AN: This is my first SQ fanfic, so please don't be too harsh. Comments & constructive criticism are very welcome. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it as much as I am. Special thanks to Dillyn for helping out with an idea & to Ingrid, Sara and Diana for believing in my writing, always. X

Chapter One

Regina Mills, from a distance, seemed pretty ordinary; some would even dare to say, "boring". She was a college professor, she had a sixteen-year-old son, she lived in a New York City penthouse and she liked things in her life to be, for a lack of a better word, organised.

She had few friends, but they were loyal and that's all she needed. Trust didn't come easy to her and her walls were constantly miles high. The only person, who had perpetual access to Regina's heart, was her son Henry. Their relationship was like most, it had its ups and downs, but there was nothing either wouldn't do for the other. They were all they had.

Little did the Mills family know, that what seemed like an extremely average fall afternoon, was going to be the day their lives would start to change. Not immediately, not in a way either of them could imagine, but slowly, unsurely, their lives would change for the better.

Routine wasn't a foreign concept in the Mills household. Every morning, Regina would wake up at six o'clock for half an hour of morning yoga, followed with a cup of scolding, black coffee and making breakfast for the most important man in her life.

Tuesdays were pancake days, and this morning proved to be no different. At around seven, Regina always began hearing Henry's clumsy movements in his bedroom as he started getting ready for school, and a few minutes after that, his still sleepy footsteps would make their way to the kitchen for breakfast.

"Good morning, my love." Regina greeted her son with a kiss to the temple and set a plate of pancakes in front of him, accompanied by a small jar of maple syrup and a mug of hot cocoa.

Henry mumbled something resembling a greeting, before practically burying his face in his breakfast.

Regina watched him for a few moments, a soft smile prancing around on her plump lips as she took a final sip of her coffee and set the mug into the dishwasher. There wasn't a thing on this Earth she could ever love as much as that boy.

"Is all your homework done?" Regina questioned and gave Henry a stern look as he gathered his plate and followed suit, also stuffing it in the dishwasher. "I know I heard shooting noises coming from your bedroom last night, when I should have been hearing blissful silence resulting from you being glued to the pages of your textbooks."

Grinning at his mother, the boy rolled his eyes playfully and gave her a hug. "Have a good day at work, mom. I'll see you later." was all he said in response. Regina was now left stranded in the middle of her kitchen floor, with a confused look plastered on her face as she watched her son grab his coat and backpack and head out the door.

"Have a good day at school?" she mumbled in response, after Henry had already walked out the door. She never did understand teenage behaviour. Shaking off her confusion, Regina walked to her office and packed everything she needed for the day; piles of half marked essays, lecture plans and tonnes of other paperwork that only seemed to be growing bigger each day.

Checking her reflection in their full-length corridor mirror, Regina smirked to herself. She managed to pull off the sophisticated look pretty well. A grey, tight fitting skirt suit hugged her body in all the right places and the black shirt poking from underneath added an extra bit of simplistic class.

Pursing her lips and ruffling her hair, Regina was satisfied with her look. Her black satchel now weighing on her shoulder, she left her apartment just as any other morning.

Regina lived on the top floor of an apartment building, which contained two living extensions on each level. Her previous neighbours moved out a couple of months ago, so since then her and Henry practically had the top floor to themselves, without distractions and unnecessary human interaction.

The elevator sounded on her floor before she even had a chance to press the call button for it, and Regina momentarily frowned in confusion. The doors opened and much to her surprise, someone occupied it. She wasn't expecting guests.

Inside stood a woman, a few suitcases by her side and she seemed slightly out of breath. Regina's frown deepened.

"Can I help you?" she asked, her tone indicating she didn't have time for this type of nonsense.

The blonde woman inside the elevator nodded frantically, oblivious to Regina's tone, as she shoved one of her three suitcases in her direction.

"God, yes. Can you believe no one before you offered?!" she exclaimed, seemingly flabbergasted.

"No, that's not-" Regina began, but before she knew it the suitcase was in her hands and the blonde was making her way out of the metal box and into the hallway. "Who are you?"

"Your new neighbour, lady!" the blonde grinned, dropping her suitcases once again and pushing her hand inside Regina's palm. "Emma Swan."

Mostly out of habit, Regina shook Emma's hand and nodded in greeting. "Regina Mills." She paused for a moment. "I haven't been notified we would be having neighbours again, Miss Swan. When did you come into possession of the apartment?" Regina asked, taking back her hand and gently wiping it against the material on her hips.

Trying not to look offended, Emma shrugged and once again started dragging her suitcases towards the door to her new apartment. "Just last night, it was sort of a quick decision."

"Very well." Regina replied, not all too pleased. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Miss Swan. I've work to get to." Without waiting for a reply, Regina nudged the elevator button a couple of times, despite knowing the gesture won't make it come any faster.

For a few moments, Emma simply watched Regina, trying to figure her out. She didn't even know her and already she was acting as if Emma was the biggest scum on the planet. What, with all the fake kindness and politeness. Who even talks like that? Lost in her thoughts, she didn't even realise that Regina had already gone. Stranded in the middle of the hallway with three suitcases by her side, Emma shook her head and rolled her eyes. That was going to be a problem for another day.

