Regina was never sure how to quite act around Jim. He had once been a client for Queens, a quite popular one. Over time, he would only request Kathryn. It didn't take long for them to get married. How Jim was okay with his wife continuing to work there, she would never understand, but then again, she wasn't one to judge. Every once in a while, Kathryn would invite her over for dinner, a way for them to bitch about all that was going on in their lives. Jim was out of town for work, so it was just them.

"Wine?" Kathryn asked as Regina settled down at the table. She immediately nodded.

"Yes, please."

Kathryn grinned and poured out a glass of red. "Long day?"

"I had to deal with Keith."

"I don't get why you don't let Mal just ban him."

"He's one of the best tippers and he's not so bad." She shrugged and sipped her wine. "You have anyone interesting today?"

Kathryn shook her head. "Just the usual suspects. I saw Emma was with Sean again." She didn't miss the look of jealousy that went across her face. "Don't tell me you're upset that you don't have to put up with him?"

"I could care less about Sean."

"Then…oh."

"Oh?" Regina raised an eyebrow and dug into the chicken Kiev that her friend had prepared.

"I didn't realize…I just assumed because of Daniel…"

Regina realized where she was going with that. "Just because I was engaged to a man, doesn't mean that I can't be attracted to women. Not that I'm attracted to Emma at all."

Kathryn snorted. "Right. That's why you turned a wonderful shade of green when I mentioned her and Sean."

"I'm the one that convinced her to work at Queens."

"I'm with Jim and I still work there, you were still working there in the beginning of your and Daniel's relationship," Kathryn pointed out, sipping her wine.

"I don't have feelings for her."

"Gina, how long have we been friends?"

Regina let out a frustrated sigh. "Way too long, obviously."

Kathryn smirked and spooned some more vegetables onto her plate. Regina leaned back in her chair, running her fingers through her hair.

"Does she know?"

"No. I doubt she'd ever be interested."

"Oh, please. Who wouldn't be?"

"She's got a kid, her boyfriend died like seven months ago or something like that."

Kathryn shook her head. "That doesn't mean much. I've heard of people moving on quickly if they find the right person."

"I'm obviously not that person."

"Is it because she has a kid?"

Regina thought of Henry, the adorable toddler. He had opened up to her right away. She was never sure if she could date someone with a kid and it was still a lot to consider. Even now, though, she had fallen so hard for Emma. Henry wasn't a problem, in fact she loved that he was around.

"No, actually, we're going to be watching a movie tomorrow night."

Kathryn grinned widely. "So, you have a date!"

Regina rolled her eyes. "It's not a date. It's just hanging out with her kid."

"Getting to know the son is a big part of it."

"If we were dating, she wouldn't be letting me meet him so soon," she pointed out.

"You never know."

"Look, she just doesn't feel the same way and I've accepted that."

"Is this about Daniel?"

Regina instantly shook her head no. "No. I know he would want me to be happy."

"And yet here you are…refusing to chase what you want."

"Kathy, look at all I've been through. It's almost like the universe is against me," she let out a sigh. "I'm not going to put my heart out there, just to get hurt."

"No one just has a constant string of shit storms," Kathryn said, adamantly. "We all have our hard times, it's why we started out there in the first place. It doesn't mean you can't be happy, though."

It seemed that way, though, at least to Regina. Ever since she turned 18, it had been one thing after another. First her father dying, then the reading of the will.

Regina had never really been materialistic; her father had raised her better than that. Even so, between him and her mother, she had always assumed that she would be receiving something when he passed away. At the very least, she expected an inheritance, at the most, she and Zelena would share the estate. She never considered the "half" part when it came to her sister. No, they were never very close, but even so, they were family.

That was until their father died and she found out that there had been a small error. When he had married Cora and adopted Zelena, they had arranged for their joint assets to all go to her. Upon Regina's birth, they of course meant to add her, but she had been born with some health complications. It would seem that in all the craziness, once she was well, they forgot to add her to the will. Henry's lawyer had stressed that it was an error, he knew his client very well and there was no way that he would do that on purpose to his youngest daughter.

