Chapter Two

Emma stood on Regina's doorstep tingling wildly with nervous energy, flailing her arms around randomly in a last ditch effort to expel some of the energy so she could be confident and smooth around Regina. When Emma was a teenager and getting bounced between foster parent to foster parent, one of her caseworkers had told her something Emma will most likely never forget.

Emma was merely eleven when she was about to be sent to yet another foster home. This foster home seemed special, though. The parents seemed nice and happy, unlikely all her other foster parents. In other homes she was a meal ticket, but not here. No, not here! In all of Emma's excitement, her worrisome side came out. Emma asked about fifty questions a minute, most consisting with "What if I'm too old?" "What if they hate me?" "What if I'm too ugly for them?" When her caseworker got simply exhausted of the questions, she told Emma to stop worrying in her own special way

"Emma Swan, you better stop worrying yourself silly there, girl. No foster home wants a kid who has more nervous energy than a restless hamster on a wheel. The odds are already against you, child. Don't make it worse with your anxiety. Now stand up straight, and hold your chin up. Be confident, and you'll get what you want more often."

The memory immediately snapped Emma out of her anxious ways, as it always did. Maybe it wasn't the nicest way to get a point across, but it definitely was the absolute truth. Nobody wanted a girl who was too anxious, no matter why she was.

Emma stood up straight and held her chin up as she waited for Regina to open up the door. However, when Regina did open the door, Emma wasn't expecting what she saw.

When Regina opened the door, Emma was absolutely blown away. Emma's mouth was open, eyes wandering wildly all over Regina's body like she was trying to memorize what she was seeing. Regina was wearing lingerie, a black lacy type of nightgown you could see through easily. If Emma had any doubts when Regina had sent her that text, they had all vanished now. Emma knew what was going to happen, and she was ready.

Regina relished in Emma's look of shock for a few more seconds until she decided to break the silence and help Emma out a little bit.

Regina let out a soft chuckle. "Are you going to stand there, Miss Swan, or are you going to come in? I think we could move this outside if you'd really like to."

Emma moved her mouth and tried to form a word, any word, but no sound came out except for a few unintelligible squeaks.

Regina maneuvered her way swiftly throughout her beautiful house and guided Emma into the kitchen. It smelled wonderfully, but Emma hadn't noticed.

Regina cleared her throat. "Miss Swan, would you like some lasagna?"

Emma snapped out of her lust induced haze and her instincts kicked in. She walked right next to Regina and whispered softly into her ear.

"I'm not really in the mood for lasagna. I can think of something I'm in the mood for, though."

Making their way up the stairs with a frenzy of clothing leaving a trail behind them, neither person felt any guilt or reservations with their decision.

Emma and Regina laid quietly in the bed, afraid that if one of them moved, it would ruin the atmosphere they created. After they both steadied their breathing for the final time, the reservations came creeping in.

"Regina," Emma mumbled, "What are we gonna tell Henry?"

Regina stared at the ceiling for a minute, greatly considering the answer.

"We won't tell him anything about the situation."

"No? What if he finds out from someone else? Won't that upset him even more?"

Regina scoffed. "You mean more upset than finding out his birth mother is having sex with the supposed 'evil queen'?"

Emma sighed. "I wish you'd let go of that. You know that's not true. Hell, even when you were being an ass to me I knew it wasn't true. You just want somebody, Regina. We all do."

Regina didn't expect this raw answer that left Emma and herself feeling very vulnerable at the same time. After a few minutes, Emma sat up.

"Where did my clothes go? I should probably, uh, get going. Sorry your lasagna went to waste, by the way."

As Emma went to stand, Regina flung herself across the bed to grip Emma's wrist. Emma looked down on Regina, shocked and not knowing what to expect.

"Emma, could you..could you..you know?"

Emma expected this from Regina. Not wanting to ask others for companionship or favors, putting up a front until the raw emotion came through. And when it did, Regina had no idea what to do.

Emma smiled. "Stay? Yeah. I can."
The smile Emma got in return was worth it.

When Emma got back to her and Mary Margaret's apartment, it was seven in the morning. Emma had planned this accordingly – leave at a time Mary Margaret would be asleep, so nobody knows about what happened. Mary Margaret didn't wake up until nine in the morning on weekends.

Except for today.

Emma opened the door gently, closing it the same way. As she made her way in a mad but quiet dash to her bedroom, she was stopped by none other than Mary Margaret herself.

