„That is… that's…"
The first word that immediately came to mind was inappropriate, but Emma could hardly say that to Ruby's face. Instead she opted for "…pretty hot."

Ruby grinned and let her hands wander across the tiny leather shorts and bra she was wearing, before going to through her hair to make it even messier.

"So, you're a… witch?" Emma asked slowly.

She wasn't entirely sure what to say. Ruby was known for not being very modest, but this costume topped everything, and left very little to the imagination.

"No," the waitress protested. "I'm a vampire, duh."

She pointed at the red paint that went from the corner of her mouth to her jaw and then turned around to point with her thumb at the little cape that barely reached past her shoulders.

"Oh yeah. I see it now…"

Emma nodded to herself and turned away from Ruby to look around. The diner was slowly starting to get crowded. It was surprisingly warm for a night in October and most people had opted to show more skin than usual. Emma herself had put quite some effort into her costume. With some help from Mary-Margaret and instructions from Henry, she'd ended up in a shining armor with a sword strapped to her hip. Mary-Margaret had also followed Henry's advice and was now standing on the other side of the diner in a dream of a white dress and a red apple in her hand.

Emma grinned to herself and turned around to see who else had bothered to dress up. The costumes ranged from very fanciful to minimalistic, and even Granny had a red cape in the style of Red Riding Hood tied around her shoulders. Everyone was in a good mood, the pumpkin soup the diner was serving for the special occasion tasted great and the kids seemed to be enjoying themselves. That was, until the door opened and the mayor walked in. The entire room went deadly silent. Emma turned around to see what was happening and almost lost her footing right then and there.
Her mouth ran dry in an instant as she stood there staring at what must've been one of the most impressive sights she'd ever seen.

The Mayor of Storybrooke was dressed in black leather pants, a black corset, only mildly less offensive than Ruby's outfit, and a wide-flowing black coat with red and dark feathers attached to it. Her hair was tied back into a ponytail, obviously made of fake extensions, but it only added to the intensity of the entire look. Regina was wearing the heaviest make-up Emma had ever seen on her and a slight chill raced down her spine when those dark-shadowed eyes landed on her.

The silence was somehow becoming awkward but no one seemed to be able to stop staring at the mayor. Henry however looked a little miffed that he received no attention at all. His little impression of Batman wasn't really comparable to what his mother was wearing, but somehow Emma managed to tear her eyes away and smile at the boy. He happily walked over to Emma and grinned up at her.

"You look great."

"Thanks kid. You too."

The sheriff smiled down at Henry and tried with everything she had not to gaze at Regina when she approached them.

"And who might you be?" the familiar velvety voice asked.

Now Emma had to look at her.

"I'm a knight."

There, that was pretty good. Just don't stare, Emma told herself.

"Sheriff Swan, I believe my eyes are up here."

Immediately the blonde's eyes snapped up from the mayor's plunging neckline. A light blush crept across her features as she cleared her throat. "And you Madame Mayor?"

Regina smiled that icy little smile of hers. "Well, I think it is rather obvious who is responsible for Miss Blanchard's and your costume. So I decided to keep the spirit."

"You… you're the Evil Queen."

The words somehow sounded very very strange to Emma as she said them. There was a spark in those dark eyes and Regina's smile became even more strained.

"Indeed I am. Now if you would excuse us. Henry, come on."

And with that Regina turned around, the train of her coat swooshing around and hitting Emma's shins.
However crowded the diner was during the evening, there always remained a circle around where Regina was standing, no one daring to step closer to her than was really necessary. She kept to herself most of the time and only chatted with Kathryn every now and then.

In her costume she looked as regal as a true queen and even her posture had somewhat changed. She'd always been stiff, but now she held her head high as if knowing that she was not one of the peasants. Emma knew she should've been annoyed by that, but instead she had to fight the urge to fall to her knees right in front of those unbelievably sexy lace-up leather boots, and hold out a rose to the queen.

