"So, you wanna come back to my place later?"

Emma visibly recoiled from the sleazeball leering at her breasts. His hair was greasy and his breath stank of alcohol. He was leaning far too close, and she wished she were behind the bar so there would be a physical barrier between them. Why she'd thought The Rabbit Hole was a good idea on a Friday night she had no clue.

"No, thanks." Her tone clearly conveyed that she didn't want to continue the conversation, but he didn't seem to get the hint.

"Aw, come on darlin', what's a pretty girl like you gonna do on a Friday night, eh?" His hand came down to rest on her thigh.

Emma panicked. "I'm, uh, a lesbian." She blurted out in the hopes it would force him to back off. Unfortunately, he seemed even more encouraged, his hand squeezing her thigh.

Emma thought fast. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the door open and Regina walk in. "A lesbian with a girlfriend. Who has just arrived. Regina!" She stood, waving her arms to get Regina to notice her. The man's face visibly paled as Regina sauntered over.

"What is it, Miss.." Emma cut off Regina's annoyed words by planting a kiss on her lips. Regina's lips were warm and soft and Emma moved against them instinctively. The brunette gasped at the feeling of Emma's mouth moving against her own, the heat of her body pressed close. The kiss was over almost before it began as Emma pulled away and whispered in her ear, "just go with it. I'll explain later, promise." Regina was too stunned to say a word in response.

Turning to the man at the bar, Emma gestured to herself and the brunette. "See, lesbian, girlfriend."

"Right, well, then. Your majesty." He bowed, and practically scrambled away from the former Evil Queen.

Regina managed to recover her senses, and turned to Emma. "Are you going to explain what all that was about?" Her voice was slightly shakier than she had intended.

Emma shrugged. "He wasn't really getting the message that I really didn't want to go home with him. So, you walk in, easy excuse. Sorry, about that, by the way. If anyone could make a total sleaze like him go running, it'd be the former Evil Queen." Regina was almost speechless.

"And the kiss?"

"Only way to get you to stop talking before he realised I was lying about you being my girlfriend. Now, how about I buy you a drink to make up for forcing you to fake a relationship with me?"

"So, Regina, we may have a little problem…?"

"What is it this time? Escaped monkey? Blue granting someone a wish they really didn't need granting? Out with it Miss Swan, I'm a busy woman." Regina practically growled into the phone, the stacks of paperwork on her desk reminding her of how much she really didn't need a crisis to occur today.

Emma audibly hesitated, before blurting out "So the guy from the bar the other night may have told everyone we're lesbians. In a relationship. Together." Her voice got smaller with each word, anticipating Regina's anger.

Regina put her head in her hands. "How many people has he told?"

Emma was hesitant to reply. "Well he actually only told a few people, but when Snow.."

Regina's face contorted into an expression of disgust. "Emma Swan, your mother is the most insolent, gossiping…" Her voice was dangerously low.

"I know, I'm pretty mad at her too right now, but we have bigger problems than that."

Regina's voice was sarcastic, "how could it possibly get any worse than that? Please enlighten me dear, because I…"

"Henry knows."

"Shit." It was probably the only time she had ever heard Regina curse, and it was pretty damn scary.

"I know. He's ecstatic about it."

If Regina was the praying type, she would have prayed for strength in that moment. "Well, Miss Swan, looks like your acting skills will be put to the test. Tell me, what experience do you have of being in a fake relationship?"