A/N: Yes it's been a while. Stupid life keeps getting in the way. Forgive me for I have sinned.

Enjoy!

Emma was at home bored out of her mind. Ruby had gone to work and left her alone in the apartment. She had no idea why she had let her boss force her into taking the day off. He had been complaining a lot about her wasting the free time that lots of people wished for. He hadn't given her a choice really. So now here she was, on her sofa watching reruns of The X Files and snacking on the unhealthiest bag of chips ever.

She had thought about going back to work more than once, until she remembered how David had threatened that if she came to work on her day off, he would fire her. She knew her boss well enough to know he was definitely not joking. So Emma, to cure her boredom, had cleaned literally every nook and cranny of the two bedroom, one bathroom apartment. Unfortunately, it had not taken the time she thought it would. She was done in less than two hours.

She didn't want to bother Regina so early in the morning. She knew the woman had a lot of work to do. No, she'd just wait until the brunette took her lunch break which was in… 3 hours.

Great, what the hell am I gonna do for 3 hours?

Before Emma had time to answer her own question, there was a knock on the apartment door. Strange.

Ruby and Emma didn't have a lot of friends and none of those friends knew where they lived. They had already paid the rent so it wasn't the landlord, she knew.

The knocking became incessant so she rose from the worn couch and went to open the door.

She immediately wished she hadn't.

Standing not more than five feet in front of her was no other than Cora Mills.

"Well, aren't you going to let me in?"

Regina was stressed. She wanted to just dump all her paperwork in the furnace and let it burn. Luckily, she was sane enough to know how very stupid an idea that was.

She needed a break. And coffee. She definitely needed some coffee. She knew however that her needs could not be fulfilled at the moment; she had a meeting in five minutes. If she had known being a millionaire would turn out to be so much work, she would have just become an accountant or one of those mundane jobs.

She knew however that she would have hated it. If she could go back in time, she knew she would have made the same choices over again, if only to ensure that she got Henry in the end.

And Emma. If only to ensure she got those two in the end.

"Ms. Mills?" The voice of her secretary rang through the phone.

"What is it?"

"Your 1 o' clock appointment is here."

Regina sighed but steeled her reserve. She would just get this over with and then she would have a nice lunch out with her girlfriend. The blonde usually brought lunch with her but Regina had text her and told her not to bother today, leaving the blonde curious.

"Send them in." Regina replied to the waiting secretary while getting the necessary documents ready for the meeting.

The door opened and closed and Regina stood to greet them. Her hand fell back to her side however when she saw who it was that was in her office.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Regina's anger was flaring as she looked into the blue eyes that had broken her heart all those years ago.

"I'm sorry Regina; I didn't mean to upset you. I just wanna talk." Danielle pleaded with the brunette as she took slow, precautious steps towards her.

"Get out of my office Danielle." Regina was trying- but failing- to be calm with the woman who had shattered her heart. It wasn't working out so well.

"No Regina. I'm not leaving here till you listen to what I have to say." Danielle said, standing defiantly in front of Regina's desk.

"What makes you think I want to hear anything you have to say? You left me Danielle. You have no right to just-" Regina couldn't hold them in anymore, the tears started but she used the back of her hand to roughly wipe them away. She would not let her enemies see her as weak.

Yes, Danielle was now an enemy.

Emma was still in shock as she stood awkwardly in the living room staring- gaping rather- at her girlfriend's mother.

"If you would be so kind as to close your mouth and offer me a drink, Ms. Swan." Cora said.

The name sounded so weird coming out of the woman's mouth. Regina was the only one who was allowed to call her that. But then again, Cora Mills did whatever she wanted and Emma was not about to protest.

"Why are you here Cora?" Emma decided straight forward was the best way to go when it came to Regina's mother.

"Well dear, I decided it was about time I saw the living quarters of my daughter's… partner." Cora couldn't bring herself to say 'girlfriend'. It just sounded wrong on her tongue. Her daughter did not belong with this woman and she was only doing what was best for her.

"Well, you've seen it so you can leave now." Emma really didn't mean to be disrespectful. But Cora just always seemed to hit that nerve.

"No need to be rude Emma dear. I'm just concerned-"

Emma snorted. Concerned?

"Do tell me what's so funny." Cora snapped, eyes glaring at the blonde. And in that moment, Emma knows exactly where Regina gets it from.

"You're not concerned Cora. You don't show concern for anyone. You manipulate situations to soot your selfish purposes."

"Anyone who heard you talk would assume you've known me all your life." Cora smirked at the blonde.

Emma scowled back. "I'm so glad Regina didn't turn out like you."

"That's what you think." Cora answered but before Emma could object, she spoke again. "Tell me Emma, what do you do for a living?"

"I'm sure you already know the answer to that."

"I do, don't I?" Cora said while walking slowly through the small living room of the apartment. The look of disdain she was giving it only made Emma that more eager to throw her out. "A bail bondsman. Do you get paid so little that you had to share this tiny thing with a sleazy waitress?" Cora all but spat the question at the blonde.