Zelena hadn't looked at it that way. She had always envied the relationship Regina shared with their father, the fact that her biological dad hadn't abandoned her. When Cora had died, she didn't understand why Regina got so much attention. The girls had a large age gap, but that didn't seem to matter. She wanted it all, she wanted Regina out and that never changed.

In the end, Zelena did get it all. The mansion, the various vacation homes scattered over the globe, the bank accounts, everything. Regina was barely out of high school and penniless. Her older sister refused to give her anything and she ended up on the streets.

Two weeks later, she had joined Queens. Mal took pity on her and allowed her to crash on her couch until she could save up enough money to rent an apartment in Storybrooke.

Daniel was meant to be her saving grace, but then he died. She was left alone, again. Her happy ending completely destroyed.

Yes, Emma was sexy, intelligent, everything she wanted. Yet, everything Regina touched got messed up. She wasn't going to let it happen with her. She wasn't going to ruin the fantasy, no matter how badly she wanted to live it out.

"I think…" Regina consulted her glass and then looked back up at Kathryn. "I think I need some more wine."


Emma consulted the menu in front of her on the compute screen, frowning. She knew what she and Henry would want, pepperoni pizza and garlic knots. That was their go-to when it came to the pizza parlor in Storybrooke. However, she wasn't sure what Regina would want. She didn't seem to be one for pizza, she had constantly teased Emma for her eating habits. It all lead her to click to a section of the menu she never looked at-the salads. Regina liked salad, that much she knew.

She hadn't been so nervous in a long time. As much as she tried to remind herself it wasn't a date, she was starting to really wish it was. That day when they had gone lingerie shopping had opened her eyes. She hadn't wanted Regina to stop touching her, she would've done anything to keep those fingers on her body.

Regina didn't feel the same though. How could she? Emma was broke, a few years younger than her and she had a kid. Henry was awesome, but most people weren't looking to get involved with someone with a kid. This was all a friend thing.

"Are you looking at the salads?" Mary Margaret's voice caused Emma to look up in surprise.

"Oh…yeah. I can't believe a place in this town has online ordering."

"Uh huh." Mary Margaret still looked a little suspicious. "I can't ever get you to eat a carrot at most meals and now you're getting a salad?"

Emma chuckled a bit. "It's not for me, it's for Regina."

Mary Margaret raised an eyebrow. "Regina?"

"She's coming over tonight to watch a movie with me and Henry, while you and Dad are on your date night."

"Oh." She paused for a minute. "Emma, you know your father and I are always going to love you, no matter what, right?"

"Um, yeah…why?"

"Well…just that if there was anything you wanted to tell us. I saw you looking at lingerie online the other day," Mary Margaret saw her daughter's cheeks flush. "Oh, don't be embarrassed…"

"My mom caught me looking at underwear, I'd say that's embarrassing."

Mary Margaret smiled patiently. "Sweetie," she said, softly. "My point is, if you are into women, we are completely supportive."

Emma's cheeks turned a deeper shade of red. "Mom! I…I…well…" She tried to shake it off. "I don't know what you're even talking…"

"It just seems that you and Regina have gotten quite close."

"We're not a couple!" Emma blurted out.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Gee Ma, I think I'd know my own relationship status before you."

Emma knew her mom meant well, which is also how she knew she had a point. When it came to Neal, Mary Margaret had just known. She practically did an "I told you so" dance when they finally got together. This was different, at least to Emma. She had no clue just what her friend saw in her.

"I'm sorry," Mary Margaret said, her smile fading. "I just…I didn't want you to think that me and your dad…you know, I should probably go get ready…"

"Wait," Emma put a hand over hers. "I'm sorry." She gave her a small smile. "I do appreciate what you said, about you and Dad being supportive. It does mean a lot. Regina and I aren't like that, though."

"You want it to, though?"

"We're just friends."

