A/N: I'm back with another AU based on a movie. Apparently, this will be my thing. Hopefully, all of you that enjoyed Going For The Gold will enjoy Affair of the Heart. This AU is modernly based but as a nod to the original set in the 80s the Main title and chapter titles are all 80s songs that I thought made an excellent soundtrack to the story.

Warning: There will be some Regina/Robin in the very beginning of this story but it won't last long.

Bonus Track this week:

Main title - Affair of the Heart - Rick Springfield
Chapter 1 title - Something About You - Level 42

Emma Nolan was from the wrong side of the tracks but she was falling for a girl … no a woman from the right side of the tracks. Everything about Regina Mills was regal, spectacular, poised, and superior ... everything that Emma wasn't. Emma was quiet, a loner except for her best friend Ruby and she worked with her hands both artistically and mechanically. Regina was popular, had friends and her boyfriend, although he was a douche, he was looked up to. In other words, Regina was way out of her league but that didn't stop Emma's admiration from afar. Emma had even started painting and sketching portraits of Regina whenever she got the chance. Her latest project for art class even involved the woman she couldn't get out of her head.

Most people didn't know Emma existed besides Ruby, her parents, and a few teachers. Which baffled Emma at times because she and her father, David, ran the only local car repair service in town. Nolan's Auto Service was something David had started before Emma was born. Emma always found it interesting even as a small child that her father played with large cars and gadgets. Emma spent so much time in the garage that David showed her how to do a few jobs and she excelled from there. Emma loved the work so much that she didn't want to go to college, much to her mother's dismay she wanted to stay on and help her dad and eventually take over.

Emma's mother, Mary Margaret, was kind and sweet to everyone but Emma it seemed. Emma had always been closer to her father but ever since Emma started high school Mary Margaret wouldn't stop badgering her about going to college. One argument after the other occurred. Mary Margaret was definitely persistent when it came to getting what she wanted but she didn't seem to want to listen to Emma's reasoning.

Ruby, Emma's best friend since birth, was the one she'd shared the most with. Only she had not shared her latest development of feelings towards Regina Mills with her. She knew that Ruby would tell her it wasn't worth it. Ruby would tell her that Regina was a rich stuck up snob much like her boyfriend, Robin Locksley. Emma knew though that there was more to Regina than met the eye. Now all Emma had to do was show Regina who Robin really was and that she was worth a second look, nothing more than the impossible.

Emma rode home from school and parked her bike in the driveway; she needed to get changed for the garage so she could help her dad if they were busy, or relieve him so he could come home for dinner. As she walked into the house she caught a glimpse of her mom and tried to scurry up the stairs to avoid yet another argument about college. Emma made it halfway up the stairs before her mother called her name. Emma rolled her eyes and made her way back down the stairs because she knew what was coming.

"Emma! Come down here for a second."

As Emma stomped down the stairs she yelled, "Mom, I'm going to be late."

Mary Margaret sighed, "Your father can handle it for a few moments without you. I've been checking out some colleges."

There it was, Emma knew it was coming, it was just like clockwork. It didn't matter how many times they had the discussion her mother wouldn't let it go. Emma decided maybe a new approach was in order. Emma sarcastically replied, "Mom, are you going to college? That's great."

"If I'd gone to college maybe I wouldn't be giving piano lessons and your father wouldn't work almost six days a week. If you don't pick something, honey, that will be you too. Take a look at these brochures, new ones came in the mail today." Mary Margaret had an array of various college brochures in front of her on the coffee table which now looked like a college recruiter had thrown up on.

Emma hesitated by the entrance of the stairs. "I'll do it later, Mom, I promise."

Mary Margaret sighed heavily, "Yes, but you keep putting this off, Emma. You really need to think about your future. You have a shot to be the first one in our family to have a college degree. Don't throw that away."

Emma just gave her mother a small nod and continued up the stairs to change clothes. Emma needed a new approach with her mother, everything she gave her was knocked down. You'd think her mother had a job as a military strategist at some point with the way she seemed prepared for everything Emma would throw at her.

Once Emma was changed she rushed out the door and headed toward the garage. When she arrived her dad was under the hood of Mr. Gold's Cadillac.

"Hey, kiddo." David said from underneath the hood.

Emma laughed, "Dad, how did you know it was me?"

David got out from under the hood, "Because you always have that depressed scuffle on the pavement when you're upset with your mother. Let me guess the college thing again?"

Emma sighed, "Yeah I need a new tactic she just doesn't get it."

David nodded as he wiped the grease off his hands and closed the hood to the Cadillac. He sat down beside Emma on the bench in the garage, "Maybe you just have to be straight with her about the plan you and I have about you taking over the shop."

