A/N: Thank you so much for all the follows, favorites, and lovely comments! As promised, here's the conclusion, featuring the Cora Mills holiday party. Nothing could possibly go wrong, right? ;)

Friday, December 21, 7pm

Regina tips the cab driver as he drops her off near the Spencer Plaza, the venue for her mother's holiday party. She's already dreading it as she walks the half block to the hotel's entrance, and she's so busy letting her pessimistic thoughts ruminate that she's completely startled to find someone waiting for her out front. "Emma…you're here."

"Yeah…I wasn't sure if you were serious about wanting me to be your fake date, but I didn't want to stand you up since I said I would come."

"Actually, you never actually said yes," Regina interrupts, an amused smile on her lips. "If memory serves me, which it might not because I had a lot to drink, I kind of didn't give you a chance to say no."

"True…but I figured since I didn't flat out say 'no', then it was kind of implied that I would be here, and I didn't even get your number, so it's not like I could text to check if you really wanted me to come…" Emma rambles.

Regina laughs. "No, it's fine. You're more than welcome to join me."

"Are you sure?" Emma asks, suddenly second-guessing herself.

Regina's eyes survey the blonde, her long legs being shown off by the tasteful, yet seductive, short black velvet dress she wears, and the black peep-toe high-heeled booties she has on are a nice change from the wooden clogs she was sporting when they first met. A red leather moto jacket completes her ensemble, though it is doing little to keep her warm in the cold Maine December air.

"Oh yes, I'm sure," Regina smiles. "Are you okay with the fake girlfriend charade? If not, we can just say you're a friend."

She takes a breath before responding, "I'm fine either way…but, you were married to a guy…" she points out needlessly. "Do you even like women? Is this story even going to be believable?"

Regina smirks. "It will be believable. Don't worry about that. But what about you? Do you date women?"

"Exclusively."

"Well good, then. I see no problem. Come along."

Regina leads her through the revolving door of the Spencer Plaza, through the grand lobby, stopping only briefly at the front desk to pick up a small keycard. When they step into the elevator, Regina presses the keycard against the small panel on the door before hitting the button for the top floor. At Emma's questioning glance, she explains, "The party is on the top floor in the two penthouse suites. The floor is private access only, hence the need for this," she says, holding up the small card. "They can reprogram the access panels at will, so even if someone walks off without returning their keycard tonight, after midnight it won't allow them to step foot on the floor.

"Oh, clever," Emma remarks as the elevator continues to travel the 14 floors toward the penthouse. It's not a tall building by big city standards, but in their small Maine town, it's massive. "Is there anything I need to know about you to sell our story to your family?" she asks. "Are you allergic to anything that they might serve here, or a vegan or anything? I don't want to accidentally get you a peanut butter cookie if you'll keel over and die, or a cracker if you're strictly Paleo. That would give it away."

Regina shakes her head. "No, nothing like that. My mother and sister are the only ones who will give a damn and potentially question the legitimacy of this, but they'll both be so preoccupied tonight that aside from being shocked that I'm not showing up alone, they probably won't have much time to interrogate us. My main goal is just to ward off my mother's attempts at setting me up with the single sons of her random friends," she says. "So, just relax and have a good time. They go all out with the food and drinks, so take advantage of it."

"Should we, um, be affectionate?" Emma asks, and Regina can hear the embarrassment in her voice.

She can't help but laugh. "I've never been one for overt PDA, so anything too over the top would be a dead giveaway… but I'm not going to slap your hand away if you put your arm around me," Regina says, suddenly realizing just how awkward and stupid this plan is. But, it's too late to back out now. And, it's not like she doesn't find Emma attractive, and she knows Emma feels the same way. She wasn't blind to the way the blonde looked at her that first day in Santa's Village, or the night before at the bar. They may as well enjoy this.

The elevator dings, signaling their arrival on the fourteenth floor. The pair step out into the hall, where music can be heard spilling out from both penthouse suites. They stop by the coat check set up in the elevator lobby and hand their outwear to the attendant. "Is there a difference between the two suites?" Emma asks.