Fishing inside the pocket of her skinny jeans, Emma pulled out the key to her new apartment, smiling to herself.

Now, looking at Emma, many would wonder how she could possibly afford a place like this. Penthouses in buildings like these belonged to people like, well, Regina. Not someone, who like Emma, could fit their whole life into three suitcases; technically, not even. One of them was filled with a very thick and space consuming baby blanket, as well as a jacket which most definitely did not belong to her, but that's a story for later.

Settling into her new apartment only took a couple of hours, considering she didn't have much organising to do.

Her clothes fit semi-neatly into her wardrobe and any other personal belongings she might have had have been scattered around the apartment under the excuse of making it "homey".

With unpacking out of the way, Emma decided to do just a little grocery shopping so she'd be settled for a few days. Throwing her signature red leather jacket over her shoulders, she grabbed her keys and wallet and out of the door she went.

Emma loved this time of the year, and it's been a while since she'd seen it. You don't get to experience the effects of time and the change of weather from inside a prison cell, after all. She'd been stuck in one for a little over two years until recently, when she managed to get out early on good behaviour; but that was behind her now. Something she wanted to forget.

She doubted anyone in her new building would love to hear her prison stories. Regina would probably hate knowing she has an ex convict as a neighbour. The thought brought a smirk to Emma's lips.

Emma never took care of herself particularly well, so it was no surprise when all she found appealing at the grocery store were some ready made meals and some packs of Doritos, accompanied by a few bottles of something fizzy. Having forgotten a basket when she entered the store, she had everything balanced neatly against her chest.

With everything stacked in her arms, Emma's vision of what was ahead of her wasn't a luxury she could afford anymore. A few careful steps forward got her closer to the check out counter, but not fast enough. Before she knew it, everything she had picked out was splattered in front of her on the ground, and a loud groan escaped her lips.

"Would you fucking watch where you're go-" Emma looked up, trailing off mid sentence, suddenly breaking out a grin. "Lily!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around her friend's neck.

The two women stood in the cereal isle for a few seconds in a tight embrace, before moving apart, but not breaking physical contact, holding on to each others hands.

"How have you been? When did you get out?" The questions seemed to spill out of the girls at the same time, causing them to chuckle.

"Look, how about I finish shopping and then we can go back to my place and get some coffee and catch up?" Emma offered, smiling at her friend.

Lily nodded, bending down to help Emma pick her groceries from the floor. "Where do you live?"

Balancing everything in her arms again, Emma, this time with Lily's guidance, made her way to the tills. "Oh, I just got an apartment around ten minutes from here." She answered, throwing the cashier a polite smile as he scanned through her items. Bagging everything, she paid and motioned for Lily to follow her.

"I've got the best idea." Lily grinned, following Emma. "We're gonna throw you a house warming party!"

Emma seemed to ponder on the idea for a while, before turning to her friend and slowly nodding, as if still thinking about the idea. "That could work. There's a bunch of people I'd love to catch up with. Just need to get a hold of everyone's numbers again."

"Let me worry about that. Just give me your address and I'll have everything ready for the evening, okay? Here…" Lily reached into Emma's pocket and pulled out her phone, adding in her own number. "There's my number. Message me your address and I'll see you later." She smiled, kissing Emma's cheek, and, without waiting for a response, walked off leaving Emma alone once again.

"Well this should be interesting." She mumbled to herself.

Regina's day passed slower than usual. Her lectures dragged and even her lunch break seemed to take hours as she marked some left over papers. Most of the time she felt like writing a big, fat "you're a moron" on the back of the papers; it was difficult to constantly remain professional.

Throughout the rest of the day, Regina felt as if her new neighbour had shifted the whole balance of her day. She didn't like surprises, they threatened her, and this was definitely a big one. Her and Henry had grown accustomed to having the floor to themselves, and it'll be "interesting" sharing it.

Just as she was about to leave the university to finally make her way home, a hand gently pulling on the sleeve of her blazer, stopped her. Holding back an eye roll and an annoyed sigh, Regina closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose before turning around.

She wasn't surprised when she saw a doe eyed co-worker, hopeful once again, to make conversation with her.

"Miss Blanchard, what can I do you for?"

"Well, I just wanted to see if you had any plans this evening, Regina." She stated matter of factly, the grin on her face almost painful in Regina's eyes. "There is a food and wine tasting for the faculty later on this evening, as I'm sure you're aware, and I was wondering if you were thinking about making an appearance."

God damn it, Regina had completely forgotten about the faculty meeting. "I'm afraid that's out of the question, Miss Blanchard. I've already made a promise to my son that we'd cook together this evening." She answered simply, turning around to leave.

Another tug on her jacket.

Regina's hands made quick fists, as she took a deep breath, slowly turning around once more. "Yes?"

As if for once sensing Regina's uncooperative mood, Miss Blanchard opened and closed her mouth a few times like a fish without water, before deciding to drop the matter, dismissing it with the wave of a hand.

"Nothing. I'll see you tomorrow, Regina." She smiled, giving Regina's arm a gentle squeeze, before walking away.

