AN: I know, I am a terrible person. I shouldn't have let you wait this long, but I've been having some issues and I needed some time to figure it out on my own. But I'm back now. And I am going to try to move towards a weekly update schedule, or something similar. Which means that there might not be a chapter every Tuesday but there will be chapters more often than twice a month, they may just not come on Tuesdays.

The dance was winding down, most of the couples had left to go elsewhere. "You did good." Emma said, and kissed Regina carefully on the lips as the two made their way across the dance floor.

"We did good." Regina countered.

"I know how much this meant to you," Emma said and took Regina's hand in her own, "And it was a success."

"I'm happy." Regina said, and squeezed Emma's hand, "And not just because of this dance. I'm actually happy."

Emma smiled, and she felt her heart melt. Regina was happy, truly and undoubtedly happy. And Emma was at least partly for the reason for that. It was all she ever wanted. The day of Mary Margaret's party, when the two of them had been sitting in her room and Emma had felt that she and Regina could be something seemed forever ago. She still saw that girl when she looked at Regina, the girl so afraid of the universe. She hadn't known what it was that she had recognized in the other girl back then, but in the months since then, when she really got to know Regina. As she fell in love with her, and learned about her past, she had recognized the feeling.

And Emma was doing her best at trying to make that feeling go away, both for Regina and for herself. They were both scared, but it felt better when they were together.

"Hey, wanna get out of here?" Emma asked, "Fiona and Katie left a while ago, Peter and Ruby are gone, and it's almost over anyway. You don't need to stay till the end."

"Sure." Regina said and kissed Emma again, and Emma wondered if it would ever stop feeling like this. She sure hoped not.

"Come on." Emma said, and the two girls walked out of the gym hand in hand. It had been a great night, and Emma knew it wasn't over yet. It was the first time she'd actually understood what the big deal was about Valentine's Day. It was about this. It was about spending time with someone.

"Where do you want to go?" Regina asked, as the two girls got into Regina's car.

"Surprise me." Emma said. Regina leaned over and kissed Emma before driving out of the parking lot. The two girls sat in relative silence for most of the car drive, Emma noticed that the fact that she singing along to the radio was causing Regina to smile. And Emma was happy to just sit here, in silence with Regina. It was a strange feeling; she had never felt like this with anyone before. So completely at ease, not even with MM or Ruby. It was something new.

After ten minutes, Regina swung into a back road close to Troll Bridge.

"Wait, you are not kidnapping me and planning to kill me in the middle of nowhere, are you?" Emma joked.

"No." Regina answered, "I'm really not."

"Just checking." Emma said, and Regina took Emma's hand softly and kissed it, before releasing it to shift gears. Regina drove down another back road before stopping.

"Where are we?" Emma asked.

"Come on, I'll show you." Regina said, and she grabbed the extra set of gloves and hats from the glove compartment. "Put these on." She said and threw a pair of gloves and a hat at Emma.

"My savior." Emma joked, and took the hat and the gloves. She put them on, and she realized that she should probably have brought her own. She may have been joking about the savior thing, but she was really glad her girlfriend had the good foresight of packing extra gloves and hats. Regina was always so well-prepared for everything, something Emma was slightly jealous of. Emma was more of a do before think kind of person.

"Oh shut up. It's cold outside, and I don't want you to freeze." Regina shot back, as she put on her own gloves and hat.

"As I said, my savior." Emma joked, and the two girls got out of the car, and Emma was breath taken at the view in front of them.

"Holy shit, wow." Emma said, the words not forming properly in her throat. It was absolutely beautiful. They were on a top somewhere outside Storybrooke Emma could tell, as she could see the entire town from up there. The way the light of the town lit up the darkness, and the snow fell it felt like a painting.

"That was very eloquent of you." Regina said, and Emma could see her smiling.

"I didn't know Storybrooke could look like this," Emma said, "I didn't know anything could look like this."

"Remind me to take you here in the summer sometime. The fireflies come out and it's a sight to behold."

"Thank you for bringing me here," Emma said, and took Regina's hand in hers and squeezed it, before realizing that that wasn't enough and instead pulled Regina close and kissed her. She could spend the rest of her life like this and she would be happy. Maybe she was only sixteen, but in that moment Emma Swan-Blanchard was sure that she would love Regina Mills for the rest of her life.