"Not really. They're mirror images of each other, and they'll have a few bars set up in each and the waiters will be making the rounds as people move from room to room. I'm not quite ready to deal with my family yet, so hopefully we can avoid them until we get a few drinks in us," Regina says, taking Emma's hand for the first time and guiding her into the penthouse to their left.

*.*.*

Damn, this is nice, Emma thinks as she follows Regina toward the bar conveniently set up in the kitchen of the suite. They stand in the short line at the peninsula, while a bartender dispenses the signature drinks of the evening.

"It looks like the specials are eggnog, a peppermintini, cranberry mojito, or Moscow mule…" Regina says to her as they approach the bar and she reads the menu on display. "Or, the usual basics."

"The cranberry mojito sounds great," she replies as she watches someone walk by with the delicious-looking drink.

"Good choice," Regina smiles as she relays the request to the bartender, getting a mule for herself. "Cheers!" the brunette says as she hands Emma her drink a moment later.

She smiles as she takes a sip, happy with her selection. "So, who are all these people?" Emma asks as they move out of the way and to a high-top table set up in the dining area.

"These are all Spencer Hotel Corporation employees…well, management-level employees," Regina clarifies. "There's no way everyone who works for them would fit up here. My mother and her brother Albert own the company. This is their flagship hotel and the one closest to where they both live, so they hold their annual holiday party here. They aren't the Hiltons by any means, but they have a few locations throughout New England."

"I've heard of them…I even stayed at the one in Boston," Emma says.

"Is that so?"

She nods. "Yeah. It was really nice. I needed to get away from my roommates a few years ago for about a week to study, so I camped out there for some much-needed quiet."

"Hmm," Regina looks at her questioningly, and Emma assumes that the older woman is wondering how she would have been able to afford that given that she has a job at the mall as one of Santa's helpers. The Spencer Hotel locations aren't exactly inexpensive. Emma realizes then just how little they know about each other. But, if Regina has questions, the woman doesn't say anything more.

*.*.*

"Regina, darling," her mother says as she approaches. It's an hour into the party and Regina can't help but be surprised that they managed to avoid her mother as long as they have.

"Mother," she forces a grin as Cora places an overdramatic air kiss on her cheek. She frowns when she sees that Cora is alone. "Where's Dad?"

"Oh, he and Robert are outside somewhere smoking some Cubans cigars that someone smuggled into the party. I'm sure he'll be back in soon. He was sick of making the rounds with me."

Regina can't blame him. Her mother parades him around at these events each year, so he doesn't really get a chance to sit back and enjoy it.

"Have you seen Daniel yet?" Cora asks her, a conspiratorial glint in her eye.

"No, Mother, and I'm not interested in your attempts at match-making."

"Oh, just give him a chance, Regina. You haven't seen in him in over 10 years. He's much more mature now."

"I'm not interested, Mother," she says again, a bit more bite to her tone. "And actually, Mother—" she is interrupted by a soft brush against her shoulder. She smiles when she sees Emma is back at her side.

"Scotch on the rocks," the blonde says as she hands her the drink she went to fetch.

"Thank you, dear," Regina smiles as she accepts the beverage with her right hand and wraps her left around Emma's waist, drawing her closer.

" 'Dear?' " Cora asks, eyeing the interloper. "Regina, darling, who, may I ask, is this?"

"Well, as I was saying, Mother, I'm not interested in Daniel, because I brought a date of my own. This is Emma," she explains. "Emma, this is my mother, Cora Spencer-Mills."

Cora eyes the woman critically, and Regina can feel Emma stiffen a bit under her fingers. She lightly brushes her thumb along Emma's side, hoping to bring her some comfort and to get her to relax. Regina knows her mother feeds on other people's unease, and as much as she wants to irritate her mother, she doesn't want Emma to be too uncomfortable.

"It's nice to meet you," Emma offers.

"Yes…" Cora says, appraising the woman. "Would you mind terribly if I borrowed my daughter for a moment?"

"Oh," Emma says, caught off-guard. "Sure… Regina, I'll grab us another plate of appetizers."

"I'll be right back," Regina assures her, releasing her waist from her grip and following her mother. Cora has already walked away, but has continued to keep an eye on the couple.

