Thanks for the support readers! Your reviews made me smile, and I appreciated them. I think I might need a beta? All mistakes are mine, lol. Enjoy!

A/N: I have don't have any rights to Once Upon a Time, or its characters.

Chapter Three: Don't Listen to Me Cry

"I may seem…painfully shy,

And these scars wouldn't be so hidden,

If you would just look me in the eye.

I do not want to be alone anymore."

"What's she saying?" Ruby demanded as she saw her younger friend beam down at the screen of her phone.

When she received no response whatsoever from Emma, she scooted off the booth, and moved to sit by her friend trying to catch a glimpse of the text.

Wanting to also be part of the friendly invasion of privacy, Mary Margaret slid under the table easily, and appeared by the blonde's side, sitting in the space next to her; effectively sandwiching her between herself and Ruby.

Heads almost touching, both women peered down at Emma's phone, twin smiles stretching their lips.

'Would you meet me for lunch tomorrow? Maybe we could meet at Marco's.'

"Oh, she wants you," Ruby hollered sexily, but not too loudly to the blonde's ear, "She wants you so badly, blondie."

Emma looked sideways at her, an adorable blush to her cheeks as if saying, you think so?

Rubes nodded before looking back down to the text, her girlfriend too quiet on the other side.

"She wants to have lunch with you, Ems," she assured, "And, let's not forget the whole gallery thing; she's basically saying she is extremely available, and wants a piece of that…" the woman trailed off as she pinched her side, and giggled.

"Ruby, must you always be so crude?" Mary Margaret deadpanned; debating herself the good reasons why she'd ever allowed herself to fall in love with the leggy brunette.

Ruby was laying awake on her side, her elbow supporting her as she peered down at her girlfriend who was sound asleep beside her.

They were in a small makeshift bed on the floor of Emma's room where they had crashed the night prior after leaving the diner; comfy blankets underneath their bodies, and a fluffy pillow at their heads.

She'd enjoyed their little heated make out session once Emma had fallen asleep, and now she was just buzzing with excitement, and for some reason she couldn't keep it down.

She'd been thinking about the blonde and her new friend; the woman who happened to have immense interest in Emma after only two days of actually being in her presence. She just…couldn't help but feel she could be good for her friend.

"Rubes, it's too early," Mary Margaret mumbled softly as she buried her nose in her girl's throat, "Go back to sleep, darling."

Ruby just merely chuckled lowly before wrapping her arms around the smaller woman's form, and dropping a kiss to her temple. Breathing her in, she closed her eyes after looking up to Emma's bed to make sure she hadn't waken, and snuggled further into her girlfriend.

They were shouting at each other within their small Brooklyn apartment, which had been a constant in their lives from the moment their mother had allowed him to move in with them; shouting and arguing was a normal occurrence in their daily routines, but whenever things really got out of hand, David would always try to shelter his younger sister from the aggressions.

Therefore, when the older man's hand had struck against the side of his mother's face, David had jumped off from his place at the dinner table, and had briskly grabbed the little blonde by her hand, pulling her away from there.

"Wait for me here, you hear me?" his voice was hurried as he glanced at his sister and quickly picked her up, hiding her behind all the clothes and the hangers in the closet; shielding her with a few boxes he still had with old toys.

The man was screaming now, a fierce tone accompanying his voice as he rampaged on; the sound of glass shattering heavy in the air as the teenage boy strived to protect his sister.

"Don't come out until I say so, Emma," he finished as he laid a kiss on her forehead; the little girl trembling in his arms as he set her down behind all the mess.

She wouldn't let go of him, so he had to disentangle her hands from him gently.

His young blue eyes were welling up with tears as he brushed her blonde locks away from her face, and motioned for her to be silent with his index finger before he began closing the closet doors, leaving one slightly ajar.

He moved to the door of his room, and peered out to the hallway, before taking a deep breath and disappearing through it.

Emma cried as she saw her big brother leave her, tears thickly streaming down her face; her small, slim arms wrapped around her knees as she sat on the ground frightened.