Mary Margaret slowly nodded and took in her daughter's face. Emma was caught almost off guard as her mother's hand cupped her cheek. "You look tired. Is this new job taking too much out of you?"

Emma was exhausted. In that particular day alone, she had five different clients, all wanting "happy endings". Sean had made his second appearance for the week and she was starting to wonder just how he explained the expenses to his wife. All that combined with her troubles sleeping and she felt about ready to collapse. She couldn't let her mom in on it, though. With all these clients, she was already putting a big dent into the surgery savings. That night was an important one for her parents, they rarely could afford to go out anymore. They deserved a treat, without worrying about her.

"I'm fine," Emma pulled away from her, looking her up and down. "You look really nice." She turned her attention back to the screen. She could hear her mother sigh, before walking out of the room. Emma felt the usual twinge of guilt, she hated lying to her, but what more could she do? It wasn't like she could ever own up to how she had really been earning her money as of late.

Regina's car pulled up not long after her parents left. Henry barreled towards the door as soon as he heard the bell ring. He was already decked out in his pajamas (a way that would make it easier for him to go to bed that night), Iron Man ones to be more specific. He threw the door open, grinning at Regina on the other side. She had decided to dress casually since it was just a movie night, wearing leggings and a grey t-shirt under a black vest.

"Hi Gina!" Henry exclaimed with a big grin.

Regina smiled in response, her eyes glittering. He really was such a cute boy. "Hey Henry," she said.

"Are you really gonna watch a movie with me and Mommy?"

"Uh huh, I even brought a special treat for after dinner." She reached into her large purse and pulled out a box from Granny's. "Your mommy told me that chocolate donuts are your favorites."

Henry's eyes widened just as Emma walked up behind him. "Awesome!"

Regina looked over at the other woman, instantly cursing herself. Only Emma could make pajamas look sexy. She was wearing a faded t-shirt with their high school's name scrawled out across it along with red and black checkard sweats. Her curls were loose, though also a bit of a mess. She smiled when they made eye contact.

"You didn't have to bring those," she said. Regina looked perplexed for a minute, forgetting all about the box that was in her hand. "The donuts."

"Oh," Regina glanced down at the pastries and then Henry, her smile returning. "I just wanted to do something special."

"I appreciate it," Emma didn't lose her smile as he took them. "I ordered pizza and garlic knots."

Regina's smile faltered a bit. A bunch of cheese and garlic were not her idea of a good dinner, unless she was having it with lasagna and bread. "Sounds good."

Emma smirked. "You are such a terrible liar. Don't worry, I ordered you a kale salad, too."

It took only that for her lips to turn upwards again. "You know me so well."

Emma brought the donuts into the kitchen and got the food when it came. By the time she had it all settled out on plates and had gotten drinks for everyone, Regina and Henry were sitting side by side on the couch. Emma paused, despite her full hands at the sight before her. Regina was acting as if Henry's depiction of the movie they were going to watch was the most exciting thing in the world. She kept her eyes wide with pretend amazement and would "gasp" every now and again. She didn't even seem to care that he was spoiling the ending to Shrek the Third, just excited to hear his opinions on it. She wasn't about to interrupt, but Henry looked up and saw hi mom.

"Pizza!" He exclaimed, excitedly.

Emma nodded with a smile. "That's right," she said. "I got you a slice Regina, to go with your salad."

"I appreciate that," Regina told her brightly. She watched Emma delegate all the food and drinks.

"Milk for Henry," Emma tapped his sippy cup and then handed one of the bottles to Regina. "Root beer."

"Yum."

Emma went to sit on the other side of Henry, but he shook his head. "What kid, I can't sit with you?"

"Nuh uh, you have to sit next to Gina," Henry insisted.

Emma's mouth opened a little. "I always sit with you."

"Grandma sits with Grandpa."

Regina couldn't help but laugh at his childish innocence. "It's okay, Em. I don't bite."

