The whole Granny's Bistro was filled with dozens of people Mary Margaret invited for her birthday party. There was music playing in the background, hardly being heard over the constant chatter that calmed down only around 10, when handful of citizens began to leave.

Emma was standing there in captivity of Mary Margaret for a fair share of time and was afraid Mary Margaret would never stop talking. When they were friends, before the curse was broken, Emma found out that her roommate is very talkative. What she didn't learn though was that alcohol made it even worse and she became unstoppable tornado of words.

She ran her eyes over the Bistro and caught Ruby's gaze. Emma made a pained face and the brunette grinned, knowing her best friend's demeanor after a few drinks, and walked towards them.

"Hey Snow, birthday shots?" she asked while hooking her arm to Mary Margaret's and slightly tugging her away to the bar.

"Sure- but Emma-?" Mary Margaret's motherly instincts kicked in. Or continued kicking like they have all through the evening.
"I'll be fine, have fun." Emma said quickly with a smile and pat on her Mom's shoulder and then she quickly paced away. Ruby turned back at her and Emma mouthed "Thank you" to her rescuer, who just winked in answer.

Emma let out a deep breath and rolled her eyes. She noticed that the music was finally audible and lights were dimmed. She checked the clock on the wall, seeing it was half past ten. One look around the room told her that only half of the people stayed, but it still made around 40. She spotted Henry sitting in a booth, talking and laughing about something with Grace while sharing fries. Mary Margaret was drinking shots with Ruby and David seemed to have an overly friendly conversation with Hook. Her eyes searched for the only person out of their family, who she hadn't seen yet.

Regina.

A pang of panic hit Emma, when she couldn't see her. She was happy Regina took a break from the happy ending hunt and agreed to come to the party, but it could have occurred to her that she would feel lonely, because no matter how hard she redeemed, for the citizens she was still the Mayor – the authority, the one who you don't mess with, the one you don't go to at a party to chat with.

The self-reproachful monologue in Emma's head was disrupted when she noticed Regina walking from the direction of bathrooms and sliding into an empty booth. Emma gulped down her nervousness and aimed towards Regina.

"Hey," she greeted and sat down in front of Regina.

"Hey," Regina greeted, one eyebrow shooting up in question.

"Why didn't you take my Mom for a birthday shot?" Emma teased, knowing it's the easiest way to get to Regina.

"What do you need, Emma?" Regina asked, something deep reflecting in her voice – sadness or fatigue, maybe both. Emma paused, thinking her answer through carefully. It wasn't usual for Regina to let go of a chance for a banter.

When there was no reaction from Emma, Regina's eyes dropped to her glass as she lifted it to her lips and drank the rest of the liquid.

Emma stood up and shuffled out from the booth. Regina's eyes followed her and for a split of second Emma could see the sorrow in her eyes, before she composed herself again.

"Leaving early, Sheriff Swan." Regina mumbled and tore her eyes from Emma again, trying to distract herself from emotions by playing with the glass in her fingers.

"I'm not going anywhere. Care to dance?" Emma asked quickly before she lost all the courage.

"What?" Regina snapped, because she was afraid it was another tease not meant honestly and she hated when the banter crawled on the verge of what mattered to her so much it hurt.

"Come on. You used to be a queen, you must know how to dance." Emma tilted her head and reached out with her hand towards Regina to grasp on. The brunette hesitated for a moment, though after seeing nothing but honesty in Emma's eyes, she slid her hand into Emma's and let herself be pulled out of the booth.

Emma lead them to an abandoned corner, because she was confident this happening was just her sheer luck and maybe the alcohol in Regina's blood system, so she made sure there wouldn't be many pairs of eyes glued onto them.

She listened to the fist tones flowing through the room. Slow dance then. She tried to calm her trembling hands as she put one just in the middle of Regina's back, the second not letting go of Regina's fingers intertwined with hers. She tentatively pulled Regina closer than at arm length and was surprised when she felt a hand gently set down on her shoulder and Regina stepping even closer.

They just swayed to the music, Regina listening to the lyrics Emma had already known by heart.

I know you're out of my league
but that won't scare me away, oh no
You've carried on so long,
you couldn't stop if you tried it.
You've build your wall so high,
that no one could climb it
But I'm gonna try

Emma expected Regina to tense and pull away, but she didn't. She stayed in Emma's embrace and seemed utterly relaxed. There were moments when their bodies touched intimately, but they both tried to keep a slight distance between them. Emma to not scare Regina away, Regina out of fear.

Would you let me, see beneath your beautiful
Would you let me, see beneath your perfect
Take it off now, girl
Take it off now, girl
I wanna see inside
Would you let me, see beneath your beautiful
Tonight

Emma's mind was on fire, trying to think of what to say. To her honest surprise, it was Regina who broke the silence between them.