She could still hear her step father bellowing as she shut her eyes tightly; willing the image of her mommy getting hit to get out of her head.

"Leave her!" her brother was screaming, and then Emma could hear nothing as all went quiet in the dining area.

"Why do you insist on speaking out of turn, boy?" the man roared before the little girl began hearing her mom sobbing now, "What happens between your mother, and I…is strictly that; between her and I," and you could hear painful assaults punctuate behind each of the last words escaping his mouth before the woman started desperately whimpering.

"Leave him alone, James!" she cried.

A sharp slap was heard, and even though the little blonde was further away, the sound echoing was as if she were right next to them. She was sobbing now, her knees still up against her chest as she tugged on her blonde locks and tried to block the fight out.

"Don't you ever touch my mother again!" and a heavy 'thud' resonated for a second before Emma heard a clatter, and heavy breathing approaching.

The closet doors were pulled open, and before she could scream, David was there; his mother's arm draped around his shoulder as he supported her weight.

Because of the darkness of the room, the girl didn't noticed the bruise on her mother's face as she looked to her big brother.

She quickly reached up her arms at him, watery eyes staring up, as he murmured something to the woman beside him (asking her whether she could hold herself up), and she nodded. David picked Emma up quickly before setting her on his hip, and turning to leave the room, his mother closely behind him.

Emma's head was tucked away in her brother's neck, her eyes closed against sight, and slightly hiccupping as they walked.

They were walking cautiously through the hallway, almost reaching the front door, when the young man was struck in the back with a belt. He fell to the ground with a shout; twisting in time, so he would not land on his baby sister who immediately began crying again.

He was hissing in pain, curling in on himself as his little sister kneeled beside him.

"Dave," she screamed, "Are you okay?" she asked him in a high pitched, child's voice as she checked him.

But both siblings froze as they heard the sickening crack of something behind them.

"Mommy!" her little voice screamed, her fists rung on each side of her body as she turned to the sound.

"You keep outta this, brat," he spat at her angrily, as he pulled back to strike her crying mother again, "Your brother has already screwed up too much."

"Stop it, stop…" the broken woman pleaded to him; another dark bruise already starting to form from the beginning of her chin up to her pronounced cheekbone, "You promised it wouldn't happen in front of her anymore," she finished, her voice barely above a whisper.

His response was merely a low chuckle before he fisted her straight, long, blonde hair and pulled it hard; the woman releasing a suffering cry.

"Please, please," the child said, in a desperate voice, tears having streamed down her face a long time ago, "Stop. Leave my mommy alone."

The man was too rattled.

He laughed once again, and getting one last tug from her mother's hair, tossed her furiously to the floor before turning to face the small girl.

Her mom noticed before she could figure it out, before even young David could scramble off the cold floor.

"Emma, baby, run…go to your room and lock the—" but her daughter had already began screaming, and running as her boyfriend reached for her, "Don't you dare touch her, don't."

But he already had Emma off the ground, her little wrists held in a vice like grip, and her chin harshly gripped between his strong, rough fingers.

"Now, you listen to me, girly," he began as he forcibly shook her in his arms, and she couldn't stop crying or even control the fear she felt in the moment.

She didn't want a repeat of last time, but her mommy's cries always broke her tiny heart.

"How many times have I told ya to stay quiet?" he demanded an answer as he tightened his hold.

"People just get more hurt when you open your mouth, Emma," the man told her, his hand now beginning to slap her cheeks, "Stay quiet, and things like this don't need to happen to you—"

She was suddenly dropped to the ground in a hard fall, her back slamming against the ground, but her mommy was quickly by her side; pulling her into her arms as she brushed her hair away from her face.

"God, Emma…"

David had beaten James with the same belt that had caused his fall, and was relishing in the feeling of it before he threw it somewhere to the side, and ran into the cowardly man that now lay on the ground in a heap.

His youthful fists slamming into the man's face, and chest brutally as tears streamed down his angry cheeks; he'd broken his nose, and now his knuckles were covered in sticky blood.