"Regina," Cora begins after they've moved out of ear shot. "What are you playing at? Did you seriously hire an escort for tonight? Are you trying to embarrass me?"

"What? No, Mother," Regina says, genuinely appalled at the accusation. "Emma is not an escort. She's my date."

"Oh, please," Cora says. "Your RSVP didn't include a plus one, and that girl has 'cheap' written all over her."

"You're despicable, Mother," Regina says, preparing to walk away.

"And you aren't dating anyone," Cora adds, ignoring her daughter's remark.

"That you know of," Regina rebuts. "We haven't been together long," Regina says, silently thinking well, that is actually the truth. "I don't tell you everything about my life, Mother."

Cora ponders that for a moment, but clearly isn't buying it. "You can't just bring people unannounced to formal events, Regina. It's rude. I raised you better than that."

"Oh, please. You were just complaining last week that I would be coming to this alone. You can't have it both ways."

"Apparently you can," Cora snickers.

"Wow, really? Jabs at my bisexuality? Jesus, Mother."

"Apologies," Cora says, though it's insincere.

Regina ignores her. "This is new, very new, so it was a last minute invite. You have so much food and liquor here, so it's not like the added presence of one person will be a burden to your party plan, Mother."

"Well, that remains to be seen. Excuse me," she dismisses, walking off to greet the manager of another of their hotels who she's spotted across the room.

Fuck my life, Regina thinks as she goes off in search of her date.

*.*.*

Emma tries to keep an eye on Regina after Cora pulled her away, but she feels bad for trying to eavesdrop. She knows that they're talking about her, but it's not like she and Regina are in a real relationship, so whatever Cora is saying about her, it shouldn't matter. This is a one-night thing, and she just wants to enjoy it.

As promised, she loads up a small plate with cheeses, crackers, and a few holiday dessert bites and then moves to the living room area to take a seat. It's there that Regina finds her a few minutes later, sitting on one of the sofas and chatting with the son and daughter-in-law of the company's CFO.

"Hey," Regina says as she joins her, and Emma quickly shifts over to make room for her.

Emma smiles as she feels the heat of Regina's bare thigh pressed against her own. "Hi," She says back, quietly. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine," the brunette answers, absentmindedly placing a hand on Emma's knee and squeezing gently before releasing it. She then reaches for a piece of cheese from the plate resting on her lap and pops it into her mouth.

Emma hopes she didn't show how much that affected her. The longer the night goes on, and the more Christmas-themed cocktails she has, the more overt her attraction is becoming to the gorgeous brunette. "Good," is all she manages to say, but it seems to be enough. Regina smiles genuinely at her as she takes Emma's martini and takes a sip. "Hey, get your own," she says playfully.

"I will. I just wanted to make sure it was good," Regina teases before standing up. "Can I get you anything?"

"No thanks. I'm good for now."

*.*.*

Things continue to get slightly better from there. Cora has continued to flit around the two suites, mingling and playing good hostess to the company executives, which means she hasn't been back to criticize the fake couple. Regina is also thankful that her father has managed to get out of the serial socializing duty. Instead, he has coopted one of the leather club chairs in the corner of the suite, and Regina and Emma are sitting across from him engrossed in conversation.

Regina is relieved that her father seems to like Emma, their shared interest in the Boston Red Sox serving as a natural topic of conversation between the pair. Regina couldn't care less about baseball, but she's happy that the topic diverts discussion away from things like how she and Emma met, their relationship, or any topics that might reveal that Emma's presence at the party is entirely due to one too many drinks that night before.

She smiles as she watches her father's face light up as he recounts his experience being at the final game of the World Series the last four times they've won. "I don't want to say that I'm their lucky charm," he says, "but, I have been there each time…"

"Oh my God. I'm so jealous," Emma says, genuinely envious. "I can't believe you saw them win in-person. That must have been amazing."

This isn't real, Regina reminds herself, it doesn't matter if Dad likes her.

"Well, who is this?" Regina hears a voice behind her, and she's surprised she hasn't seen the woman sooner.

