A/N- Two regular updates in a row, can you believe it!? Thank you so much for the positive reaction to this story.


The next day, Kathryn showed up just as her eleven o'clock class with Professor Swan was about to start, she caught the tail end of whatever conversation a kid in the first row was having with the blonde teacher.

"No way, the best lasagna in New Haven is at Armandos, hands down."

"How have you been to Armandos?" The teacher had a kind light in her eyes as she joked with the boy, "My husband and I tried to get reservations there for our anniversary, it's impossible." Professor Swan's eyes jumped up briefly to meet Kathryn's from where she'd been watching the exchange from the third row. She could vaguely see a hint of guilt in the professor's gaze, but she tried not to linger too much on it.

"I work there, in valet." The student smiled easily, "You ever want reservations, let me know. I've got the hook up."

"Definitely." Professor Swan agreed, taking a sweeping look at the classroom to see that most students had arrived and she decided to start class.

The lecture passed quickly, Kathryn had read ahead in anticipation of a long week between her jobs, and as such she was able to spend most of the period with her mind blindly wandering. So Professor Swan pretends that she's married to a man with all of us, and Doctor Mills pretends to be frigidly single.

The town was a typical college one, with a lively night scene and a fair amount of coffee shops and bars dotting the center. Despite the general liberal feel of the college itself, the town was quite conservative, as was the board of the university so Kathryn supposed that it made sense that the two women felt it better to keep their relationship quiet.

Kathryn was drawn from her musings by her name being called.

"Excuse me?"

Professor Swan smiled, recognizing the thousand yard stare her student had been sporting, "I asked you to stay behind class a minute."

The blonde finally realized that the students around her were packing away their things, and the hall was buzzing with the voices of the other students being released from classes. Kathryn threw her notebook in her bag and shouldered it, playing absently with her pen between her fingers as she descended the steps of the lecture hall and stopped short of her professor's desk.

Professor Swan, for her part, kept herself busy packing her bag, and waiting for the rest of the students to empty out of the hall before addressing Kathryn. When she did, it was not with the words the blonde student was expecting.

"Have you got another class right now?"

"Excuse me?"

"You say that a lot." Professor Swan laughed. It was clear to see the youth in this woman's eyes, and Kathryn found herself hoping she aged that easily, "Do you have class this afternoon?"

"Not until two."

The professor winced in sympathy, the only classes starting that late were lab practicals, "Take a walk with me?"

It took all of Kathryn's restraint not to reply with 'Excuse me?' But she managed a nod and followed Professor Swan as she led the way out of the lecture hall.

She expected the professor to make the conversation, but she was met with silence all the way out of the building, and for a few moments down the weathered path that led down to the scenic walk around the lake.

Kathryn fell into step beside her professor, allowing herself to take in the reawakening foliage when she accepted the blonde's apparent silence. The trees were just beginning to turn green as the town welcomed in spring after a long winter. The path was mainly empty as most students were holed up in a library doing last minute studying before finals, or drowning their sorrows in the brownies the dining halls mass produced during the lead up to exams. Professor Swan just short of gave Kathryn a heart attack when she finally did speak.

"On this path is where I first met Regina." She had a soft smile on her lips that Kathryn recognized from the few odd times she would mention her elusive 'husband' in class, "She was running late for a senior seminar class where she was presenting, and she just about bowled me over right at the corner." Professor Swan nodded at a blind corner created by a large oak tree, "That was about seventeen years ago."

Kathryn just remained quiet, listening attentively, and wondering what had prompted this sudden disclosure. And her patience was rewarded.

"Gina and I haven't had a date night in five years." The professor had a laugh on her lips as she took in Kathryn's shocked expression, "I know, some lucky combination of not being able to ask anyone from the university to watch the kid, Regina not trusting babysitters, and Henry managing to run off whoever Regina finally did approve of meant that we are in a desperate shortage of childcare provision."

Kathryn didn't quite know what to say, but she felt like she should say something, "Well I-"

She, however, was easily cut off, "For the past day all I've heard about is that pretty whistle lady Kathryn."

The blonde smiled at the memory of the kind little boy with the mop of unruly brown hair, "Professor Swan-"

"Call me Emma."

"Right, Emma." Kathryn felt incredibly awkward calling her professor something so casual, but she went with it, the day was strange enough and this was just adding to it. She still didn't know what she wanted to say, but it was beginning to come together, "How's Henry?"

"Much less bloody than he was last night."

"That's good."

Professor Swan, Emma, nodded, "Regina ran his jersey through the wash at least a dozen times, but I don't think that stain will ever come out."

"At least Henry's not afraid of soccer, that happens sometimes when kids get an injury."

"That kid is fearless." Emma said with evident pride, "How would you like to see him again?"

"Excuse me?" This one came out before Kathryn could stop it.

Emma laughed in response, "Would you be willing to be thoroughly and awkwardly interviewed by my wife, in order to be approved to come to my home, play with my monster- I mean son, for a few hours, and get paid while I finally eat something other than Mac and cheese or takeout?"

Kathryn chuckled, wondering how someone as light as Emma ended up with someone as severe as the head of the Political Science department. All the same, she couldn't resist the offer, "Amazingly enough, that's not the strangest job offer I've ever had."

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes."