It was a warm day in Storybrooke, but no one really seemed to mind. Most people were happier with heat than cold at the moment. In the past few weeks they had had their fair share of snow and ice, and the warm sun was a welcome change.

I looked around and noticed the few small flowers decorating the green grass besides the sidewalks. Their white heads dangling from their stems, bowing their little green necks, trying to see the earth up close. Some left over snow and ice decorated the grass patches around them, but they didn't seem to mind the cold and grew happily wherever they could.

I could hear children laughing, people talking, birds chirping and car engines roar as they came to life. I imagined how the person behind the steering wheel had pressed the key into the ignition, turning it and waking the car up so it could bring them to their destination.

I focused my attention on a voice that was particularly loud. It boomed across the street, and I followed the sound until I reached the person it came from. The short, almost bald man was having an animated conversation with a brown haired woman with a blue coat. He was standing with his back turned to me, but I had no trouble in looking at his partner.

The man was obviously talking about something exciting, and the woman he was talking to seemed very interested in what he had to say. Judging by the look in the woman's eyes, they weren't just strangers that had walked into each other on the street on this warm evening.

I leaned forward a bit, trying to catch more words of what the man was saying. I wasn't trying to pry or intrude on their privacy, but because he was talking so loud, I didn't think he would mind if there was another pair of ears listening in.

I had my legs crossed as I sat on this park bench in the street, trying, albeit not very hard, to not pull any attention to myself. That would have to wait until tonight when I made my big entrance. I closed my eyes a bit, hoping it would improve my hearing skills. Sadly, it didn't. Still, I was able to pick up parts of their conversation.

"Elsa… snow gone… party… Town Hall."

That was really all I needed to hear for my mind to connect the dots and work out what he was saying. I called up images of the woman named Elsa, who had been visiting Storybrooke on accident. After a misunderstanding and a lot of build-up anger, she had frozen the town and covered it in a layer of snow. Making it look like it was winter while it was in fact the middle of the summer.

The blonde haired woman had been unreachable and angry, but after the woman who called herself 'The Saviour' had found a way to make things right between her and the town, things had started to unfold and gone back to normal.

The snow had melted and the temperature had risen. Surprisingly, almost every resident of the small town had been willing to help deal with the aftermath. Which mostly meant cleaning the streets of left over snow and getting the town back into its normal day to day rhythm.

As a celebration and to thank everyone for their help, the Charming family had planned a party at Town Hall tonight. It had been on short notice, but I was sure almost everyone would show up. After days of being stuck in the snow and cold, people longed for warmth and a feeling of community.

I hadn't officially been invited, but I paid no mind to that. Everyone would be let in without needing any affirmation from anyone else that they were welcome. And even if that would be necessary, I had my ways to get in without much trouble, and I wasn't afraid to use them if that would mean I could join the party.

As I got up from my previous position on the wooden bench, I pulled up my collar and straightened my sunglasses. I wasn't effectively trying to hide my identity, but it would simply be a lot easier if I got through this day without any unwanted questions or attention.

Bowing over a bit as if I was walking through heavy rain and wind, I moved silently and quickly across the street, avoiding eye contact and accidently bumping into someone. I made my way over to the edge of the town. It was a long walk, but I didn't mind.

There was no one here, and the woods were nice and cool, but mostly, quiet. As I spotted the bright red line painted on the road, I knew I could cross it easily. I was one of the few people in this town that would safely get to the other side, and I had used that to my advantage many times.

Even though I knew it wouldn't do me any harm, I still hesitated every time I stepped over the line. Today was no exception. I had seen many people losing their memories or even their lives when they crossed this seemingly innocent line, and I had no desire to follow them in their fate.

I held my breath as I took that last step, still unknowingly expecting the worst, but today, just as every day, nothing happened and I hastily took a few more steps to create more distance between me and the edge of the town.

