A/N: A few notes to kick this off. First, this is my first ever SQ fanfiction. Second, I usually write dialogue-driven fics because my comfort zone is more along the lines of writing scripts rather than stories. I'm trying to branch out a bit here, so any feedback would be great. Third, this is 100% fictional and based on the characters and the scenarios I created in my head, not on the actors. While I know the cast of OUAT appears at conventions like this all the time, I'm writing this based on the characters, not the actors portraying them or their IRL relationships. (E.g., Regina is truly Regina, not LP, etc.). Finally, yes there's established OQ in this (he's talked about, but not actually seen), but that will be explained in time and this fic is definitely SQ-centric. I plan to update once or twice per week, and anticipate this to be 5-6 chapters.
Regina Mills tried to subtly glance at her watch while her co-star, Mary-Margaret Blanchard, answered a fan's question about what it was like to work alongside her real-life husband, David Nolan. Although Regina knew verbatim what Mary-Margaret's answer would be, as this question was asked every time they attended one of these events, she smiled genuinely as the pixie-haired brunette next to her politely responded to the question. Regina truly liked working with the couple, and their love for one another was evident to everyone on set, even before they announced that they were dating in the middle of season two. Now five years later, the pair was married with a toddler they named Neal. The show's writers, in an effort to keep things interesting during the show's seventh season, had broken up the couple's epic on-screen romance. Now, their two characters were enemies in their little dystopian frozen tundra, adding a fresh source of angst to the show that would extend into the upcoming eighth season.
If her watch was correct and the convention was keeping to the agenda, this panel would wrap up in three minutes and then she would have a much-needed half hour break before her next scheduled appearance. Regina really did enjoy these events and meeting the show's fans, but right now all she could think about was caffeine. She was seriously jet-lagged from her flight this morning from San Francisco that took off two hours later than scheduled due to fog, barely getting her to Portland, Maine in time for her first panel. Even without the exhaustion from traveling it had been a long week, and it was only Wednesday. Regina had spent the past five days with her best friends in Northern California for a wedding shower and bachelorette party, touring Napa Valley, drinking exquisite wine and eating some of the best food she had ever tasted. She loved spending time with the four women with whom she was closest – Mal, Kathryn, Ella, and Ursula – but the week was bittersweet and filled with untold drama. The five women were friends from college and had been through a lot together. However, since it was Kathryn's pre-wedding trip, there were also a dozen other guests Regina didn't know. She tried to stick close to her friends and keep a low-profile, but with Frozen Mirror gaining more viewers with each season, especially now that new fans could binge it on Netflix and catch up, her attempt at normalcy was feeble at best. When she wasn't being asked by one of Kathryn's coworkers when her character would finally resolve her current love triangle, a random winery patron would ask for her autograph and a selfie. She always graciously obliged, but sometimes she craved just a little bit of anonymity. She wouldn't be getting that anytime soon with the New England Comic-Con now underway. She was scheduled for events all five days of the convention and didn't know when she would have time to breathe. She even told her husband not to bother coming down to visit. He seemed to thrive in these crowds and loved seeing her fans, so he would want to go to all the parties and events, while she really wanted to try to relax and recharge. She thought back to the phone conversation she had with him yesterday morning as she got dressed for the last brunch of her getaway with her friends. "Seriously Robin, you don't need to fly down. I'm going to be so exhausted that I'm going to go straight to the hotel and crash as soon as they release me each day. I won't be much fun and we'd probably just end up arguing about whether or not to go out every night. I'll see you and the boys when I get back...Yes, I know how it'll look if you're not there, but it'll be fine."
Regina was pulled from her reverie when she heard the emcee announce that the panel's time was up. The cast stood up from behind their table as they smiled and waved to the fans and made their way offstage and back to the green room. Regina hadn't had time to check-in to her hotel after hauling herself straight from the airport to the convention center, which she now realized was a blessing. She started searching through her large rolling suitcase and pulled out a change of clothes. She slipped on a pair of jeans under her red maxi dress and put on an off-the shoulder Wonder Woman t-shirt, quickly pulling off the dress from underneath. She then threw her dark hair into a low ponytail before putting on a Pokémon baseball hat she had pilfered from her 12-year-old step-son before packing for the convention.