Emma laid her head on her dad's shoulder and pouted, "Or maybe you could tell her for me?"

David chuckled, "Oh no, kiddo, this is between the two of you. I'm not the one she's trying to get to go to college."

Emma let out an elongated "Fiiiiinnnnnneeee."

David got up, "Seriously, Em, give your mother a shot. I know you and I have always been closer but maybe if you just give it to her straight and show her the business plan we have laid out she will let it go."

Emma nodded.

David grabbed his keys, "There's not much to do tonight. Mr. Gold's was my last scheduled car of the day, so unless someone stops by just come home at six."

Emma got up and headed toward the office, "Got it, Dad, see you at home."

Emma was in the library "studying" but she was really sketching Regina again. Regina was a few tables ahead of her with Robin. She was trying to study but Robin kept bothering her. Emma almost wanted to do something about it but she knew Robin would either make a scene or beat her into a bloody pulp, neither option sounded appealing at the moment so she just continued to glance up every few seconds as she contoured the curve of the beautiful woman's face.

Regina brushed off each touch Robin gave her and asked him to stop as she was trying to study. At one point Regina looked up and made direct eye contact with Emma. Emma was so entranced that she stopped drawing for a few seconds. Robin noticed and followed Regina's line of sight and it landed right on Emma. Emma snapped out of her daze when she noticed Robin was staring right at her. She immediately looked away as if nothing had happened. Emma didn't look up for a few seconds in fear that Robin was going to come over and say something to her, however when she looked back Robin was leaning over the table and kissing Regina as she smiled. Emma closed her sketchbook and wondered why she couldn't be the one that made Regina Mills smile? Emma knew for a fact Robin was a sleazeball and Regina could do so much better.

Later that day Emma was working on her art project and heard Robin's voice in the hall. She wandered out that way to see if he was with Regina or up to something else. When Emma came to the doorway she was shocked to find Robin flirting with another girl and kissing her. Emma knew he was a jackass but didn't know he was a cheater too. How could someone that had an amazing woman like Regina even think about anyone else? Just then Emma heard the familiar click of heels on the floor and couldn't help but get excited that Regina was going to catch Robin and break up with him and Emma would finally have her shot. She could swoop in and pick up the pieces.

Regina slowed down when she saw Robin had some girl pressed up against the lockers and was kissing her cheek. Robin looked up and knew he had to come up with something fast, he sent the other girl away and thought about what he could tell Regina. Robin gave her a cocky smile, "Regina, hi."

Regina picked up speed and walked past him in the hall. Emma thought this was her big chance. Regina opened her locker and ignored Robin. Robin, however, acted like nothing had happened, "Want to go to your place?"

As Regina continued to ignore Robin he leaned in, "What's wrong?"

Regina scoffed, "Nevermind."

Robin smoothly said, "I want to know what's wrong."

Regina slammed her locker door shut but still didn't turn around, Emma could see the scowl on her face from across the hall.

Robin had the nerve to respond in an appalled manner, "Come on, Regina, don't be like this! She's an old friend of the family and her brother was in a pretty serious car accident, I was just checking in with her. I knew you were coming, I was waiting for you, Regina. Why in the world would I be trying to make out with another girl? Do you think I'm stupid? How can you be so beautiful and so insecure at the same time? Trust is the basis of any relationship, Regina."

Regina turned around to face him finally and Emma thought Regina was going to let him have it. Instead, she continued to say nothing.

Robin leaned in and kissed Regina on the forehead, "I trust you. I'm gonna give you this." He slipped his class ring on her finger, "I'm gonna go get the car I'll be outside waiting."

Emma couldn't believe that Regina was going to just let that happen. Robin was clearly kissing that other girl! Regina looked down at the ring Robin had just slipped on her finger and leaned her head back against her locker and sighed. After a few seconds, she looked across the hall and made eye contact with Emma. Emma gave her a small smile and waved. Regina returned the smile but continued on down the hall after Robin.

Emma was working in the garage after school and Ruby was keeping her company. She decided it was time to tell her best friend about Regina Mills. Ruby was sitting on a stool next to the car Emma had lifted up so she could work underneath it.

Emma cleared her throat, "Can I ask you a question, Rubes?"

Ruby laughed, "Of course, Ems, you know you can ask me about anything, what's up? I noticed you've been quiet and almost brooding lately."

Emma continued to work on the car, "What do you know about Regina Mills?"

Ruby scrunched up her face in confusion, "Regina Mills? Oh, do you mean the girl from school?"

Emma looked at Ruby and nodded, "Yeah what do you know about her?"

Ruby shrugged, "A little why?"

Emma had finished removing the oil plug and was now letting the old oil drain into the collection pan, "Just curious about her, who she is."