Before Storybrooke, before Leo and Mary Margaret, before she knew for certain where she was going to spend every night. Before she knew how it felt to truly be loved, to be a part of something, it was this she dreamed about. It was a safe heaven, somewhere she belonged. And Regina had given her that. Leo and Mary Margaret had given her a family, given her safety and love, but Regina had finally given her that last part. The idea of loving someone without expecting anything back, this feeling of just being in Regina's arms was enough, and Emma was reminded of that Pacey quote her sister used to have hanging on her wall, "The simple act of being in love with you is enough for me." That was how she felt. This was enough for her.

"Hey, where did you go?" Regina asked after a while. The kissing had stopped, and Emma has just been resting her head on Regina's shoulder and looking out over Storybrooke, over the first place she could call home.

"I'm right here." Emma said, "And there is absolutely nowhere else I would be than right here in your arms."

"You're quite the romantic." Regina teased, and Emma just smiled.

"It's entirely your fault." Emma said, and leaned up and pecked Regina's lips. "I never thought I could have this before you." And it was true. She had dated boys, but things had not felt right or complete for obvious reasons, and with Fiona. Well, they had both been holding something back, both of them unwilling to admit it. It had been fun, and as far as first girlfriends went, Emma was grateful for someone like Fiona. She had been easy. Whatever she had with Regina was something else entirely, and it felt like every part of her had come alive.

"Me neither." Regina admitted, "But it's also getting cold. Let's go back to the car so I could get your gift."

"Oh, gifts." Emma said, as close to giddy as she was to get. She had almost forgotten that there were gifts involved with this thing. This night had just been magical to her, Regina showing up at her door with flowers, the dance, the way everything had turned out exactly as Regina had planned it, the look on Regina's face when she had realized just how much that night had mattered to so many kids. And then this, Regina talking her to this place. Regina. Always Regina.

"Yes. Gifts," Regina repeated and laughed before the two girls found their way back to the car.

"Here." Regina said, and handed Emma a small box as soon as they had gotten their warmth back into their bodies. A process that had included not only Regina turning the car back on, but also copious amounts of kissing.

Emma took the box, and opening it revealing a beautiful golden necklace, with something that looked like a locket with a swan insignia on it.

"Go on, open it." Regina said, and Emma did. Inside the locket was a small piece of the ticket snub from the Disney Marathon at the box.

"I know it wasn't an official date. I was far too freaked out for that. But still, looking back now, it feels like our first date."

"You kept it?" Emma said, the only words she seemed to be able to form. That night seemed so long ago, and she had been so nervous about it. It had been the first time she had been alone with Regina since the party. And she had been scared, and freaked out. And she had just so desperately wanted them to be friends. And now, she was sitting here, in Regina's car on Valentine's Day.

"Yeah, I did." Regina said, and leaned in, kissing Emma gently. "I didn't know why at the time, or maybe I did. I don't know. It just seemed significant enough to keep. And now I want you to have it."

"It's beautiful, Regina." Emma said, "I mean, the locket itself is beautiful."

"I'm glad you think so." Regina replied, "And you can exchange the insides with whatever you want. I just thought it was fitting for our first Valentine's Day."

"You're amazing." Emma said, and leaned over and kissed Regina again. When the two girls broke apart, Emma reached into her purse and pulled out a similar box to what Regina had given her.

"Here, open it." Emma said, and handed the box to Regina. Regina opened the box displaying a charm bracelet.

"I know. It's cheesy, but I still really like charm bracelets." Emma said, "There is a crown because you're royalty."

"I'm never going to live that down, am I?" Regina said.

"No." Emma said, and smiled. "And there is a Swan so you don't forget me."

"Emma, I'm pretty sure I will never forget you."

"I only bought two charms for now. You can fill them up with your own if you want to."

"It's beautiful, Emma. I love it."

"Absolutely not." Regina said. She and Emma was once again sitting in the student council room waiting for the other four to show up. They didn't even have anything planned, but as Emma had learned, it was few things that she would rather do at the end of a school day than hang out with Regina and the gang.

Emma looked back at the last year, and she was amazed over how things had changed. Not just with Regina, though that still surprised her. But all of it, last year, the only person she could really lean on and trust outside of her family had been Ruby. And now there was all of these people in her life, that she cared for and trusted.

"Oh come on, Regina. It will be fun." Emma tried to convince her girlfriend. She knew it was going to be hard, but Emma's goal for the year was to try to get Regina to loosen up some more, and to go outside of her comfort zone.