"What are you doing?" Belle French, another actress from her show, asked her in a thick Australian accent as she opened a bottle of water and took a swig. Belle eyed her brunette friend like she was insane, frantically digging through her things.
"I'm going to brave the outside world in search of caffeine, so I'm trying to blend in," she replied, putting on a pair of dark aviator sunglasses. "By now there are photos from the panel all over Instagram and Twitter, so I can't go out in that if I don't want to be spotted," she said, motioning to the discarded dress that now resided in a heap on top of her suitcase as she slipped a pair of black Nikes. "Hopefully now I'll blend in with all the cosplayers and superhero apparel." She tucked the lanyard with her all-access credentials into the crewneck of her t-shirt for safe keeping, but to help keep her identity under wraps.
"That's quite smart, actually," David chimed in. "But you know, we do have coffee here."
"That won't do it for me. I need a triple shot. And I need air. Between being on a plane for 6 hours this morning and pretty much confined to this convention center for the next five days, I need some fresh air and daylight."
"You could just send one of the event staff runners to do it," Zelena West, her snooty on-screen sister, pointed out. "Or, just hire an assistant like the rest of us. Has anyone seen mine, by the way? That girl is on her last straw."
Regina rolled her eyes and grabbed her small wristlet out of her suitcase, just large enough to hold her credit card, ID, and her phone.
"And where do you think you're going, dearie?" Robert Gold, the show's creator and executive producer, asked her as he saw her preparing to leave the room that would serve as their show's hub for the remainder of the week.
"The Starbucks across the street. I won't be long."
"You're on in 25 for the autograph table."
"I'll be back in 20."
"You better be. Take someone from security with you."
"I'll be fine, and I'll be quick. If I'm surrounded by security it'll take twice as long. The goal is not to draw attention to myself. A big dude in a security shirt will have the opposite effect." She quietly slipped out of the room and toward a back exit, behind the scenes of all the hoopla on the main floor of the convention. The second she stepped outside she took a deep breath, relishing the fresh air before jogging over to the Starbucks on the corner.
Emma Swan groaned as she waited in line at Starbucks, trying to adjust a bobbypin that was doing a fine job of holding her blonde bun in place, but was digging painfully into her scalp. She was on her lunch break from her rehearsal and desperately needed a double Americano if she was going to make it through another three hours of cue-to-cue. She took a quick look at her phone, scrolling through her Instagram feed as she waited, smiling as she saw photos of her friends in their cosplay regalia across the street. She wished she would have been able to go, but she had to forgo it due to her dance company's tech week. Emma may be a reformed ballerina, but she was a giant nerd at heart. She looked up again and saw that there were still at least 15 people in front of her in line, most of whom were decked out in elaborate costumes. She had hoped that her trip to Starbucks would only take a few minutes, but it looked like her caffeine craving may occupy most of her lunch hour. Doesn't the convention have its own coffee station? Why is everyone over here? she wondered to herself before looking back down at her phone and sending off a text message to her pas de deux partner, Killian Jones, to see if he wanted her to pick up anything for him as long as she was here.
The line moved at a snail's pace, but eventually she was third in line. She put her phone back in her bag as she contemplated which boxed lunch she wanted out of the refrigerator at the front of the line. Preoccupied, she barely noticed when someone quickly came in through the revolving door and approached her from the side, cutting in front of her in line. "Oh, there you are! It's so good to see you again. Thanks for saving me a spot," the voice said before somewhat awkwardly hugging Emma. She looked at the woman who still was holding her in an embrace, unable to utter her confusion before hearing the mystery woman whisper in her ear: "if you go along with this, I'll buy you whatever you were planning on ordering." The woman pulled back and looked at the blonde she had selected, hoping she had chosen wisely.
