"Regina, I know you're in there," Emma called through the front door of 108 Mifflin Street, raising a hand to knock on the glass once again. "Open the door."

There was a moment of heavy silence, followed by the slow staccato sounds of the Mayors' designer heels as they rapped against the wooden floor of her hallway.

"Go away Miss Swan." The Mayors' voice was hard, laced with just a hint of anger.

"No. I'm not leaving until you let me in."

"Then you'd best make yourself comfortable out there." The former Queen bit back, exasperatedly.

"Regina just open the door so we can have a regular conversation like normal people." Emma peered through small window next to the door as she spoke, glimpsing the regal woman's form visible halfway down the hallway. Even with the poor lighting she could tell the brunette was immaculately dressed, despite being alone in the comfort of her own home. She was wearing that grey dress, the one that always caused Emma's gaze to linger just a fraction too long on the Mayors' shapely form whenever she ran into her around town. The one she had been wearing the first time they'd met. The one Emma had struggled to get out of her mind ever since. Not that she'd ever admit it to Regina.

"We have nothing to talk about. Now get off my porch." Both women fell silent for a moment, almost companionably, until there was a sliding sound followed by what could only be the sound of Emma Swan plopping herself unceremoniously on the floor outside. Regina gritted her teeth. It never failed to amaze her how skilful Emma was at infuriating her, always knowing exactly what to do to push her buttons.

"Miss Swan, what do you think you're doing?"

"Making myself comfortable." The Mayor could sense the idiotic grin plastered over the blondes' face, even if she couldn't see it. She growled in frustration and started to turn away from the door, content to let the fool sit outside her house for as long as she wanted. Before she even managed one step the other woman spoke again, her words causing Regina to freeze where she stood.

"I came to check you were ok." Of all the things Regina could have expected to come out of the younger woman's mouth that evening, those words were certainly not amongst them. She considered pretending not to hear and continue her recession into the study where she could ignore the blonde from the comfort of her expensive sofa, glass of apple cider in hand. Instead, she found herself disarmed and walking towards the door. With one hand braced against the wood, she gracefully lowered herself down it, her back pressing against the cool surface, legs tucked under her. Why the blonde cared was a mystery to her but she couldn't bring herself to ask and thereby sound like she was even remotely interested in knowing why Emma Swan did anything. That would mean admitting to the infuriating blonde, and herself, that she did in fact want to know exactly why Emma was sat on her porch at 8pm on Christmas Eve instead of being at home with the Charmings and their son.

Their son.

Theirs.

Regina wasn't one to share anything, preferring instead to dominate every situation in its entirety. Racking her brain, she found she couldn't pinpoint exactly when she had stopped thinking of him as solely hers and started to refer to him as 'theirs'. The thought unsettled her.

"Regina?" The blonde tried again. "Are you…..ok?"

Alarmingly, the Mayor felt the urge to admit just how not 'ok' she was to the insufferable woman on the other side of the door, but managed to squash that desire immediately. She was not going to confide in Emma Swan.

"Of course, I am. Why wouldn't I be?" The words came out sounding just a fraction too nonchalant for Regina's liking and she cursed silently. It would have fooled anyone else. Emma however….

Emma rolled her eyes to herself from her spot on the other side of the door. Well now she knew Regina wasn't ok; her superpower had just pinged off the charts. She sighed.

"Look Regina, save us both some time. I know you're not ok. You know you're not ok. We all know you aren't ok. We can go through this whole song and dance while I freeze to death outside or," The blonde paused to brush off a tiny money spider that had ventured onto the sleeve of her red leather jacket, "You can just let me in now, we can deal with this and I won't die of hypothermia."

"Well if you insist on wearing that insult to fashion you call a jacket in December, when it's below freezing, then you deserve the consequences dear." Despite herself, Regina felt herself smile at the exchange; she had missed the sparring these past few weeks.

"Don't kid yourself, you love this jacket."

"You may want to book an appointment with the cricket, Miss Swan," She retorted easily, noting the shuffling of Emma's body against the door as she tried to keep herself warm, "One of us is delusional, and it isn't me."

Emma stood up in an effort to generate some heat to warm herself, the temperature finally getting to her. Regina was right, she should have worn a warmer coat.

"Are you going to let me in?" The words were soft, almost whispered. The silence that followed them was heavy, fraught with unasked questions. Then, just as Emma was about to give up, there was a click as a key was turned in the lock and the door swung open, revealing the Mayors' frame silhouetted against the hallway.

Green eyes met brown. Emma exhaled slowly, automatically allowing her eyes to roam briefly over the former Queens body before snapping back to meet the brunettes defiant gaze. Maybe this had been a stupid idea.

"Did you come to talk or did you come to imitate a goldfish?" A smirk curled at the edges of Regina's mouth; she was used to the effect she had on people. This she could handle. This she could control. She turned and started to walk away, perhaps putting more sway into her hips than she usually did. "While you're deciding I'll be in my study. Close the door behind you."