Rating: T

Pairing: SwanQueen

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or make any profit.

AN: No idea where this one came from. It's a one-shot set after Neverland, but not taking into account the whole recursing and whatever. Let me know if you liked it?

Emma almost spilled her beer, eyes going wide and the liquid going down the wrong pipe as none other than one Regina Mills made her way to the bar. Her eyes watered and she coughed and wheezed for as long as it took the woman to strut up to the bartender.

"Miss Swan," the brunette greeted colly, barely glancing her way before motioning to the man behind the bar. Emma coughed one last time before chancing a look at the other woman, watching with something between fascination and judgment as a drink was placed in front of Regina without the woman so much as having uttered a word.

"What-" Emma started before clearing her sore throat. "What are you doing here?"

The brunette turned around, pretending to survey the place as she took a sip from her glass. "What most people usually do here, I would think. Getting a drink, relaxing, trying to have a good time."

The sheriff cocked an eyebrow in clear suspicion and doubt. "At the Rabbit Hole? Doesn't really strike me as your kind of scene, Madame Mayor." Regina bristled.

"I don't believe I hold that title anymore, Sheriff." The woman turned her head sideways just enough to send the blonde a glare, before apparently deciding that she couldn't be bothered and tasted her drink again, eyes roaming around the establishment before settling on two men by a pool table nearby.

"Now, what's this?" she asked with feigned interest, voice holding a kind of mocking tone that Emma didn't particularly care for.

"Why are you here, Regina?"

The brunette gave a mock sigh at the sheriff's hostile tone before setting down her glass and turning fully to the blonde. "Well, if you must know," she started with a fake smile, eyes positively gleaming with mischief, "A little bird told me that two particular suitors of yours would be unofficially competing for a certain prize."

Emma rolled her eyes and downed her beer, wincing slightly as it stung her throat before signalling the bartender for another one. "Fucking ridiculous is what it is," she mumbled to herself, but the wide grin that spread on Regina's features told her she had heard it as well.

"What, you don't think a promiscuous pirate and a criminal man-baby fighting over your hand in a game of pool is romantic?" The blonde scowled and the former mayor positively glowed from her obvious amusement of the whole pathetic thing.

"For the record, Miss Swan," Regina started before lifting her drink and looking the sheriff straight in the eye, "even if my opinion of you is, at most times, decidedly low, even I know you're worth more than being the prize of a game of pool."

With that said, the brunette downed her whole glass gracefully before setting it down on the counter and sashaying away.

Emma's wide eyes followed the woman all the way over to the table where Neal and Hook looked to be in a heated discussion. Before she could think twice she was up from her chair, almost jogging over to the three people and just managing to catch the end of Regina challenging them both.

"What?" two male voices and one female blurted out in disbelief.

"Surely it's not a closed competition? Afraid you'll lose to a woman?" Regina goaded, looking at each person in turn.

"Of course not, Your Majesty," Hook responded, clearly having recovered the quickest. "Challenge accepted," he answered with a lecherous grin as he did a brief courtsey before starting to collect the balls into the triangle rack.

"Ladies first, " he said once he had finished, motioning with his one remaining hand towards the cue ball. Regina inclined her head with a smirk and from the formal way the two were talking and acting, Emma was pretty sure they were having something equivalent to an inside joke.

To be honest she kinda felt like this whole thing was surreal. Regina Mills, former Mayor and Queen, playing pool in a dingy bar? Not usually something people would even think to imagine. But as the woman in question took the cue Neal begrudgingly handed her and bent down over the table, ready to strike the cue ball, the blonde couldn't deny that it was most definitely happening.

Emma watched the brunette with fascination. She didn't know many women who could pull off playing pool in a tight sleeveless dress and still look so confident and...well, sexy. She jumped slightly in surprise at the hard clinking of balls and realized Regina had taken the first shot while she was busy...gawking.

Emma couldn't deny that's what she'd been doing. Even if Regina drove her up the wall most days, she had never denied to herself that the woman was beautiful. She payed attention to the game being played, she honestly did. Well, right up until Regina stepped in front of her and bent over, making the dress strain against her shapely behind. Who wouldn't look at that, right?