"Sure, no problem. I'm glad you made it," Emma responded, just loud enough for the disgruntled patrons in line behind her to not raise a fuss at the line cutter. Emma assessed the woman in front of her. Her voice sounded vaguely familiar, and though the woman's frame was petite, she carried herself with confidence. Her air of mystery was amplified by the sunglasses she had yet to take off.
"Thank you," the brunette smiled shyly as she let out a sigh of relief. "What will it be?"
"Oh, um, this sandwich and a tall Americano with an extra shot."
"Done." She took the boxed lunch from the blonde and smiled, their fingers slightly brushing in the exchange. They were up next, and she handed the barista the cardboard container to ring up before placing their order. "Hi, two venti Americanos with an extra shot in each. Thanks," she said, handing the barista her Starbucks gold card to pay. She looked over at the blonde, who had a brow raised, before explaining: "You let me bypass the line, so I upgraded your order. I hope you don't mind."
"I'm not arguing," Emma laughed in reply.
"It'll be a few minutes. What are your names?" The barista looked at the women, her Sharpie marker at the ready to write on the cups.
"Emma," Emma replied, looking first at the barista and then at the brunette. She gasped as she suddenly realized who her line companion was. It took her a few minutes, but after looking at the woman and hearing her speak a bit more, she knew.
Regina recognized Emma's gasp of realization – it's something she heard a lot when she tried to go out incognito in public but ultimately would be discovered. She quickly answered the barista with an alias before Emma could say anything else: "Rachel."
Emma sent her a questioning look as the two moved off to the side to wait for their drinks. Emma lowered her voice as she turned to face the other woman. "Rachel?"
Regina shrugged. "What?"
"Interesting choice."
"I panicked. I forgot they do the whole name-on-your-cup thing here. It's the first name I thought of." She paused for a moment. "So, I take it by that gasp back there and this line of questioning that you've figured out who I am?" She looked over at the blonde, who smirked. "Oh God, I'm sorry. That must have sounded incredibly cocky," she reached out and softly touched the blonde's forearm in apology.
"Ha, don't worry about it. And yes, indeed I did. The disguise is impressive, though. If you hadn't continued to talk to me I probably wouldn't have noticed. Your voice is what gave you away."
"Well, thanks for not blowing my cover, Emma…I assume that's your real name?"
"Yes. Emma Swan. And you're welcome, Rachel," she emphasized the fake name before continuing. "I can't blame you, given that it looks like half the Con is in this Starbucks."
"That's why I picked you," Regina started.
Emma was confused. "Wait, what?"
Regina looked up at the woman before explaining. "Everyone else who was in the first half of the line is clearly headed to Comic-Con. Unless there's a ballerina superhero story I'm not aware of, you seemed like you were the safe choice." She looked Emma up and down, inspecting her more closely. "I was in a hurry and had to make a snap judgment as to who would be least likely to 'out' me. I figured anyone else here might notice right away and start shrieking."
Emma nodded as she looked down at herself, becoming slightly embarrassed at her current state of dress. She had her American Ballet Theater track jacket zipped up over her leotard and a pair of cutoff sweatpants pulled on haphazardly over her footless tights. Flip-flops and calloused feet rounded out the elegant look. "Then I'd say you made a good call. But I gotta admit that I would be at the Con if my rehearsal schedule let me, and if I could afford it. A few of my friends are over there, actually. They're livetweeting their experience so I can catch up later when I'm done for the day. We're all big fans of your show, and some of the other series that are there," Emma sheepishly admitted, hoping not to slip into fangirl mode. If Regina was fazed by Emma's statement, she didn't show it. "I think they're actually signed up for your autograph session and photo op later. They were rubbing it in my face earlier that they would get to meet the legendary cast of Frozen Mirror while I'm stuck in the middle of tech rehearsals."
