𝑺 𝑾 𝑨 𝑵 𝑸 𝑼 𝑬 𝑬 𝑵

~2~

Regina wasn't at dinner.

At first Emma hadn't noticed. She hadn't really given the mayor much of a second thought to be honest; she was just relieved to finally be back home... with indoor plumbing. To say that Emma had been overwhelmed by her time in the Enchanted Forest would have been the understatement of the century.

But now that the evening had begun to wane and her stomach was near to busting with wonderfully processed foods, Regina's presence had become noticeably absent.

Emma found herself missing weird things about the uptight brunette in question. She missed watching Regina's elegant fingers curl protectively over Henry's shoulder in a show of righteous ownership. She missed the judging smirk that twitched up the corner of her lips whenever Emma announced something blatantly obvious to everyone else in the vicinity. She missed her body-hugging suits and her power-hungry high heels and that damned red lipstick of hers.

She especially missed the evil glint in her eye when Emma could tell she was up to something dastardly. It was infuriating as much as it was exciting; knowing that an all-out brawl could break out any minute if she made just the right remark at the most inopportune time. The danger was tantalizing and she knew Regina could follow through... that woman could pack a punch. Emma caught herself smiling at the memory.

The realization hit her like a derailed train: she had actually missed Regina Mills.

Emma had known for a while that she didn't outright hate the mayor anymore, but to actually go so far as to miss her? And to wish that she was at dinner with them? Well... it was just unexpected.

Storybrooke's sheriff half-heartedly pushed the remnants of her fifth pancake around her plate. In celebration of their return, the entire party had all had breakfast for dinner. Henry's favorite. Her gut churned in an unsettling way and momentarily threatened to expel the newly attained contents of her stomach back onto her plate. Regina deserved to be here, no matter how much everyone else seemed to hate her.

Suddenly Snow's pale hand was rubbing soothing circles into the small of her back in a mothering fashion that Emma wasn't sure she'd ever get used to.

"What's wrong, Emma?" Snow asked protectively.

Henry's head snapped up at the sound of Snow's concerned voice and shot Emma a questioning look from across the table.

"Nothing. Just tired, I guess." Emma shrugged unconvincingly.

Henry's eyebrows pinched together and his lips formed into a thin line as he scrutinized her lack-luster response; an expression he had most certainly picked up from his adoptive mother. Emma's heart did a little involuntary flutter at the thought. He really was both of their sons, wasn't he?

Henry was still studying her quizzically. Snow also appeared equally skeptical.

"Really guys, I'm fine. I'm allowed to zone out a little, y'know? I did just get back from battling an evil sorceress for a magic compass," she added playfully, throwing one of her best lopsided grins in Henry's direction.

It worked. They both smiled and went back to their previous conversations as Emma's thoughts slipped back into Fairytale Land.

All of the stories in Henry's book came down to one thing in the end: good vs evil... and fortunately for her, Henry had informed Emma that she was on the side of good and it always won. So she should be relieved... but Emma just couldn't seem to shake the feeling that something was wrong about the whole subject.

Good. The friends and neighbors joking boisterously around her were apparently good. But what higher power actually chose who was good and who was not? Maybe it was just the foster-care talking, but the whole good and evil thing seemed a whole lot like a personal opinion to her.