"Good Morning, Mary Margaret," a blond young woman said as she passed by Mary Margaret and Emma Swan.

"Morning Cami," she called back cheerfully as she always did when Cami walked past her to get to the high school.

Emma watched the girl as she walked, her eyes narrowed, before turning to Mary Margaret. "Who is she, I've seen her with Regina before?" If there was one thing Emma knew she was good at it was reading people; and from the few times Emma had seen her, there something hiding behind the girl's smile – it didn't help that every time she'd seen Cami it had always been with Regina.

"Regina gave her a job at the Town Hall, a low paying internship," Mary Margaret answered before saying hello to kids and their parents as they came to the school. "Cami lives in the girl's home, has as long as I can remember. You'd like her, I think," Mary Margaret said with a smile, knowing Emma had been in the system without a family too.

Emma nodded, a disbelieving look on her face. "I'm sure." There was a look on Cami's face when she saw Emma, mistrustful and searching – a look that strangely reminded Emma of the way Regina looked at her. She looked at Mary Margaret to see her staring back at her curiously. "So," Emma said uncomfortably, trying to change the conversation, "who does Henry think she is?"

Mary Margaret smiled shaking her head at Henry and his imagination. "He thinks she's Rapunzel."

"What?" Emma asked with a laugh.

"I know," Mary Margaret said laughing along with her. "He said it'd be too obvious if her hair was long."

"Of course he did," Emma said running a hand over her face.

…

Emma stood at the end of the walkway waiting for Henry to come out so she could walk him to school, seeing Regina's angry eyes staring at her from the window. "Morning Cami," Emma greeted half-heartedly when the blonde teen walked past her.

Cami turned and stared at her with bright blue unhappy eyes. "Emma," she greeted coolly before continuing her way to the Mills' mansion. "Hey Henry," Cami said pleasantly when he burst out of the door, a smile on her pretty face.

"Hey Cami, gotta go," he said excitedly as he made his way to Emma.

Her smile faltered as she saw how easily Henry brushed past her, before he would have hugged her and asked her if she was coming over later, before he would have asked her to walk him to school; before Emma came. "Good morning Ms. Mills," Cami said softly, almost meekly, as she made her way up the steps.

Regina's eyes were on Henry, smiling and talking happily with Emma Swan. She barely paid Cami any mind. "Good morning," she sighed, her eyes sad, before she walked back into her house. Leaving Cami to follow after wishing Regina could see how much Cami loved her, that Regina was the closest thing to family she ever had. But Regina had already turned from her and made her way to her office to show Cami what she wanted her to do after school. Even after years, with Cami being the only person to every fully love Regina; Regina never knew.

...

Regina stared up at the tower, crumbling with age, vines stretching up its length to reach for the sun. The Huntsman had stumbled across this place, hidden in the trees, claiming to have seen a figure by the window. She didn't know if there was anyone up there or if they were armed, but she was readied for an attack. "Is there anyone home?" she called, her body tense, the tips of her fingers buzzing with the magic ready to spill from them.

Several long moments she waited, almost believing the whole thing had been a farce, before a small figure moved to the window. "Who are you?" a girl's voice called down.

Regina strained to see the face darkened in shadow. "Regina, and I am your queen," she answered, her voice a sharp edge. She watched as the girl leaned forward to better see her, finally catching sight of her youthful face.

"Are you really a queen?" she asked, her voice filled with wonder.

"Yes," Regina answered smiling, trying for kindness.

The girl stared down at her for a few moments quietly, looking around to see if there was anyone else. "I'll see if I have a rope," she said before turning toward her room. She covered her mouth with her hands as she gasped, the queen now standing in front of her.

"No need," Regina said, pleased to see the awe on the girl's face instead of fear. "Now, what is your name?"

"Rapunzel," she answered quietly, not sure if she was supposed to give any other greeting - she'd never met a queen before.

Regina noticed she didn't curtsey or say your majesty, and she stared at Rapunzel curiously. "How long have you lived here?"

She was quiet a moment before she answered. "All my life I suppose," she said.

Regina watched all former mirth leave the girl's face and as sorrow filled her features. "Do you get many visitors?" she asked though she thought she already knew the answer.

Rapunzel shrugged, trying to laugh it off but it sounded bitter and full of a lonely sadness. "You are the first person I've spoken to in," she paused as she tried to think of how long it had been, "I don't remember when." Rapunzel watched as the queen nodded and looked around at the small room, Rapunzel didn't have very much; a bed, a cabinet filled with dresses and an unlimited supply of cloth to make more, a chair, a table. And that was it, there was little more. "Do you live in a castle?" she asked Regina softly.

She watched as Rapunzel fiddled with her fingers almost shyly, and she smiled in spite of herself. "Yes, and it's very big," she said watching amazement light in the girl's bright blue eyes.

"Are there many windows?" she asked imaging the views that could be seen.

"Hundreds," Regina answered, watching a smile spread across Rapunzel's face. She was no older than sixteen, but her eyes were old and sad. She looked too young to have hopelessness as a burden, to have such loneliness. Or maybe it was Regina who was lonely. "You know, it's quite empty," Regina said softly, almost timidly – as though many times before she had given an offer of staying with her and having been refused.

Rapunzel looked at the queen with wide, uncertain eyes – as though once before she had found a home only to have lost it. And so queen and girl were left staring at each other as they both hoped for what they did not have the courage to say. "Do you ever get lonely?" she asked softly, her eyes on her hands.

"Sometimes," Regina answered even softer. She watched Rapunzel's sweet face, seeing there was something she so very much wanted to say; and Regina stood feeling the same ache in her chest as she did every time she was faced with a child – though Rapunzel was hardly a little girl. "Would you like to see it?" she asked, trying to stifle the hope that bloomed within her. "There are guards, and servants," she offered not sure what she should say now, wanting more than anything for Rapunzel to say yes. "You wouldn't have to be alone anymore."

Rapunzel looked up at her when she heard that, for she had longed many many months for another's company. And the queen was looking at her so kindly, so hopefully. "Do I get to go outside?" she asked timidly.

Regina gave a small laugh and nodded. "I'll take you anywhere you want," she promised, feeling her black heart lighten.

Rapunzel looked at the queen sweetly. "I'd like that very much," she told her, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Then it's settled," Regina said almost happily, "you'll come home with me."

So this is an idea that's been bugging me ever since I saw the new season with Neverland, and Felix. And next chapter will give way an explaination to more of Rapunzel's past, and who her first "family" was - and italics will be past tense. I probably won't go into too much detail on season 1, I mean in all honesty she's not really apart of anything yet. So she'll come up more towards the end of season 2 which is where I'll actually begin in the show. Please let me know if anyone's interested, it would be very greatly appreciated.