Hoo boy...where do I start? I'm sorry for the long hiatus. It's been a tumultuous year for me, with lots of changes (some bad, most good). I haven't been able to find my inspiration for a good long while, and now I feel it creeping back. I cannot guarantee regular updates, but I had no intention of abandoning this fic. I appreciate your patience, and I hope I haven't lost you guys totally. Enjoy!

Regina was grateful to see the closing of another council meeting. Being a monarch with the true and final say in many decisions about running a kingdom was one of the things she sincerely missed about the Enchanted Forest. Since they defeated Pan, and returned from Neverland, things had been quiet and business as usual. Much to her chagrin, she had to admit that things had been boring around the town. Well, as boring as a town full of fairytale folk can be.

Normally, she would watch the council members file quickly from the conference room, but she could feel a headache coming on, and busied herself with gathering up her paperwork instead. Regina always made sure that she was the last one to leave. Something about it made her feel more in control, and she liked control.

However, if there was any person who liked to mess with that equilibrium above all others, it was Emma Swan. So, when Regina looked to up to see that she wasn't alone, she prickled immediately. The blonde was standing behind the chair she had sat in during the meeting, and she looked rather nervous. Her hands were jammed into the pockets of her equally-tasteless blue leather jacket - why did she need to wear that hideous thing indoors anyway - and she was eyeing the brunette apprehensively.

"Miss Swan," Regina huffed out. "Shouldn't you be heading back to the station?" She wasn't normally quite so snippy with the woman, but her headache was getting the best of her.

"I need to have a word with you."

"You had many opportunities to speak up during the meeting. You should have-"

"No," Emma cut in. "It's not the kind of thing to bring up in front of all those people. I need to talk to you privately." Regina opened her mouth to respond, but the blonde held up her hand. "Before you feed me some bull about this being the inappropriate place, or that I should call you or something, I'm gonna have to stop you. "You've been giving me the cold shoulder the whole week. You've ignored my calls, and your secretary keeps telling me your schedule is booked. She's a bad liar, even without my little super power. This is the first chance I've had to confront you."

"Fine, but not in the conference room," Regina said tersely. "Follow me to my office, Miss Swan," She collected her things, and swept past Emma without waiting for any confirmation from the woman. The sound of boots trailing behind her was answer enough.

They entered the immaculate office, the brunette immediately moving to her desk and maintaining her frosty indifference. Emma, for her part, didn't attempt to fill in any of the silence, and she closed the doors behind them. She didn't sit down in front of the desk; she never did. It made her feel too much like a troublesome student sitting in the principal's office.

Regina looked up, also not sitting down. She saw Emma standing, hands crammed deep into her pockets again, and a stony expression on her face. Or was it careful concentration? "Well, Miss Swan, what did you feel the need to corner me for?"

Emma rolled eyes, her shoulders tensing up at the bite in the mayor's tone. "Okay, first, I'm not cornering you. Second..." She paused, seeming to change her answer before it came out. "What's bothering you?"

"Nothing is bothering-" Regina stopped mid-protest and frowned. "Wait, what made you think something was upsetting me?"

The corner of the blonde's mouth quirked up slightly. "You only call me 'Miss Swan' these days if something is bugging you. Otherwise, it's just 'Emma' or "Sheriff Swan.' So, what's wrong?"

Part of Regina was bursting to tell the blonde the truth. This was one of those fleeting moments when the woman was actually trying to be friendly toward her, and Regina was lonely and frustrated. Words stuck in her throat. Words she wanted to shout at Emma. Words she wished she could scream, asking why Emma was so closed off around her. She wanted to tell her about Zoe, and she also wanted to just relent and let the sheriff peek behind her fractured walls. She wanted to tell Emma that she did actually like french fries dipped into chocolate milkshakes, and that she was curious to know more about her. What she said ended up being none of those things.

"I have a migraine, Emma, and listening to those fools makes me wish I hadn't stopped murdering imbeciles." She wasn't lying about the headache; it was the truth, but it wasn't the kind of truth itching at the back of her head to come out. In some ways, her life lived as a villain was much simpler.

Regina really could just lie about whatever she desired, and she was under no obligation to care about much of anything at all. Her power afforded her the isolation her damaged past desired, and made others bend over backwards to make her wants reality. Her lacking morals meant she didn't have to play fair, she didn't have to be vulnerable, and she definitely did not have to work with the Charmings.

Emma's mouth quirked up in another crooked smile. "Would you mind teaching me? Maybe a good silencing spell?"

"It would take more than a simple silencing spell to truly shut those fools up."

