You have been invited to the fifteen year reunion of the Storybrooke High graduating class of 2000. Please RSVP as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Mary Margaret Blanchard, Class President

Those were the only words that the brunette woman registered. The rest of the words were fuzzy and unimportant. The letter began to crinkle as her fingers tightened their hold. Had it already been fifteen years since her high school graduation? She mentally began to count the years and groaned softly as she realized that it had indeed been that long. She set the small stack of folders that had been occupying her other hand down on the desk before taking a seat behind the large wooden blockade.

There was a quick knock on the office door before Kathryn entered holding an identical letter in her hand. Her smile faded slightly as she looked from her friend's hand to her sullen expression.

The two women had been friends since childhood, graduating high school together before both choosing to take the legal course of study in college. After college, they decided to move to New York to live out their ambitious dreams.

"You don't seem to be thrilled about the letter." Kathryn said as she took a seat in front of the desk. "Why?"

"I cannot attend," she answered with a shake of her head. Her hand never loosened its grip. "She might be there."

"She who?"

"You know which she I'm referring to." At her friend's still blank expression, she clenched her jaw in frustration before letting out a sigh. "Emma." The name on her tongue tasted like bile.

Katheryn's eyes twinkled with amusement as she look at her friend, lips pulling back into a small smirk before she spoke.

"Regina, I think you are being ridiculous. Not only that, but I think you are being childish as well." At Regina's eyebrows lifting towards her hairline, Kathryn continued. "I've been to both our five and ten year reunion. This is the same excuse you gave for both of those as well. As I've told you before, she did not go to either of them. She probably won't be at this one as well."

"But what if she decided to go to this one?" Regina asked, her voice unusually soft as she stared back down at the invitation.

"So what if she does? It's been, what, twelve years since the two of you split? You need to go and if she just so happens to be there, then you need to show her everything she has missed out on."

Regina felt her lips pull back into a small smile. "Well, I guess I could go. It would give me a chance to visit with my mother. And I wouldn't mind gloating about my accomplishments."

"Aha. Now there is the Regina Mills that I know and love." Kathryn grinned. She looked back down at the letter. "It says that there are events planned for the whole weekend. Check-in and drinks the Friday night, dancing the Saturday night, then a goodbye brunch Sunday morning. You think the dance will be like a mock prom?"

Regina had tuned her friend out as she talked, her mind wandering to the woman whose name tasted sour upon her tongue and how their story had begun.

October 1997

The lights in the school gym flickered as lightning flashed across the eerily dark sky immediately followed by a loud crack of thunder that vibrated through the floor. Regina and the rest of the cheerleaders were on the sideline of the gym, attempting to get a fraction of some form of practice time in. They shared the gym with the girls and boys basketball teams who were currently practicing together given the weather predicament.

The brunette stood off to the side as she watched her captain demonstrate the new routine, silently counting out the beat as she committed the moves to memory. Once the captain was done, the rest of the girls fell in line and did a rough run through.

Half an hour passed and a few of the girls stopped for a water break. Regina stayed and ran through the routine one last time. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as she got the nagging feeling that someone was watching her. As she finished the routine, Kathryn approached her with a water bottle.

"Don't look now, but I think you have an admirer," she playfully teased.

Regina took the water bottle and drank from it heavily as she turned slightly to look out onto the court. Her chocolate colored eyes instantly locked with those of jade belonging to the lanky blonde standing rooted in the middle of the court.

The lights cut out just before lightning lit up the gym. The crash of thunder came next. As the lights flickered back on, Regina was still maintaining eye contact with the blonde girl. There was a shout and suddenly the girl was on the floor, tangled up with one of the boys.

"Gee, Emma. Are you alright? I didn't see you there," the boy said as he reached down and helped her back to her feet. Her eyes went back to the spot where Regina had been standing moments before, but the spot was empty.

"Yeah," she said, feeling the heat of embarrassment warm her cheeks. "I'm fine."

As Regina walked into the locker room after witnessing the incident, she smiled as she heard the boy speak to the blonde. Emma.

"Hello? Earth to Regina."

The brunette shook her head as she was drawn back to reality by her friend's insistent snapping. She glanced around at her surroundings. Kathryn sitting on the front side of her desk, folders to her right, the reunion invitation still clutched in her hand.

"Did you hear anything I just said?"

"What? No. I'm sorry."

"I said," Kathryn began with a roll of her eyes, "are you going to bring a date or are you going alone?

Regina scrunched up her face in mild confusion as she stared at her friend. What kind of question was that? Kathryn was well aware of her love life, or rather lack thereof. She hadn't been in a relationship since quite a few years past and it had been months since another had warmed her bed.

"If you are trying to be amusing, please stop. You are failing miserably." She finally released her hold on the invitation and tried to smooth the crinkles out before putting it in the safety of her top left drawer.

"I'm just saying that maybe if you had a nice looking fellow or lady on your arm, that maybe it would make Emma jealous."

"You just told me that Emma would most likely not be attending the reunion. Now you are making suggestions as to how to make her jealous. Do you want me to go or not because you are fighting for both causes right now." One perfectly sculpted eyebrow lifted in question as she stared her friend down, folding her hands together on top of her desk.

"Of course I want you to attend." Kathryn huffed. "You haven't been to any of the other reunions and I bet you haven't seen most of those people since our graduation day. Please, please, please come to the reunion."

Regina sat in silence as she contemplated the pros and cons in her head. If she didn't go, well that would just start a round of gossip around the small town. If she did attend, she would be able to see how everyone prospered or faulted in their lives. But if Emma was there…. She pushed the thought from her head. To hell if Emma showed up. She wasn't going to let that infuriating woman keep her from enjoying herself.

"Alright, I'll go to the reunion. Besides, it'll give me an excuse to see my mother."

Kathryn let out a squeal of delight before she rounded the desk to hug her friend. "This is great! I can't wait to call Mary Margaret and let her know."

The blonde left the office in a flash. Regina sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Maybe accepting had been a bad idea after all.