A/N: So, I'm back with a new story! This is an idea that has been bouncing around in my head for a while.
AU Regina has told a little white lie to her mother about having a girlfriend. To save herself from having to reveal that she lied she has to find someone to pretend to be her girlfriend for a night. In come Emma, but can the two of them get along enough to pull this off to Cora?
Regina stared blindly at the wall in front of her as she waited for the coffee machine to finish guzzling her coffee out. It had been a long day and she could feel the beginnings of a headache coming along. She resisted the urge to rub her temple while in the break room. She didn't need any more rumours about her.
Regina worked at her parents' law firm. Her mother had made it clear that she wanted both of her daughters to follow the path of her parents and go to law school before joining the firm. Zelena had started down the lawyer path until she had met Robin. Then she changed her life and decided to do exactly what she wanted. Now Zelena and Robin, now her husband, ran a diner together and were very happy. Regina hadn't managed to break away from the path Cora had paved. Being a lawyer wasn't what made Regina happy. She wasn't sure what career what would make her happy and that's what made it even harder to break away from her mother's grasp. Being the daughter of a respected lawyer and not holding the same passion around the workplace, yet still being held on a pedal stool, gave way to resentment from Regina's colleagues. The brunette wished her mother would stop giving her high end cases and leave her be but instead Cora insisted that Regina be on the majority of the high end cases possible. There were many more passionate lawyers in the firm, and very good ones too, but Cora wouldn't acknowledge them and they had begun to resent Regina for it. At first she had tried to change their minds and ask for them to be on the case but they had taken her actions the wrong way. In the end she had given up and had just stopped trying with them. She didn't need to be friends with
them.
"Ah, Regina, there you are." Cora swooped into the break room with a flourish and walked over to stand next to her daughter. The two other people in the room raised an eyebrow as they watched mother and daughter. "I just wanted to remind you about the charity ball the firm is holding in two weeks."
"What charity ball?" Regina frowned and turned to face her mother. She hadn't been told about any ball coming up.
"A memo was sent round. Did you not receive it?"
Regina tightened her jaw and glanced at two of her colleagues. They glanced down at the table as they realised they had been caught at one of their many ways to keep Regina out of things. "I must have missed it," the brunette replied to her mother. It was not worth the fight.
"Oh." Cora bristled, hurt that her daughter did not hold the firm and anything to do with it as dear as she did. "Well, we are holding a charity ball in two weeks. I will email you all the details. I'm assuming you have something appropriate to wear?"
"Yes, of course." Regina gave a nod as she reached for her coffee cup. Her headache was now throbbing at her temples.
"Good." Cora gave a nod and glanced over at two of her employees before she turned to leave. Just as she was about to walk out she stopped and turned back to Regina. "Oh, and bringing a date is mandatory, Regina. You are not attending alone. I've found someone suitable for you. Come to dinner tomorrow night. It's time you start thinking about settling down."
Regina could feel her cheeks burn with embarrassment as she heard her two colleagues try to hide a snigger behind their hands but fail. Cora just couldn't help herself. "That's the only way she could get someone to go out with her," the brunette heard from the table. That may have been the final straw that caused the next words to tumble from her mouth.
"I have a girlfriend," Regina blurted without even thinking. She had realised her mistake instantly as Cora's eyebrows just simply raised. It had taken many years for Cora to simply accept the fact that her daughter was a lesbian. She did not like it but Cora now accepted the fact. That did not mean that she did not try and occasionally push guys on Regina.
"And you were just keeping her a secret, were you?"
"No," Regina glanced at her colleagues who were now watching them with interest. "It's still early days that's all. We haven't been together that long."
"Well, this dinner is the perfect opportunity for everyone to meet her." Cora grinned wickedly. The dinner would be enough to scare a girlfriend off and Cora would have her chance to introduce the guy she had lined up for her daughter.