He was screaming as he hit his step father time after time; Emma's hazel eyes never leaving her brother's movements as fatigue caught up to him, and began to slow him down.

"David, stop, baby," his mother pleaded to him, an arm extended out to him, "That's enough."

The teenage boy let out a whimper before he slumped to the ground, and crawled to his sister.

Taking a deep breath, he took her from his mother's arms and pulled her to him.

"We can't stay here anymore, mom," he whispered hoarsely to her, his eyes flicking from his beaten mother to the man laying in a heap on the floor a couple of feet from them; "We have to leave, we need to—"

His mother was already nodding her head, and in a silent agreement she got off the floor, and disappeared down the hallway as quickly as she could.

"Listen to me, go to the kitchen; you know gram's old vase?" he asked the little blonde, and she nodded, cold tears still moist on her eyelashes, "Grab whatever is in it, and come back here, okay?"

She was quickly off, seeking the vase her big brother wanted.

"You motherfucker," she'd heard as her small hand reached down into the old vase, and pulled out a roll of what she assumed was money, and stuffed it in her pants' pocket fast.

"Son of a bitch!" and then, she heard the belt again, as it snapped viciously against skin.

Emma ran quickly to the living room, and if it hadn't been for mommy's arms around her, holding her back, she would have taken the lashing right to her face as the man pulled back to whip David again.

"Dave, no!" she childishly cried as the belt slashed against his back.

Ruby's eyes were the first to slam open when Emma's raw screams pierced the air of the small bedroom before she shot up from the ground; her back painfully slamming against the side table. Crawling into the blonde's mattress, she found her trashing around violently; tears spilling down her pale cheeks, her eyes still very much shut.

Mary Margaret wasn't far behind her lover as the brunette tried to wake Emma, gently shaking her.

"David!" she'd called as she pulled Emma into her lap, cradling the younger woman's head in her hands; the blonde's face wet, and fearful.

They both heard alarmed footfalls before the door was swung open, and David burst in, gun at the ready; his sister's whimpers stabbing at his heart, scrunching his face up with sorrow before he lowered his weapon and set it on the dresser by the door.

The blonde was now in Mary Margaret's arms; her face tucked away in her neck, soft sobs escaping her throat, as the short haired woman rubbed gentle circles onto her back, and murmured hushed nothings into her ear to calm her down.

Ruby hesitated for a second before she approached her best friend's older brother, and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him into her side in an offer of emotional support.

Her eyes sought out her Mary Margaret's glimmering ones as the man spoke.

"I don't know how to help her," he began, his voice sounding weak and low, "I've done my best to make her feel safe—I've tried to keep her safe, damn it!" and both women thought he would start crying, but he strangled the sound in his throat, and looked up to both of them; somehow feeling ashamed of his outburst, "It hurts me to see her like this…this isn't normal; she shouldn't be suffering like this…"

He trailed off as he moved away from Ruby, and dropped himself softly on the bed beside Mary Margaret; his hand coming up to thread through Emma's soft, lazy curls.

She'd fallen back to sleep; her chest rising and falling evenly, her quiet breath puffing slightly against her friend's throat.

The woman to his side directed a sympathetic look to him, and nodded to him as she kept her arms on the blonde.

"Dave," it was Ruby who spoke next, and her tone was different than her normal mischievous one; it was serious and somber, "We're always going to be here to help you, to help Emma," she said to him, a frown on her brows, "But, if you strongly believe that Em needs professional help, then we have to find it," she finished as she pulled her long hair away from her face.

Green eyes met blue in the darkened state of the bedroom with uncertainty, though.

"How long has it been since last time?" the short haired woman asked softly as she moved to set Emma back down on the bed without disturbing her so, pulling the covers over her body once again.

Taking her lead, David got off the bed; following both women to the ground, and sitting on the makeshift bed.

"A couple of months."

"They're not as frequent as before, David," she told him, "They're still happening, yes, but…I don't think we should expose Emma to a shrink! Do you know what that would do to her?"