"What will be fun?" Ruby said, choosing that exact moment to join them. The idea of knocking had long ago been forgotten within their little group, though it was also well understood that the chances of walking in on either Graham and Mary Margaret or Emma and Regina making out was higher if the door was closed and knocking was ignored. Most of them didn't care. Peter was the only one who had taken to keeping his eyes closed when entering.

"Bowling." Emma said, "I want us all to go bowling, but Regina is currently refusing to do so."

"You want to triple date." Ruby asked, clearly intrigued by the idea.

"Call it what you want, I just really want us all to go bowling." Emma answered, before removing her shoes and throwing her feet up on the couch.

"And I think that is a ridiculous idea." Regina said, getting up from her desk and walked over to her bookcase, because of course Regina had a bookcase in the student president room.

"Why?" Ruby asked, "Do you have some deep dark secret involving bowling you don't want anyone to know?"

"No." Regina answered, "But bowling?"

"Bowling is fun, Regina." Emma said, "Right Graham?" Emma asked, as Graham just came in the room.

"Yes." He said.

"See, Graham agrees with me." Emma said.

"Graham has no idea what he just said 'yes' to." Regina shot back.

"Regina has a point." Graham admitted, "I've just learned that I should say 'yes' whenever you say something to me in that tone."

"Ass." Emma said, and proceeded to throw her pencil at him.

"You were never this violent before you started dating her." Graham said, and sent a fake scowl to Regina, who only laughed.

"No. She totally was." Ruby said, "Trust me."

"What are you talking about? I was an angel." Emma said, despite knowing fully well that Ruby probably had a whole arsenal of things she could use against her.

"Yeah, right." Ruby scoffed, "The second time I met you, you pushed me in a fountain. The second time, Em."

"Oh, right." Emma said, and laughed. She barely remembered it, and if Ruby had asked her now she had completely forgotten why she had done it in the first place. It had been her first instinct back then, her fight or flight response was actually usually stuck on or, which generally meant she did both. Over the years she had moved more towards flight, which in many ways was both good and bad.

"So what did I agree to?" Graham asked, before sitting down on the opposite side of Ruby and Emma on what could generously be called a coffee table.

"That bowling is fun." Regina said, "And what have I told you about sitting on the table?"

"Bowling is fun, Regina." Graham said, and Emma leaned forward to give him a high-five. "And please let me sit on the table."

"Fine." Regina said, "But only because you said please." She added before finding her way back to a chair, now holding what Emma would admit was a fairly impressive amount of books.

"What are you even working on?" Emma asked, almost confused by the fact that she had in fact not asked her girlfriend that question previously. She had been way too busy trying to convince Regina that bowling would be an excellent idea.

"A paper for AP English." Regina said, "I know in theory, this room is supposed to be used only for student council things but first of all, that has never happened as long as I have been president, and second of all, I'm Regina Mills."

"Relax there Madame President, it's not like we are going to tell Simpson you're using this as your own private study hall." Emma said, and smiled at her girlfriend.

"Yeah, especially since you know, we're using it as a hang out." Ruby added, and smiled at Emma.

"You're all a bunch of delinquents," Graham joked, and pulled an apple out of his backpack. "Also what is all this talk about bowling?"

"Emma had a brilliant idea." Ruby said.

"A terrible idea." Regina added from behind her computer. Emma had to admit she didn't even notice that Regina had brought her computer. She was always a little impressed at the way her girlfriend could work under all circumstances. Emma was also grateful for the fact that her girlfriend was super smart. Emma's grades had actually improved all over the board since she had started to spend time with Regina; it had surprised both her and her father. Emma suspected part of the reason why her father liked Regina so much was her positive influence on Emma's grades.

"And what was this brilliant-slash-terrible idea?" Graham asked.

"That we go on a triple-bowling-date." Emma said, and smiled proudly. She knew she had won. She knew it the moment Graham said that bowling was fun. Regina was clearly in the minority and even if she wasn't. Emma had learned that if she kept persisting long enough, Regina would eventually agree to almost anything Emma asked of her.

"Come on, Regina. We've haven't done anything fun, just the six of us in months." Emma said, and it was the truth. They'd actually never done anything the six of them since she and Regina had started dating. "We've haven't even done anything since we all coupled up."

