DECEMBER 13

Two days later Regina was walking out of her last class of the day when her phone rang with an unfamiliar number.

"Hello?" she said.

"Hi!" a female voice answered. "I'm sorry, I know I said I would call you and it's been two days but I was really busy finishing out the semester and my-um, with other stuff and I figured I would just wait until we would both have free time for coffee! Oh, it's Emma, by the way…" she trailed off, sounding slightly embarrassed.

Regina laughed, "Hi Emma. Don't worry about it; I've been pretty busy finishing up last minute work too. I'm glad you called."

"Yeah?" Emma asked. Regina thought she could detect a smile in Emma's voice.

"Yeah," Regina answered.

There was a small pause in the conversation, though not uncomfortable.

"So…" Emma said, "How about that coffee?"

"I'd love to," Regina answered. "Are you free this afternoon?"

"Ummm…" Emma trailed off. "Yeah, I should be free. It's…" there was rustling heard on the other line in what Regina assumed was Emma looking for the time. "…Almost 12 now, so do you want to meet around 2?"

"That sounds perfect," Regina agreed. "Where do you want to meet?"

"Is the East Village too far out of your way? There's this great little coffee shop there called Ninth Street Bistro. They've got really great coffee and it's way cheaper than Starbucks. But I mean we don't have to go there if you don't want to… or if you can't get there easily… I'll meet wherever," Emma started rambling again.

Regina let out an easy laugh, thoroughly amused by this quirk she was beginning to understand was the norm for Emma.

"The East Village is fine," Regina told Emma. "I'll see you there at 2."

"Okay! Awesome!" Emma exclaimed. "See you then!"

Regina smiled as she hung up the phone. Things with Emma were really starting to look up.

….

At 1:45 Emma was seated in the bistro waiting for Regina. Her phone buzzed on the table in front of her and she looked down, seeing it was a text from Ruby.

she there yet? is she dressed hot? ;) The message read.

Emma shook her head at her friend, and replied. No she is not here yet. Quit bugging me and pay attention to my son before he loses a limb, please.

Ruby responded with just a wink face, but Emma wasn't really worried. Ruby had been helping Emma with Henry since she gave birth to him three years ago. Add that to the fact that Ruby lived with them too; for all intents and purposes she was the second parent that Henry didn't really have.

As Emma looked up from her phone, she saw Regina walking through the door of the bistro and caught her eye, waving her over.

"Emma, hi. So nice to see you in the day time and not almost falling over," Regina said with a smirk.

Emma laughed, standing up to pull Regina's chair out for her before sitting back down herself.

"I'm sure," she replied. "What about you? You're even prettier in the day time!"

Regina blushed. "You're quite the charmer," she told Emma.

"I try," Emma answered with her own smirk.

The waitress walked over before they could say anything else, and took both of their orders. Once she walked away, Emma started talking again.

"So, tell me about yourself Regina Mills."

"Well," Regina said, thinking for a moment. "I'm a senior at NYU, I'm graduating as an English major and I want to be an elementary school teacher. I'm from a small town in Maine that no one has ever heard of and I'm currently very glad I decided to stay home for Christmas break."

Emma smiled, "I'm glad you decided to stay home as well."

"What about you? I don't even know your last name," Regina pointed out.

"Swan. Emma Swan," Emma replied in a James Bond voice, and then laughed. "Let's see… well, I grew up in the foster system so I bounced back between NYC and Boston. I'm also a senior at NYU but I'm majoring in art. Eventually I want to own my own art gallery but I guess we'll see what happens after I graduate."

Regina looked surprised. "The foster system? Emma, I'm-"

"Don't say you're sorry," Emma interrupted. "It definitely wasn't the most ideal way to grow up, but look where I am now, yeah?"

Regina nodded, "Okay, so tell me more about this art major."

The waitress came back with their coffee and set it on the table. Regina noticed her smiling at Emma and was surprised to feel a pang of jealousy, but luckily Emma didn't seem to notice the attention, only focused on Regina.

"Well since I was younger art was one of the only consistent things in my life. Whether I was with a foster family or in one of the group homes there was always pencil and paper. Then once I got to high school I had an amazing art teacher and she really helped me get to where I am now," Emma said.

Regina was completely drawn to Emma; the passion in her eyes was incredible and Regina could tell that this was something that meant more to Emma than anything else in the world and she wanted to learn more about it.

Emma was interrupted, however, by her phone ringing. Looking down, she saw it was Ruby. "I'm sorry I have to take this."

She moved away from the table as she answered the phone, "Hello? Ruby?"

"Emma! Oh God Emma I'm so sorry," Ruby was saying. Emma could hear the sounds of crying in the background and her heart dropped to her stomach.

"Ruby what happened? What's wrong with Henry?" she demanded.

As Emma was talking to Ruby, Regina was observing the conversation. Although she couldn't hear what Emma was saying, she was pacing pack and forth and obviously seemed distressed. Regina couldn't help but wonder what Emma was keeping from her, and hoped that everything was okay.

Emma took a deep breath after Ruby's explanation, "It's okay Ruby, I know it wasn't your fault. I'm on my way. Tell Henry I love him and that mommy will be there soon, okay?" Emma said, before hanging up.

She moved back over to Regina and began grabbing her belongings and putting on her coat.

"I'm so sorry but I have to go, there's a-um, family emergency," she explained, not quite wanting to tell Regina she had a son yet.

"That's alright," Regina said, wondering what had Emma so frazzled. "We can meet up again soon, right?"

"Yes, definitely!" Emma replied. Before she could rethink it she kissed Regina on the cheek and then rushed out of the bistro, leaving a bewildered and blushing Regina in her wake.

"Well I'll be damned," Regina whispered to herself, before leaving the bistro herself.

A/N This is all I have written so far, so let me know how you like it and I'll be working on the rest when I can!