"Babe…"

"No, Ruby," she shook her head, and looked back to her high school friend, "It'll mess her up more, honey; we've always sheltered her," she continued as she sighed, her girlfriend's hand slipping into hers in a warm clasp, "Forcing her to see one of those doctors would just bring back a lot more memories!"

"So, you don't think that'd be good? To have her face old monsters, and help her get rid of them?" he asked, his tone turning incredulous as he rubbed his face with the palm of his hand.

"Half of them have already been faced with, David!" she insisted in a soft hiss as she turned to look at the sleeping blonde behind her, "Do you remember when these nightmares used to occur every night? We laid in bed with her for three months straight, talking and easing her, before they kind of just went away, sweetheart," she murmured softly now, her eyes on him, while she shrugged.

He was silent as she gave him a sad smile.

"She doesn't need some psychologist," she said as she reached forward to envelope his hand, "She needs us to be there for her now more than ever."

"Charming," Ruby started, "I think Mary Margaret is right," she said as her lips connected against her girlfriend's cheek, "We've driven away these night terrors before, and that's helped her so much…"

"But she's not a little girl anymore," he breathed to them, "She's a woman now— just like you! She's…"

"David, we love Emma as much as you love her as well," Ruby cut in, "We've always been aware of what the problem's been," she affirmed with a nod, "Who better is there out there to look out for her than ourselves?"

"We've yet to do a bad job," Mary Margaret assured with a smirk as she bumped his shoulder softly with hers.

"If things get worse, then, we could consider it," Ruby chimed in, "But for now, we're gonna be fine, Dave."

Not feeling the need to move from her room, all three of them went on to speak in hushed tones as they mulled things over in their heads, and expressed other concerns or ideas they'd thought about.

But none of them had noticed how the quiet blonde's breathing had shifted minutes ago as she now laid wide awake; silent tears sliding down her cheeks as she listened to them talk.

"Do you have everything, Henry?" Kathryn, his mom's closest friend, asked him as he came down the stairs.

"Yes, Kat!" he exclaimed a little annoyed as he reached her side, and gave her a speedy hug before walking to the kitchen, "Maybe you should be asking mom that, though."

The blonde rolled her eyes, and brought a hand to rub down her face.

"Yeah, yea, okay," she said as he walked back to her, a little zip lock bag full of grapes in his hand.

She ruffled his hair as he tried to move away, and laughed.

"Why don't you go wait in the car, yeah?" she told him, and saw him nod before leaving through the door, and directing himself to the Audi parked outside, his bag slightly bouncing on his back.

"Regina!" she sang out as she began climbing the stairs to the upper floor where all the main bedrooms were located.

She could distinctly hear things being thrown around, and when she finally stepped inside the room, she spotted her friend at the door of her massive wardrobe in nothing but her underwear.

Looking towards the bed, Kathryn was met with clothes everywhere; something out of character for the usually very tidy brunette.

"Regi—"

"I heard you the first time, Kathryn," the woman said as she spiraled around to face her friend, and scowled profoundly, her arms moving to lay across her bra clad chest, "I assure you, I am far from deaf."

"Why are you not dressed yet, Gin?"

"I suddenly have nothing to wear," she said, as a matter of fact before she turned back to the closet, and dived deeper in.

Kathryn could only just roll her eyes to stop herself from stomping her heeled foot against the tiled floor of her childhood friend's room.

"Oh, please!" she scoffed as she gracefully dropped herself on the bed, crossing her legs, "Gin, you own an entirely three story store in that thing," her blonde friend exaggerated as she inspected her manicured nails.

It was long before a very expensive blouse was flung at her, and managed to land on her face.

"Gin!"

"Don't 'Gin' me! Where's Henry?" the dark haired woman asked as she slipped on a black dress, and struggled to put on the pantyhose with one hand.

"Where do you think, your Majesty? In the car!" she exclaimed before getting off the bed before a shoe could hit her, "Where I'll be waiting apparently, don't take too long; Henry can't be late," she reminded before she walked out of the room.

"We can't have that now, can we?" her tone sarcastic as she flipped the lights off.

Quickly donning a white blazer over the dress with black lapels, she grabbed her phone (shoving it into her pocket with a huff), and followed after her friend.

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" David asked her as he fumbled with his uniform tie.

He almost missed her slow nod.

Emma was currently sprawled on the couch facing away from him, the television on, yet she wasn't really watching any of it.

Her phone was now laying on her belly; a reminder of what she had texted the kind brunette who had invited her for lunch lingering through her mind as she stared at the wall.

Mary Margaret and Ruby had called Granny, subtlety explained to Widow Lucas what had happened, and asked for the day off (which they had gotten, of course). Now, they were finishing up breakfast, and preparing their selves for the day.

She'd been less responsive today; the mute blonde hadn't even made an effort to change her pajamas. The only thing she'd done was put her hair back up.

"Well, I'm off then, Em," her bother told her, as he accepted the cup of coffee Ruby offered him, and walked towards his sister. He leaned down, and placed a kiss on her forehead, "Text me if you need anything, yeah?"

She smiled forcibly, and mouthed an okay.

David trekked over to the other two women, signaling with his hand to call him if anything happened, before closing the door behind him.

Once the door shot, the couple glanced towards their quiet friend.

"Hey, princess," Ruby sauntered over to the blonde, "Don't you look hot?" she winked and younger woman cracked a tiny smile.

Mary Margaret brought her hand up to cover her mouth, giggles threatening to escape as she observed her girlfriend trying to cheer up Emma. The taller brunette's flirtatious tendencies springing to life in a humorous way.

Somehow, she had a feeling Emma had been awake during their morning talk in the bedroom. That was the reason why she was acting this way.

She sighed softly, and turned to flip the bacon as she popped the bagels into the toaster, and pulled out the margarine and strawberry jam from the fridge.

"Maybe we could go to the park later on?" she heard her girlfriend prod, "After breakfast and everything…"

As she went to walk over to her girlfriend, Mary Margaret's cell phone rang, and she went to pick it up.

David's name was flashing on the screen as she answered it.

"What's up, boy?" she greeted; a little bit narcissistic, yet playful enough to elicit a chuckle from him, "I knew you couldn't keep away for too long…oh, really?"

Emma perked up at her interested tone as did the short haired girl in the kitchen. The blonde even go up from the couch, and walked over to her brunette friend.

"Awesome, Charming! We'll pick it up on our way out," he said something else, "Alright, bye-bye, Chief!"

"Let's eat, yeah?" she encouraged excitedly as she looked to Emma; Mary Margaret's eyes flashing with questions, "David said the bug's ready!" she finished as she snagged a piece of bacon, and chewed as delicately as she could.

Offering one to Emma, she smiled as the girl took it and nibbled on it. The mischievous woman went on to take another piece when her girlfriend lightly slapped her fingers away.

"Wait 'till I'm done with the eggs," she explained distractedly, yet still sounding like she was chastising little children.

Looking up to Emma, she saw the girl grinning as she slipped her another piece; thinking she went unnoticed by the shorter brunette while Ruby stuffed her mouth.

"That goes for you as well, darling," her girlfriend just rolled her eyes in response.

At least the blonde wasn't moping on the couch anymore.

"So, what's wrong, Regina? You've been out of it all morning; what is going on?"

They had ended up at Starbucks right after dropping Henry off at school. And now, here they were; the soft buzzing of the café a sort of comfort to both of them as Kathryn tried to venture into her friend's thoughts, and what had her so…inattentive.

"What do you mean?"

"Gin!" Kathryn pleaded.

The blonde had noticed how her friend kept glancing down to her lap, where she was pretty sure the brunette had placed her cellphone.

"Yes, dear?" Regina questioned as she raised an eyebrow; her eyes now on her best friend.

The blonde just gestured for her to hurry the hello up in spitting it out.

"I know you, Gin," she explained as she pointed at her, nervous laughter erupting from her throat, "Please, tell me what's really going on."

