3.

The pair sat there all through the night, easily pushing their way through another bottle of wine and the rest of Regina's cigarettes. For the first time in their 'relationship', if it can be called that, they just let easy thoughts slip out into the space between them. Most of the time was spent in silence, but when they did speak, they spoke about things that were irrelevant to their lives. Regina explained how the stars sometime align and make really special things happen across the universe. Emma told Regina facts about different kinds of field grasses that she had learned about in some random book she found in her closet in Boston. It was easy.

At some point during the night, Emma had shifted around on the porch, her head precariously close to Regina's lap, and had dozed off. Regina kept muttering to herself, her nose still shoved in the book she had read a dozen times before, and it took her a while before she even realized that Emma had dozed off.

Regina looked around at the mess they had made that was scattered around them in an uneven circle. Two wineglasses, the remaining dribbles of purple liquid dried to the edges and the bottoms. Cigarette butts filled the tiny ashtray she had retrieved from hiding. Emma's shoes and socks that had been cast aside shortly after sitting down. And then of course, the very familiar blonde that was now so close to her, breathing steadily, her long hair falling in front of her eyes.

Without thinking much about it, Regina smiled and reached down and brushed the hair clear of Emma's face. The blonde grinned in her sleep and reached up, grabbed Regina hand in her own and squeezed it, then let it go.

That simple gesture, for reasons unknown, made Regina's heart start beating hard and fast and strangely enough, it made her smile. It made her breathe a little easier as a reminder that her heart was still firmly planted in her chest, and was her own to give away to whoever she was to choose.

But all things like that come to an end, and Regina shifted a bit too hard, shifting Emma in the process, waking the sleeping princess from her deep sleep she had so quickly fallen under.

"Aw shit…."a muffled grown came slipping from Emma's lips. "I did not mean to fall asleep like that. I'm sorry."

Regina slipped her glasses off her nose and massaged the marks away, chuckling.

"You were only out for ten minutes, dear. Hardly a crime."

Silence enveloped them again as Emma sat up, the bones in her back slightly cracking with the movements of her body. Both women's thoughts drifted to what had transpired between them over the past few hours. The words spoken almost had a sacred, secret feel to them. No one would know, because neither woman would tell a soul. Some thoughts were left on the porch, some were taken with both Emma and Regina as they went their separate ways when the air around them started to give the tell tale signs that the morning was soon to arrive.

Henry would be up soon, as would the town. Then they would go about their lives as two scorned women that couldn't stand the sight of each other.

Emma shoved herself to her feet, stretching and rubbing her ass where the porch had seemingly left a permanent indent on her tailbone. Slowly they picked up the mess, and Emma shoved her socks down in her shoes and tied the laces together, slinging them over her shoulder.

Regina paused and turned around, her hand on the front door knob.

"You're really going to walk back barefoot?"

Emma laughed, her eyes twinkling and her mouth open, head thrown back. Lack of sleep creeping into her brain cells, making her slightly delirious.

"Well, I like to take a little stroll in my bare feet, Madame Mayor. I doubt your little toes have ever felt grass or dirt between them."

Regina quickly scanned her brain for any instance of the act, and came up empty, the traces of vulnerability floating across her face as she faced Emma.

"If you want to contract whatever the hell diseases you can get from tromping around without shoes, be my guest Miss Swan."

"You should try it sometime. I promise it's nothing like you've ever experienced."

"I highly doubt I'll be taking part in that act, Sherriff."

Emma sighed, recognizing the Regina she knew so well bleeding through the Mayor's newly revealed side.

"Goodnight, Regina."

Emma let her smile fall and she turned to trot off down the path, detouring through the Mayor's yard. The dewy grass slipped between her toes and for a moment, she was content with the chill it sent up her spine. It made her feel young, fresh and very much alive.

"Good Morning, Emma…" Regina whispered, and then she slipped inside and flicked off the porch light, submerging Emma into the early morning darkness that comes before the light.