"But bowling?" Regina said, but Emma knew it was over.

"Yes, Regina. Bowling." Graham said, and when Emma saw Regina smiling, she knew this was it. They were going bowling.

"How are you this good at bowling?" Emma scowled as Regina bowled what Emma believed was her millionth strike that night. "How are you this good at everything?" Ruby added.

"You hate bowling. I had to practically drag you here tonight with the promise of brownies and kisses." Emma moaned.

Regina shrugged, "Its bowling."

"Like that explains it all." Ruby said, and walked up to take her shot. Regina sat down next to Emma.

"Oh, don't pout. This was your idea after all." Regina said, and leaned in a kissed Emma's cheek and Emma felt all the anger leave her body. Not that she was actually mad. She wasn't. She was mostly surprised, though she wasn't sure why.

Because of course Regina Mills would be excellent at bowling, because Regina was good at everything. Emma knew that there was more to Regina than she let the world see, she knew that her girlfriend felt like she had the world on her shoulders. And that had been part of the reason why Emma had wanted to go bowling so desperately. To just have fun for a night, all of them. No expectations or nothing and it seemed to be working.

"I know. Are you having fun?" Emma asked, knowing that that was the most important thing about this whole adventure. Making sure that Regina had fun.

"Actually, I am." Regina said, and she snugged up against Emma, and Emma felt her body go warm. It had done that a lot lately, especially after that afternoon in her bedroom when they had almost had sex. She knew what it meant, and she felt ready. She knew that the next time they found themselves in that situation, Emma wouldn't ask Regina to stop.

"Good." Emma said, "That's the whole point."

Mary Margaret, Graham and Ruby groaned as Peter bowled another strike. He and Regina were neck in neck on the scoreboards; everyone else was far behind either one of them.

"How did I not know the two of you were bowling geniuses?" Graham asked, "I mean you are my best friend." He said pointed to Regina, "And you, you're you." He said and looked at Peter, who liked Regina had done moments before just shrugged.

"There is literary nothing else to do in Clarksdale. You get awfully got at something if it's the only thing you do for years." Peter said, "I am so glad we moved back here."

"Yeah, me too." Ruby said, before jumping up and kissing her boyfriend.

"Please, keep the PDA to a minimum." Emma groaned, when it took Ruby and Peter several minutes to break apart.

"Whatever." Ruby said, and stuck her tongue out. "Regina is practically in your lap."

"Well, I'm soft." Emma said, and stuck her tongue out as well.

"You two are so mature." Regina said, before made no effort of moving away from Emma.

"That's what you get for dating children." Graham said as he got ready for his turn. Graham was, despite his 'bowling is fun' mantra absolutely dreadful at actual bowling. He was probably the worst bowler Emma had ever had the pleasure of playing against. He had so far hit the gutter more often than any actual pins.

"What have I said about referring to my girlfriend as children?" Regina said, in her best Madame President voice. That voice hat terrified freshman and made teachers trust there. The voice that reassured her mother than she was doing what she was supposed to, and the voice that absolutely, without a doubt turned Emma on.

"Sorry, 'Gina, but that tone doesn't work on me." Graham said.

"Don't call me that." Regina said, but the bite was gone from her voice. It was clearly the nickname didn't bother her that much anymore. After making peace with Fiona and with her past, most things that Emma had noticed used to bug Regina seemed to simply fall of her back. She was more relaxed, and she didn't take things as seriously as she had done previously.

Emma loved every version of Regina, she knew that now. She loved student president Regina, she loved great friend Regina, she loved hard working Regina, she loved smart and nerdy Regina, but this Regina? The one that seemed to be at peace with herself and could just enjoy an evening out with her friends? That was the Regina she loved the most, because it was the Regina that seemed the most like Regina. No masks, no secrets. Just Regina.

She loved Just Regina. Despite that fact that she was scarily good at bowling.

"Where did that nickname come from any way?" Mary Margaret asked, "I mean I seem to remember hearing before, when we were younger. Before you were the Regina Mills."

"When you were running around with the boys playing soccer?" Graham teased.

"Don't you mean, when I was running around with the boys beating them at soccer?" Mary Margaret corrected him.

"Of course, how stupid of me." Graham said, and leaned over and kissed Mary Margaret. Ruby was the one who was currently bowling. They only had a couple of frames left, and it looked that Regina was going to win, but Peter still had a chance.