"Emma Swan! What are you doing?"
Emma stopped abruptly and gently cursed, her face twisted guiltily. She turned her guilty, incriminating face into a wide smile and turned around. "Hey, MM. I'm just coming home from work, like I told you I was doing last night."
Mary Margaret looked impatient. "Is that so? Does 'working' leave you with wild sex hair? Plus, you're glowing. You haven't looked this good since I met you."

Emma groaned loudly. "Okay, come on. You're not my mom. Yeah, I lied. Yes, I did in fact have sex. It was great, even. But I really want to go take a shower, you know?"

Mary Margaret's face fell into a gentle smile. "Emma, I wasn't scolding you. I just want you to know you can be completely honest with me."

Emma's face settled too, from a defensive glance into a friendly, inviting one. "I know. I just..it's complicated, MM. I don't even know what to say about it to myself, none the less talk to my roommate about it."

Mary's face lit up gleefully. "Who is it?! Oh Emma, ever since you came here I just wanted you to find happiness. Regina has been giving you so much trouble and – I'm just so happy for you!"

Emma grimaced. It was like introducing a potential partner to your overbearing mother. "Gee, thanks, MM. Like I said though, it's complicated. Do you mind if I just go shower so I can go do my patrols?"

Mary shook her head wildly. "You're not getting away yet, miss. What do you mean by 'it's complicated'?"

Emma stayed silent for a few seconds, waiting for Mary Margaret to just drop the entire thing so she could just leave. Instead, Mary let out a loud gasp.

"Oh no, Emma! He's not married, is he?!"

A look of alarm flashed across Emma's face. She didn't want anyone to think she was sleeping with a married man. In the foggy haze Emma's alarm at being accused of sleeping with a married man created, she let a few details leak too. "No, no! Nobody is married. It's just, I don't know how I feel about it. There's..a child involved. I don't know, it's just difficult. I don't know how I feel about it."

Mary squealed shrilly. "There's a kid! Oh Emma. Okay, no, that doesn't matter. Do you..like this person?"

Emma groaned. "I don't know. Maybe? I mean, they're nice once you get to know them, and there's a side to them nobody else in this town knows except for me. They said it was just casual sex and I agreed, you know? Why not. But now I'm not so sure, MM."

Mary Margaret's face went bare. After a few seconds, she whispered very quietly.

"Is it - God forbid - Gold?"

Emma felt a wave of heat and nausea rise to the surface. "Jesus, no! I promise it's not Gold. That's just disgusting, MM."

Mary Margaret laughed. "I was just making sure. The only other person that kinda matches your very small description is Regina but that would make absolutely zero sense, so I just thought I'd ask."

Emma stiffened. "Right," Emma ground out, "Can I go now? I'm gonna get in trouble if I'm any later than I am right now."

Mary Margaret nodded. "Just be careful!"
Emma ran to the shower, grateful she was free from her roommate's verbal grasp.

Emma walked into the diner and met Ruby's smile with a nice grin and a wave and sat down on the stools.

Once Ruby was done taking and submitting orders, she made her way over to Emma.

"Hey Emma! Your usual patrol breakfast?"

Emma nodded. "With a salad, too, if you don't mind."

Ruby squinted and cocked her head to the right. "Okaay..are you trying a new diet or something? 'Cause if you are, we should totally go to the gym together! It'd be fun!"

Emma shook her head no. "Just want to drop it off for someone. I'm hoping they like it. I just wanted a way of saying 'I'm thinking about you' without having to say it."

Ruby clicked her tongue. "I knew something was different about you. You seemed..brighter. Happier. Now you're buying salad to drop off? Spill! You totally had sex, didn't you? I mean, if you don't wanna talk about it, it's fine. I just wanna know."

Emma turned bright red, flustered at Ruby's question. "It's kind of new and complicated. I don't want the entire town to know, and I'm one hundred percent positive the other person doesn't either. It's just sex anyways."

Ruby shook her head to show her disagreement. "No way, Emma. All of those 'just sex' relationships I've had always turn into some kind of romance. Even if it's really short."

Emma snickered. "Yeah, maybe for you. I've never had it happen. Besides, this person doesn't do relationships anyways. They're like, the most closed off person ever."

Ruby was definitely interested now if she wasn't before. "Mmm, and you don't like that, right?" Emma went to argue, but she knew it was in vain. She knew it all along.

"I guess I don't. You don't date someone like this, though. It's really complicated."

Ruby sighed. "Is it Gold? I swear if it is I won't mind or tell anyone. I'm just curious."

Emma turned a bright, tomato red again. "What's it with you and MM? It isn't Gold. He's not even my type! I mean, come on."