Why Mary Margaret continuously tried making friends with Regina as if they were a pair of high school girls, was something she would never understand.

Finally free from the day's responsibilities, Regina made her way to her car and sped off down the road. A swift flick of her wrist turned on the radio, letting music blast through the speakers. Nodding her head rhythmically and occasionally singing along to the lyrics made the drive home just that much faster.

Before she knew it, Regina made it home. However, even on her way up in the elevator, she could tell something was…wrong. As soon as the elevator doors opened on her floor, Regina's jaw nearly hit the floor. The hallway was filled with people smoking, drinking and otherwise acting like animals.

"What the fu-" she trailed off, seeing Henry standing outside of their apartment door, talking to some woman. "For the love of god, Henry, get inside." She yelled over the loud music originating from the apartment next door. Pushing a slightly reluctant Henry back into their home.

Someone was going to pay for this.

Back inside her own apartment, Emma was slightly uncomfortable. She was never good with too many people, and this might just have been her limit. Lily did a great job at throwing something like this together at such short notice, really, but it was just too much for Emma.

After a while she lost track of Lily and most people she knew; her apartment was filled mostly with strangers who she had no intentions of knowing on a deeper level.

Sighing, she poured herself a drink, looking around her place. Her eyes stopped on one particular brunette, and her face quickly lit up. "Ruby!" Emma grinned, walking up to her old friend, wrapping her up in a quick hug.

The two sat at the island between her living room and kitchen and talked for easily an hour, drinks flowing quickly. Their laughs grew louder and their conversations grew deeper.

"I saw that Lily was here." Ruby mumbled, careful about approaching the subject.

"Yeah, she actually threw this whole thing together. I figured she would have invited you?" Emma frowned, wondering how Ruby ended up here if it wasn't for Lily.

"She must have invited my roommate, I guess. I'm her "plus one"." Ruby chuckled, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, how are you two? Have you spoken much since, you know..."

"Since we broke up?" Emma finished for her, throwing her drink back in one gulp. "Nope. I ran into her at the grocery store today, and all of a sudden," she waved her hands in the air like a crazy woman, gesturing the apartment, "all of this was happening."

Ruby sighed, pouring her friend another drink.

"Look, it's okay, Ruby, We happened a long time ago. I've moved on." Ruby raised a questioning eyebrow. "Just because I'm not with anyone right now, doesn't mean I haven't. I mean, cut me some slack Rubes, I've been behind bars for crying out loud." She grimaces at her own words. "Point is, I don't want her anymore and she, well…" Emma gestures towards the object of their conversation as she draped herself around a random woman, practically shoving her tongue down her throat. "She clearly doesn't want me either."

Both the women seemed to roll their eyes at exactly the same time causing Ruby to reach over and reassuringly squeeze her friend's shoulder, smiling softly.

A sudden, loud thumping on her door got their attention, but what made Emma stumble to her feet was the fact that the door suddenly blew open, banging against the wall. The whole room grew quieter.

"Who the fuck?" Emma mumbled, staggered forward, squinting her eyes. "Oh, Regina! Hey!" She smiled, despite being confused at the woman's presence and seemingly bad mood. "Welcome to the party."

"Miss Swan." Regina's tone sent shivers down her spine. She was so calm and put together, that she was actually scary. Crap. "What the hell do you think this is? I work all day like a fucking slave and when I finally come home to relax, this is definitely not something I want to come back to!" She raises her voice slightly, gesturing around the room and out into the corridor. "Not to mention the fact that I have a sixteen-year-old who definitely doesn't need exposing to this kind of behaviour right now."

Emma frowned. Sure, she might now have wanted this party in a way it ended up being, and she was tired of everyone here but Ruby, but now? Hell no. Nobody was going to come into her home and yell at her, telling her what she can and cannot do. Her rebellious spirit wouldn't allow it, even if it were just to spite her new neighbour.

A slight smirk grew on her face. "Sure Regina." She responded as sweetly as she could muster. A soft chuckle emanated from Ruby who was seated behind her still. "Consider it done." Her smile now matched the tone of her over; overly sweet.

Regina looked at her for a moment, and even from a distance, Emma could see her nostrils flaring in anger. It made her chest tighten with pride.

A few seconds later she was gone, slamming the door shut with as much noise and ruckus as when she banged it open.

Emma slowly turned around and stared at Ruby, both their eyes wide open in shock, before they broke up in uncontrollable laughter.

"What the hell was that?"

"That was my new neighbour. Regina. She seems like a delight, right?" Emma shook her head, once again sitting down besides her friend.

"She may not be the most exciting person to be around, but hot damn," Ruby smirked; "she's super hot. You should totally tap that."

Emma arched an eyebrow, swirling the drink inside her glass before once again downing its components.

"Yeah. Yeah, I totally should." Emma's mind began spinning ideas, a smirk now forming on her face as well. "Here's to life's beautiful challenges." She raised her newly filled glass and clinked it with Ruby's.

In slow, unsteady steps, Emma made her way over to the speaker system, turned the dial and cranked up the volume.

She was gonna play good, but not tonight.