The line gave me an uncomfortable feeling, though I didn't know exactly why. I guessed it was because I knew what kind terrible things had happened on this small piece of earth. I quickly pushed my feelings away and picked up my pace. My cottage wasn't far from here, and I needed all the time I had to get ready for tonight.

I looked up towards the sky and noticed the position of the sun. it was somewhere between two and three a.m. and I still had a lot to do. As I came closer to my small home, the air around me changed. I felt the magic tingle on my skin and knew I had entered the area I had protected with an invisibility spell to prevent anyone from discovering my house.

I opened the door with a simple swing of my hand. I smiled as I remembered magic shouldn't be possible outside of Storybrooke, and yet here I was, opening doors with just a motion of my wrist. I had found a small leak in the dome that was keeping magic in, and unwanted visitors out.

Ever since I had discovered that, I had been pulling magic out of the town and into my own little bubble of safety. Building my home just there, I could enjoy the positive sides of magic without being scared that someone might find me.

Once inside, I looked around, assuring myself I was alone and that everything was still exactly where I had left it. I could never be too careful. When I was absolutely sure of my safety, I started getting ready for tonight. I was excited, I could finally come out of my hiding place and maybe even join in with the normal people in the town.

This night could also turn out the wrong way, but I really hope that wouldn't be the case. Positive thinking. I repeated that as a mantra in my head, hoping that if I repeated it enough times to myself, it would cheer me up a bit. I was ready for tonight, I had enough time to prepare, and now it was finally time to face them.

"Do I really have to wear this?" Henry moaned when Snow tightened his tie.

"Yes. It makes you look very handsome." Emma replied. "And besides, it wasn't my idea. You can blame your other mother for this."

"I just want to wear a shirt and jeans just like you, Emma." Henry said as he tried to loosen the band around his neck a bit. Snow swatted his hand away before he could really accomplish anything.

"I know buddy." Emma sighed. "It's just for a few hours though, and it will make Regina really happy."

To be honest, she really did feel sorry for the kid, but he did look pretty damn good in his black tuxedo. She was also glad it had been Regina who had forced him to wear it. This way she could enjoy him, without having to be the 'bad cop'. She had Regina for that. She smiled softly at Henry and ruffled his hair.

"Emma's right, Henry. You look dashing and I'm sure Regina will love it to see you in your suit." Snow added and took a step back.

She turned her head a bit to the side and looked her grandson up and down, inwardly checking if everything was in place and looked presentable. After a few seconds she was convinced, and with a nod of her head she gave him the sign that he could relax now.

It was still at least an hour before the party would start, and she herself still needed to put on her dress and make up. Emma, as always, didn't want to wear a dress, but instead chose to wear her standard skinny jeans and shirt. Snow did convince her to wear a shirt that would match Henry's tie.

The short brunette excused herself and left the room, leaving Emma and Henry behind in the living room. She needed to check on baby Neal to see if he was still soundly asleep. And she still had to take a shower and get dressed.

Henry sat down on the couch, making sure he wouldn't wrinkle any of his clothing. He smiled up at Emma and said, "Mom, since I have to be careful with my outfit, and you're not dressed yet anyway, could you do me a favour?"

"I see what you're doing kid, and normally it would depend on what you want, but tonight, and only tonight, am I willing to help you out in your time of need." She answered with a smirk.

"Can you call my mom?"

"You mean Regina?" Henry nodded once. "Why, Henry?"

"Just to make sure she's okay. She looked pretty stressed about the whole party and stuff. I just want to make sure she won't freak out or something. And it would be cool if she could come pick me up. I want to spent some time with her before the party, and it would be nice for you and Snow to get ready together. It's not like I'm a big help in that department."

He grinned.

"Yeah sure. You want to talk to her too?" He nodded again and Emma got up from her chair at the table to get her phone.

She didn't really know what to say to Regina, but she unlocked her phone anyway. Bringing up her contact list, she scrolled down until she reached the letter R and she found Regina's name. She brought the phone to her ear and listened to the dial tone.

After a while, she heard Regina pick up.