Regina let out a small chuckle. "Oh, shit, what time is it?" Regina asked as their names were called. She grabbed both drinks from the counter while Emma pulled out her phone and checked.
"It's 2:45." Emma took the drink Regina handed her as they moved out of the way of the other customers and over to the condiment counter, where Regina proceeded to empty a pack of Splenda into her cup.
"Damn. I have to be back for the autograph signing at 3. I promised my producer I'd only be gone 20 minutes. I wish they would give us a little more time in between events."
"Well, it's a good thing you cut in line then. You'd still be waiting, otherwise." Emma laughed as she took a sip of her coffee, watching as Regina stirred her coffee before pressing the lid back onto the cup.
"Indeed. Thanks again for that, by the way. You have no idea how badly I needed some real coffee. The stuff they brew over there just doesn't cut it. You're a lifesaver."
"My pleasure. And thank you for the coffee and sandwich."
"It's the least I could do." Regina paused, creating an awkward silence as she took a sip. She had to get back, but somehow this short 10 minute coffee adventure had been the most normal interaction she could remember in recent history, and she wasn't in any hurry for it end.
"Well, you should probably head back so they don't fire your ass," Emma said, interrupting Regina's silent contemplation. "You wouldn't want to keep the troops waiting. Those nerds can get crazy."
Regina laughed. "No, I suppose that wouldn't be wise." They started walking toward the entrance, and Regina could sense that Emma wanted to say something, but was holding back. "Umm, since you can't make it to the convention, did you want a picture or anything before I head back?"
"Oh, yeah! I would love that, actually. I wasn't going to ask because I didn't want to draw attention to you, given that you went through all this trouble to avoid recognition," Emma said, gesturing toward Regina's attire. Then she smiled, "Plus, your disguise is so good no one would believe me if I said it was you anyway."
"Good point. Do you want to walk back toward the convention center with me? I can take off the glasses and hat there and give you a proper photo, if you don't mind walking over."
"Are you serious?"
"Mhmm." Regina nodded.
"Then yeah, absolutely. Thanks."
They exited the Starbucks and Emma followed Regina across the street and toward the alley behind the convention center, which was filled with vendor trucks. They maneuvered around the crew members wheeling dollies full of boxes, replenishing their stock of souvenirs. Regina removed her sunglasses and hat, taking her hair down from the ponytail and brushing it out with her fingers. "Where's your phone?" she asked Emma as they approached the security guard manning the back door. Emma took it out of her purse and Regina nodded to the guard. "Excuse me sir, would you mind taking a quick photo of us?" He looked at Regina like she was crazy until she pulled her all-access lanyard out from its place tucked inside her shirt and showed it to him.
"Oh, sure thing, Ms. Mills. I didn't recognize you."
"That was the point. I had to get out of there for a little while, you know?"
He nodded as he took the phone from Emma and signaled for the two women to get together. Regina casually draped her right arm around Emma's shoulder, angling their torsos toward each other. Emma instinctively wrapped her left arm around Regina's waist, feeling Regina inch closer to her. "Okay, on the count of three: one, two, three." The women smiled as he took a few pictures before handing the phone back to Emma.
"Thanks."
"Did they turn out okay?" Regina asked, motioning for Emma to check the images as she peered over her shoulder. Emma could feel her breath quicken but tried not to let it show, as she felt Regina standing behind her. "Oh, good! They did." Regina seemed satisfied with the photos. "Can you do me a huge favor?"
"Of course."
"If you post that to social media, can you wait until after 7 o'clock tonight to do it? I may try to sneak out for a break later today and I don't want to reveal my excellent disguise to the masses."
Emma rolled her eyes. "That I can do."
"Great, thank you Emma."
"You're welcome, Regina."
Regina's breath hitched for just a second as she heard Emma say her name for the first time. She quickly shook it off. "I have to head in. Thanks again for letting me so rudely cut in line, Miss Swan."
"Anytime, Ms. Mills." Emma winked as Regina opened the door, smiling and offering Emma a small wave as she stepped inside.