A/N: If a chapter itself could be named The Calm Before the Storm, this one would be it. Enjoy the fluff!

Rating will most likely go up to M after this chapter for some darker themes.


Midmorning the next day, Regina looked out and saw Emma riding a horse around the fields of the castle. Her heart ached in jealousy. What she would give to be able ride and not relive the pain of Daniel's death in her arms. She watched Emma a little longer, her hair flying free in the wind. Her thoughts drifted from her late Daniel to the fond memory of Emma and their picnic.

Her thoughts getting hazy as she thought of Emma stripping off her clothes. She mentally slapped herself at how inconsiderate, how terribly awful it was for her to think that she could just forget Daniel, even if it was just during an enjoyable afternoon. She felt as though she was betraying his memory. Vowing then and there, she decided she would treat Emma as any of the other royal guests that had visited her castle before, with a cold shoulder and an offstandish disposition. No, she could not indulge in Emma's wish to unhinge her from her tightly wound personality. And so with this, the days of keeping Emma at arms length began.

Two days later. Emma was bored. Regina had denied all of her requests to go on adventures in the village, or even for another picnic at the pond. She knew she had made Regina uncomfortable when swimming, but she didn't think she would take it this far. She spent her time playing with Spot or Roland, sometimes she wandered around the castle. It wasn't even comparably pleasant to the time spent with Regina.

Day 3. Emma sat next to Regina as they both read underneath the apple tree. Regina was normally very concentrated when reading, but with Emma next to her she found herself distracted by the woman's shifts and fidgets. Emma was fully engrossed in her book, but would run her hands through her air every once and awhile, or twirl an apple that sat in her lap by the stem. Each of these movements caused Regina to look up, anger and frustration growing at the woman who was ruining her peace and quiet.

Day 5. Regina sat at dinner, alone. Well, nearly alone. Emma was supposed to be with her but instead only the insufferable Snow sat across from her. The doors to the kitchen opened and the chef walked out. Regina sighed, another day as per usual. Everything the same, all the time.

Regina didn't realize that behind the chef walked Emma, holding her very own homemade plates in her hand. She snuck behind Regina, leaning down as she placed the warm dish in front of her. "I hope you like it, I made it myself." Emma said quietly near Regina's ear. Regina turned suddenly, startled at the intrusion of her personal space.

Regina opened her mouth to chastise Emma for her lack of proper etiquette by spending time in the kitchen, but Emma was off, walking back to the swinging doors. Regina hated to admit how overwhelmingly disappointed she was when Emma didn't return to join them for the rest of dinner.

Day 6. Regina watched Emma like a hawk as talked with Belle in the library. Belle had always been a good maid, never getting in Regina's way, never overstepping her boundaries. She was considered to be very pretty by any of the peasants in the town. Her brown hair always swept back in a bun, her face soft and cheery. It wasn't that Regina hated that Belle was talking to her per say. It was more that Belle was talking to her.

Belle was slightly leaned into Emma, her hand resting on Emma's arm as she gave her book recommendations. Emma, completely oblivious, just seemed extremely thankful that someone was helping her narrow down her book choices. Regina sat on a nearby chair, with a book propped up in her hand, scowling at the flirting that was happening before her eyes.

She appeared to be engrossed in the novel, but if asked, she wouldn't have been able to recall the title since her eyes never left the conversation happening in front of her. When Emma laughed loudly at something Belle said Regina slammed her book shut and stormed out of the room. The two women to stared at the empty doorway that Regina had just exited out of.

Later, Day 6. Regina finally gave up the charade. She couldn't avoid Emma forever, she justified to herself. Plus, more time with Emma meant less time with Snow. And she most definitely preferred anything over Snow. She groaned to herself. It wouldn't hurt to have a friend. A friend might be nice, she thought, even if it was going to be a painful process in the making.

She got up and returned to the library, where she hoped Emma would still be despite the fact that the thought of her and Belle spending the entire afternoon together made her cringe. When she walked into the library Emma was sitting with her legs folded underneath her absorbed into a book that rest on her lap. She didn't hear Regina enter the room.

"Emma." Regina said commandingly, still very unsure about this whole situation.

"What?" Emma was startled by Regina's intrusion.

"What are you doing?"

"Reading a book."

"Where is that…Belle?" Regina spat the name Belle.

"I don't know, she left after I found a book to read. Why? Do you need her?" Emma wondered curiously.

"Oh, no." Regina stood there awkwardly, she wasn't use to sharing her feelings. Or letting anyone know what she was thinking even remotely. So she and Emma just stared at each other.

"Were you…" Emma began to say.

"I wouldn't mind if we became acquaintances so that my life here might be slightly more enjoyable during your stay." She said all too formally. Emma knew what she meant and a sly grin spread on her face.

