"Why are you getting so involved in her personal life anyway?" Emma asked, leaning over the counter, picking at the label on a Pepsi bottle.

Snow turned, looking offended. "Because she's my friend. And she's your friend too. Don't you want her to be happy?"

"Of course I do. I just don't think that meddling like this is going to help. You know she'll never go for it."

Smiling, Snow leaned against the stove, looking smug. "Then won't you be surprised to find out she already agreed to go."

Emma's eyes snapped up to meet with Snow's. "She did?"

"She did," Snow nodded. "We're meeting tonight at Aesop's Tables for Trivia Night."

Emma shook her head in disbelief. "Trivia Night? Regina Mills is going on a blind date to Trivia Night with Snow White."

Snow's smile faltered slightly. "Well, it's not a blind date, exactly. But yes, she agreed! It will be fun!"

"Then who is it?"

"It's a small town, Emma. There are only so many people coming and going, and sometimes the person you've been looking for has been right there all along –"

"Who is it?" Emma asked again, firmer this time.

"August. It's funny, when I mentioned –"

Emma cut her off again. "August? August? August fucking Booth? You're kidding, right?"

Snow threw down the dish towel she'd been absentmindedly rubbing over the table. "I don't see why you're so upset! You've told me time and time again that you had no interest in him romantically! If I thought for a second you'd be jealous, I never would have suggested it."

"Whoa, whoa. I'm not jealous. He is just so not…compatible with Regina. Come on! What about their history? They knew each other in the Enchanted Forest! This is a terrible idea, Mom. Terrible. You have to cancel it."

"I will do no such thing. It's teams of two, and we're already registered. I was going to be partnered up with your father, but Granny left a message that she's not feeling well, so she can't watch Neal tonight. I'll have to see if I can find someone else on such short notice."

"Not a problem," Emma smiled sweetly.

"Oh? Thanks honey, I'll let Dad know you've offered to watch the baby."

"No, no. I'll be your partner tonight. I'm a fountain of useless information."

Snow looked skeptical, but nodded anyway.

"We'll have a blast, Mom," Emma said, trying to ease her rightful apprehension. "But you're sure – absolutely sure – that Regina knows she's being set up with August Booth at a Trivia Night contest in a bar. You're certain she understands exactly what that means."

Snow rolled her eyes. "Yes, Emma, I'm sure. I'm not trying to blindside her."

"I just…I can't imagine. But okay, if you say she's on board with this, then I believe you. I'll see you tonight."

XXX

Haven't talked to you in a few days. Everything ok? Heard you're going to Aesop's tonight.

Emma cringed at her passive-aggressive fishing expedition, but hit send anyway. She was sitting outside the diner in the Bug as she watched the telltale ellipsis bubble appear in the text box. Then disappear. Then reappear. Then disappear. Then reappear. And finally a message came through.

Everything is fine. Sorry, I've been busy. Yes, I am going to Aesop's tonight. Snow insisted. Will you be joining us?

Emma breathed a sigh of relief. Snow insisted. Of course she did! Regina may have been an evil queen that conquered realms but Snow was nothing if not persuasive. It was harder to say no to her than to reanimate a corpse around these parts.

Before responding, Emma ran a hand through her hair and sighed deeply. Her feelings for Regina were confusing and unreadable and stupid. Since Hook had taken off on the Nautilus, Emma had been able to breathe, to take a step back from all the talk of engagements and true love and weddings and destinies. The day Regina and Zelena walked into the kitchen and congratulated her…she knew. Something was different, something hung between them with a heaviness Emma couldn't identify. There was something off in Regina's tone. Probably just a longing for what could have been between her and Robin. Probably.

But Emma remembered her heart leaping into her throat when Regina embraced her. It was over so quickly, too quickly, but she couldn't hold onto her in the way she wanted to. There was so much noise, always so much noise when it came to the two of them. And then when she felt Regina's chin rest on her shoulder, Emma's oxygen was cut off immediately. That was why. She never could give herself fully, she never wanted to give herself fully. To anyone. To him. Because she was in love with someone else.

Bygones, she tried to tell herself, shaking away the cobwebs of her reverie. There was no way Regina was interested in anything more than a friendship, Emma was sure of it. Over the years that had been many, many allusions to the contrary. But now, both single, both alone, and Regina was going on a date with August fucking Booth.

Emma pounded out a quick 'I'll be there' to Regina before entering the diner and sitting at the bar. Ruby brought her over a steaming plate of fries and stole one from her plate.

"Snow said you're coming tonight?" she asked, folding her arms over her bare midriff.

"What does she do, send out a blast email every time I hiccup?"

"No, I called her to see what time I needed to be there. Dorothy's coming too. We are going to kick your asses. All your asses."

Emma scoffed. "I wouldn't bet on it, my friend."

"I'm kind of surprised you're going. Do you feel weird about it?"