"Emma?" The woman on the other end of the line sounded surprised.

"Yeah, its me."

"Why are you calling? Is Henry all right?" Regina said, sounding a bit worried now.

"Henry is fine, he just wanted to know if you were okay."

"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, with the party and all, and well… I'll let the kid explain."

She lowered the phone and handed it to Henry, who took it from her, eager to talk to his other mother.

"Hey mom." He said, smiling. "No, I'm fine… Emma is fine too… Yeah I'm all dressed and ready… no, actually I was wondering if you could come and pick me up from Snow's apartment."

He was quiet for a while, but judging by the broad smile on his face, Regina had probably answered positively.

"Yeah, okay. I'll see you in a bit then. Bye mom." After that, he hung up and handed the phone back to Emma.

"You sure you don't want to stay here with me and your grandmother?" Emma asked him with a teasing smile, "We're pretty cool you know."

"Yeah, I'm aware of that. But I don't think I can listen to another conversation about shaving legs or waxing eyebrows without ending up with severe brain damage." He chuckled softly.

"Hey man, we don't always talk about that. And besides, you were eavesdropping when you heard us talk about that, so it wasn't our fault." Emma said, leaning back into the couch. "Oh and, back then we didn't know she was my mom, and now I don't feel completely comfortable to talk to my mom about shaving anything at all."

"Okay, thanks for that, you've scarred me for life" He said trying to sound serious, but even though he tried, he couldn't hide the amused glint in his eyes.

"Don't even go there." Emma replied with a scolding tone just as fake as his seriousness.

They both giggle, and then fall into a comfortable silence. They hear Snow stumble around in the other room, and ten minutes later she comes out of the bathroom, fully clothed and ready to go.

"Hey guys." She greets them, and both Emma and Henry notice she is already in her dress.

"Hey." They reply simultaneously as they both look up.

"You look great." Henry says, clearly approving of his grandmothers choice of clothing.

"Thanks." Snow replies with a faint blush on her face. She twirls around a few times to give them the full effect of the dress.

The idea of the party was to dress up in formal wear, and as the queen, Snow had to wear a dress that would stand out and pull a lot of attention to herself, while at the same time it would be modest. And Emma found it safe to say that this dress was going to do just that.

The dress was dark green, a piece of fabric thrown over the right shoulder, leaving the other bare. Around the middle, there was some sort of belt in the same colour as the dress itself, but with a beautiful silver clasp a little bit left of the middle.

The lower layer of the dress reached to the ground, and there was a top layer that was positioned a little more airy and almost floated around the skirt. They couldn't see any shoes now that the woman wearing it wasn't walking around, but they would probably be a shade of green or black, and it would undoubtedly match the dress perfectly.

To top off the already perfect outfit, Snow left her hair neutral, but placed a simple white flower on the right side of her head. Creating an almost fairy like look. It matched her personality, original, but not over the top.

"The kid's right. That is one hell of a dress." Emma compliments her former roommate. "I mean, I know you're the queen and all, and you are supposed to stand out, but this dress is certainly going to make some heads turn, I'm sure of that."

Snow smiled brightly, clearly flattered by the positive comments that the two gave her. She knew she looked good, but nothing could make her feel more beautiful than complements from the people she loved most, her family.

She walked over to the kitchen and picked her phone up from the white marble counter, unplugging the charger as she went. She brought the screen to life and unlocked it with a few taps on the screen.

"I've got a text from Charming. He says Town Hall is ready, but he needs my help with some of the last minute decoration. So I'm going to head over there now. Will you two be okay on your own?"

Emma nodded and Henry stood up, also clutching his phone.

"Mom just texted me too, saying she's waiting in front of the apartment for me to come down."

He looked at Emma and smiled weakly. "If I weren't all dressed up I would hug you, but now I'm not going to risk getting my clothes all wrinkled up." He faked a sad look, and Emma gave him a push towards the door.

"Go. I've been dying to have the apartment for myself." She stood up and teasingly pushed him out the door, making Snow follow with just a look.

