Once Upon Another Time

'Miss Swan. What a surprise. With my son, as well.'

Emma stopped still, rolling her eyes as she turned around to meet the glare of Regina Mills, who was approaching them with a slow raging strut. She halted just before she met them, her arms crossed. Behind her, people crossed the road, aware of the confrontation boiling on the sidewalk between the Mayor and the Sheriff.

'What do you want, Regina? I'm simply walking with Henry. You can't have anything to say against that.' She scowled, her hand still clutched around Henry's, who was gazing at Emma with a look of pride that turned Regina's stomach slightly.

'Other than that he's my son and you haven't had my permission?' She raised an eyebrow, silencing any argument Emma could think of raising. 'Henry, come here, I'll take you home.'

'Emma can take me home,' he pleaded, stuck in between the two women, eyes darting between the two of them worriedly. 'We were talking.'

'Sheriff Swan should be on patrol, not walking with you.' She directed a cold glare at Emma, before kneeling down to meet Henry as he let go of his mother's hand and walked sullenly over to Regina. She placed a hand on his shoulder gently. 'Besides, we can talk while I drive you home. You can tell me about school.'

'I don't want to talk about school.' He sulked, before brightening suddenly as an idea struck him. 'Can I sleep at Emma's tonight?'

Emma's eyes widened as he spoke. 'No. Henry, no. I'm sorry, you can't…'

'No, of course not. That's ridiculous. You don't know anything about Emma.' Regina shook her head as she stood up.

'She is my mom.'

'Henry, no….' Emma whispered, almost soundlessly, as Regina's eyes grew cold once again.

'Can't Emma come to ours? She could have dinner. She's better than any of your boring council guests.'

'Henry, Miss Swan is not coming to ours, and you are certainly not staying at hers. I want you in my sight at all times. Now, go get in the car.'

'Fine.' He was sullen once again, head hung as he walked back towards the car. Dramatically sadly, he called back, 'I just don't like sleeping on my own after last week.'

'Henry…' Regina said, almost threateningly, warning him to keep silent. She looked back at the Sheriff however and sighed, Swan looked curious. Henry had done his damage.

'What happened last week?'

'It was nothing…'

'There was a break-in.' Henry had run back to Emma's side, both his hands clasped around one of hers, earnest eyes looking up at her. It was Regina's turn to roll her eyes.

'It wasn't a break-in. It was just some kids messing around. They set the alarm off, I sorted it,' the Mayor explained, increasingly exasperated. 'He's been sleeping fine.'

'I don't like it.' Henry frowned.

'Why didn't you tell me earlier? You should have told me last week.'

'And what would you have done, Miss Swan? It was none of your business, so I didn't tell you.'

'I'm the Sheriff, of course it's my business. I'm here to sort these things so you don't have to, potentially putting people in danger, like you did with Henry.' It was like Emma could feel her nerves fraying, verging on snapping as she argued with the woman before her.

'Henry was never in danger…'

'You're lucky they were just kids messing around. What if it had been an intruder? I take it you didn't have a weapon on you. How were you planning to protect my son?'

'My son.' Regina corrected firmly, eyes narrowed. After a few seconds of silence between the two women, their eyes locked, Regina eventually sighed, her tone weary. 'Fine. Emma, feel free to visit later. You can have dinner, you can stop over. See for yourself how safe I keep my son. And learn there is nothing you can provide that I can't do better. Now, Henry, go and get in the car.'

'Thanks mom.' Henry beamed up at Regina, causing her to give a brief smile, and he ran to the car. Emma, however, was still staring at her skeptically.

'Are you being serious? You're not now going to tell me not to visit, and just tell Henry I let him down when he sits waiting later?' She raised an eyebrow, hand on her hip.

'You overestimate your importance to him.' Regina smiled deceptively sweetly. 'And you underestimate my mothering, it seems. No, you are invited. If it will make him happy, then I'm sure one night won't kill either of us.'

Emma nodded in disbelief, a slight frown still across her face. As Regina went to walk away, she shrugged. 'So kids, huh? And you always said Storybrooke was so safe?'

'It was, before you arrived. I'll see you later, Sheriff.'

Regina was sat in the living room, a half-drunken glass of red wine in her hand already, when Emma walked in later that evening. Their dinner had been uneventful, stilted conversation between the two women over lasagna, as Henry sat in between them, his animated mood distracting him from the tension between his two respective mothers, and the amount of wine both seemed to be drinking. Both women had tucked him into bed, Regina retreating downstairs back to the bottle of red when she'd heard enough of his and Emma's conversation.