Ruby shook her head, "It's because she's beautiful right? I know it's been a while for you, Em, but you know you could pick a better target."

Emma defended, "I didn't say anything about sex, Rubes."

Ruby sarcastically responded, "Oh, do you want to start a book club with her?"

Emma rolled her eyes at her friend, "I didn't say I wanted to do anything with her, Rubes. I just think she's interesting."

Ruby sighed, "Just don't go mistaking paradise for a pair of long legs."

Emma questioned, "What does that mean?"

Ruby replied, "Just don't go roaming where you don't belong, Emma. Regina and you aren't from the same side of town if you haven't noticed."

Emma walked out from underneath the car and toward Ruby, "I express an interest in someone and you're getting tense. What's that about?"

Ruby started pacing, "This isn't tension, Em, this is reasoning, logic reasoning. The way this girl and her rich snobby friends act like they own the place and shit on everyone beneath them is not interesting it's pathetic."

Emma responded, "She's not huge money, Rubes, she lives a few blocks from me. I mean yeah I think she has more than us but not as much as some."

Ruby shook her head, "Still the company she keeps, guilt by association. Really, Em... Regina Mills?"

Emma continued about her job. She knew Ruby would react like this, she was not sure why she even brought it up with her friend, "Just forget about it, Rubes, it's nothing."

Ruby continued to harp on it, "Actually, I think it's something or you wouldn't have even brought it up to me. I love you, but you couldn't get this girl in a million years. One, you're too closed off and shy to even approach her. I know you act like you're over the whole Lily thing but that's why you haven't dated anyone in over a year. Two, Regina Mills would kill you. Girls like her have one thing on their minds and you don't make enough of it."

Emma walked over and grabbed an oil filter off the shelf, "You can't judge a book by its cover, Rubes."

Ruby laughed, "No, but you can tell how much it's gonna cost."

Emma shook her head at her brunette friend with the signature red streak, "You're getting deep over there."

Just then a car pulled up outside the other bay of the garage. Emma went to raise the door so the car could enter and saw it was Robin and Regina in his classic Corvette. Ruby went into the office; she wanted to be nearby if something went wrong but had no reason to be in the middle of it, although it wasn't going to stop her from listening.

Robin pulled in and noticed this was the girl that had been staring at Regina in the library, "Could you check the oil please?"

Emma nodded, "Sure thing just turn off your engine and pop the hood."

Emma walked around to the front of the car and Robin still hadn't popped the hood so she banged gently on the hood. Robin popped the hood but warned, "Hey be nice or I'll also make you check the tires."

Emma ignored him and went about checking the oil. Robin decided he was going to have a little fun with Emma and hopefully make her look bad in front of Regina, "So this is what you do for a living huh?"

Regina glanced over at Robin and wondered what he was up to. So far Emma hadn't responded to Robin's question so he decided to get her attention by honking the horn. Emma jumped about three feet in the air; that scared the shit out of her.

Emma glared at Robin over the hood and he just started laughing, "I'm sorry my hand slipped."

Regina spoke up, "Cut it out, Robin!"

Robin looked over at Regina, "Just mind your own business, babe."

Ruby looked on from inside of the office with great interest. If her friend was going to have any kind of chance with Regina Mills she was going to have to grow some balls and do something about this Robin guy.

Emma was just checking that everything was tight under the hood and decided if this guy was going to be a dick she could play this game too, she discreetly slid the dipstick from his car in the pocket of her overalls. She decided she was not in the position to come back at him verbally at the moment but if she could inadvertently make her family some money when he had to come back for an oil leak, so be it.

As Emma closed the hood Robin said, "So I noticed you like checking out my girlfriend."

Regina snapped, "Shut up, Robin!"

Robin argued, "What she likes looking at you!"

Regina looked at Emma, "I'm sorry about all this."

Emma just smiled at her. Robin looked at Regina like he couldn't believe she was defending this poor girl from the wrong side of the tracks.

Emma looked at Robin, "Oil levels are fine you're all good."

Just before driving off Robin made one last dickish comment, "I'd recommend you keep your eyes and your mind off my property if you know what's good for you!"

Regina and Emma both looked at Robin with nothing but disgust on their faces for his choice of words. As Robin backed out of the garage Emma tossed the stolen dipstick into the trash. How dare he talk about Regina like she was property!

Ruby came out of the office, "Ems, I love you but if you stand a chance with Regina Mills you're going to have to stand up to that douche. That was the perfect opportunity to show Regina you're worth her time more than Robin."

Emma just shook her head and looked out into the night where Regina and Robin drove off.

A/N: Thanks, everyone for reading. This story is already complete and I plan on posting everyone Wednesday. I hope everyone enjoys this adventure as much as my first story!