Noticing the worried look on Snow's face, she reassured her. "Don't worry. I will wear what you laid out for me on my bed, I won't forget to drink something before I go, and I won't hurt myself on anything. I'm a grown woman, I can get ready on my own." She winked at the brunette, assuring her she would be just fine.

"Okay then. " Snow replied, smiling. She put her hand on Henry's back and ushered him out of the door. "Don't forget the deodorant." She calls without looking back.

"I won't." Emma yells back before closing the door.

Finally, some room to breathe. She loves her family, but sometimes they can get a bit… much. She pours herself a glass of water and drinks it all in one go. The cold fluid makes its way down her throat, giving her a slight chill down her spine.

She really needed to get ready. She told everyone she was going to wear her jeans and shirt, but in all secrecy, she had ordered a dress online to surprise everyone. She knew that she hadn't really been the princess daughter her parents wanted her to be, and this dress might make up for some of that.

Even though she generally despised wearing dresses, she managed to find one she didn't completely hate. And she was sure Snow would approve, even more so because it would look beautiful next to the queens own dress.

She walked over to her bedroom and ignored the clothes that were laid out for her on her bed. Instead, she opened her closet and started digging deeper until her fingers fell on the white bag she kept her dress in.

She pulled it out and zipped it open, revealing the light purple dress that was inside. She carefully took it out of the cover and held it in front of her while she looked in the mirror on the inside of her closet door.

Deciding she could judge it better if she actually wore the dress, she started undressing. Once she was bare, except for her underpants, she gently stepped into the purple piece of clothing and pulled it up over her shoulders.

She looked into the mirror again, now able to see the dress in its full form, she realised she actually quite liked it.

The dress was a light purple, reaching just above her knees. the bodice was decorated with see-through tulle, with embroidered flowers on it. It hugged her shoulders, and had very short sleeves. The skirt fell loosely around her upper legs, it wasn't too long, but certainly not too short either.

As for her shoes, she wasn't much of a high heels kind of person, so she opted for flat, white ballerina shoes. Comfortable, but still stylish. And besides, she didn't need the extra height anyway.

She would tie her hair in a simple ponytail, and some light makeup should finish her look. When she was finished and gave herself a final once over, she was happy with how it turned out.

She looked girly enough for it to be accepted as a princess, but not that girly that it would make her uncomfortable. She could work with this.

She checked the time, if she wanted to arrive early, she had to leave soon. She definitely didn't want to be late. First of all, she was part of the Charming family, so being late wasn't even an option. And secondly, the later she would arrive, the more people would stare at her when she entered. She wanted to avoid that at all costs.

She was well aware that she was Emma, prince Charming and Snow Whites daughter, so sneaking in without being seen was practically impossible. That wouldn't stop her from trying though.

Breathing in deeply, she mentally prepared herself for this evening. Even though she didn't like it, she was going to do this. She was ready, it was time to face the crowd.

Regina let her hands wander over the soft fabric of her dress. The half blue, half black dress fit her perfectly, leaving her shoulders and arms bare. It reached to the floor, and it was mostly made from light material.

She had almost giggled like a young girl when she first tried it on, but she could regain herself just in time. She was a queen for god's sake. Queens don't squeal like that when they try on a new dress. It was even more ridiculous because back in the Enchanted Forest she had owned dressed that were much bigger and, let's say, more daring than this one.

Even so, she had been excited when she picked this one out for the party at Town Hall. She wanted to look good, but not give away too much of an 'Evil Queen' vibe.

She looked around her, taking in the surroundings. A great amount of people had already made their entrance, and were now talking to others or fill their plates with food that was set upon long tables that were placed among the walls of the grand room.

Henry would probably be somewhere close to the table that held the cake and other sweet treats. Normally, she would have kept him away from that particular table, but tonight he could enjoy it for as long as it lasts.