They had decided to do this impromptu costume party because Ruby had insisted that everybody needed to loosen up a bit. Somehow Emma had found herself agreeing and here she was. After Henry had gotten wind of their little plan there was no way to stop him from planning their outfits. Emma smiled to herself. At least that gave Regina an excuse to show off her amazing costume. Emma wouldn't have expected the mayor to have something like that hanging in the back of her closet. But she was glad Regina had decided to put it on, the costume was to die for. As was the woman wearing it.

Emma blinked at her own train of thought and shook her head briefly.
Keep it together, you can do it. A Halloween costume won't throw you off, Emma reminded herself. But when Henry appeared in front of her with a grin, Regina not far behind, she forgot once again how to breathe properly. She stood there, hand lightly resting on her sword - a loan from Gold's shop - and stared at Regina. She probably looked like a complete fool and tried to be as nonchalant about it as she could. She squared her shoulders and raised her chin a bit, looking all the way like a knight in shining armor.

"Hey Emma, they're opening the Haunted Castle soon," Henry said.

His smile was so bright that it stretched from one ear to the other. He was bouncing on his feet in excitement and a small smile stole across Regina's smooth features as she regarded her son. She held the train of her cape in both hands on either side of her to keep others from stepping on it in the small diner. Her black tresses cascaded over her right shoulder, partly obscuring the view of the front of her dress. Emma inhaled quietly through her nose.

What was Henry talking about? Oh right, Haunted Castle… wait what?

Emma managed to focus on Henry who didn't seem to notice her state of distraction.

"The what now?"

"The Haunted Castle, Sheriff Swan. Some members of the town council decided to have a haunted house this year, which you would know if you had been present at last week's meeting."

Emma cleared her throat. She could hardly speak to Regina while still looking at Henry so she steeled her inner resolve before looking up. Unfortunately she couldn't seem to control her own eyes and her gaze slowly traveled up from Regina's mesmerizing leather heels, up her leather-clad thighs and across the richly embroidered corset. It took her several seconds to move from the skin visible below her throat up to rich brown eyes. A shapely dark eyebrow was raised while crimson lips curled into a tiny smile.

"That… yeah, there was an emergency."

"What was it this time? A cat in a hedge? A flat tire?"

"Yes," Emma simply answered.

There hadn't been any kind of emergency, but she just didn't want to go to these Town Hall meetings. They were the most boring thing she had ever seen. None of the issues discussed there interested her in the slightest and Regina usually was the one making the decisions anyway. All that was left for her was even more paperwork to file.

"So will you go into the Haunted Castle with me?" Henry interrupted.

He grinned up at Emma, pulling his black little Batman mask onto his face, ready to defeat whatever gruesome creatures were waiting in that place. Emma swallowed. She wasn't afraid of criminals. She could tackle down a three-hundred pound ex-jailbird, but a haunted house was something else altogether. There she couldn't tell where the threat was coming from and the whole thing was only meant to scare the living hell out of you.
The corners of Henry's mouth turned downward at her hesitance and she chanced a glance at Regina who regarded her with disapproval. She knew exactly what the mayor was thinking. Henry had asked her to go with him so why would she not agree immediately?

"What about your mom?"

Henry whipped around to Regina and smiled.

"Mom, are you coming too?"

Regina returned the smile and nodded, reaching out to set the mask on his face straight.

"Of course dear."

Emma exhaled in relief. Saved by the bell.

"Emma, you're coming too right?"

Or not.

"Uh listen kid… I'm not a big fan of haunted houses, or haunted trails or whatever."

"You're not saying that our town's sheriff is afraid of fake ghosts and ghouls?" Regina said, that same eyebrow raised again, this time in challenge.

"Yeah Ems, you're the knight in shining armor, you have to go," Ruby chimed in as she passed them.

Emma shot her a withering glare. Not helping Ruby, not helping a single bit.