"Well, the only really 'closed off' and 'complicated' person in the town is Regina as far as I know. And there's no way that's going on, cause that's just too interesting."

As Ruby went deeper into that sentence, the more red and incriminating my face got. She let out a shrill scream, attracting the attention of everybody else in the diner. She cleared her throat swiftly and came back to the conversation.

"Are you serious, Emma? It's Regina?" Ruby whispered harshly.

Emma wanted to puke. "Oh, God. I knew this would happen. We only had sex once and now the entire town is going to know and I'm going to be ridiculed for years and oh God, Henry is going to find out and –"

Ruby grunted at my anxious rambling and made me shut up. "Sheesh, Emma. It's okay, I'm not gonna tell anyone. It's just..that's so unlikely. You hate her guts, and she hates yours! That must be the hottest sex ever. Man, I really need to get laid, Emma."

Emma shook her head rapidly. "Ruby. Focus. You can't tell anyone, but I guess as long as you know, is it okay if I come to you? You know, for advice and stuff?"

Ruby put both her hands on her chest. "Gee, Emma. I'm really honored. Why not Mary Margaret, though?"

The mere idea of talking to MM about anyone's sex life made Emma feel uncomfortable. "Mary Margaret is like a mother figure, you know? You don't discuss your new hot lady fling with your own mom. That's just weird and makes for awkward dinners, Ruby."

Ruby nodded. "I know what you mean. All right, I'll be your advice specialist. Although, you're probably coming to the worst person ever for advice. Like, ever."

"Thanks for reassuring me you're the right person to come to, Ruby. Really. I mean it. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Ruby giggled. "Hey, I was just being honest. Anyways, your food is ready and Granny is going to murder me if I don't get back to work. Good luck Emma! And by the way, Regina really likes the lasagna from here. I think she'd eat lasagna from anywhere. Anyways, I put an extra slice in for you just in case."

Emma felt eternally grateful to have deserved a friend like Ruby. "Thanks, Ruby. Put it on my tab!"

Emma took a gigantic bite out of her bear claw as she left, feeling extremely gracious for Ruby and her friendship. At least she had one person to vent to about this situation.
-

As Emma walked her way to the Mayor's office where Regina was working hard, she ran into Henry. "Henry! Hey, Kiddo. What's up? Why aren't you playing with other kids?"

Henry sighed and decided to get it over with. "Something's wrong with my mom."

Emma stopped dead in the street and tried to act as calm as she could.

"What makes you say that, Henry?"

Henry squinted. "She's – she's happy. Today, she was nicer to me than she's been in a long time. Since I started calling her the Evil Queen."
Emma shot Henry a glance of disapproval. "You know you need to stop that, kid. It's not nice. And aren't you glad your mom is happy? Isn't that a good thing for her?"

Henry shook his head. "The Evil Qu-I mean, my mom isn't ever happy. Why is she happy all the sudden? What if it means something bad is going to happen?"
A pang in Emma's chest exploded for Henry's concern. Emma had felt the same way as a kid a few times before. She told herself this constantly - "If my foster parents are happy, it means they're going to abandon me." Mostly, it ended up being true.

"Henry, your mom isn't going to do anything. She's just happy. Sometimes that just happens, you know?"

Henry groaned. "I guess. I'm still worried though."

Emma chucked. "I didn't think anything else would happen, kid. By the way, how would you think of your mom and I being friends?"

Henry's face scrunched up for a long time while he considered the question before he finally smiled a great, wide smile. "I guess it'd be okay. It kinda makes sense, in a way. The Evil Queen and the Savior, friends. Maybe you can save her!"
Emma gave Henry a sharp look disciplining him. "Remember what I said about the Evil Queen stuff, kid?"
Henry nodded sheepishly. "I know. I just had to get my point across! It'd make a lot of sense. Two polar opposites, together! You're the best, Emma."

Henry wrapped himself around Emma's waist and squeezed tightly, running off and soon as he was done showing his affection.

Emma felt even better about this day. Now she had Henry's approval, in a way, and Ruby's invitation for a friend to get advice from.

The only issue remaining was how Emma felt, and how Regina felt. If Regina did like someone in a romantic way, does Regina even like dates? How do you 'date' the most closed off, protected person in the entire universe? Emma wondered if Regina was the type for fancy dates and dresses. Probably not, she mused.

Another thought struck Emma.

Even if Regina did like me, why would she want to be seen with me? Regina's beautiful. She could probably be with anyone she wanted. Why me?

Emma shook the thoughts away, convinced that was just the foster kid inside of her coming out. She would settle that on another day when it was actually important.