Emma watched Regina carefully as she sat next to her on the sofa, picking her glass back up off the floor where she'd left it, before leaning forwards to look into the roaring fire the woman besides her seemed hypnotised by. The room remained silent apart from the fire, and the occasional sound of one of the women taking a slow sip from her glass.

'So, what do we do now?' Emma finally broke the silence, her voice dripping with sarcasm. 'Do we now have a girly slumber party? Shall we braid each other's hair, and talk about boys?'

'Or, Miss Swan, we could be adults and have an adult conversation?' Regina sat back, and looked at her blonde guest, eyebrow raised. 'Unless that's beyond you?'

'Oh, that's fine with me; I'm just not sure how long you'll last talking to me before you bring the threats out, Madame Mayor.' She twisted on the seat, until her back was resting against the arm, her legs crossed, and she was facing Regina's side.

'Hilarious, Sheriff.' Regina smiled bitterly. 'Well, if you're so set on behaving like a teenager, how about we have that conversation about boys you so wanted. Let's start with Henry. I want you to stop endorsing this fairytale nonsense.'

'I knew it.' Emma frowned, her voice growing louder slightly in her anger. 'I knew there was a reason you wanted me here other than just for Henry's happiness.'

'This is for Henry's happiness. This fairytale nonsense is preventing him focusing on anything else. And keep you voice down. You've clearly never put a child to bed before.'

'This isn't for Henry at all, this is for you. You can't deal with him having something that he doesn't want to share with you.'

'And he does share with you?' Regina asked. 'You don't need to argue, I know he does. There's nothing that happens in this town I don't know about. Especially when it concerns my son, and you.'

'Henry has imagination. It's not a bad thing, whatever you may think. I've seen the stuff you try with him: video games, TV. Henry having imagination is good. It's healthy, especially for his age. I had a great imagination at his age.'

'And look how well you turned out,' she said mockingly, dark lips curled into a smirk. 'Besides, it's not about imagination. Henry's delusional. This isn't all some make believe story, he actually thinks it's reality.'

'I know. He's told me,' Emma said, a slight boast to her tone, able to hold something over the other woman. 'And so what? He's a kid; he'll grow out of it. He isn't delusional, and he certainly does not need to be seeing a psychologist. That's what'll damage him, not his fairy tales. The fact is mother thinks he needs help just because he has a bit of creativity.'

'I'm looking out for him.'

'You're stifling him.'

'That's because it's fine for you. Henry's fairytale delusions. In Henry's theory, you're the brave heroine aren't you, Emma? I don't know quite who he thinks you are, but I know it'll be some pretty princess who saves the day. Does he think you can break the curse, is that it?' Regina hissed, interrupting herself only to take sips from her glass.

'I don't know…' Emma shrugged, aware of how every word seemed to ring true.

'You support Henry because, in his little pretend game, you get to be the knight in shining armour. Meanwhile, to Henry, to my son, I'm the Evil Queen. The Wicked Stepmother. The Witch. The woman who kills innocents, who keeps hearts in boxes, and who cursed the town to prevent everyone getting their happy endings.'

'You don't help yourself…'

'Because I'm the Mayor? Because I want this town to run smoothly, no matter what that takes?' Regina questioned, her temper rising. Though Emma could swear she saw the beginning of tears in her dark eyes, though it could have been a trick of the light. 'Every time you endorse his little delusion, you add one more brick to the wall forming between me and my son, Miss Swan. Or do you not think I can see it? You get his pride, and his admiration, and his love, while all I get is his anger, and disdain, and his hate. Hate for things I haven't even done. Unless, of course, you do believe I cursed a town full of fairytale characters, and forced them all to live pitiful existences in America?'

'Of course I don't.' She shook her head, unable to stop a look of sympathy for the Mayor crossing her face as she spoke. Regina noticed it too, her dark eyes meeting Emma's hazel ones. 'I don't believe his fairytale obsession any more than you do, and I wish he didn't have it. But, I can't just crush it. He really believes it…'

'Exactly. He really believes this. All of it. No matter how ridiculous.'

'He'll grow out of it.'

'When? Because until he does, I'm losing him, to you, of all people.'

