Emma Swan looks around the room full of strangers to make sure no one was watching her. Once she was sure, she discreetly puts five cookies – maybe more – inside her purse, and some bread rolls. She glides around the room carefully, making sure no one notices her but she fails because the next thing she knows, a man – a very handsome, rugged-looking man with beautiful brown eyes in a very nice suit who also smells really, really nice – stands next to her… just stands there, and then reaches out and grabs a cookie out of her purse.

"Hey!" she whispers angrily. "That isn't yours!"

"Well," he smirks and then takes a big bite out of the cookie then swallows before he talks again. "Do you want it back?"

Emma simply huffs and glares at him. Who does he think he is?

"I thought so," he says as he finishes the rest of the cookie. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" he asks quietly, a hint of seriousness in his voice but his eyes are playful and light.

Busted, but he doesn't know that so she simply smiles at him while the wheels start to turn in her head. "I'm Emma, and I'm here to attend –" she panics for a bit, forgetting the names of the couple holding the reception, "– Regina and Robin's wedding reception."

The man hums in amusement. "Of course you are." He says as he narrows his eyes at her. "Lying will do you no good, Emma – if that's even your name."

"I am not lying, thank you very much." She says and then adds "Technically." Under her breath.

"What's that?"

"Nothing." She smiles. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go. Good bye."

A hand grabs her left wrist before she could even walk away. She turns around to see the man looking at his hand as if he was surprised by his actions but he looks up at her with eyes of certainty. "Wait," he says.

"What?"

"Can I get you a drink?"

"Isn't it an open bar?" she chuckles.

"It is," He scrunches up his nose and laughs softly. "But that doesn't mean I can't get you one, right?"

She studies his face to see if he's serious. "I don't even know your name."

"Neal Cassidy." He then lets go of her wrist and grabs her hand. He pulls her towards the bar. "So, Emma." He says.

"What?"

"Are you going to tell me why you crashed the wedding?" she stiffens at the question and she tries to pull away but she remembers that he was still holding her hand. "Don't worry," he chuckles as he firms his grip on her. "You're not in trouble. I'm just curious… and amused."

She rolled her eyes at him and sighed. "I just thought it would be fun," she confesses. "I don't have a lot of friends so I don't get invited a lot to weddings and parties." That's a lie.

"Oh?" he looks at her and she knows that he knows she's lying.

"Alright," she gives in. "I was dared."

"Were you?" she nods. "I wonder how you're going to pull this off when there are assigned seats and place cards."

She smirks. "I'm not that dumb. I'm only staying for the hors d'oeuvres, and then I'm out of here."

"That's too bad." He says and he doesn't hide his disappointment. "I was hoping you would stay."

She looks at him with a disbelieving look. "You want me to stay?" she asks and he has the audacity to smile sheepishly. "You just said that there are assigned seats and place cards, how do you suppose I can pull off staying longer?"

"I have ways," he smiles and it makes Emma feel things and she's getting all giddy now. "So, are you going to stay?"

Before she could say no, they were greeted by the bride – she knows it's the bride because apart from the very stunning wedding dress, her smile says everything. "Neal!" the bride says as he lets go of her hand. She awkwardly stands beside Neal and he gives the bride a hug. "We've been looking everywhere for –" she stops when her eyes land on Emma. "Oh, hello!" she smiles but Emma can tell she's trying to remember her name. "I'm sorry, I don't think we've met before. You're Robin's guest, I presume?"

"I – uh…" she falters a bit because of nervousness but Neal interrupts her.

"No," he says and Emma wishes she didn't crash the wedding because now she's going to be humiliated in front of a lot of people and this could potentially ruin the bride's amazing day. "She's mine." Emma doesn't want to give away the lie so she pretends that she is Neal's guest and she simply smiles at him.

"Oh," the bride smiles. "Well, it's a pleasure having you here…"

"Emma," she says and holds out her hand. "Emma Swan."

The bride shakes her hand. "Nice to meet you, Emma. I'm Regina Mills – well, it's Locksley now," she chuckles. "Anyway," she then turns to Neal. "The groom is looking for the best man."

"Oh, is he?" he laughs.

"He told me to tell you that he is in 'the secret place', wherever that is." She says. "What are you idiots up to?"

"Nothing," Neal says it in a way that says otherwise. "I must go now if the groom needs me, then." Emma starts to panic because Neal will leave her alone with the bride – Regina – and their lie will be revealed. Neal grabs her hand and pulls her with him as he walks away.

"I'll see you two later!" Regina calls out and proceeds to greet the other guests.

"What was that about?" she whispers she trudges behind him. "Why did you tell her you knew me?"

"I do know you." He says without looking at her – he just guides her through the sea of people. "Besides, I don't think it would be fair to her – and maybe you - if Regina finds out you crashed the party. She's a very nice person but she gets really scary when she gets mad."

"Well, thanks, I guess." She mumbles.

"You're welcome."