"Zelena," Regina smiles as she turns around and stands, moving to embrace the redheaded woman. "I've missed you," she says sincerely. She and her sister don't have the most harmonious relationship all the time, but she does wish that she would be able to see her more often.

"You too, sis. Now, answer my question. Who is this?"

"Right," Regina says, noticing that both Emma and her father have stopped talking and are looking at her. "Zelena, this is Emma, my date. Emma, this is my sister Zelena, and her husband Chad. Zelena is the regional director for Spencer Hotels in Massachusetts, and Chad is the VP of marketing."

"It's nice to meet you, Zelena," Emma says, standing up and shaking the woman's hand. "And you, Chad."

Zelena smiles as she appraises Emma. "Wait a second… you look familiar…weren't you the photographer at the mall this morning?"

"Oh, um, yeah…"

"Photographer?" Cora asks, catching the conversation as she joins her family, escaping her role as hostess for the time being. "Zelena, why would you go to a mall to get photos taken…wait, no, the Santa photos with Margot?" she asks before turning to Regina. "Regina, you're dating a mall elf? Good grief."

"Cora…" Henry warns as he, too, finally stands in an attempt to run interference for what he knows won't end well.

"No, Henry," Cora says, holding up a hand and returning her focus to her youngest daughter, lowering her voice so that the guests won't be able to overhear her family's humiliation. "Seriously, Regina, a mall elf? Good God, hiring an escort would have been less embarrassing. You're trolling the mall now looking for dates? How old is she? 20? Because what kind of self-respecting adult…"

Regina sighs and interrupts. "Mother, what Emma does for a living has no bearing on —"

"Well, Emma Swan, as I live and breathe," an accented voice calls out, approaching the group.

"Judge Gold?" Emma's eyes widen in shock at the man.

Cora turns to look at Emma. "You know him? Oh Jesus, Regina, please tell me you did not bring some common criminal to my holiday party."

"Criminal? No, far from it," Gold clarifies. "Miss Swan, what on God's green Earth are you doing here?" He opens his arms and pulls her in for a hug, which she gladly reciprocates, leaving the entire Mills family dumbfounded.

"Regina invited me."

"Oh!" he says, recognition on his face. "Are you two…"

Emma blushes as Regina answers for her. "It's new."

"I see. Well, Regina, you couldn't find anyone better than Miss Swan, here," Robert Gold says.

"Thank you. See, Mother? Emma has Gold's stamp of approval, so can we move on now, please?" Regina asks.

Cora ignores her daughter's request. "Wait, so how do you and and this womaan know each other, exactly?" Cora asks the man, a family friend and shareholder in the company.

"She was my law clerk a handful of years ago," he offers casually.

"Well, we go back farther than that," Emma laughs. "Robert was the attorney who handled my adoption when I was thirteen."

"And then I hired her as soon as she graduated law school to be my clerk, back when I was still in Boston and before I moved to the US District Court up here."

"Wait, you're a lawyer?" Regina asks Emma, the surprise evident in her voice.

"You didn't know that? How long have you been dating her, five minutes?" Zelena asks, vocalizing what everyone's thinking.

Regina ignores her as she watches Emma nod her head. The blonde is apparently full of surprises. "If you're a lawyer, then why…"

"Am I working as mall elf?" Emma offers.

"Well, yeah…" Regina admits sheepishly.

"I'm a public guardian and child advocacy attorney for kids who are wards of the state, so it's not exactly a lucrative branch of law," Emma starts to explain.

"But certainly a noble one," Gold adds. "It's how I got my start, after all."

Emma smiles. "Indeed. I love what I do, but I wanted to make some extra money for some things coming up over the next year. My entire paycheck pretty much goes to my rent, groceries, and student loan payments. Photography has always been a passion of mine, and when my friend mentioned that their photographer at the mall quit, I figured I could help her out and make some extra cash," she shrugs. "And honestly, if I broke my attorney salary down to an hourly wage based on how many hours I spend working, the photography gig probably pays more. Plus, I like working with kids. It's refreshing to be able to work with them in a more cheerful environment than my day job."

