Hey guys, thanks for the reviews! Here's chapter 4-hopefully you'll like it as it has an Emma/Regina flashback. Again, this story is a slow build, so thanks for sticking with it. I promise it'll be worth it.
Emma and Henry both knocked on the Charming's apartment door, only to hear Snow let them know she was coming. As the pixie-cut brunette opened the door, she beamed with excitement.
"You're here!" she cried, hugging her daughter. She stepped back and motioned for them to come inside.
"It's good to be back," Emma said, tossing hers and Henry's bags on the couch.
"Really?" Snow asked. "We wouldn't know that considering you never come to visit."
"I was here last month!"
Snow shook her head. "For a day…to drop Henry off." She smiled and brushed Emma's cheek with her hand. "We just miss you, that's all."
"You're always welcome to come up to Boston," Emma mused. She instantly laughed at the pulled look on her mother's face.
"I don't…," she paused, "…like it there. There are no trees."
"It's a city, Mom," Emma chuckled.
"Hmm," Snow just shook her head of the odd thought. "Anyway, your father is finishing his shift at the station. He's meeting us at Granny's for dinner in fifteen minutes. And after," Snow beamed a bit, "He's going to hang out with Henry for the night while you, me, Ruby, Belle, and Ella have a girl's night out."
"No, Mom, really," Emma objected.
"Oh come on," Snow pleaded, "the girls never see you. And Ella got Thomas to watch the baby. Ruby got off from work. And Gold's out of town, so Belle is definitely down."
"I should really be with Henry."
"David doesn't see Henry except for his riding lesson," Snow retorted. "Think of it as male bonding time."
"Fine," Emma caved, "but only one drink."
Granny's was full of the usual crowd and the noise was a comforting sound to Emma. She heard the dwarves give Leroy another sobriety talk, saw Marco and August share an ice cream, and winced when Granny yelled at Archie for bringing Pongo in to sit at a booth. The same old Storybrooke, she thought.
Dinner felt as if no time had passed. David caught her up on what was happening at the station. Snow told her that they had another successful miner's day. And Henry, of course, told her all about his riding. She and Snow both nodded in excitement as he recounted every detail.
"Gramps says I'm almost ready to learn how to joust!" he exclaimed.
"Noooo!" Emma shook her head rapidly at David, who only shrugged a bit.
"But it's a rite of passage!" Henry cried.
"Yeah, try going for a normal coming-of-age thing, kid," she sighed, "like driving a car." She thought again about that statement. "Never mind—you can drive when you're thirty."
David laughed. "He'll only joust with a Styrofoam sword," he said, looking at his daughter who was glaring at him. "I promise."
After diner, the four returned to the apartment. As David and Henry shuffled through the movie collection, Snow and Emma scrambled around to get ready to go out.
"I didn't really pack 'going out' clothes," Emma sighed, still reluctant to go.
"You can borrow one of my dresses," Snow offered as she put on her eyeliner.
"Mmm," Emma said, glancing over Snow's closet, "I'm more of a tight pants kinda girl."
"You'll look good in a dress," Snow said. "Here," she continued as she picked out a low cut red one. "This will look great on you."
A few minutes later, both women emerged from the bedroom in tight dresses, night make-up, and heels to kill. David and Henry turned and smiled at the gorgeous beauties.
"You two look lovely," he said, kissing his wife's hand. Emma thought it was cute that her dad could still make her mom blush like that.
"Yeah, you look really pretty, Ma," Henry said.
"Thanks, kid."
"Just beware of those prowling wolves," David called as they headed out the door.
"Ruby will scare them off!" Emma called back, making Snow burst into a fit of giggles.
When Snow and Emma arrived at the Rabbit Hole, they saw Ruby, Belle and Ella had already got a table and were working on their first drinks. As they made their way over, Ruby grinned and awaited Emma with a hug.
"Em, long time," she said, half hugging her as she held her martini in one hand.
"Love your dress," Belle commented, looking Emma up and down.
"I know. Snow got me into this."
"I bet your girl would love it," Ruby said, as she made a wolf whistle. "Where is your little lady anyway?"
"Ah, she stayed in Boston. Had a gig tonight," Emma said, taking her beer from Snow. "Besides, Storybrooke isn't really her thing."
"Why not?" Belle asked. "Did you tell her about us?"
"Yeah, she knows all about the magic and whatnot," Emma answered, taking a swig, "She's cool with it, it's just..."
"A town run by your girlfriend's ex, an evil queen, with whom she shares a son, is not anyone's idea of a good place to visit," Ella finished Emma's thought.
"Exactly."
"Damn," Ruby said, "I was really looking forward to drinking her under the table."
"Wouldn't have happened anyway," Snow mumbled in a sing-song voice as she glanced away, sipping her martini.
"What do you mean?" Belle asked.
"Mom!" Emma snapped.
"Kate's underage."
"Woah," Ruby chuckled, "Seriously, Em?"
"She'll be twenty-one in two months."
"Well, I can see why Regina was so hurt," Ruby blurted out, only to be elbowed in the gut by Snow.
"What was that?" Emma asked.
"Nothing!" Snow cried. She sipped down the rest of her drink and encouraged the girls to do the same. The music started cranking and they all smiled. "Come on, let's dance!"
Emma held back, sipping her beer. The others called to her, but she shook her head, wanting to sit this one out. She wasn't much in the mood for dancing. She watched her friends laugh and spin each other across the dance floor. She couldn't help but smile. Then, Emma shifted her gaze to an empty stool on the other side of the bar. As her mind flooded with memories, she quickly jumped up and headed out the door for a cigarette.
"Emma's got the moves!" Ruby howled across the dance floor.
About a year ago, when girl's night for all of them was a weekly jaunt, there was a particular night that Emma never forgot. There was nothing out of the ordinary. She'd gotten off her shift, ran home to change, and then headed out to the bar to meet up with them all. A few shots later, she was twirling Ruby and laughing.
"Let's do another shot!" Snow cried out eagerly. Emma found it funny that her mother was the instigator. She found it even funnier that it was always her mother who would be puking two hours later.
"Fine by me," she chuckled. "I can hold my own."
"Psshh, this is nothing," Ruby whispered to her, "You should have seen her when she and I would sneak drinks at balls." Emma laughed as Ruby made elaborate hand gestures. "Puke—everywhere. You think Regina hates her for the Daniel incident? No—Snow puked on her favorite dress after she drank one goblet of wine on her birthday."
Belle passed them each shots of tequila and carefully put salt on each of their fists. "Alright guys," she said, "One…two…three."
As Emma tipped back the shot glass, something at the end of the bar caught her attention. She saw the brunette sitting on a stool in the back corner, nursing a martini. When she licked the salt off of her hand, she noticed that Regina was alone.
"Alright bitches!" Ruby hollered, slamming her shot glass down on the bar, "Back on the dance floor!"
"I think I'm gonna sit this one out, guys," Emma said as she narrowed her focus on Regina.
As she headed over to the other side of the bar, Emma couldn't help but stare at the mayor's tight black skirt that enhanced every curve of her figure. She hadn't noticed her approach, as she was looking down, tracing the rim of her glace with her finger.
"I take it you don't dance," Emma said, sitting beside Regina.
Regina looked up, startled for a moment. "Why ever would I engage in such idiotic movement?"
Emma laughed a bit as Regina took a sip of her drink.
"You seem to enjoy it, Ms. Swan."
"Not really my thing," she replied, shaking her head, "I do it mainly for them." She paused for a moment. "So tell me, Madam Mayor, why are you here?"
Regina looked at her, caught off guard by the question. "What do you mean?"
"Well," Emma said, looking at her half finished drink, "You're alone in a bar on a Friday night."
Regina caved. "If you mean aside from enjoying a perfect view of your mother making a fool of herself," she let out and took a large swig of her drink. She paused, allowing the burn of the liquid to give her the courage she needed for a confession. "Maybe I come here hoping there may be someone in in this town who would dare to have a conversation with 'the Evil Queen'."
Emma watched as Regina finished the rest of her drink. As cynical as she was, she was still hurt. No one ever remembered that part. Granted, she hid it well. But was Emma really the only one who saw passed the veil?
She finished her beer, tossed it on the bar and put out her hand.
"What are you doing, Ms. Swan?"
She smiled. "It's too loud in here for a good conversation. Come on!"
Regina narrowed her eyes on Emma, trying to see what trick she had up her sleeve. But there was nothing. Her extended hand was free of strings—a simple gesture of kindness. She looked to the blonde's green eyes. They were unguarded, warm, and dare she say, inviting. Reluctantly, Regina placed her hand in Emma's.