"But wait," she says. "Why didn't she find it suspicious? I'm pretty sure she would know if you're bringing someone to the wedding."

He stops and turns around. "I was supposed to bring my girlfriend but she's now an ex-girlfriend, so there's an empty seat beside me – well, it won't be empty now because you're staying." He says nonchalantly and turns back around to head to 'the secret place'.

"I am?"

"Well, I'm not saying you should but, uh, you really should."

She laughs. "Where are we going anyway? And why I am going with you?" she asks as she walks faster than usual so she can keep up with him.

"Robin, the groom, is going to surprise Regina with a song and I'm playing drums."

"You're in a band?"

"No, he needed someone to play the drums and it just so happens that I play them."

"So, like, a band?"

He laughs. "I suppose." He stops in front of a conference room and turns to face her. "Now, you wait here while I go talk to Robin." He points towards the door.

"No!" she exclaims.

"No?"

"No – I mean – no!" she says with wide eyes. "You can't leave me alone here. What if Regina sees me and asks me questions like how we met or where we met… maybe I should just go. It was so nice to meet you –"

"Emma." He stops her nervous rant. "I'll be really quick, alright? Just stay right here."

"Wait, what if Regina sees me? I won't know what to say!"

"Tell her…" he thinks for a moment and then smiles. "Tell her we met last week when we both grabbed for the same keychain or something. Make something up."

She looks at him like he's got two heads but he just winks and disappears behind the door. "Neal!" she whispers angrily.

She laughs at herself after a while because what the hell was she doing? She can leave if she wants to but why is she waiting for him to come out? She decides to leave but before she can, she hears a familiar voice. "Emma!"

She turns around and smiles. "Regina," she says nervously. "Funny bumping into you." It's her wedding, Emma, of course you're going to bump into her.

"Where's Neal?" she asks.

"He – uh – he went to talk to Robin." She points at the door behind her.

"That's their 'secret place'?" she scoffs.

"Right?" she chuckles.

Just then, a bunch of ladies – most likely the bridesmaids – walk towards them. "Regina!" says one with a pixie cut. "They're telling us to go back to the table, come on."

"Hold on," Regina says. "I want you guys to meet Emma Swan, Neal's date."

"Go Neal!" one of the bridesmaids says – she has long brown hair with red streaks and really big brown eyes – "I told him he could do better than that Tamara girl."

The one with the pixie cute nudges her side and gives her a look then looks at Emma with a smile. "I'm Mary Margaret."

"She's the maid of honor," the one with the red streaks in her hair says. "And I'm Ruby." She then points at the blonde next to her, "And this is Kathryn."

"It's nice to meet you all," Emma smiles at them and she's very nervous because now there's more people to lie to and Neal isn't here and – "Ladies!" Neal's voice reaches her ears and she is relieved.

She turns around and sees a very handsome man – probably the groom, Robin – behind Neal. "There you both are," Regina says as she approaches Robin and gives him a quick peck on the lips. "They want us to go back to the table."

"Right," he says and then looks at Neal. "You ladies go on ahead, I'll be right behind you, yeah?"

"Alright," she smiles. "Come on, Emma. You can join us! There's an empty seat anyway!" she says excitedly.

"Uh –" Emma tries to think of an excuse not to go.

"Emma," Neal starts. "Emma will go… with you, yes." Then he looks at her. "I'll see you later."

"Wait, what? Neal –" she tries to argue with him but Ruby was now dragging her away from him. She gives Neal a nervous look and he just shrugs his shoulders and gives her a very – not really – convincing thumbs up.

She curses Neal Cassidy, she curses this damn, but very elegant and beautiful wedding, she curses even agreeing to do the dare, and she curses Neal Cassidy – again. She wants to slip away once Ruby lets go of her but then she's pushing her down a chair in between Mary Margaret and Kathryn while Regina sits beside Mary Margaret. Then the four of them of them keep asking her questions about Neal – how they met, where they met, when they met, all those kinds of questions and she's trying her best to keep her answers very simple.

"I wonder where they are," she hears Regina ask Mary Margaret and then the light dim. Neal, Robin, and a man she doesn't know come out and take their place – the man she doesn't know sits in front of the keyboard, Neal on the drums, and Robin stands in front of the microphone with a guitar.

Robin tests the microphone and he chuckles nervously. "Thank you, everyone, for joining us in celebrating the happiest day of our lives." He says and then looks at Regina with the biggest smile on his face. "Regina, darling, I love you."

The three men start playing Lady Antebellum's When You Got a Good Thing. As Robin sings, she looks at Regina to find her smiling and tears shining in her eyes. She doesn't know her but she felt so happy for these two people who obviously love each other very much. She looks at Neal – who was now looking at her – and she can't help but think that he looks very sexy playing the drums. She shakes her head to rid the thoughts because he's a stranger and they only just met but he's so handsome and he's looking at her intensely and she was supposed to leave when Ruby let go of her hand but now she can't move because despite what her head is saying, her heart is telling her to stay.