the Mayor's house. Besides that, her hair was wet and matted to her forehead and the back of her neck and she could feel beads of sweat dripping down her stomach.

"Fucking sexy," She muttered to herself. "Goddammit." Her annoyance levels rose when she had to park far from the house, around a whole line of cars and trucks intended for construction down the street. The walk made her even hotter and sweatier and she wanted nothing more than to get herself out of her boots and tight jeans when she got through with all of this.

Regina seemed equally bothered by the heat when she opened the door. And the Blue Fairy was right, she did look exhausted. "Hey, just looking for Tink. She around? The Blue…" Emma trailed off. She glanced over Regina's shoulder. God, the woman was wearing a sheer sleeveless blouse and Emma could see the black bra beneath it. She swallowed hard. The house felt stiller, quieter, than ever before. "Regina, what's wrong?" Emma finally asked. "Why is the Blue Fairy sending me on wild goose chases…"

The look on Regina's face then, said it all.