"About what?"

Ruby rolled her eyes. "You know what. Regina and August. I'm not even involved and I feel weird about it."

"It's fine."

"You two talk all the time. She didn't mention this? Snow said you were um, surprised."

Now Emma rolled her eyes. "No, she didn't mention it. I haven't talked to her in a few days. We talk about a lot, just about everything, but not…romantic stuff. We just don't."

"Because you're in love with her," Ruby stated, swiping another fry through Emma's ketchup.

"Ruby! God, I am not in love with her. Can you just not? Can we just not? I just broke off an engagement a month ago."

"Oh, please. That was a sham and you know it as well as I do. Very convenient you threw yourself at Hook telling him you'd say yes to a proposal when you found out Regina brought back that creepy Robin-clone."

Emma threw her head back and stared at the ceiling.

"Stop. None of this matters anyway. She sees me as a friend and I am perfectly happy with that."

"No, you're not. I don't understand why you haven't said anything to her. You know sexuality isn't an issue; she had that fling with Maleficent after the real Robin died."

"Okay, I gotta go. See you there, Rubes." Emma stood abruptly, throwing down some cash on the counter.

XXX

The drinks were flowing and the conversation was easy. Emma walked in, straightening her hem before taking a seat next to Snow. She'd been meticulous about her appearance for the evening. White V-neck t-shirt, tight jeans, black boots. Her hair curled and just enough makeup to look effortlessly fresh. She figured she might as well boost her self-confidence while insinuating herself into the nightmare that the night was sure to become.

"Hi, honey," Snow greeted, standing to kiss her on the cheek. "Better mood I hope?"

Emma gritted her teeth. "Yeah, Mom, I'm good. Is she here yet?"

"Who?"

"Regina," Emma shout-whispered, looking around the bar.

"Not yet. But here's August!"

Emma couldn't help but shoot daggers at him. She was being foul and ornery and disagreeable, and she knew these things, but also didn't know how to stop herself.

"Hey Em," he greeted warmly, sweeping her into an unreturned half hug. "You look great."

"Why are you being set up with Regina?" she asked, fighting the urge to clamp a hand over mouth once the words were out.

Clearly taken aback, August shrugged. "Snow suggested it, and let's be honest, Regina is a beautiful woman. She's changed a lot, and she's really a part of things now. Not to mention," he raised his eyebrows and lowered his voice, "she's sexy as hell."

Emma curled her lip in disgust, half expecting the next thing out of his mouth to be 'amirite?' "I'm going to get a drink."

She walked to the bar and started to shred a napkin as she waited for Aesop to finish up with his customer. She heard the door open, Emma looked up, and there she was.

Regina entered, uncertainty in her eyes that only Emma could see. She was stunning, in her low cut gray wrap-around dress with black heels accentuating her muscular calves. The light above the door circled her head in a halo of light, and the juke box sang out Hallelujah at her arrival.

And maybe there was no halo of light or sudden belting of Hallelujah throughout the bar but Emma would have sworn to those things were she under oath.

Regina spotted her standing at the bar and her eyes brightened. She stood next to Emma, clutching her bag, the slightest bit awkward.

"Hey. Is your mother here yet?"

Emma nodded, trying to look uninterested. "Same table as your date."

Regina reddened. "Your mother assured me there was nothing between the two of you. I would never-"

Emma held up a hand. "No, Regina. There is nothing between me and August. I promise you. I just didn't know you were intent on dating again so soon."

"So soon? Robin's been gone for quite a long time."

"The other Robin."

Regina shook her head. "He wasn't real. I can acknowledge that I made a mistake bringing him back here. I don't know what I was thinking, honestly. Robin was sweet and doting, and I cared for him deeply, but it wasn't exactly…you know what? Never mind. I'd love a margarita."

Emma watched her intently, studying every line and curve of Regina's face. She was about to ask, plead, with her to finish her thought. But Ruby interrupted them by slinging her arms over each of their shoulders.

"Hey girls. We have to take our seats. Trivia's about to start. "

The bar was sectioned off, two chairs separated out at every table. Emma sat next to Snow; across from Regina and August, who were engaging in intimate small talk, and Emma wanted to lunge over the table and clothesline August to the ground. However, she settled for gulping down half of her Long Island Iced Tea instead.

"Does everyone have their light-up buzzers? I just took them out of the Amazon box so if everyone could give it a try to make sure they work? Okay, great. Welcome to Aesop's Tables first weekly Trivia Night competition!"

A light smattering of applause filled the bar, but Aesop paid it no mind. He continued, excitedly.

"Everybody ready? The winners get a twenty-five dollar gift card and this star-shaped trophy! Take a drink, because here we go!" He narrowed his eyes and became serious. "Which singer's real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta?"

Ruby slammed on her yellow buzzer and shouted "Lady Gaga!"