"Wow," Regina comments, her admiration clearly written across her face. "Good for you."

"And, I get to meet hot moms," Emma adds, sending a wink to Regina.

"Okay, time out," Zelena interrupts yet again. "No one has answered my question. Regina, how did you not know all this? Who doesn't know what their girlfriend does for a living?"

"As I said, this is new" Regina replies, slightly embarrassed that their lie seems to be unraveling quickly. "I never said she was my girlfriend. I just said she was my date."

"And how new is 'new'?" Cora asks.

"Umm…last night?" Regina offers honestly.

"Emma, dearie," Robert Gold cuts in. "Why don't you join me for a drink so we can catch up, and we can let this episode of Family Feud play itself out without us bearing witness."

"Yes, please," Emma says, offering a sympathetic squeeze of Regina's elbow before she follows her former mentor away from the Mills clan. Regina sends her a glare as she walks away, and Emma just shrugs and smiles in response.

"I'm going to go get more drinks myself," Chad says, excusing himself.

"I cannot believe you would bring a total stranger into our party," Cora scolds. "You knew nothing about her, except that she had some crappy mall job, and you bring her here?"

"She's a lawyer, dear," Henry tries to placate.

"Yes, but clearly Regina didn't know that. You knew her what, 24 hours before deciding to have her tag along uninvited?"

"Okay, so I may not know everything about her, but I've known her longer than that."

"How long?" Zelena asks.

"I met her a week ago," Regina says, but quickly realizing that it doesn't help her case.

"She could have been a serial killer, Regina," Cora scolds, "and you brought her here."

"Jesus, Mother. Cut the dramatics. I may not know a ton of details about her yet, but it's not like she poses a danger to anyone. I met her when I took Henry to see Santa. Given the role she has there, I knew she would have at least passed a thorough background check just to even step foot in Santa's Village. I'm not a complete idiot."

"She has a point, Mother," Zelena says.

"That doesn't matter," Cora argues. "It was still a display of gross misjudgment and bad decision-making on your part."

"Please, Regina's slept with people she's known for less time," Zelena adds, earning a glare from Regina and both of their parents.

"Okay, you know what?" Regina says, wanting to move on. "It's irrelevant. Yes, I asked her to come because I didn't want to come alone and I wanted to avoid your incessant need to fix me up with anyone over the age of 30 with a six-figure salary. Is that what you want me to admit? Then fine. But, Emma is nice and we were having a pleasant evening, and we had a nice time last night when we bumped into each other when we were both out with friends."

"I bet you did," Zelena smirks, but Regina sends her a leveling stare. "Oh, wait, you like her," Zelena comments.

"What?" Regina scoffs.

"You actually like this girl."

"Of course I do. Did you not just hear what I said? She seems nice. Of course I like her."

"Well, duh, but no, I mean you like her like her," Zelena teases.

"What are you, eight?" Regina rolls her eyes.

"Sorry. I've been hanging around Margot too long over Christmas break. Apparently her third grade vernacular is rubbing off on me."

"Yeah, that's it," Regina deadpans. "But, yes, I am interested in getting to know her…that is if Mother's prejudicial tirade didn't scare her off."

"I think you should, honey," Henry jumps in. "She seems to like you like you, too," he says, mocking his eldest daughter as he cuts his eyes over to Zelena.

"I don't know about that…especially after all this chaos," Regina says, picking up her wine glass she had abandoned on the table and tossing back the rest of it.

"Oh, I'm fairly confident in my assessment," he says.

"What makes you so sure?"

"She hasn't stopped watching you since she walked off with Robert," he says, subtly nodding his head in the opposite direction.

Regina quickly turns to look, and she catches Emma's eyes as the blonde blushes and quickly returns to her conversation with Judge Gold.

"You should go over there," her dad whispers. "Salvage what you can of this evening."

*.*.*

"Emma," she hears her name moments after Regina had caught her staring. "I'm so sorry about all of that."

"It's fine, Regina," she laughs. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. Just family drama," she sighs, gratefully accepting the half glass of wine that Emma nudges in her direction.