"Fiona's sister came up with it. A long time ago." Regina said, "I hated it. Fiona was really the only one who used it. Mostly to annoy me. Graham and Killian did it at times, only to annoy me."

It was nice to hear Regina talk about before like that. Like simply. And Emma realized that Regina had finally forgiven herself for what happened with Fiona. Forgiven herself for what she put Fiona through, what she had put them both through really. Emma wondered when it happened, when Regina went from avoiding everything that had to do with 'before' to be able to talk about it like that.

She also noted that Graham didn't flinch at the mention of Killian's name, and she wondered if he had made his peace with whatever had happened last spring. Emma wondered if she would ever know what happened, and she wasn't even sure she wanted to. Whatever it was, it had caused the rift in Graham and Regina, and had forced Regina into the hospital. Emma wanted to know everything about Regina, but she also understood if there were some things that she would never know.

"It seems so long ago." Graham admitted, "It was so long ago."

"Yeah." Regina said, getting up to throw the ball. "But we're still here." Regina threw the ball, knocking down 7 pins. The second ball missed completely, causing Peter to make a sound that Emma was sure she had never heard before.

"What was that?" Emma asked, and turned to Peter.

"Sorry." Peter said, and smiled the most innocent smile Emma had ever seen, and she understood why her best friend had fallen for him. "Turns out, I may be slightly more competitive than I would like."

The last couple of frames went by quickly, and Peter overtook Regina, and when Regina missed her final shot it was Peter won.

"Winner buys burgers?" Ruby asked, and Peter smiled before agreeing. "Why not?"

"You shouldn't have to." Emma said, "The loser should have to pay." She said and punched Graham's shoulder. He had after all lost by almost a hundred points.

"You're an ass, Emma Swan-Blanchard." Graham said.

"That's my girlfriend you're talking about." "That's my sister you're talking about." Regina and Mary Margaret said in unison causing Emma and Ruby to burst out laughing.

"I'm completely unranked now." Graham groaned, "Why did I think this was a good idea?"

"Like you even had a choice." Emma said, "You were stuck with us the moment Mary Margret sent you to check on me at her party. You know it, I know it. All because you wanted to impress her."

"Actually…" Graham started, "No never mind."

"Wait, actually what?" Ruby asked.

"You wanted to hook up with me, didn't you?" Emma said, and grinned when Graham's cheeks went red.

"Ha! I knew it." Emma said, triumphantly.

"Oh come on. I pretty much admitted it that night." Graham said, and as Emma remembered what had gone down she had to admit he was right.

"Oh, right." Emma said, the victory no longer feeling like a victory. It had also felt like that night had been forever ago. Like this idea that Graham (and by extension Regina) had not always been in her life, seemed ridicules, even though she knew that it had been six months. It didn't feel like six months.

"I say that we walk away from this very disturbing conversation." Mary Margaret said, and took Graham's hand. "Let's get some burgers."

"Sounds like a plan." Graham said, and took his girlfriend's hand. Emma and Regina fell a little behind, as Ruby, Graham and Mary Margaret laughed at something that Peter said.

"You let him win didn't you?" Emma said, as she took Regina's hand.

"What?" Regina said, and Emma could tell she was right. "Why would you say that?"

"Because I have eyes." Emma joked, "No, seriously. You played almost flawless all night, and then you just didn't."

"He wanted it more." Regina admitted. "Besides, I wanted to see how it would feel not to win for once."

"I'm proud of you." Emma said.

"For letting Peter win?" Regina asked perplexed.

"No, for tonight. For coming out, and having fun." Emma said, and kissed Regina. "And yes, for letting Peter win. The old Regina would never have let him win."

"Maybe you're right." Regina said, "Good thing she isn't here today."

Emma smiled and kissed Regina again, they stopped up and continued kissing; only stopping when she heard the call of her best friend.

"What was that about limiting PDA? Come on, I'm starving." Emma and Regina broke apart and Emma heard Regina laughed, before they went after their friends. Yeah, there was no doubt about it at all. 'Just Regina' was Emma's favorite.

AN: You may have noticed that I removed the /? Part and that it now says 36 chapters. Which is what this fic will be unless something dramatically changes. That is including the epilog. I can't promise the road that is coming will be easy, rather the opposite, but for those of you that are still reading I hope you will enjoy it.

Next time: Regina plans her birthday weekend.