Regina looked to her phone once more before she sighed, and slipped it into the pocket of her blazer.

She brought her hands up onto the table, and started tapping her nails; her face scrunching up as if in thought.

Clearing her throat, she tried to open up to the pestering blonde in front of her.

"I met someone," she began very slowly as if she were speaking to a three year old, yet her tone was serious and tinged with uncertainty, "Her name is Emma," she continued as she released a low and dry chuckle at her friend's face.

"Emma?" Kathryn wanted to be sure she'd heard right; the last time Regina had gotten serious with a woman, Henry hadn't even been born.

The woman in front of her nodded.

Tucking a few strands of her hair, she thought to extract a little bit more of information from her brunette friend.

"And where did you meet her?" the blonde asked her, a smile appearing on her lips as she took a sip from her coffee.

Regina ran her hands through her dark hair; fingers playing idle with the sides as she took a deep breath, then let it out.

"Central Park," she murmured, pulling her coffee up to her lips, "I went to get Henry, and there he was…sitting with her," she continued distractedly as she recalled that day.

"Wait, Henry was there?" Kathryn asked, a bewildered expression to her face.

Regina bit her lip as she looked up to her friend, a sardonic eyebrow raised once again.

"Didn't I just say that dear? You know how I—"

"Hate repeating yourself, yeah, yeah," she finished for her, almost scoffing, "Move it along, Gin!"

"She doesn't talk…"

"What do you mean?" she coked her head to the side, a curious shadow falling on her features, "Like…she's extremely shy or what?"

"She's mute," Regina explained as she rolled her eyes at her friend, "That is what I mean."

"Oh?" now Kathryn seemed confused.

"There is something about her, though, that just seems to call to me, Kathryn," she revealed softly; her hands going back down to her lap. She was getting nervous, "It's as if I want to get to know her."

"Gin—"

"Of course, I feel more than attracted to her," he friend cut her off, "But the innocence of it all, of her…I want it."

"You want…"

"I want her, Kathryn!" she hissed as she shook her head, "And, it's really freaking me out."

"I can see that."

"Kat!"

"Gin!" the blonde woman mocked with a smirk, "So you like her a lot, a lot? So what? What?" she pushed on.

Regina scoffed.

"Could you be anymore articulate?" the brunette sneered at her friend as she glanced around the cafe.

The blonde couldn't help but laugh out loud catching the attention of nearby patrons because of how flustered her best friend was becoming.

"Real, cute, darling," she commended while she finished her coffee, but was effectively cut off from saying whatever else she was about to as Regina's phone vibrated.

The look on her friend's face made her chuckle lightly, but she quickly detained herself as she saw how Regina scowled at her before taking her phone out, and swiped her finger across the screen.

A frown settled itself on her friend's face as she bit her lip, and looked down to the device.

'Something's come up. I don't think I'll be able to do lunch with you this afternoon. Sorry, Regina.'

"Gin, what?"

Her face turned to that of disappointed moments after reading the message, and she tried to think of an appropriate reply to send back.

Though she wanted so badly to first ask why the sudden change.

"She's cancelling on me," she mumbled.

"Is she really?" Kathryn sounded incredulous, and only received a nod; her friend's finger only resting indecisively against the screen, "Why?"

"Cheer up, Ems!" the short haired woman tried to raise her spirits as they made their way down fifth avenue to the car shop; her arm around the blonde's shoulder.

Ruby was trailing behind them; her eyes playfully roaming on their…

"Hey! Red," green eyes snapped up, cheeks red as she snickered.

"Mary Margaret rolled her eyes at her girlfriend and gestured for her to please join them.

With a sly smile, the woman sauntered over to her lover and slipped hand into hers after coquettishly winking at the blonde.

As they strolled over to the garage door where they spotted the yellow bug, Emma froze.

She almost contemplated throwing herself into the opened garage before brown eyes happened to look up and shockingly met her hazel ones.

The straight haired blonde beside her kept walking and chatting away, unaware that her friend had stopped a few feet behind her.