"Well, I will leave you to it," Robert says as he stands up from the bar stool. "Regina, it's always a pleasure. Emma, don't be a stranger. Now that I know you're in the state, I expect to see you from time to time."

"Yes, Sir," she smiles as he walks away, and Regina slides into the seat he vacated. "So…"

"So…" Regina repeats.

"The secret's out?"

"Yeah. I told them everything," Regina confirms.

"Oh. Sorry about that."

"It's not your fault," Regina says. "It was kind of a stupid plan in the first place."

Emma nods in agreement, though she feels slightly dejected at the comment. "Yeah, you're probably right."

"But," Regina quickly adds. "I don't regret it. It may have been embarrassing to be called out like that, but I did piss of my mother, which is always a bonus," she smiles. "And I had fun. This night would have been boring as hell if I had been here alone."

"Well, it would have been less dramatic, that's for sure."

"True," she chuckles. "But even without the chaos, I had a good time. Thank you for agreeing to come."

"I'm glad I did," Emma smiles.

"So…can I get you another drink?"

"Sure," she answers. "Actually, I'll come with you. I don't know what I want yet."

"Fair enough," Regina says as she rises. She hesitates for a second before cautiously extending her hand. Emma smiles and takes it as they walk toward the bar.

"I might just do a decaf coffee, actually," Emma comments as they look over the drink options. "I don't want to be too hungover in the morning. I have to read through a case file on a new kid coming into the system, and then have another long day of Santa photos."

"Is that a hard job?" Regina asks. "The child advocacy work, I mean. I can't imagine what it must be like, emotionally."

Emma nods as they take another step toward the bar. The line is moving slowly, but they're making steady progress. "It definitely can be exhausting in that regard. A lot of these kids have been through hell, a lot of them have started getting into trouble because of the lack of stability in their lives…it's not easy to see them struggle. But, it's rewarding," she says reverently. "These kids don't have anyone, so to be able to help them in some way, even if it's relatively minor…it's incredible and totally worth the challenges."

Emma looks up at Regina and thinks that she might see tears in her eyes. "You're amazing," Regina says in wonderment, letting out a little chuckle to stop herself from crying.

She smiles as she looks back at Regina, but the moment is quickly interrupted by the bartender asking them to keep the line moving. They both order the decaf coffee and then quickly move to the side of the room, finding an empty table and continuing to talk.

*.*.*

"I should probably head out," Emma reluctantly comments a little after 11p.m.

"Right," Regina agrees, knowing that Emma has to work both of her jobs the next day. "I might sneak out as well. Give me a second to say goodbye to my dad, and then I'll walk you down…"

"Oh, okay. You don't have to stay through the end?"

"God, no. One of the perks about not going into the family business is that I only have to make an appearance at these things, but they can't stop me from leaving early," Regina says. "Which direction are you headed? Do you want to share a cab?"

"I live just up the street, actually. I'm like a block away."

"Oh, okay. Well, I'll be right back."

"Take your time. I'll get our coats."

Regina doesn't see her father as she walks around the perimeter of the suite, so she heads across the hall to the other penthouse. "Hey, Zelena," she calls, spotting her sister near the dessert table. "Have you seen Dad?"

"Oh, he went downstairs. Mother assigned him to farewell duty," Zelena answers.

"Of course she did. Well, in that case, I will say my goodbyes to him down there."

"You taking off already?"

"Yeah. It's been a long night."

"And it's about to get longer, I hope?" Zelena suggests with a raise of her eyebrows. "Taking that fake date of yours home with you?"

"No, Zelena," Regina responds. "Anyway, I will see you on Christmas Eve."

"Yes you will. And I want details. Something tells me tonight won't be the last time you'll be seeing that Emma girl."

"Goodbye, Zelena," she says as she exits the room.

"Did you find him?" Emma asks as she hands Regina her coat, pressing the elevator call button.

"No. I ran into Zelena and she said he's downstairs. My mother has him stationed by the door to see people off for the evening."

They step into the elevator, and Regina is relieved that a few other people hop on as well. Suddenly, with the evening drawing to a close, some of the initial awkwardness of their situation has returned. They ride in silence until the elevator dings and opens its doors on the ground floor, and Regina gestures for Emma to step out into the lobby, her hand softly grazing her back as they depart.

