The following weeks passed quickly, Emma found herself becoming the best of friends, with Ruby and the guys and even with Mulan, the only one she could currently talk to about Regina.
Regina on the other hand, had been busy and it resulted, in her and Emma going back to the awkward stages, with the passing, hello's and you okay?
However, things were about to change
July 18th
Both Ruby and Emma were at the Diner, they had not long finished their last day of the school year
"Em's I have just found out that there's a party tonight, its not far from my house, it's an open party to Storybrooke Maine students, you got to come with me"
"I don't know Rubes, my mother..."
"Tell her I've asked you to have a sleepover, were on our hols now...were sneak out later"
"I don't..."
"Pleassseeeee" she pleaded
Emma took a moment, to think about it
"il call her now" she sighed
"Great"
4 hours later, and with a lot of persuasion, they were walking through the door, of a big detached house
There was students everywhere and the music was deafening
"I can't believe you have dragged me here" Emma shouted
"Come on Ems, it's a party and I wished you had taken my offer, to wear one of my hot pieces of clothing, instead of wearing what you wore to school" which was jeans and a t-shirt
"I wouldn't be comfortable in them Rubes" she shouted
"Okay!" she shouted back
a little while later, Ruby was in deep conversation with a boy from the year above, leaving Emma feeling like a third wheel, she decided to go and have a wander around and once she reached the kitchen, she bumped into a brunette girl
"Sorr...Regina! What are you doing here?"
"Emma!, what are you doing here? She raised her eyebrow
"i asked you first" the blonde smirked
Regina rolled her eyes
"Kathryn thought it would be a good idea, to con my mother in thinking we were having a sleepover, when really she would bring me here. you?"
"Oh, Ruby dragged me here, but she's found some boy she likes, so I thought id look around"
"Oh, well I am here, you can stay with me if you want" she smiled
Suddenly Kathryn appeared with Robin and Emma thought what is HE doing here!
"Oh my god, I would have never have thought, id see you here" Kathryn joked
"Yeah, blame Ruby" Emma joked back and she looked to Robin, who just stared at her, she got the feeling he didn't like her, for some reason
10.37pm
things were getting rowdy and Robin had given Emma so many odd looks, that she was starting to feel uncomfortable, Regina had got distracted, so she decided to drift away, back over to where Ruby was
The blonde had barely gone, when suddenly Regina, noticed she had disappeared and got concerned, so wandered around to find her
She found her less than 10 seconds later and she smiled lovingly at the blonde, who was looking at the some boys, who were fooling around
the brunette stepped slowly to the right, so she was behind Emma's left shoulder and whispered into her ear
"I want to show you something" Emma spin round, with a surprised look on her face
Regina took her hand quickly, without thinking and guided her out into the back garden, Emma looked down, at their joined hands and couldn't believe this was happening
The brunette pulled her to the garden and around 12 paces forward, away from the few students that were near the windows, she then released her hand
Have you seen this?" she stood next to Emma, looking at a medium sized, stone horse water feature, then looked back to Emma
"No I haven't" Emma smiled
"I love horses, did I ever tell you that?" she asked, still looking at Emma
"No, but I do now (she smiled at Regina) actually, I could tell you a funny story, that kinda involves horses"
"Go on then" the brunette smirked, folding her arms
"Well, once I was at a Boston zoo on a school trip and ended up staring at these two horses, I didn't realise my class were gone, they nearly left me behind, but this girl I don't know her name, she got me out of wherever my mind had gone and took me back to my class, where she had a go at the teachers for leaving me behind, looking back on it now it was kind of funny, she didn't even know me, yet she made sure I was okay, she even had guts for having a go at the teachers, we were only 12"
She then glanced at Regina, who was staring strangely at her, mouth agape
"What's wrong?"
Regina shook her head, staring at her
"what is it?" the blonde asked, anxiously
"it was you!"
"its me?"Emma was now, totally confused
Flashback
Emma, 12
Was on a school trip, at the local Boston Zoo, it wasn't one of the biggest zoo's in the world, but it had various animals.
She was wearing a pair of navy trousers with a plain white t-shirt, as the weather wasn't cold.
The teacher and an assistant, kept the class together, However Emma couldn't help but notice two horses fenced off, One white, one black, she stood staring at them, not noticing her class moving further away and the teacher and assistant, were too preoccupied with an argument, that had broken between two boys in the class, to notice.
There was also 2 other schools at the zoo that day and one of those schools, were not far behind Emma's class and as they walked past, a small Brunette girl, noticed the blonde haired girl, staring at the horses, alone
She stopped next to Emma, looking at them too, before looking to Emma, she stared for a brief moment, before saying
"I love horses"
Emma turned to look at the brunette girl, she blinked once then blinked twice, her mouth parted and all she could do, was stare
The brunette chuckled
"Are you okay? are you here with your parents? she looked right and left
"No...I am here with my school" she then looked round, to find that she could just about see her class, down the way
"Oh, I better catch them up" she said shyly and as she went to go, she heard
"Let me come with you, make sure you join back with them"
"What about your school?"