Henry reached out and grabbed Emma's hand. He spun around and did the same thing to Regina so that he was practically pulling them both through the door of Granny's and toward where the Haunted Castle had been set up in one of the older buildings of Storybrooke. Emma glanced at Regina who was moving beside her with purposeful strides, her steps as certain as if she was walking in those heels every day. She wasn't sure with the dim light of the streetlamps illuminating their path, but Emma could've sworn that she saw Regina smirking.

It seemed as if the entire town had lined up to go through their very own little version of a haunted house. Couples and families alike were waiting to be let in. Emma was fidgeting nervously as she stood beside Regina, watching Henry chat with some of his classmates. She was pulling her sword out of its scabbard and slapping it back inside over and over again until a well-manicured hand came to rest atop hers.

"I swear Miss Swan, if you do that one more time I'm going to use it to chop your hand off," Regina whispered, her dark eyes boring into Emma.

The blonde blushed and let go of the sword, flexing her fingers beside her. Her armor suddenly felt way too restricting and she was getting hotter by the minute. Maybe she could get out of this if she told Henry that she wasn't feeling well. This had been a bad idea to begin with.
Ruby came around the building, a big smile on her face. She was walking beside some guy and laughed at the rather shocked expression on his face.

"That was amazing."

"Yeah well, kinda scary if you ask me," the guy answered.

"That's the point."

Emma blanched. This can't be good. I don't want to do this.
She opened her mouth to say something, but Henry had taken hold of her hand again.

"We're next," he squealed, vibrating with excitement.

Regina rested a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him.

"Remember, none of what's in there is real, so you don't really have to be afraid."

"I know mom, and with the both of you coming I'm won't be scared."

Good for you kid, good for you, Emma thought. What about me though?
She shot Regina a pleading look but the mayor only extended her hand in a sweeping gesture.

"After you."

"Thanks," Emma grumbled.

She paid her five bucks at the entrance, stuffing them into the glass jar a little too angrily and followed Henry down into the darkness. Right after entering the building through the back, a winding staircase led them down into the basement. Eerie lights flickered at regular intervals and creepy music was faintly playing in the background. Sometimes it sounded like the clank of chains and other times like someone screaming in the distance. But what got to her the most was the sound of a female voice humming some tune. It was awful. Emma tried to keep her eyes focused on Henry as they walked further into the haunted house, and at some point actually turned to Regina to make sure she wasn't the one humming. However the sound of heels clicking on the stone floor behind her was actually calming and Emma let herself fall back until she was almost walking beside Regina.

Henry had met some of his classmates who had entered the haunted house before them and they were walking as a small group ahead of them, disappearing behind the next corner from time to time.
Someone had yet to jump out at Emma in an attempt to scare her and for a brief moment hoped blossomed in her chest that maybe it wasn't that kind of haunted house. Regina remained silent as Emma inched closer to her the longer they kept walking. She was probably listening to Henry and his little group, making sure they were alright.

Just as they were rounding a corner, leading them toward a long corridor with flickering light, there was a lone figure ahead of them with a long coat and hood pulled over their face. The person had a shovel in one hand and was dragging it across the floor, making a sound that gyrated on Emma's nerves.

I see you, you can't scare me, I see you, she told herself. But she was so focused on the figure in the corridor slowly approaching, that she didn't notice the guy cowering behind a shelf until it was too late. He jumped out at them with a feral scream which Emma immediately echoed. Regina merely flinched but turned a surprised gaze to Emma as the blonde clung to her arm in utter desperation. She buried her face against Regina's shoulder and closed her eyes tightly.

"If you tell anyone about this…" Emma threatened, but her shaky voice betrayed her serious words. She rather felt than heard Regina chuckle.