"Because I always hated celebrating her birthday." she merely whispered towards Emma's shoulder.

"Huh?"
"You asked why I didn't take Snow for shots."

"Oh." Emma finally connected the dots, but didn't know what to say. She didn't know if she should stop her, because sober Regina wouldn't share much about her past, not even after all their time together, and sharing was exactly what the situation seemed to lead to.

"Every day was a celebration of Snow White. My role consisted of acting like a beautiful wife and loving stepmother of a miracle. She was celebrated every day. Like a human being, or even more. I was a property. A trophy. Abandoned and used. And the days of her birthdays were worse. I was completely overlooked, I didn't exist. I didn't exist until the night came. And then I was used again and again." Regina was talking quietly, only for Emma to hear. With every word, the weight of them seemed to dawn onto her and she was progressively slumping in Emma's embrace, leaning her head against the blonde's shoulder. Emma repositioned her arms so she held Regina in her embrace. Regina left her hand on Emma's shoulder, the other one settled just above the Savior's heart.

"I saved her life and she ruined mine. She pulled me into ambience of abandonment... All I wanted in my life was to be free and I became a prisoner. I wanted to die." Regina carried on whispering into Emma's shoulder. She could feel the heart under her fingers beating faster and the arms around her tightening protectively. She could even say lovingly, if she ever dared to assume she was loved.

"But no story book tells you that. Maybe I didn't want to be villain, maybe that's what the life forced me to be. But nobody tries to understand. You're the first one, Emma."

Only when Regina called her her name, Emma finally felt like she was being talked to. Before, it seemed just as if Regina was accidentally voicing her thoughts out loud to Emma's shoulder and Emma was an intruder.

"Everyone deserves a second chance, Regina."
"But not me… I've done so much evil… And you are so good… I wish…" the sleep or the intoxication seemed to tie her tongue. " I wish I could be better for you. To deserve you."

"What are you talking about? You are enough-"
"No, your parents would never allow-"
"Screw them."

For the first time since they started dancing, Regina looked into Emma's eyes and started pulling away, trying to get out of Emma's embrace.

"I meant it." Emma said, tightening the embrace, but not too strong, not to imprison Regina, just letting her know she wants her to stay.

"I believe we've just found ourselves in collision of minds. You don't- I'm sorry, Emma. I shouldn't have-" Regina's breathing sped up rapidly and she felt like suffocating. Emma knew that feeling, so she released her embrace, but kept holding onto Regina's hand, swiftly leading her outside.

They stood there, breathing in the night air.

Regina didn't say a thing, but the pained expression talked for her.

"Regina, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, I just assumed – and I shouldn't have-" Emma stuttered an apology, feeling utterly embarrassed, but the urge to not leave Regina alone was stronger.
"Care to explain what you assumed?" Regina's heart felt heavier with the anticipation.

"I'm not good at feels-talking…" Emma muttered under her breath and averted Regina's gaze.

"Why did you come to me tonight?" Regina felt herself sobering in the fresh night air and the stars lighting up her mind.

"I didn't want you to be alone."

"You could have bought me a drink and talk. But why did you take me to dance?"

Emma met her gaze with eyes pleading not to force her to explain.

"You really meant that?"
"What? I meant everything I said, 'Gina." Emma sighed.

"I apologize for the interrogation-"
"Yeah, I mean, it's my job." Emma jumped in, trying to lighten up the mood, to get rid of the embarrassment settling in the pit of her stomach.

"Would you care to let me finish Ms Swan? I am trying to say something." Regina gave her scolding look, but the corners of her lips betrayed her and curled into a smile.

"Sorry."
"I apologize for questioning you. I have difficulty believing I am loved and assuming that is impossible for me… I push people away, because I'm afraid of hurting them, or me, or both. But you… You're resilient. You've stayed. You've pursued me even at times I was certain there's not a piece of me worth pursuing."

"There's so much about you worth pursuing…" Emma corrected her shyly, but with enough force in her voice to be convincing.

"And you're too good for me." Regina whispered, her gaze dropping down to their hands, still linked together. She smiled lightly as she intertwined the fingers of her other hand with Emma's as well.

"Is this the moment we kiss or do fairy tales work differe-" Emma's question was cut by Regina's lips on her own. It was soft and full of the unspoken emotions. Of love, of gratitude, of admiration, of acceptance and of warm welcome for discovering new parts in their lives. Emma knew this was reality, but that kiss felt like damn good fairy tale.

Maybe the happy end hunting was going to be delayed.

Or maybe they have just found it.