Emma's smile returned and she sat beside Regina. After scrolling through the download list, she pressed play. Before they knew it, Shrek, Fiona and the rest of the cast was holding a frog funeral for the princess' father.

They watched the movie in silence for the first bit, just eating their food and sipping the drinks. Eventually, Henry started chatting about what was going on it, pointing out the different characters. Regina and Emma joined in on the conversation, though the latter started to get quiet towards the middle. It was a content type of silence, one she hadn't felt go over her in quite some time. Here she was, watching a movie with her son and her old classmate turned friend. It was comfortable, almost like they were a family. She could pretend for a minute that everything was normal. It was in all those thoughts and comfort that she ended up falling asleep.

Regina didn't realize Emma was asleep until it seemed like it may be getting to a violent part. The humor slipped in for the adults was flying over Henry's head, but she didn't want him to get scared. She turned to Emma to ask if she was okay with it, when she noticed that her eyes were shut. She smiled a bit and moved a quilt over her. Emma squirmed a bit in her sleep, but didn't wake up.

As the credits rolled, Regina noticed that Henry was starting to nod off too. She didn't want to wake Emma, she was still sleeping peacefully. "Hey," she whispered to the toddler. "How about we go upstairs and I read you a story?"

"Okay!" Henry exclaimed, almost a little too loudly. Even so, his mother slept on.

Regina lead the little boy upstairs and let him show her where his toothbrush was so she could help him out. After that, they headed into his bedroom. Together, they laid back on his bed and she started to read to him from the book he claimed to be his favorite. It was a story about an elephant and pig that were best friends, acknowledging that they were in a book being read. Regina ended up doing voices for the characters which made Henry laugh in the beginning. By the end though, he was half-asleep.

She pulled up the covers and stroked his cheek for a minute. Henry let out a tiny yawn and his thumb entered his mouth. "Night Gina," he mumbled.

"Goodnight little prince," Regina whispered in return. She wasn't quite sure where the nickname come from, it's just what he seemed like to her.

Regina waited until she was sure he was asleep and headed downstairs. Emma was just about waking up, stretching a bit. She blinked and noticed the T.V was back on the menu screen.

"Did I fall asleep?" She asked, confusion filling her voice.

Regina grinned. "You didn't miss much, the ogres had three babies and lived happily ever after."

"No, it's just…I haven't fallen asleep that easily in months." She stood up, dropping the quilt on the couch.

"You seemed quite comfortable."

The words lingered in the air and if Regina knew any better, she would've assumed that Emma was blushing. That couldn't be it though, no. She had to be seeing things.

"Maybe I was," Emma replied. Her voice came out, almost as if she was joking, but she knew the truth. It had been comfortable. She had allowed herself to feel that way.

Regina paused for a minute, trying to feel the situation out. "Emma…"

Suddenly, there was a tiny, yet prominent voice coming from upstairs.

"Mommy," Henry called down. "I can't find my teddy!"

Emma looked down and saw her son had left it there. "I should bring this to him…"

"Yeah, I think I should get going too."

"Oh." Disappointment filled Emma's voice. "Well, I guess we do have an early morning."

"You're still picking me up?"

Emma nodded. "Yeah…of course. Thanks for coming tonight."

Regina smiled a little. "I had a lot of fun. Night, Emma."

"Night, Regina."

Emma watched her leave and sighed a bit. By now, she was sure it was all in in her head. Regina was just being nice, a friend.

Regina, on the other hand, was sure she had seen something in Emma when she said she had to go. She wasn't sure if she had made it up or not, but it really seemed to her like she wanted her to stay. Had she fucked up by not doing so? Could something have really happened?

"You're being ridiculous," she mumbled to herself. "Her parents are due home at any time, her son is upstairs."

There had been something, though. Things had shifted that night. Maybe soon she could make a move, make up for leaving so quickly that night.

She just had to figure out how.


Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! As always, let me know what you want to see, whether it's in the comments or on my fanfiction Tumblr: justanoutlawfanfiction. Until next time, friends. =)