The former mayor looked across her shoulder as she straightened and Emma barely had time to snap her eyes away to not get caught. Even so, the woman still shot her a knowing smirk that raised her hackles when she chanced a glance.

Emma gulped down half of her remaining beer and watched Hook get ready to take a shot. Apparently, Regina had missed while the sheriff had been busy staring at her...assets.

"I'm impressed, Captain," the blonde heard Regina say as Hook used his...well, hook as support for the que and pocketed a ball. "I had half a thought that your...impairment would require you to use help."

"I assure you that my equipment is more than satisfactory to get the job done, Your Majesty," the man shot back without missing a beat and Emma knew they were talking about more than just pool again. She rolled her eyes at the two, having realized after her time spent with them both in Neverland that it was normal for the two to toss badly concealed innuendos and barbs at each other.

"Too bad it's still not enough to come out on top," Regina responded with glee as Hook missed.

Two quick successfull shots followed from the woman and as the former mayor walked around the table to decide her next move, Emma lifted her glass to take another drink. It turned out to be a very bad decision when Regina chose just that moment to lean over the table, giving the sheriff a perfect look down the top of her dress.

She barely managed to keep the liquid from going down the wrong pipe again as she oogled smooth cleavage and turqouise lace matching the dress. And then she realized what she was doing and whipped her head around, afraid that someone might catch her. She frowned when she saw that both Hook and Neal were staring unashamedly at the display as well and she downed her beer a little sourly before announcing loudly that she needed a refill.

She got back just in time to see Regina sink the 8 ball.

"Best two out of three," Hook said firmly, his smile completely gone now and replaced with a seriousness not often seen. Regina inclined her head in acceptance and Emma stifled an amused laugh by taking a healthy swig of her beer. There was no doubt in her mind that Hook were about to get his ass handed to him.

Half a beer and ten minutes later, the sheriff's prediction came true as Regina once again pocketed the black 8 and straightened with a wide self-satisfied smile. For once Hook gave the former Queen a somewhat real coursey as he humbly admitted his defeat.

Regina sent him a pleased smile before turning to face the remaining contender. "Neal?" she asked with mock innocence. "Or do you want to throw in the towel immediately?" The man sent her a scornful look before turning to the sheriff.

"This is ridiculous, Emma. Please tell her that this wasn't serious; we were just fooling around."

The blonde cocked her eyebrow unimpressed and wholly amused. "It seemed real enough earlier when it was just the two of you." Neal looked flabbergasted at her response.

"But...she's not even a real contender," he spluttered. "Surely you don't actually want her to have a chance of winning?" There was a definite you at the end that he deliberately left out.

Emma pretended to mull it over for a minute before shrugging. "I say let her compete."

Neal stared at her in disbelief, as if he couldn't believe what he just heard and was waiting for someone to break into laughter and admit that this was all a bad prank.

"Well?" Regina inquired impatiently, raising her brows in clear challenge when the man slowly turned his head to the side to look at her. Then he pursed his lips and stalked with determination over to the table. "Let's do this then," he muttered while starting to stack the balls.

Everyone noticed how Neal didn't offer the woman to go first and Emma had to drink to stop her amused snort from escaping.

Despite Neal splitting first, Regina quickly got the upper hand. For each ball the former mayor pocketed, the man's frown deepened and Emma's amusement grew. Neal cursed not so silently as the woman struck her last ball seemingly effortlessly, before confidently hitting the 8 ball exactly where she wanted it to go.

Emma watched Neal take a long drink of his beer and try to reign himself in. It was obvious to the sheriff that he was having a hard time getting bested by a woman; even more so when the woman was Regina Mills. For a brief moment she pitied him because she knew he was going to lose. It wasn't just because Regina was a better player, but because she played with self assurance. She didn't let nerves get in the way. She didn't have anything to lose, unlike the men. There was nothing at stake for her. This was only amusement, a chance for her to ridicule them.

Neal gritted his teeth in anger when he turned back to the table and Regina motioned for him to go first with a smirk so condescending Emma was glad she wasn't on the recieving end. For a moment it looked like his pride would keep him from accepting, before he seemed to remember that he needed all the advantage he could get and he lined up the ball to take the shot.