That was it for Emma however. She would gladly take Cora's insults; it was nothing she wasn't use to growing up in the foster system. But she would not let the woman degrade her best friend.

"You leave Ruby out of this. You have a bone to pick then do it with me." Emma sent back the glare that was currently being aimed at her.

"But you see dear, I have a bone to pick with you both. Yes, I know that your friend is dating my youngest daughter." Emma wasn't surprised. Cora was a snake, a vicious serpent who sought out her victims and squeezed until they were just about ready to give up and do her will and if she could do that then surely she would know who her daughters were dating

"They're happy. You're their mother, you're suppose to be glad, you're suppose to be thankful that they've found people who are willing to love and care for them." Emma realized then that she had used the 'l' word but she was just too heated and frustrated with Cora Mills to think about it at the moment.

"I'm sure they can find happiness somewhere other than in the arms of a slutty waitress and a prison convict."

Emma stood stock still, shocked. How did she know…? Regina had told her that Cora was a woman with a lot of power at her disposal but those files were classified, sealed under court order. Before Emma's brain had time to register the fear she felt that Cora had access to that information, anger took over and came spilling from her like angry tidal waves in a hurricane.

This woman had hurt her girlfriend and now she had went through her personal files.

Oh, it's on.

"Regina, please. Cora forced me to leave. She told me that she'd hurt you if I didn't."

"Do you honestly expect me to smile and forgive you and run back into your arms? Oh Danielle, you have no idea." Regina said with so much venom that the blonde in front of her could swear she was speaking to a totally different person than the one she had met those years ago. But she shouldn't be surprised. She had done this and now she had to make it right.

"I don't expect you to forgive me, Regina. But I just wanted you to know that I didn't leave because I didn't love you, or because I grew tired. I wanted to protect you. I'd rather you be safe and hate me than hurt."

"It's still no excuse Danielle. You could have told me. Back then, I was willing to do anything for you, including running away from my mother. It wouldn't have been that hard, Mother was hardly home. You ruined my trust in you all because you were afraid of her."

Danielle thought about that. It was true. Cora Mills scared the hell out of her, even now. And it had cost her the most wonderful person to ever graze her presence.

"I had reason to be afraid then, Regina. I was afraid for you. I have no reason to be afraid of her now."

Regina watched as Danielle began walking closer to where she stood at the side of her desk. Did the woman seriously think she would fall for her charms again?

"I don't care. I don't need you in my life anymore. In case you didn't get the memo yesterday dear, I'm taken and I don't think Emma would take kindly to you trying move in on her girlfriend." Regina declared rather proudly. She was not one to declare her self as territory, but with Emma… well everything changed when it came to the blonde.

Danielle's face noticeably fell at the mention of the woman she had met a month ago. "Well, Emma's not here." Danielle smirked as she finally came face to face with her former lover.

Regina took a step back and found herself pressed to the wall. Why was she so anxious all of a sudden? But she knew the answer before she asked the question. Despite how much she loathed Danielle for leaving her, part of her had hoped and hoped that there was a liable reason why the woman had left her and now that hope had been fulfilled.

"Are you suggesting that I cheat on my girlfriend?" Regina asked incredulously. This woman could not be serious. "I suggest you step away Danielle, before I call security."

"I don't think you wanna do that Regina." Danielle's own anxiety and frustration was getting to her. Cora wanted to do this and if she didn't get it done she would lose not just her job, but her whole career. But at the same time, she didn't want Regina to hate her anymore than she clearly did and if she did this that is exactly what would happen.

So Danielle did the only thing that was ever able to clear her mind and calm her anxiety.

She kissed Regina.

Emma was angry. She was flustered and heated from her argument with Cora Mills. She had all but kicked the woman out of her apartment after she had said, "Regina will soon come to her senses and realize you're nothing but roadside trash. Who would want to date a criminal?"

Emma was pissed at the woman for saying it but somewhere deep in the back of her mind, she feared it was the truth. Emma had told Regina nothing about her prison stay for fear the woman would judge her and leave her the second she told her. She had known from the moment she met Regina that she would never be enough for her but she had always succeeding in keeping the thought far from the forefront of her mind. Regina cared about her, she saw it in the brunette's eyes and that was enough to stave off the self doubt she had been feeling.

But now, Cora Mills had come and stirred up those thoughts again and she couldn't help the doubt she was feeling. All the flaws Cora had pointed out, all the truths she had stated about Emma and her monetary status. It was making the blonde uneasy. Uneasy enough that she was going to go visit Regina 2 and a half hours early. She only hoped the brunette wasn't busy.

A/N: Please don't hate me guys! Yes I knw, you all probably hate Danielle's guts now. I kinda do too but i had to do it. Life isn't all rainbow kisses and unicorn stickers *snickers*. A little sadness means a lot of happiness in the long run.

Love you guys for sticking around.

Please Review!