Aesop frowned at her. "Yes, that's correct, but please wait until I call on your team. One point for red."

No longer speaking quietly with August, Emma noticed as Regina sat up straighter in her chair, her face setting in a straight line. Emma smirked. Regina never could resist a challenge.

"The average human body contains how many pints of blood? Purple team was the first to buzz in!"

Regina winked at Emma, whose surprise registered noticeably on her face. "Nine."

"Correct!"

"Are you even paying attention?" Snow scolded Emma from the seat beside her. "Come on, we can't be the losers of this stupid game! We have to answer a question!"

Emma rolled her eyes but pulled on her game face.

"In which city is Jim Morrison buried? Blue team!"

"Paris," Emma answered confidently. She raised an eyebrow at Regina, who stared back at her with a hint of a smile.

"Which of the planets is closest to the sun? Yellow team!"

Belle jumped up, nearly knocking Archie's club soda into his lap. "Venus! No, Mercury! Sorry, I was nervous!"

"Mercury is the correct answer, but I'm afraid you said Venus first! Yellow team, you have been eliminated!"

Regina swirled her maragarita, licking a tiny nugget of salt from the rim of her glass. She couldn't help but grin into her tequila.

It didn't go unnoticed by Emma, who was both horrified at her competitive streak and completely enamored by her incessant need to be the winner of everything she attempted.

At the half, the score was Blue 10, Purple 10, Red 7.

"We can really win this, Emma," Snow whispered, half way finished with her tall amber lager. Emma could tell she was already tipsy. She was too close to her ear and far too intense for a local bar trivia contest. "I can see that trophy sitting on my nightstand!"

"Yes, Mom, we can. I'm going to get some air," Emma told her, smiling.

A gentle breeze rifled Emma's hair, and she sighed as she leaned up against the brick of the building. Why had she come here tonight? To flagellate herself needlessly? What had been her endgame? Get into a fistfight with August to prove she was the rightful successor to her lady love? It was all pretty ridiculous when she put it into perspective. They were hitting it off; there was nothing left to do but go home.

"Where are you going?"

Emma stopped in her tracks as Regina's voice called out to her through the soft glow of the streetlights. "Oh, I was just going to head home, actually. Texting Snow that I'm not feeling well," she explained, holding up her phone and wiggling it from side to side.

"Bullshit."

"Excuse me?"

"I said, ."

"Um, okay, but I have a headache, so…"

"No you don't."

Emma could feel warmth flooding her face. "Actually, I do. What is your problem, Regina?"

"You're just afraid to lose."

Regina looked at her pointedly. She leaned up against the building, one leg bent and her heel touching the brick. She looked out into the empty street in front of them, baiting Emma. Waiting for her to engage.

"I really don't care about a silly game, so you're wrong."

"No I'm not. You don't ever put yourself out there. Maybe in the scheme of things, this little trivia game is nonsensical, but it speaks to a bigger issue. You don't want to lose, so you walk away."

"Why are you doing this? What does it even matter? Aren't you and August getting along famously?" Emma asked, waving her hand toward the door. She could feel herself getting emotional and she refused to show that side of her during a snip session with Regina.

"Oh, Emma," Regina breathed out. "I'm not interested in August. I agreed to this because your mother thinks I need to be distracted with a relationship to be happy. She was so excited about her matchmaking skills that I couldn't let her down. I know how good it makes her feel to 'help' people, so I went along with it. I lost a little bit of my soul doing that, but she's been through a lot. Maybe August and I can be friends. Doubtful, but you never know," Regina shrugged, looking up toward the streetlight.

Emma felt a boulder lift from her shoulders. A light smile broke out across her lips, and she felt some of her bravado return. Maybe Regina was right. She was afraid to lose. Afraid to be wrong. Afraid of rejection. Well, fuck it.

"Tell you what," Emma said, hooking a thumb in her belt loop. "You're so confident about this damn game, if we win, which we will, you go on a date with me."

Regina's eyebrows popped up immediately. "A date? With you? So, what you're saying is that I've been reduced to some sort of prize for the victor of a meaningless trivia game?"

Emma cocked her head in thought. "Yeah. Yes, that is what I'm saying," she told her, smiling brightly.

Regina laughed, sending shivers down Emma's spine. "I'm impressed by your boldness. You have a deal."

Emma's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "Really? Huh, okay then."

"And if I win?"

"What?"

"In this little bet of yours. What do I get if I win?"

"What do you want?"

The tension in the air between them floated like a cloud of flirtation.

"Actually, I don't want anything. The bragging rights I'll acquire will more than suffice. Best of luck, Miss Swan," Regina smirked, giving her one last bit of searing eye contact before reentering the bar.

Emma stood, frozen. She'd gone from a brooding swamp of melancholy to standing on the brink of a date with Regina. With renewed vigor, she sought out her seat next to Snow with a clear mission in mind.