"I am 12, I am quite mature for my age" she smiled
Emma scoffs
"I am 12 too, you know"
"You look younger" the brunette quickly replied, as they then began to walk towards Emma's class, that had stopped to look at the monkeys
"I don't like monkeys" Emma moaned
"I'll tell you a secret" the brunette whispered
Emma glanced to her left, into the girls eyes and thought her eyes, were like chocolate
"I don't like monkeys either"
Emma grinned
"Hows that a secret?"
"It just is" The brunette smirked, suddenly realising, they had caught up with Emma's class
"Excuse me?" the brunette said
And both teachers looked at her
"You really should make sure you have all your students with you, (she looked to Emma and asked her name) Emma here, she was nearly left and no one should leave her behind"
Both teachers looked dumbfounded at her
"Emma are you okay? one said
"I got distracted, sorry" she was now slightly flustered and pulling at her t-shirt
The brunette smiled
"I better go back, bye Emma" she walked away hesitantly and Emma watched her
"bye" she whispered, watching the brunette disappear
back to the present
Regina continued
"Let me tell you a secret, I don't like monkeys either"
"NO WAY" Emma was beyond shocked, she took a step back
They both stared, in disbelief
"We met years ago" Regina said
"This is kind of like, deja-vu or something"
They both then, looked back at the horse, in silence for a minute, trying to process, before Emma asked
"How comes, you was on a trip at Boston Zoo, its hundreds of miles from here?"
"Well, I used to live near Boston, until my mother got offered the job at Storybrooke Maine and we moved here, two years ago"
"Oh"
"I know"
"And look at us now, were... friends" she smiled at Regina
"Yes...yes we are" she smiled back
"So, do you have any more secrets you wish to tell me, other than you don't like monkeys?" Emma grinned at her
Regina rolled her eyes
"well, miss swan, I like many things, I think your be surprised to know that I like to cook, I only get to do that in food tech though"
"Maybe you can cook for me, one day"
"Maybe" she said happily, brushing a hand through her hair
"What about you Emma, what are your secrets?" she raised an eyebrow at her
"Oh you know, I'm open to many things, I am a pretty good drawer, maybe il draw you something sometime"
"I would like that" she said, now staring intensely into Emma's eyes and suddenly, they were both pulled into an unspoken connection and Emma went to step forward
"There u are" Robin snapped, coming to stand next to Regina and both girls looked at him in surprise, the moment ruined
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's just you disappeared and Kathryn wants to leave"
"Okay, you going to be okay, Emma?"
"I think so" she put her hands in her pockets
"Were sharing a taxi, maybe we can give you a lift home?"
"Sure, but I need to find Ruby first, I am staying at hers"
"Okay, were wait outside for you" she said, with a wide eyes
"Cool"
They then all walked back inside and Emma went in search of Ruby, who was coming down the stairs
"Ruby, Regina and her friends, have offered to share a taxi, I am going to go, will you come please?"
"Right, sure, I've had enough anyway" she moaned and they walked out the door
The taxi pulled up to Ruby's house
She jumped out first, followed by Emma and Regina, they had already dropped Robin off at his house and Kathryn was falling asleep, in the back of the taxi.
"Thanks for the ride" Ruby said casually
"It was no problem" the brunette said, holding her hands together
"Let me give you something, towards the cost" Emma replied, reaching into her pocket
"No, it's no problem, Ruby's house was on our route back, anyway" she sighed
"il see you inside Em's" Ruby muttered, staggering up the path, to go round the back of her house
"Has she been drinking?" Regina asked
Emma frowned, watching Ruby disappear
"I think so" Emma, then looked through the taxi window and chuckled at Kathryn
"Looks like we are the sensible ones" Emma joked
They then stood for a moment, looking at each other
"Thanks again for everything" the blonde casually said
"It was no problem, least I know your okay"
"Are you saying, that you would have worried about me, madame mayor?" Emma tried to joke, but inside she was screaming that Regina cared about what happens to her
"I...well I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you, that's all" she folded her arms and sighed
"Okay, well, I guess I should go see if Ruby is still standing"
"Yeah, il will see you back at school, in a few weeks time" she went to open the taxi door, causing the taxi driver to look over to Emma
"Oh, I might she you at the diner, before then?" Emma stepped forward slightly, questionably, the taxi driver smirked, he had been listening to the whole conversation
"I am going to my parents holiday home, in 2 days time, I won't be back, till a few days before school starts"
"Oh" the blondes heart sank
Regina, suddenly had an idea
"Let me give you my number, give me your phone" she held out her hand and Emma reached to dig out her phone
the driver was now even more intrigued, to what he was witnessing and continued to glance sideways at them
a minutes later
"There, (handing it back to Emma) text me sometime and I may reply if i'm not too busy" she smirked and then ran her eyes quickly over the blondes whole body, the blonde laughed and did the adorable look
Suddenly the driver turned his head forward, thinking, did i really just see that!, were they actually flirting with each other!
Regina then turned and got back into the taxi, looking to Kathryn, who had fallen asleep, she then heard
"Bye Regina"
the brunette looked back to Emma
"bye Emma" she smiled and the taxi driver went to pull off
Emma then sighed to herself, before making her way into Ruby's house
Thanks everyone for continuing to read
I wanted what happened in the past, to be the thing that brings them closer, at this point in the story
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