Regina pocketed ball after ball, barely ever missing a shot and Neal grew more restless each time. Eventually the 8 was once again all that stood in the former mayor's way of yet another victory and Emma could see his body practically vibrating where he stood.

Regina leaned over the table and looked over at the blonde, brown orbs finding green ones, before she winked. The sheriff could only stare back as she realized that this was it, Regina was really going to win and embarass both men and maybe, hopefully, ending their stupid games of competing for her, in spite of having told them both that she wasn't interested.

And then the most unbelievable thing happened. Regina missed.

"Hey, you cheated," Hook called out immediately and Emma's eyes shot to him before seeing that he was looking at Neal accusingly. Regina couldn't help the small smirk that graced her lips, even if she was miffed that Rumpel's idiot son had brushed her cue. It was clear whom the captain preferred to win between Neal and herself.

"I did not," Neal denied petulantly. "Besides, Regina's probably been using magic the whole time to win anyway." Regina's face morphed into one of offence and anger as she opened her mouth to give the man a piece of her mind.

"She didn't," Emma answered before the brunette herself could dissuade the accusation and three sets of curious eyes turned to stare at the sheriff who simply shrugged. "First of all, she's promised Henry not to use it, and she wouldn't risk endangering her relationship with him. And secondly, I happen to know for a fact that the mansion has a wicked cool lower level which, among other things, include a pool table."

Regina's lips quirked upwards at the blonde defending her and she felt her anger drain away. No matter, she could beat Neal just as easily in a new game.

"A deciding game then," she said as she started racking up the balls, shooting a pointed look at Neal. "Preferably without the need for childish behavior? " The man glowered at her, but said nothing. He even kept his mouth shut when she took the cue ball and lined it up for the first shot.

The third and final game was actually a very close one. Neal seemed to have gotten a second wind with his need to prove himself after his...unimpressive display, and Emma actually felt herself grow tense with anticipation. She really didn't want her ex to win. EVen if this wasn't supposed to be a real competition for her affections.

The sheriff released a relieved breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding when Neal missed his last shot, giving Regina the perfect opening to pocket her own last ball, leaving just the black 8 left for her.

As the former mayor prepared for her shot, she sent a pointed look to Neal, who lifted his hands in surrender in a silent promise that there would be no effort to thwart her shot from him this time.

Emma felt her stomach churn nervously as the woman bent down to the table. This was it, make or break. She wasn't sure she could watch. What if Regina didn't win? Then Neal would think he had a chance with her, just because of a stupid game of pool.

Regina was right; this was ridiculous. She was so worth more than being the prize of a game. Especially when she had already told the ones competing for her that it wasn't going to happen.

The sound of cue meeting ball reached Emma's ears, but she didn't dare take her eyes off the former mayor's face. Her expression would tell her all she needed to know anyway. And then Regina's eyes lit up and her lips quirked into a satisfied smirk as she straightened, and the sheriff knew she had won.

She watched the woman grin with pride at both men before turning to face her.

"Well, I dare say I should claim my prize," Regina gloated as she walked confidently up to the blonde. "Miss Swan," she purred before leaning all the way over to claim pink lips. Emma responded immediately, almost dropping her glass of beer in her eagerness as her tongue darted out to run over darker flesh before Regina's mouth opened and her own tongue came out to duel for dominance.

Hands wove into blonde tresses possessively as the sheriff's own hand not currently occupied with her beer clasped tightly to a hip. The kiss was wet and hot and she couldn't give a damn about who saw it because it felt so damn good. Sure, it was unexpected, but who was she to argue with that wicked tongue? Regina Mills was a beatiful, sexy woman and if she wanted to kiss Emma, then she was going to give as good as she got.

The blonde moaned her disappointment when Regina eventually pulled back, breath slightly labored and her lipstick all but gone, making way for slightly bruised, plump lips instead. It made Emma long for the insight of what the former mayor could look like after a good round of sex.

For a moment the two women just stared at each other before they simultaneously started grinning.

"If you gentlemen don't mind, I think I'm going to take my prize home and...polish it," Regina offered to the two shocked men staring dumbly at them, grinning like a cat that got the cream.

Emma agreed immediately, setting down her beer haphazardly before waving sheepishly. "Later," she called out after her as she was willingly dragged away.