Emma didn't care. Regina could think of her what she wanted, but haunted houses freaked her out. Always had. She hated them. And if surviving this meant clinging to none other than Madame Mayor herself then so be it.
They kept walking slowly. Henry was out of sight but she could still hear the group of children giggling in the distance. Little traitor. He got her into this mess and then simply abandoned her.
Another creeper jumped out at them when they walked down a small ramp, this time hands were shooting out from under a table, touching Emma's boots. She shrieked unceremoniously and pressed herself against Regina to get away from whatever was trying to grab her. She wasn't going to cry, but a little weeping was certainly allowed.

To her surprise Emma felt an arm sneaking around her shoulders and before she could utter a sound she was securely snuggled against Regina's side with the woman holding her rather tightly.
She blushed but couldn't help feeling better immediately. With Regina so close she wasn't as scared and her chest warmed at knowing Regina was probably uncomfortable with Emma's armor pressed against her side like that, and yet she kept a secure hold on her.

Emma managed to get through almost the entire haunted house with only minor breakdowns and shrieks. She simply hated it. But having Regina so close was thankfully pretty distracting. The scent of her perfume hung in the air between them and Emma enjoyed burying her face against warm skin. Once or twice she actually had to fight the urge to just press a kiss against a defined collarbone.

They reached the last part of the haunted house, already hearing chatter coming from outside the double doors ahead of them, when Emma's most secret and darkest nightmare came to life right in front of her. She was already in the process of entangling herself from Regina when someone stepped out from behind a pillar. The person didn't make any sound and just calmly stepped toward her, but what she saw when she turned her head made her blood run cold. It was the ugliest and freakiest clown costume Emma had ever seen. Long sharp teeth were grinning at her from the horribly white distorted face of a clown. Long white hands reached for her as the clown chuckled. She stood frozen to the spot, all blood rushing from her face in one swoop. This was everything she hated and was afraid of. That was the reason why she didn't do haunted houses. They just had to have a freaking monster clown here.

Emma suddenly felt lightheaded and swayed.

She probably would've dropped to the ground right then and there if surprisingly strong arms hadn't wrapped around her middle from behind. She turned numbly and gazed into worried brown eyes. Regina looked up to glare at the clown and sent him scrambling back to his pillar with a sneer. Emma smiled weakly and closed her eyes.

"My hero."

She wasn't entirely sure what happened after that, but she eventually found herself sitting down on a bench across the street from the Haunted Castle. Her legs were still wobbly but somehow she'd made it out of the building and to this bench. Regina carefully positioned her on the bench before walking away. Emma watched her go and closed her eyes.

Stupid idiot. Now she thinks you're a pathetic scaredy-cat. God.

Emma buried her face in her hands and leaned forward so that her elbows rested on her thighs. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been this embarrassed.

"Miss Swan?"

She jerked her head up and saw Regina standing in front of her, holding a bottle of water out to her. Emma slowly took the bottle, uncapped it and took a long swig.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Where's Henry?"

"He joined his classmates and they're going through the haunted house again."

Emma groaned quietly and shook her head. Never again.

"Are you alright? For a moment I thought you were going to pass out on me."

She heard the smirk in Regina's voice and stared down at her boots.

"Yeah…uh… well I kinda don't like haunted houses and… clowns."

A shiver went through Emma at the thought and she quickly drank some more water.

"Rats," Regina said, sitting down next to Emma.

She gathered the cape of her outfit to the side and turned to look at her.

"What?"

"Rats. Those little beasts make me want to run as fast and as far as I can."

"Really?"

"Really."

Regina mimicked Emma's earlier shiver at the thought of them and scowled. Emma couldn't help but grin. Was Regina Mills really trying to make her feel better about her lapse?

"Thank you," she mumbled, lowering her gaze before looking at Regina again with a crooked smile, "for letting me hold on to you in there, and for… being my hero."

Brown eyes widened and Regina opened her mouth to say something but words seemed to fail her. This speechless Regina looked completely in contrast to her costume.

"What?" Emma asked, turning the bottle in her hands.

"I don't think anyone has ever called me their... hero."

Emma smiled brightly at that.

"I guess it's about time then."

The End – Happy Halloween everyone!