Blue Valentine

Henry was beyond happy when he found out that Emma was staying for dinner. He couldn't even remember the last time they had dinner as a family. Maybe this was a sign that things were changing for the best.

"How was your weekend, dear?" Regina asked Henry after the three of them sat on the dinner table.

"Awesome." Henry said as he began to eat.

"W-what about your weekend, Emma?" Regina asked tentatively.

"It was great." Emma said with a smile. "How was yours?"

"It was fine, thank you for asking." Regina said.

"You're very welcome." Emma said.

The rest of the dinner moved on from having conversation so polite it hurt to Emma and Regina talking like people who actually liked each other. Emma asked about how were things at the Mayor's office, Regina asked about Emma's cases and even offered some input. They had the playful banter that Henry found endlessly amusing. Things started to feel normal and easy again.

After putting Henry to bed, Regina and Emma went over to the study for a glass of wine. Neither of them wanted to put the pressure of starting the conversation that they were here for. Both were enjoying themselves too much.

"And when I entered the conference room there was Leroy and that nun, whose name I always forget, making out like a couple of teenagers." Regina said with a laugh.

"You're kidding." Emma said not really believing Regina. "Pics or it didn't happen."

"Oh I can do you one better." Regina said reaching for her phone. "I have a video."

"You're an evil genius and I have never ever felt more respect and admiration for you." Emma said amazed as she moved closer to Regina so she could have a better view of the phone screen. "Oh that's repulsive." Emma commented when she saw the video.

"I know. I'm saving this for a rainy day." Regina said.

"You're such a politician." Emma said.

"You say that like it's a bad thing, dear." Regina said.

"I know its not. Conniving is a very attractive quality on you, Miss Mills." Emma said with a smirk. "I find it specially attractive when I'm not on the receiving end of it."

"You're the hardest person to manipulate." Regina said. "You're too stubborn."

"Yeah, I'm impossible to manipulate." Emma said with a proud grin.

"I wouldn't go so far as to say impossible…" Regina said. "I clearly remember when we were dating, I would just threaten to withhold sex from you and I had you doing whatever I wanted."

"I remember." Emma said with a small chuckle. "That's how you got me to take that cooking class with you. Even though I found it super boring."

"It was romantic. Cooking is something couples do together." Regina defended just like she did all those years ago.

"Speaking of which…I've gotten really good at the whole cooking thing." Emma said.

"No you haven't." Regina said.

"I have. Ask Henry." Emma said. "I mean, I'm not you good at it but I cook all kinds of stuff for him when he's with me."

"I wont believe that until I see it." Regina said.

"Tell you what, next weekend instead of me having to come up to Storybrook you guys will come down to Boston and I'll make dinner for the three of us." Emma said.

"You have a deal." Regina said as she and Emma shook on it.

"I'm glad we're doing this." Emma said. "It's been nice."

"It has been." Regina agreed. They kept staring into each other's eyes for a while. This would be the perfect moment to lean in just a little bit and steal a kiss.

"Have- have you thought about what I said the other night?" Emma asked interrupting the silent moment they were having. "Cause I have."

"And…" Regina said wanting to hear Emma out before she got her turn to speak.

"It was wrong of me to push you like I did." Emma said. "That doesn't change the fact I want us to eventually get back together and really, really try this time. But I shouldn't have came onto you so strong."

"I understand." Regina said. "How do you suggest we approach this situation?"

"I honestly have no idea." Emma said genuinely. "I don't want us to rush back into anything because that way we'll end up making even more mistakes. I want us to take it slow, to really work on us."

"You seem to forget that I'm still dating Graham." Regina said.

"I haven't." Emma quickly responded. "I'm not asking you to leave him for me or anything. I don't want to put that type of pressure on you. I'm just asking you to keep your options open."

"I don't trust us, Emma." Regina said. "How do I know that it will be different this time?"

"I'll show you." Emma said taking Regina's hands in hers. "Neither of us tried to save our marriage. We would just argue, have angry sex and then pretend everything is fine. We were pulling in opposite directions, we fucked up. I'm not asking you to marry me again, I'm asking you to date me and see what happens."

"If we do this, we have to do it right." Regina said. "Henry can't know what's happening and we need to have weekly sessions with Archie."

"That's fine with me." Emma said with a smile. "I'm really happy we're doing this." Emma said as she laced her fingers with Regina's.

"I'm cautiously excited." Regina said tightening her hold on Emma's fingers.

"Of course you would say that." Emma said with a laugh. "I have a question, though."

"Yes, dear?" Regina asked.

"Do you think we should start seeing Archie before we try anything?" Emma asked. "Or are we seeing Archie while we're seeing each other? I'm not quite sure how all of this is happening."

"First I'm going to talk to Graham to let him know what is happening between us, then I'm going to make an appointment with Archie and we'll see where that takes us." Regina said.

"Are you going to tell him about the sex that we've been having behind his back?" Emma asked.

"I haven't made my mind up yet." Regina said. "I was thinking about telling him that you are back in my life and that we're going to try to work through our problems. That should be explanation enough for him."