"You want to be friends?"

"I don't have friends." Regina snapped. Which was all-together an unreasonable explanation considering that was the exact reason she was seeking Emma's 'acquaintance'.

"But you want to be my friend?"

"I suppose, for your own sake, that arrangement can be made." Regina put her hands on her hips.

"Or….for once in your life you could admit that you like me. And like hanging out with me." Emma said, her book still in her hands. Regina sighed exasperatedly and opened her mouth to say something, but Emma interrupted her.

"Okay, okay. I get it. I won't push. Yes, Regina I would like to be friends with you. I was going crazy in this place while you were ignoring me anyway." Regina didn't dwell on the fact that her heart beat rapidly when she realized that Emma had not only missed her companionship, but had noticed that she was ignoring her.

"But there is one rule." Emma began.

"What?" Regina had already been through enough emotional turmoil today.

"You go somewhere with me tonight."

"And where would that be?" Regina didn't like the sound of whatever Emma had up her sleeve.

"Tonight, I'll show you. Don't worry. Wear something warm." Emma said mysteriously as she got up from the couch, closed her book, and walked out of the library.


That night, Regina sat in her room nervously. She was so much safer on her own. Even just talking to someone on a daily basis made her uncomfortable that she was opening up too much. "I'm going to regret this," she muttered to herself. Emma popped in Regina's doorway.

"Hey!"

"Hello" Regina said stoically, projecting acute boredom.

"Are you ready?"

"Depends on what we're doing." Regina said.

"I can't tell y…wait is that what you're wearing? Emma raised her eyebrows at Regina's outfit.

"This is a perfectly good dress. You should be more concerned with what you're wearing." Regina said snippily.

"Nope, this is not going to work." Emma waved her hands at Regina. Regna was dressed in one of her regal dresses that she wore every day. In fact, she had simply not changed from her diner attire earlier that day. Emma, on the other hand, was wearing dark brown riding pants that looked similar to ones she was wearing a couple of days ago and a loose cream colored cotton shirt. The front of the shirt was cut into a deep V and then laced up with leather string. It all looked awfully peasant-esque.

"What do you suppose I wear then?" Regina was not in the mood to be criticized. She was going on this awful adventure for Emma in the first place. What more did she want from her?

"I'll be right back." With that, Emma raced out of the room, returning minutes later with a pile of clothes in her hands. She turned around to face the wall, "I won't look I promise." Regina stood still with her arms full of the clothes. She was most definitely not used to being ordered around by someone else, and on top of that, she wasn't comfortable changing in front of Emma. A thought she didn't dare to analyze since she changed in front of the maids all the time. Somehow it was different.

"I may need some help getting my dress off." Regina said shyly.

"Uh…Can I turn around?"

"Yes, you can." Emma turned around to see Regina in the exact same spot that she was when Emma threw the clothes in her arms.

"The maids usually help me take my dress off, but I knew we were going out tonight, so I told them to go away." Regina was looking down at the ground, completely embarrassed that she needed to rely on Emma to get her dress off of all things.

"Oh. Yeah. I got it." Emma walked towards Regina who slowly turned around. She was now facing a full-length mirror and watched Emma closely as she approached behind her. Emma slowly raised her hands to the string that held the back of Regina's dress closed and undid the knot at the top.

Her hands were shaking slightly at the excitement and nervousness that the close proximity to the woman brought upon her. After the knot was undone she unlaced the string from each of the holes, the expanse of Regina's back coming more and more into her view. Regina, on the other hand, stood frozen, watching Emma's face scrunch in concentration through the mirror. She shivered as Emma's hand brushed against her back.

"Oh. Sorry." Emma blushed, she noticed how Regina had tensed up when her fingertips made contact with her back.

"It's okay," Regina whispered, the breath slightly gone from her lungs. When Emma hand unlaced the entire back of Regina's dress she backed away and turned around again.

"Okay you can change now. I'm turning around." Regina unfolded the clothes still in her arms and hastily shrugged off her dress. Emma had given her tight pants just like her own, a tight dark green shirt and a brown vest. She looked in the mirror with the clothes on. The outfit reminded her so much of her younger days that she was shocked into silence. After awhile had passed of her just staring into the mirror. Emma cleared her throat and spoke up.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes. One…more thing." Regina quickly took out the jewel-studded clip that held her hair into a twisted updo. With the clip gone, her scalp was instantly relieved of pressure. It felt great to have her wavy tresses falling around her shoulders. "Okay. Ready." She said. Emma turned around and her eyes opened widely.

"Uh…." Emma trailed off. Regina, who already felt out of her comfort zone was immediately mortified. She must look like an idiot, what was she thinking? She wasn't eighteen anymore. She whirled around and tried to gather her hair in one hand as she reached for the clip with the other.