"But," Regina tried to protest but Cora just waved her off and left the break room. The brunette could feel two pairs of eyes boring into her back wanting more information. Regina swallowed the lump in her throat as she realised just how deep the hole was that she had currently dug herself into. Filled with panic Regina quickly made her way back to her office and slammed the door shut as she tried to figure out a way out of this mess.
xXx
Zelena ripped open the packet of coffee beans and poured it into the filter of the coffee machine in the diner. It had been a long day and she was tired. Robin had left the diner early to relive the nanny from their twins. Apparently they had been on top form today and the poor girl was nearly at breaking point by the sound of her voice when she had left Zelena a voicemail earlier. The twins adored Karina, their nanny, but as three year olds they liked to push buttons some days. Today it seemed was one of those days. They usually attended a nursery two days a week as well to try and burn off some energy and spend time with other children their age. Unfortunately they hadn't been for a week and so they had much more energy than Karina could cope with. Robin had offered to leave work early to relive her which meant that Zelena was staying on until closing. She still wasn't sure who had the better end of the deal. She didn't mind if it meant keeping their nanny sane and with the family.
Zelena looked up from watching the coffee pour down into the coffee pot when she heard the bell over the door chime. A smile graced her lips as she saw that her new customer was her baby sister. "Reg," she called warmly. "I didn't know you were dropping by tonight. Coffee?" She bent down to retrieve a mug and place on the counter in front of her as Regina slid onto a stool.
"I need your help."
Zelena frowned as she caught sight of her sister's expression. "What did mother do now?" she sighed as she reached for the full coffee pot and began to pour.
"Did you know about the charity ball in a couple of weeks?"
"Of course." The redhead nodded and leaned both her hands against the counter. "Didn't she tell you?"
"The memo got lost on the way." Regina wrapped both of her hands around the hot mug of coffee. "She informed me today that I am not allowed to attend on my own, I must have a date, and of course she had someone lined up for me. No doubt a man."
"Ah." Zelena gave a knowing nod.
"Anyway, I panicked I guess and told her that I have a girlfriend."
"You do?" The redhead frowned. "You didn't tell me."
"I don't," the brunette moaned and dropped her head down to the counter. "I lied and now I don't know what to do."
Zelena dropped to her elbows on the counter and placed a hand on her sister's arm. "Let's have a think here. You can't tell mother that you don't have a girlfriend because then she'll know that you lied." Regina gave a small nod. "But you don't have a girlfriend and you can't turn up alone." This time she shook her head. "So, you need a girlfriend." Zelena frowned and stood up again. "We need to find you a girlfriend."
Regina sat up and frowned at her sister. She didn't like the excitement she heard in her voice. "Ze," she warned.
"No, Reg, listen. We find you someone to pretend to be your girlfriend. You'll go to the ball together and then a few weeks later you can tell mother that you broke up. That way she doesn't need to know that you lied."
"Who is going to be willing to pretend to be my girlfriend and come to the charity ball with me?"
Zelena paused to think. She glanced around the diner as she tried to think of someone.
"Hey, Regina." Ruby smiled as she carried some empty plates over to the counter. Ruby was Zelena's original waitress when she had first opened the diner with Robin and she had been faithful to them ever since. Ruby had also proved to be a good friend to Zelena.
"Ruby." Zelena grinned.
"No, Ze," Regina warned. "Mother has met Ruby."
"Damn, you're right." Zelena let out a small sigh.
"Want to let me in on this thing you have here?" Ruby looked between the two sisters.
"Regina needs someone to pretend to be her girlfriend for a charity ball our mother is holding in a couple of weeks," Zelena explained.
"I may have told a small lie," Regina sighed and pulled her coffee cup closer. "I told my mother that I have a girlfriend so that she wouldn't try to set me up with some guy that she approves of. However I don't have a girlfriend and now I don't know how to get out of this mess." She took a small sip of her coffee. Not only would her mother know that she lied but so would all her colleagues. She wasn't sure what would be worst, her mother's disapproval or the comments that would be said behind her back at the office.
"So, you need someone to be your girlfriend for a night?" Ruby questioned and Regina nodded. "What about Emma?"
"Who?" the brunette frowned.
"Yes! Why didn't I think of her?" Zelena grinned. "She'd be perfect. She's totally your type, Reg. Emma is Ruby's roommate. She's done a couple of shifts here too to cover Ruby. Do you think she'll agree, Rubes?"
Ruby gave a shrug. "I'm sure I can persuade her." She gave a grin. "You'd make the perfect couple, Regina."
"I'm not sure." Regina hesitated. "I've never met her."
"Exactly. You need someone your mother has never heard of otherwise she'll be onto you. She'll have never heard of Emma," Ruby reasoned. "And with her being my roommate then you have the perfect story for how you met." She grinned as she picked up the empty plates again and carried them into the kitchen.
"Come on, Reg, it's either this or tell mother that you lied." Zelena raised an eyebrow as she pushed a blueberry muffin towards her younger sister. Regina let out a sigh as she began to pick at the muffin, mulling the idea over in her head. "You know you want to." Zelena grinned before she walked off to serve a table who were signalling her.
xXx
"Em-ma," Ruby called as she walked into the apartment she shared with her best friend.
"No," was the reply she got back.
"What?" Ruby frowned as she dumped her boots and jacket by the front door. "I didn't even ask for anything."
"Yet." Emma emerged from the bathroom wearing a tank top and sweats. "I know you, Rubes, you had that tone to your voice and whenever you have that tone it never means anything good." Ruby pouted and flopped down onto the couch like a petulant child. Emma laughed and poked her friend in the ribs as she sat on the couch as well.
"You don't even know what it is yet," Ruby tried and sat up straighter.
"And I don't want to know. There's left over pasta in the fridge if you want some." Emma propped her feet up on the coffee table as she grabbed for the remote and began to flick through the TV channels.
"Aww, spoil sport." Ruby pouted again. "You used to be fun."
"I still am fun."
"Nope, you won't even listen to me." Ruby shook her head. "Now you're just…boring." She scrunched her nose up which earned her a frown from the blonde. "Now the old Emma that I knew, she would have jumped at the chance of anything fun and this is mega fun." Ruby held her hands out trying to emphasise her point. Emma let out a sigh and turned her attention back to the TV as she tried to block her friend out. "Seriously, Em, you're old now." Ruby paused, hoping that would get to the blonde.
"Alright, fine," Emma huffed. "Tell me what it is. I am not old." She glared at Ruby who smiled in triumph. "I hate you at times."
"I know." Ruby bounced up onto her knees, excited to plead her case to the blonde. "Right, so, you know Zelena, yes?"
"Of course." Emma nodded unsure where this was going.
"Okay, so she has a younger sister, Regina." Ruby paused.
"If you say so. Where's this going, Rubes?"
Ruby held up a hand to quieten her friend. "So, Regina has gotten herself into a bit of a dilemma. She's told a little white lie. That's where you come in."
Emma's frown deepened. "I have no idea how I fit into this at all."
"Just wait," Ruby sighed dramatically. "The little white lie she told was to her mother. She told her that she has a girlfriend, which she doesn't, and who will be attending this charity ball in a couple of weeks."
"No." Emma shook her head and stood up. She knew exactly what Ruby was going to ask her to do. "Nope. No way. Nu-uh." She continued to shake her head.
"Oh, Em, please." Ruby clasped her hands together. "It's just for one night. You don't have to pay for anything. You just have to turn up and act like you're in love with Regina. Please, Em."
"No. I don't know this woman. She could be anyone. Why the hell did she lie about this in the first place?" Emma placed her hands on her hips as she looked down at her friend who let out a sigh.
"You haven't heard the stories about her mother. I'm not surprised that she cracked and blurted out a lie just to keep her quiet. Please, I will owe you a big one. Please." Ruby tried her best puppy dog eyes.
Emma stared her friend down for a few seconds before she sighed. "You will owe me massively if I do this."
"Yay!" Ruby grinned and clapped her hands together.
"If I said if." Emma pointed her finger at her friend. "Tell me the details first." The blonde flopped back down onto the couch next to her friend who began to talk excitedly.
"Okay, so, it's a charity ball in two weeks. You have to wear a dress." Ruby rolled her eyes as Emma let out a groan. "Regina will pay for your dress. You can pick out anything, within reason. You go, drink, eat, mingle and then come home. It's simple really." The brunette gave a one shoulder shrug. "Look, come to the diner tomorrow and meet her. Trust me, you'll love her."
Emma eyed her friend suspiciously. "You're up to something Rubes, I'm not sure what but I know you. Fine, I'll come to the diner tomorrow to meet her. I swear if this doesn't work Rubes your ass is on the line."
"Okay, fine." Ruby laughed with excitement as she hugged her friend before grabbing her phone to text Zelena.
A/N: So, shall I continue with this story or just bin it now?!