Storybrooke wasn't known for their long periods of peace and quiet, and now that Elsa had been calmed down, Regina was almost sure that the next threat was just around the corner. So for now, Henry could indulge in the happiness and enjoy being pampered for as long as it would last.

In the middle of the room, Snow and Charming were talking to some people Regina didn't know by name. They both looked magical tonight, as it was expected from a King and Queen.

She herself was standing close to the wall that was furthest from the door. From here she had a perfect and unobstructed view of who entered and left the room. Plus, she always preferred to stand close to a wall. It made her feel safe and protected in a way.

When she looked up, she noticed Snow looking at her. She gave the princess a weak smile, and then let her eyes wander away from her. She didn't really want to be here. The whole ordeal with Elsa had been quite draining. Emotionally and physically.

Not only did she have to use a lot of magic to track the woman's long lost sister Anna, she also had to keep the people in Storybrooke from freezing to death by providing them with food and blankets and things like that. And when the snow had disappeared, she helped with getting rid of most of the leftover snow, because that's what everyone expected from the mayor.

Her arms were sore from the hard work and her feet hurt as hell. She wanted nothing more than curl up in her bed with a hot water bottle and some extra blankets. But for now she had to hold out with this party, she was the mayor after all.

Just when she turned around to find a chair, she heard people around her gasp. She turned her head to quickly it hurt, but she couldn't help it. It was an old habit of hers.

It took her a while to locate the place where everyone was looking at, but soon enough she locked her eyes on the blonde woman who had just entered the room.

Emma smiled politely, but she looked anything but comfortable with all the attention she got. All the eyes were focused on her, not in a negative way, but the blonde looked like she rather be invisible. Regina understood what Emma felt at the moment. She herself wasn't really fond of being the centre of attention either.

As a queen, she had no choice, so she made the best of it by making her public fear her. It made it a little easier to deal with, but she never enjoyed it.

Emma's eyes found hers and lit up. She smiled at her and gave her a small wave. Regina smiled back. They had become quite good friends over the last couple of weeks. They had joined forces when everyone needed a solution to the 'constant winter' problem, and ever since then, they had gotten along well.

It had begun to look like friendship, and they both enjoyed each other company. Maybe that was why Emma was making her way over to Regina, slightly slouched over as if she was trying to not stand out in the crowd.

"Hey." Emma said when she finally stood in front of Regina.

"Hey."

"So, you uh… enjoying this party?"

"No, not really no. Henry seems to like it though." Regina answered while looking in the direction of where she saw their son last.

"Yeah, I don't like it that much either. Except for the free food though." Emma smiled.

"You and Henry seem to have that in common." Regina replied with a light smile.

"I know right. The kids got the right priorities." Emma winked at her and went to stand next to the brunette, now both looking into the big hall.

"He definitely got that from me." Regina added.

They were both silent for a while, both content with watching other people interact and move around. Both casting casual glances in Henry's direction to make sure he didn't go overboard with the food.

"You look really nice tonight, Regina." Emma said after a few minutes. She didn't look at her, but Regina knew Emma was sincere.

"You look very lovely as well, Emma. I hadn't expected you to wear a dress for tonight."

"I don't think anyone was prepared for that." Emma joked.

"Probably not, but I'm sure your mother liked it."

"Oh you have no idea. Did you see her face when she saw me walk in?"

"I can't say I have, but I think I can imagine what she looked like." Regina laughed as her eyes automatically found the woman they were talking about.

"Yeah. I convinced her I would wear jeans to this thing. And believe me, her face was priceless when I told her that." Emma said.

"It's a miracle she was even okay with that." Regina replied with a smirk.

"It was." Emma pointed out.

Emma explained her in detail how hard it had been to secretly order a dress online and let it deliver without Snow, Charming or Henry finding out. And Regina couldn't help but smile at the way Emma waved her arms while she talked.

It wasn't long before both got so lost in their conversation that they forgot there were others around them.

That was why neither of them noticed the woman entering the hall.

Part two will be uploaded soon.

Reviews are appreciated