"Do whatever you think is best." Emma said. "You're the one sleeping with him." After realizing that she was falling into old patterns she decided to fix it. "That sounded wrong. What I meant to say was that you're the one in a relationship with him, you know him better than I do, therefore you know what the best approach is."

"Nice save." Regina smirked.

"I do what I can." Emma said with a shrug.

**************

A few days after her talk with Emma, Regina met with Graham at the Sheriff's station to end their relationship. At first Regina wasn't sure about whether or not she should end things with Graham. He is a good man and their relationship had been peaceful and steady, something she was not used to but was starting to enjoy. Call her a glutton for punishment, but when Emma approached her with the idea of starting over, even with all of her doubts and all of her fears, she couldn't say no.

"What did you want to talk about?" Graham said after Regina came into his office.

"I want to talk about where our relationship is heading." Regina said.

"Does this have to do with Emma and the rumors going round the diner?" Graham asked. "Because if there is anything going on between you two I would much rather hear it from you than from Leroy."

"What rumors?" Regina asked. Of course Mary Margaret would run her mouth. She mentally swore to make her life a living hell at the next PTA meeting.

"There's a rumor about you and Emma being back together." Graham said. "I tried not to listen to it but the other night I was on patrol and I saw Emma's car in your driveway and it was way past Henry's bed time. There was no reason for her to be there."

"She was, indeed, in my home after Henry went to sleep." Regina said. "We had a few matters that we needed to tend to."

"Such as…" Graham asked.

"Private matters." Regina said not giving him a straight answer. "As you know Emma is the mother of my son and we are trying to work on having a better relationship. As of right now our relationship is amicable at best however there is a possibility of that relationship becoming romantic once more."

"But what about us?" Graham asked. "I thought we were romantic."

"Like I said Emma is the mother of my son and we have more than a decade of history between us." Regina said. "I can't just throw that away."

"But you already did." Graham said. "You told me you were divorced."

"And we are." Regina said. "Nevertheless we have unresolved issues between us that we would like to resolve."

"You still love her." Graham stated.

"I do." Regina said confidently.

"I appreciate your honesty." Graham said. "And I'm going to return the favor. This thing between you and Emma will not work out. You'll end up hurting each other again and what's worse the lad will be hurt. So you should really think about what you're doing."

"I have." Regina said. "Henry doesn't know about Emma and I so I trust you'll be discreet. You know I don't appreciate my private life being discussed as idle gossip."

"I wont say anything." Graham said. "Whatever you do is your business."

"I appreciate that." Regina said before she took a look at her wristwatch. "I have to go, I have a meeting in an hour. But thank you, dear, for being so understanding."

"You're welcome…?" Graham said confused as Regina walked out.

**************

Emma was hard at work in her office. She loved working in an office like this, growing up it was something she never thought could happen. People like her never got opportunities like this. That's why she was so focus and so determined to be the best she could. That unmeasured ambition and drive was what lost her her family once. She couldn't let work come in between her family life this time. She deserved better than that, Regina and Henry did also.

"Ex-wife on line one." Tiffany, Emma's secretary announced through the phone. "Do I put her through or are we on the outs with her today?"

"Its fine, Tiff, put her through." Emma said with a chuckle.

"Hey." Emma said to Regina.

"Hello. Its pleasant to see that your phone etiquette is improving." Regina said.

"Just for you, babe." Emma said with a small laugh. "What can I help you with?"

"I made an appointment with Dr. Hopper today." Regina announced. "Can you make it to Storybrook this Friday at 2:30pm?

"Let me check." Emma said as she checked her calendar. "Yeah, I'll have Tiff move some stuff around and I'll be able to make it."

"I'm glad to hear so." Regina said.

"Did you talk to Graham?" Emma asked tentatively.

"I did." Regina said.

"How did it go?" Emma asked.

"As well as this things go." Regina said. "However you need to talk with your friend Ms. Blanchard about what the words ‘you need to keep quiet’ really entail."

"What do you mean?" Emma asked.

"Apparently Sydney overheard her talking with Ruby about it." Regina said. "Of course once he knew the whole town knew."

"And you know this how?" Emma asked.

"I'm the Mayor, dear." Regina said. "I have ears everywhere."

"Which means you unbuttoned the top buttons of your shirt when you went to ask Sydney if he knew anything." Emma said. "Which, by the way, is not necessary because that guy would walk through fire if you just suggest so."

"He's a means to an end, dear." Regina said nonchalantly. "No need to be jealous."

"That's so Machiavelli of you." Emma said. "And I'm not jealous, I know he is no competition for me."

"Is that so?" Regina asked amused.

"Yes it is." Emma said. "He can't give you what I can."

"Which is?" Regina asked feigning disinterest.

"Mind-blowing, Earth shattering orgasms." Emma said. "I know for a fact that I'm the best you've every had so I'm not worried in the least."

"Cocky now, are we?" Regina said.

"What are you wearing?" Emma said with a smirk.

"Emma! I'm at work." Regina reprimanded.

"So am I." Emma said. "Answer the question."

"I have to go." Regina said knowing that this conversation was entering dangerous territory.

"You're no fun." Emma almost pouted.

"I'll see you on Friday?" Regina asked needing reassurance.

"You bet." Emma said with a smile.