AN: Wow 6 reviews that might be more than I've ever gotten! It's awesome to know ya'll like the story so far and want me to continue. I apologize for the spelling and grammar errors in the previous chapter. I'll try to be more diligent but I wrote it at midnight after I got home from class so yea…Once again I own nothing R&R if you please.

Chapter 3: A box of treasures

If you were to go into the closet of the master bedroom of in of 108 Mifflin Street you would find on the top shelf a plain cardboard box. Inside that box are a collection of things Regina mills has deemed to be treasures collected throughout her childhood. There's a photo of her parents on their wedding day that Regina had treasured as a child. There were some ticket stubs from her first concert as a teenager (a punk band from Europe that her sister took her to Frank Turner and the Sleeping Sirens) a ring given to her by her first love Daniel right before he left for deployment to Iraq a trip that he would not return from. And lastly a stack of letters tied neatly together with string a photo booth picture strip resting at the top showing a young brunette with flowing dark brown hair and a young blond with green eyes and a wild mane.

The letters started from the moment Emma left Storybrooke and continued for three years before the blond became impossible to get a hold of. Letters detailing everything seemingly important in her young life from Mary Margret Nolan giving birth to Leopold Nolan a boy who Regina found personally to be obnoxious and annoying (though that might be her bias as his arrival spelt the end Emma living in Storybrooke) to her first kiss with a boy at the 8th grade formal dance. (Daniel has bought her a beautiful corsage and worn a tie to match her dress)

The letters she got in return told of somewhat similar stories. Foster homes with too many children to care for properly. Of getting felt up by a boy named Tommy Hanson behind the bleachers at the freshman sendoff (something that had sent an angry fire though Regina at the thought of some boy touching her Emma). Of learning to smoke and getting kissed from a girl named lily who lived next door to her latest at the time foster family (Something that sent a fire to her belly at the thought of Emma wanting to kiss girls). For three years the girls stayed in contact but by the end of their freshman year of high school it became impossible to keep up.

It wasn't an abrupt decision just gradually the letters slowed down to a once every few months to once a year till finally by the time Regina was just about to turn 14 they stopped coming altogether. So it was with great surprise that seven years after that last letter came Regina received a phone call from the elusive Emma Swan.

Memories of the day the met flashing began flashing through her mind.

Flashback

Regina's mother had just dropped her off for her first day of Sixth grade and to say Regina was nervous would be putting it lightly. Zelena wasn't even here to protect her since she was doing her junior year abroad in England. She clutched tightly to her pink lunch box determined to make it to her first class as quickly as possible.

Fate however had other plans it seemed because as soon as she stepped into the hallway she was quickly shoved in a set of lockers buy two boys running rampant down the hall. "Mr. Locksley Mr. Jones just what do you think you're doing you could hurt someone look you've already shoved this poor girl into the lockers! You've both earned yourselves a detention!" "Oh dear" said the woman looking at Regina laying on the ground hands brought up to her face "Oh it looks like you've split you're lip we better get you to the nurses office Emma can you come over here sweetie" she asked calling over a skinny blond girl with hair tied up in a messy pony tail. She wore a red tank top blue jeans and brown lace up boots that came up to her knees she was unlike anyone Regina had ever seen before

"I'm not your sweetie MM" the girl named Emma snapped "Right sorry dear" said the woman seemingly ignoring her "Can you take this young lady to the nurses office" Letting out a sigh Emma took the pass from the teacher and helped Regina off the ground "Don't dawdle" said the woman "You'll be late for homeroom" "Yes Mrs. Nolan" Emma replied irritatedly.

They round the corner and Emma let out a sigh "Sorry about that she's been breathing down my neck for the past two weeks and won't give me a moment's peace. Not that I wouldn't help you if she didn't" she added quickly "Robbin and Killian are real assholes for hurting you like that." Her eyes glace down at Regina's bloody hand. "Here she says pulling out a napkin from her pocket let me help." Gently she began dabbing at Regina's stinging lip her eyes full of sympathy as she lets out a hiss of pain. "Yikes this looks pretty bad you're probably going to need stiches at the very least you're gonna have a scar" at those words Regina begins to cry it's her first day of school and she's already wishing she just stayed home.

"Oh hey hey don't cry it'll be ok I promise. I've got a couple scars too and they're not so bad honest." Regina's cry lessen just a bit but tears still fall down her face, " It'll be okay I promise you'll still be really pretty." Looking into Emma's eyes she sees nothing but sincerity and can't help but trust her. While the nurse who every called Granny fussed over Regina and calls her mom back to the school Emma sat beside her making up silly songs about jam and toast never letting go of her hand until her mother arrives to take her to the hospital.

The next day Regina returns to school with her lip stitched up Killian and Robbin both come up to her and sheepishly apologize Robbin sporting an impressive black eye and Killian a fat lip. Regina ignores them both sliding in to seat next to Emma who passes her a copy of the syllabus from yesterday. Emma doesn't comment on the dark stiches in Regina's upper lip and Regina doesn't comment on the bruises she sees on Emma's knuckles. Instead she asks if Emma would like to come over after school. And from that moment on the two were inseparable.

Flashback over

Shaken out of her memory Regina picks listens closely as childhood best friend tells her about what she's been through swallowing the lump that rises in her throat at the thought of someone hurting the girl she believed invincible and feeling shocked at the revelation that her friend is now a mother Regina is quick to inform her that of course she and her son are welcome to stay with her as long as they need to and that she'll see them in a week when they arrive.

Hanging up the phone Regina walks upstairs and opens the box containing the letters running her fingers over Emma's messy scrawl. She was coming home and for the first time since Daniel died Regina felt a spark of hope for the future. Yes everything seemed to stay the same here in Storybrooke but if there's one thing Regina had learned it was that things still change and with change comes new possibilities and maybe just maybe it was possible for Regina to find her happiness once again. Placing the letters back in the box Regina logs on to her computer and starts searching for paint supplies. She has some decorating to do.

That's a wrap for this chapter I've got at least one or two more to come but now we know how they met. Also I know in the last chapter I said Regina inherited everything at the time I hadn't decided to write Zelena into the story so let's just assume Regina inherited the house and 50 percent of the money Zelena declining to live in the house as she returned to England for college and had settled down there.