As they walk toward the revolving door that they walked through several hours earlier, Regina spots her dad standing over to the side, shaking hands with a few party guests Regina doesn't recognize. When the group walks away, Henry beckons the pair over. "You're leaving?" he asks as she leans in to give him a hug.

"Yeah. It's getting late," she replies.

"Well, have a safe drive home. You're taking a cab, I hope?"

"Of course," she confirms. "It was lovely to see you, Dad. Thanks for trying to mediate tonight."

"My pleasure, honey," he says as he looks over to Emma, who is lingering awkwardly a few feet away. "Emma, it was lovely to meet you," he says.

"You too, Mr. Mills."

"Please, call me Henry," he tells the blonde.

"Well, thank you, Henry, for letting me crash the party," she laughs.

"You didn't crash anything. In fact, I hope to see you again soon," he says, looking between the two women.

"Dad," Regina whines from her spot next to him.

He chuckles as he bids them farewell, and Regina walks with Emma outside, stopping under the hotel's awning that is adorned with twinkling white lights for the season.

"Well, thanks again for coming tonight," Regina says as Emma turns around to face her.

"Oh, Regina!" she hears her father call after her, rushing through the revolving door with a grin.

"What?" she asks as she turns around, slightly irritated. She loves her dad dearly, but his timing is terrible. Her father says nothing, but he points at the awning above them.

"Mistletoe, of course," she mumbles to herself as she recognizes the plant hanging above their heads. She looks over her shoulder at her father, who laughs and gives a thumbs up as he walks back into the hotel, leaving Regina once again alone on the sidewalk with Emma.

She looks back at Emma who is biting her lip to keep herself from laughing. "I…" Regina starts, but Emma shakes her head.

"I had fun tonight, so you're more than welcome," Emma says, picking up from where Regina left off before the interruption. "Thanks for inviting me."

Regina subconsciously takes a step closer to the blonde, her eyes glancing back up to the greenery hanging above. When she refocuses her gaze, she notices that Emma is once again biting her lip, but this time the blonde isn't laughing. She takes a breath and a chance and steps forward, closing the gap between them, and she notes a slight hint of peppermint and coffee still lingering on Emma's soft lips. She feels Emma's arm encircle her waist, and she relishes the feeling for a brief moment before she pulls back, remembering that they're in front of her mother's hotel under bright lights with guests from the party scurrying around them in a hurry to get home.

"So…" Emma says, somewhat breathless when they separate.

"What are you doing tomorrow night after your shift?" Regina asks. "Can I take you to dinner?"

Emma smiles. "I'd love that, but I won't be done until after 9…is that too late?"

"Well, since most places in Storybrooke will be closed by then, how about I make you dinner? How do you feel about lasagna?" Regina offers.

"I love it."

"Good. Then I will see you tomorrow night," Regina says, reaching into her purse for a pen and piece of paper. "Here's my address and my number."

"Great. I will see you tomorrow, then," Emma smiles as she leans in to kiss Regina's cheek. "Goodnight, Regina."

"Goodnight, Emma," she says, watching as the blonde sets off down the sidewalk toward her apartment. She turns and walks back inside the hotel, noticing her father jump back from where he was clearly watching them through the window, feigning nonchalance as she walks by.

"So…" he says, catching up with her as she powerwalks toward the front desk to ask the receptionist to call a taxi for her. "How's Emma?"

She tries to appear stern, but can't help but let a smile break through when she admits, "I will let you know tomorrow after my date."

"That's my girl," Henry laughs as she rolls her eyes.

"You know, I could have sworn that mistletoe wasn't there when I came in tonight."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, sweetie. Have a good night, Regina," he says as he returns to his station to wish their guests a good evening.

She shakes her head as she goes back outside, stepping into the awaiting taxi with a smile on her face.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this super fluffy holiday mini-fic, and Merry Christmas!

(And, because I can never truly be finished with things, I accidentally wrote a super fluffy SQ family epilogue, which I will post either tomorrow or the day after Christmas).