"Why do you insist that I park four blocks away from the place when—"

She didn't realize she'd continued on alone until she nearly ran into the other two girls.

"Emma."

The blonde shyly smiled at her, crimson creeping into her cheeks as she looked away to the side, and mouthed a nervous Hi.

The five of them just stood on the walkway for a couple of minutes. Emma and Regina hadn't even moved to close the distance; their companions looking confused between both women.

"Regina, is this—"

"Regina?" Ruby spoke up as her eyes went wide along with her girlfriend's, and the two of them turned to the quiet blonde whose eyes were now firmly on the ground.

Before Mary Margaret could inquire further, the leggy brunette wolf whistled playfully as realization set in. If Emma's cheeks could have turned redder, her face would have resembled a tomato.

"Regina," Rubes said once again; rolling all the syllables along her tongue in a soft yet, flirtatious manner that caused her girlfriend to swat at her arm.

She also received a reprimanding stare from Emma before she made as if she were sealing her lips; the zipping sound leaving her mouth before she went quiet.

Regina was pleasantly surprised to see the timid blonde again, and had almost slipped up on her calm appearance as her cute friend bantered.

"Hi there," the short haired brunette stepped in and offered her hand to the woman in front of her who shook it quickly without wanting to look dismissive, "I'm Mary Margaret."

Regina nodded tightly, her jaw setting at the chipper girl; which caused Mary Margaret to go a bit tense before gesturing to her love, "This is Ruby,"

The tall brunette waved with a huge grin.

Clearing her throat, the other blonde decided to join them.

"I'm Kathryn," she supplied as she extended her hand to both of them before she turned to Emma, "How strange to stumble upon you girls," she murmured as she grabbed the blonde's slightly color stained hand before Regina gave her a knowing look, "We were just talking about you, Emma."

Her best friend rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms over here chest and smiled at the shy blonde.

"Where are you off to?" she asked, not trying to sound like a stalker seeing that not more than an hour ago the woman had cancelled on her.

Emma pointed with her thumb right to the garage, and Regina looked the building up and down before finding the sign that gave her more explanation than the lonely yellow deathtrap parked inside the place.

The blonde in front of her almost giggled when she noticed Regina's facial expression as she eyed the bug.

"That's your…car?" she could've choked on the word had she not been so intent to not sound like a blubbering idiot, and finally pushed through.

She wasn't one of those snobby rich girls; she wasn't so much of one, at least.

Emma nodded happily; an emotion she had been trying to forcibly feel today.

"We're gonna go in, and talk to Leroy, alright, Em?" Ruby said as she laced her fingers with her girlfriend's and walked inside before the blonde could actually nod or Mary Margaret could protest.

Grateful of their actions, Regina was already staring towards Kat in a way that clearly said get lost, which her friend quickly understood.

"Oh?" she gasped a little too dramatic for her own taste, "Gin! I just remembered I need to give 'Rora a call. Excuse me for a second," she finished as she walked away with a small and a nod to the mute blonde.

Regina's fingers instantly flew up to her hair as she looked to Emma, and gave her a nervous smile that was returned.

In the second before she spoke, Emma pulled out her note pad, and began scribbling away, which caused her to close her mouth abruptly.

When done, the blonde came closer with slight hesitation, and stuck the sticky to her palm before raising it up to hallway between their bodies so Regina could read it.

I'm really sorry about not being able to make it to lunch.

She was smiling sheepishly as the brunette took the sticky right after reading it and safely slipped it into her pocket.

Feeling brave, Regina grinned at her and stepped closer, almost grabbing her hand tentatively. Her cool fingers came into contact with Emma's sweaty ones before she thought twice about it (not wanting to scare her), and dropped her hand; stuffing it into her pocket as if that'd been her intent the entire time.

"That's quite alright, dear," she began, her tone soft as she sensed the girl's embarrassment, "Perhaps you would be able to make it to dinner with me?"

Thanks for reading; I hope this chapter was to your liking, and that I at least stayed in character. Best wishes this weekend :)