You'd been practicing this conversation over and over in your head for weeks, months if you really wanted to get technical. You keep telling yourself it won't be that hard. You take down criminals for a living, how hard can three little words be to say? But even at the thought of saying them out loud your chest begins to constrict and your breathing becomes uneven. You try taking a few deep breaths to calm your nerves but it feels like you're drowning and you can't keep your head up.

The ringing of the phone on your desk brings you out of your panicked state.

"Sheriff Swan here," you say into the receiver.

"Ah Miss Swan. Is there nothing better for you to be doing other than sitting at your desk and twiddling your thumbs?"

"Well seeing as how there is never any crime in this sleepy little town and I've finished all my paperwork, no, there is nothing better for me to do. And for your information Madame Mayor," you emphasize the last few words for full effect, "I was tweeting, not twiddling."

You hear a sigh of frustration on the other end of the line and you can't help but smile at the fact that you have yet again frustrated her. You can imagine the roll of her eyes and her shaking her head and the smirk she lets grace her lips that she would never let you see if you were arguing face-to-face. You know her though. You know her better than she wants you to know her.

"Well honestly Miss Swan if you have nothing better to do than tweet all day maybe you could find room in your oh so busy schedule to have dinner with Henry and I tonight."

You smile at yourself because this is it. This is your in.

"I'd love to," you tell her.

"Lovely. Dinner's at 7 and please don't be late Miss Swan. Henry is on a regular schedule and I don't want that getting messed up because you couldn't show up on time."

"I'll see you at 7 Regina," and you hang up the phone before she can protest about you being so informal.

You've been staring at the clock for the past two hours, each minute passing feels like an eternity. Suddenly you're 13 again waiting for the final bell at school to ring, signaling you're allowed to leave. The clock finally strikes five and you grab your jacket and almost run out the door.

You quickly walk back to the small apartment you share with Mary-Margaret, one of the first friends you made in this town, and you go upstairs and immediately get in the shower. You practice what you're going to say again, for the hundredth time since you were invited to dinner this afternoon, and you finally feel at ease about it all.

The thought she might reject you never crosses your mind because you catch her staring at you all the time. She stares at your legs and your lips and well, other parts of you too. You blush at the thought of how tonight could possibly end and you finish getting ready with the biggest grin on your face. You get your boots on and glance at the clock. 6:15. You pull your phone out of your pocket, checking the time on that too just in case the clock in the house is wrong. It's not though. It probably never will be either as long as Mary-Margaret lives there. She was one of those people that liked to have everything just so.

You stare off into space going over the words one last time. You want everything to be perfect. It has to be. You've practiced too much and come too far to fuck things up now. A key turning in the lock startles you and you quickly get up from the couch and greet your room mate.

"Hi!" you exclaim, your nerves peeking through the cracks even with your room mate.

"Oh! Hi Emma," the timid woman walking through the door says.

"I'm going to Regina's tonight for dinner and who knows what else, so don't wait up for me." You dig your phone out of your pocket and check the time again. 6:18.

"Seriously?" you say to nobody.

"What's wrong Emma?" Mary-Margaret questions.

"Nothing I'm just super anxious about dinner tonight and the time is laaaagging," you drag out for full effect.

"Why so anxious? You've done dinner with them before."

"Because tonight's the night M&M. I'm finally gonna tell Regina how I feel," you say excitedly. You watch her bring her hand up to her heart and tears start to form in her eyes. You start to smile but realize it's too soon for celebration when the woman in front of you starts shaking her head.

"Emma, are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, I've known Regina Mills for as long as I can remember and for as long as I can remember, she's never dated. Sure, she slept with Graham occasionally but that doesn't require emotion from her. She just used him. I just…I don't trust her Emma."

"I know all of that Mary-Margaret and I appreciate your concern but you're wrong. You don't know her like I do. You don't see how she is at home when it's just us. It's almost like we're a family and I've never really had that before." You stop because you hear a sharp intake of breath and look up to see tears falling freely from the other woman's eyes. You step towards her, reaching out to comfort her but she puts up her hands and steps back.

"Well then go for it Emma. Go get your family." And you can't help but notice the snap at the end of the last word.

"Mary-Margaret! Did I say something wrong?"

"No… sorry Emma, it's just been a long day." She starts twisting the ring on her finger and she looks back up to you, "I may not agree with what you're about to do but good luck. Please just be careful. Protect your heart, ok?"

"Of course I'll be careful M&M. I'm a big girl. I got this," you say as you walk out the door.

"Oh this isn't going to end well," your room mate says but you don't hear it. And maybe it's best that you don't.