"No, no. Stop." Emma walked up behind Regina and, as she has so many times already, placed her arm calmly on her shoulder, willing her to still. Regina relented, stopping her frantically moving hands and looked at Emma through the mirror. Her face was hard, but her eyes screamed fear.

"You just look very different. Very beautiful." Emma said as a pink blush spread across her face. Regina looked down as a very similar blush covered her own. A small smile formed on her lips.

"Well. Since I've embarrassed myself thoroughly enough for tonight. Let's go." Emma said as she fidgeted around. Regina's lips to curled upwards as she followed Emma out of the room.


Emma led Regina to the end of the grounds and through the woods again, staying near the edge so that the little moonlight that illuminated the sky could filter in through the trees. After walking for what seemed like an eternity of uncertainty, which happen to be closer to twenty minutes, Emma turned around suddenly. Regina, who had been watching where her feet fell in the dirt, crashed into her.

"Oomf" The breath was knocked out of Regina's lungs. The two women who were now chest-to-chest stared at each other. Why the hell does my body seem to erupt into shock whenever I'm close to this woman? Regina wondered as her heart pounded in her chest. God, I don't think I'm going to be able to survive if this keeps happening again, Emma cursed in her head.

"Sorry, I just. Put this on." Emma held out a linen blindfold between the two women.

"You've got to be kidding me." Regina said dryly.

"Nope. It'll be worth it. Just put it on." Emma said mischievously. Regina could tell Emma was enjoying her position of power and snatched the blindfold from her and tied it over her eyes.

"If I step on anything, or twist my ankle I swear…"

"…Oh don't worry. I've got you" Emma latched onto Regina's arm and began to lead her forward. Directing her to step here, go a little over there. After a few minutes Regina felt the rocky and uneven terrain of the woods turn into soft grass that bent beneath her feet.

"Okay." Regina could feel Emma reach up and gently untie the knot of the blindfold at the back of her head. She blinked to adjust to the incoming light that filtered into her eyes. What she saw immediately took her breath away.

The dark night air was filled with fireflies. Little, glowing bugs flitted and looped through the air all around her. They contrasted against the midnight background of the forest beautifully. Looking up, Regina realized that the fireflies resembled the stars almost identically. She liked the idea of being surrounded by stars.

"Do you like it?" Emma asked hopefully.

"I love it." Regina answered. She was so enchanted by the scene that she had inadvertently forgotten to school her face as she always did. This left her bare and utterly exposed. Emma was captured. The pure awe and gentleness on Regina's face made her pulse race. She sat down on an overturned log as Regina walked around the small clearing, marveling at the fireflies.

"They remind me of the stars." Emma said after a long stretch of silence.

"I thought that too."

"Sometimes I like to come here lay on the ground as still as I can. That way more and more fireflies come out. It feels like I'm in the middle of the universe.

"How many times have you come here?" Regina was beginning to notice how familiar Emma seemed in places that should be new to her.

"A lot."

"How?" Regina, who was previous distracted by the scene, turned her full attention toward Emma.

"I'll tell you someday." Emma said, still staring up at the sky. Normally not one to let things go, Regina furrowed her eyebrows together but nodded.

"Do you see that?" Emma reached her forefinger up to the stars and traced a pattern in the sky.

"See what?" Regina tried to follow Emma's finger as it traced the pattern again.

"Right there. It kind of looks like a person."

"Oh…yes I see it." Regina's finger now traced the pattern Emma had been going over. They both stared upwards, not realizing they were sitting so close their sides were brushing.

"That's Andromeda. She was a Princess. Renowned for being one of the most beautiful women in the land."

"Are you trying to compare her to yourself Emma?" Regina said with a smirk, amused by Emma's cockiness.

"No, I was comparing her to you." Emma said softly.

"Oh." Regina's mind was moving a mile a minute and her heart was lurching in her chest. She was both exhilarated and terrified at how easily Emma could set her emotions off.

"Regina?"

"Yes?"

"You don't have to be alone." Emma said kindly. Regina was quiet for what seemed like forever.

"It's better that way" Regina whispered, just barely loud enough for Emma to hear.

"I'm here for you."

"You can't help me." Regina said sullenly. She knew all too well what happened when she got her hopes up and let anyone in. But here Emma stood.

Emma, who had showed her that some wonder was still left in the world. Emma, who reminded her that life didn't have to be as dreary as it had been in the past. Emma, who was worming her way into Regina's heart more and more each day.

But she knew that it would end soon enough. Emma would leave her, and yet again, she would be alone.


Please review! It lets me know if I'm taking the story in a good direction!