"Hmm..." The blonde feigned deep thought. "What about in the movie Beetlejuice, when Beetlejuice puts a metal plate over the mom's mouth?" Regina leveled her with a blank and unamused stare. "Right, I'm guessing you haven't seen that movie. Pop culture isn't your thing."

"I am aware of Tim Burton's creative psychosis. I'd rather not watch it, nor allow our son to partake in that disturbed man's deranged fantasies," she said matter-of-factly.

"What? Deranged? No! Well, maybe a little, but he's still a genius. What do you know about his stuff anyway? Have you watched any of his movies?"

Regina shifted a little. Not because she was uncomfortable with the topic, or because she wanted to leave, but because this conversation was suddenly terribly normal. They weren't arguing, fighting, or punching each other. They were simply discussing whether or not Tim Burton was a good creator. It felt, if for a moment, the way she sort of felt as Zoe with Emma. She wasn't sure if the feeling in the pit of her stomach was sadness, jealously, or hope.

"There was a rather quiet evening, maybe a year before I adopted Henry, and some channel was playing Edward Scissorhands. I thought the miniature synopsis sounded intriguing. I was horrified from beginning to end. It was disturbing, but trying to pretend that it was endearing. I found it to be an extremely off-putting form of satire. I did not enjoy it."

"Hang on," Emma said with disbelief. "You thought that Edward Scissorhands, was bad? That film is Tim Burton's greatest piece! I mean, Nightmare Before Christmas is amazing too, but for different reasons. What's so bad about it?"

Regina looked pointedly at Emma. "Because, it's about terrible, judgmental people trapped in a pastel neighborhood torturing a creature, which, in my opinion, never should have existed in the first place, for not being human enough. By all means, dear, tell me what is not bad about it?"

"Johnny Depp's acting is really good?" the blonde offerd, with a mild shrug. "I don't watch the movie to have my moral compass guided by it. It's a good, bittersweet story."

Regina nodded her head in a fair-enough kind of way. "I assume you didn't corner me to interrogate me about my well-being or taste in films. What did you want to talk about?" As soon as the words left her mouth, there was an immediate shift in Emma's demeanor. When they were casually discussing movies, Emma was physically more relaxed. She had her thumbs hooked into the pockets of her jeans, and she leaned with her weight on her right leg, allowing the left one stick out slightly in a cocky sort of power stance. Once the topic had been shifted back to Emma's original reason for being there, her body tensed up, and she seemed incapable of standing in one position.

"Right, yeah, I almost forgot," the blonde murmured. Her jaw was set, and she avoided eye contact for the long moment of silence that stretched between them. Regina waited as patiently as she could, but the ache in her head was pounding a strong rhythm in her temple.

"I came here to apologize, actually." Emma bit out the words as though she expected a bullet to fly through her chest for them.

Regina frowned deeply, meeting the blonde's gaze. "You what?" An apology was the last thing she expected from the younger woman, and she had to swallow down the knee-jerk suspicion that it was some kind of game.

"Weird, right? But I really did want to say I'm sorry. For the other night, at your place. I was really rude to you. You're not a chickenshit, and you're still the strongest person I know. I guess I got frustrated with the fact that you don't trust me, but then I remember how I treated you. We were really hard on each other, and I get it. So, yeah...I'm sorry for what I said."

"I...thank you," Regina conceded quietly, if a bit awkwardly. "But remember, Emma, that I tried to poison you, which very nearly resulted in the death of our son. It's a bit of a step up from punches in the graveyard. Whatever you have done to me..." The brunette sucked on her teeth. This admission of hers was about as painful as hugging Snow White. "Well, it pales in comparison."

Emma smiled, and let out a short puff of air through her nose. "Yeah, but I didn't believe you about Archie. Look how that ended. I still...I should have-"

"Emma, stop. Everything pointed to me. My mother was possibly better at manipulating people than Gold. Were I in your shoes, I wouldn't have believed me either."

"Yeah, but I knew you weren't lying! I knew you were telling the truth, Regina. I should've fought harder." The steely glint in her eyes masked the remorse Emma was obviously feeling, but the brunette saw past through it.

Regina stepped out from behind her desk, and she closed the distance between herself and the Savior. It seemed to be common occurrence for them to invade each other's spaces. Emma never did back away, and Regina held her gaze. It had changed, the mayor noted. When they used to square off like this, the blonde always looked defiant, almost a little pouty. She was used to standing up to people who tried to make her less, and Regina was definitely one of those people.

Now, there was a shift. When she looked into those green eyes, there was still that characteristic splash of rebellion, but it wasn't filled with contempt, like always. There was sorrow, regret, guilt, and even a little tenderness. She had grown and even matured during her time in Storybrooke, and in that time, she had learned to let her guard down some. She grew to trust Regina, and the brunette didn't know how to feel about it.

"Emma, it happened. There is no changing the past." The blonde opened her mouth to protest, but it was Regina's turn to silence her. "More than that, I don't blame you for it. Like I said, I would not have believed me either. The Gods only know, maybe I deserved it, but it's done. The fact that you defended me at all..."

"We've come a pretty long way, haven't we?" Emma smiled softly, and suddenly they felt uncomfortably close. "Regina, look...I'm sorry about what I said about you being lonely and stuff. It's tough, being ostracized. If you really do want to hang out some time, you know how to find me. We don't even have to be around other people," Emma said a little shyly.

"How romantic," Regina said sarcastically, and she broke their close proximity, heading back to her desk.

"No, I'm serious. There are some nice trails I use for jogging in the woods, and there usually aren't many people at the docks. Or, we could stay in, and I can educate you on the merits of Tim Burton." She flashed a smug smile to the older woman.

"I think I'll pass on the latter."

"That's not a no for my other offer."

"Your powers of observation are without measure."

"So, that's a yes, then? To hanging out sometime?" Emma shifted her weight nervously, but her eyes continued to bore into Regina.

"Emma..." The brunette sighed wearily, rubbing at her temples.

"Right, your headache. I'll get out of your hair for now. Just, please, Regina...I'm not playing you, or working an angle. If you're looking for someone to talk to, you know how to find me." She flashed a half smile, turning to leave. Her steps were halted by the other woman's voice.

"Miss Swan?" There was an uncharacteristic uncertainty in Regina's voice, catching both women slightly off-guard. "May I ask you a question?" She was standing rigidly behind her desk, hands clasped tightly in front of her, chin jutted out defiantly.

Emma regarded the mayor closely, but she was unable to figure out exactly what she was looking for. She nodded her head in affirmation, hooking her thumbs into her belt loops, and waited for the question.

"Why are you trying so hard?" She forced herself to not wince at her own words. They sounded so weak and pathetic, filling the emptiness of the office.

"What do you mean by trying so hard?" Emma's question was not mocking, and the tilt of her head told Regina that the blonde didn't understand the context of the question.

"You've won, Emma. You have your life, and your family, and you have Henry! Two men chase you down, and I'm half expecting you to acquire a dog for yourself. The only reason you and I have ever worked together was for a common goal: protecting Henry. He is safe now, and there are no threats, so why do you keep trying to be in my life?" Regina huffed out the words, frustration racing through her veins. A frown was etched upon her face, and it only deepened when she saw the other woman's face break into a smile.

"You're right, Regina. The only time we've worked together was to save Henry, and in all those times, I got to see glimpses of you...the real you. Not the Mayor, or the Evil Queen, or a villain. I got to see you as the woman you are.

"Through all of that, I found that you understood me better than just about any other person in my life. You were someone who understood broken edges and endless abandonment. I found a friend. That's why I keep trying so hard And for the record, I didn't win. We won, and that couldn't have happened without you."

Regina stood speechless. Part of her had been trying to pick some kind of fight with Emma, something to hold the woman at distance again. She had hoped to spark the Sheriff's defensive side. Instead, she got an answer that was honest and heartfelt. Regina really hated the sickeningly honest-hearted Charming Family.

Once again, Regina wanted to demand why Emma didn't treat her like she treated Zoe, but she had to choke back her words for two reasons. The first being that Zoe had never tried to kill Emma, and the second being that Emma was actually treating her like she treated her alter ego a few minutes ago. They were just playfully bantering about Tim Burton. Perhaps it was Regina who had been stopping any solid friendship from forming between them, and perhaps she felt like she might want that to change.

The brunette swallowed hard. "That was-"

"Too much, huh?" Emma tried to fill in.

"No. I'd say it was unfamiliar. I don't have a lot of people coming by to tell me such things. I do appreciate your honesty though, Emma."

"Hey, we're on the same side now, right?" The blonde flashed an irritatingly encouraging smile at her.

"Unfortunately, we are."

Emma rolled her eyes playfully. "I'll let her Royal Sassiness get back to treating her headache. See you around, Regina."

"Miss Swan? Perhaps, in the near future, you'd like to come over for a glass of wine?" The brunette tried to keep her voice dispassionate, but she couldn't choke back the hopefulness that bled into her words.

"Perhaps, Madame Mayor, I would like that very much."

I currently have no beta, but I'll be fixing that, so all mistakes are entirely my own. Comments are always appreciated, and again, thanks for everything!