'I'll ignore that.' Emma rolled her eyes, breaking the eye contact, causing Regina to look back at the fire while Emma downed the rest of the wine in her glass. 'His book isn't a normal story book. It's hardly conventional. Maybe there's something in there that can redeem the Evil Queen. Something you can show him that he's missed.'

Regina frowned, looking back at Emma in a shocked disbelief. 'You don't think I've tried that?'

'I don't know. He never mentions you having any interest in his book, except to take it from him. How am I supposed to know?'

'Talking to you was a ridiculous idea. This whole conversation was a ridiculous idea.' Regina finished her drink and looked down at the glass. 'A ridiculous idea fuelled by far too much wine

The longer she seemed to stare at her, the guiltier her heart seemed to feel. Eventually, Emma sighed. 'I'll have a word with him. Try back off the fairytale idea. Give him a distraction, I don't know.' She watched the Mayor's face as she spoke, and felt a twinge as she realised she was watching her eyes grow more hopeful. After a moment or so of silence, Emma realised what had just been said to her. What she'd just heard. Regina's fear. It just didn't provide her the glee she'd so often imagined the conversation would. 'And if there's one thing I've learnt, if you think it's a ridiculous idea, you probably haven't had enough wine.'

'Are you trying to get me drunk, Sheriff Swan?' Regina smirked, as Emma leant to get the bottle of wine from the coffee table, and poured the remainder of the bottle into both of their glasses, before placing it next to the other empty one.

'Most definitely.' Emma gave a slight half smile, eyebrow raised. 'I prefer drunk you to sober you. I think I prefer most things to sober you.'

'Well, you've certainly kept that quiet.'

Emma took a long sip, before holding the glass up. 'It's good wine.'

'It's from a vineyard in Storybrooke.'

'You have a vineyard here?' Emma frowned. 'How can you possibly have a vineyard here? Grapes can't grow here, the weather isn't right.'

'If you were staying longer, I'd show you.' Regina shrugged.

'What do you mean 'staying longer'? I have roots now. A house. A job.'

'Everything you've had anywhere else then? So, what? You'll last another two years?'

'Because you'd love that. No, the job's more stable here. And I have Henry. I'm not leaving him.'

'So a job, a house, and a son who is no longer yours? That's all that's tying you to here? They're flimsy roots, even for someone like you, Miss Swan.'

'Maybe I have something else as well.' She shrugged, before leaning back, her elbow against the back of the chair, her spare hand running through her curls.

'The only other possible thing you could have is not a thing, it's a someone. And well done, you've descended the conversation into the raging hormonal topic you originally wanted,' Regina said quickly, as if to distract herself from what she had caught herself staring at. Then, she smirked once more, her eyes bright. 'So tell me, Emma, who is it? Who is this someone that's forcing you to stay so badly? Mr Gold? If so, I have some bad news for you there. Dr Hopper? Using him to get closer to Henry, or Henry to get closer to him?'

'Nothing like that. Especially not those two. Jesus, you must have a real low opinion of me if those were the two who sprang to mind.'

'Well, you already took Graham.'

'I never took Graham. He came to me. I'm not sure I ever really wanted him anyway.'

'Well, you've certainly limited your options, Emma. I can't quite think of anyone else possibly suitable.' Regina leant closer, a smile perched on her lips, the lipstick emphasised by the flickering fire.

'Yeah, well I've never quite done suitable. I much prefer ridiculous.'

'What do you mean ridiculous?'

'I mean I'm going to down this wine, and then I'm going to kiss you, Madame Mayor. Does that sound like a ridiculous idea to you?'

She watched her dark eyes widen, but she also watched her lips curve into a smile that carried no trace of mocking. 'It doesn't sound very fairy tale of you.'

'Then those writers clearly missed a trick, because this would make far more interesting a story than Snow White.'

Regina managed to resist scowling at the name, managed to resist doing anything, other than watching the Sheriff down the remainder of the red wine and lean in slowly towards her, meeting her lips with her own. Still clutching the glass, her hand went to Regina's neck, while her free hand slipped to her waist as the kiss became more passionate.

'Wait.' Emma whispered, breaking it off as she stood up and placed the glass on the table. She moved closer to Regina, who was still sat, and stood in front of her, before straddling her waist, both arms hooking around her neck, a hand through her hair. Regina's hands went around her as they kissed again, harder, almost forcefully. The fire continued to roar in the grate.

There was a light knock on the bedroom door the next morning. When it was met with silence, the door pushed open, just enough for Henry to poke his head around. He took in the sight of Emma and Regina in the bed together; Regina's arm wrapped around Emma, nodded, and then closed the door behind him.

Mary Margaret was just stood in the kitchen, a mug of boiling tea in her hands, when Emma hurried in. At the sight of her, she frowned, putting the mug on the side behind her. 'Emma, you're back early? How did it go? The evening with Henry?' She smiled, though the smile faded quickly as she took a better look at Emma. The red eyes. The pale skin. 'Are you alright, Emma? You look exhausted.'

'Yeah, I'm fine. It was good.' She flung her jacket on the back of a kitchen chair before sitting down slowly. She glanced over to Mary Margaret with a nod. 'You couldn't make me one, could you? The tea?'

'Oh, of course.' She brought the two mugs over a few moments later, sitting next to Emma with a frown. 'Are you sure you're alright? You look tired, and ill? Nothing bad happened, did it? Did Regina get to you? Trouble with Henry? She didn't attack you?'

'No, she didn't attack me.' She shook her head, taking her mug with a thankful smile. 'I'm just tired. And hungover.'

'Hungover?'

'Mary Margaret, if I tell you something, will you promise not to judge me?' Emma sighed, glancing up to meet her friend's worried stare. 'As my friend? Don't judge me?'

'Judge you? Why would I judge you…?'

'I slept with Regina.'

'Oh...you did...what?' Mary Margaret couldn't stop the look of shock spreading over her face, despite Emma's pleas. 'You slept with Regina? Mayor Regina? I didn't even know she was…or you were…not that I'm judging you at all, or her. I'm not judging either of you…but Regina? Really? Why her?'

'I don't know.' Emma put her head in her hands to avoid Mary Margaret's continued stare. 'There was wine, a lot of wine, and it just kind of happened. I don't understand it.'

'What are you going to do?'

'Ignore it, like every other of my one night stands. Trust me; I'm very good at it now.'

'You can't just ignore this, Emma. She's the Mayor.'

'And?'

'She's your boss?' Mary Margaret raised her eyebrows.

'She is not my boss.'

'She kind of is. And she's Henry's mom. She could stop you seeing him in a heartbeat, if she wanted.' She took a sip of her tea with a shake of the head. 'You two already had a confusing relationship, what is it now? You've got to talk to her.'

'You want me to call her? You actually think I should call her?' Emma asked, equal amount of disbelief and mocking in her voice. 'Maybe if we got on it quickly, we could have a Summer wedding? Do you want that?'

Her friend didn't bother to answer, and just continued to stare at her in disdain. 'Phone her, for Henry's sake. Does he know?'

'Jesus, no,' Emma exclaimed. 'And you can't tell anyone either, Mary Margaret. Promise me that. The last thing I want out there at the moment is this. Especially if it got back to Henry. I don't even know what Regina thinks about it all, I left before she was awake. She'd kill me if she even thought I'd told you.'

'I'm not going to tell anyone. I promise.' She took Emma's hand with a smile, patting it with her free one. After a moment or so, she smirked jokingly. 'So, do I get any juicy details?'

'Oh, come on. We're not kids. You don't want details, trust me.' Emma shook her head, taking a drink with her free hand. 'Besides, according to Henry, you're my mom. I'm not talking about stuff like that with you.'

'If I'm your mom, you are so grounded, Miss Swan,' she joked, watching Emma's face gradually lighten up, past the tiredness and headache.

'Grounded for sex? You are so strict.'

'No, grounded for bad choice. Of the whole town, you just had to choose Regina, didn't you? The only person potentially less suitable would be…I don't even know.' Mary Margaret gave a quick glance at her watch and stood up. 'Look, I've got to go. Sorry, I'm meeting someone. You'll be ok on your own?'

'I'm hungover. I'm not dying.'

'Good. Ok. Good.' She grabbed her keys and scarf off of the kitchen top. 'Phone her, Emma. For Henry's sake, if for nothing else.'

'Fine.' Emma shrugged, before looking at her sincerely. 'And don't you dare tell anyone. I don't want Henry finding out this happened. Or Regina finding out I've told you.'

'My lips are sealed.' Mary Margaret smiled, before bounding out of the door, leaving Emma sat with a look of tired amazement at her friend's happiness on her face, before resting her head on the table in exhaustion.