A/N: So apparently I write best when I'm in finals... Who knew? This is to make up for that big time gap... remember? No? Good! Anyways, I love your reviews and it's a huge part of what keeps me going so thank you, and please keep it up. A single smiley face does it for me! =)

Chapter 10: Muggle Immersion

Regina didn't rat them out, but they barely made it to the portkeys. Emma kind of felt bad for her. She was pissed that she had followed them and cut their party short, but their time at Subway had almost seemed civil and amicable, and apparently Regina was now a fan of lasagna subs.

"Well, that was awesome!" laughed Ruby as they landed in the Hogwarts courtyard. Some shot weird glances their way as if just realizing their absence during the trip. Dr. Hopper however seemed pretty clueless.

Emma realized that Regina and her had been holding hands during the portkey ride. Their eyes met and Regina looked at their joined hands. They both sprang apart as if they had been burnt.

Ruby didn't seem to realize this and Emma sighed in relief. Yet, people seemed intrigued at seeing both known enemies together and not killing each other.

"Do you want to continue our muggle day?" Ruby said to Emma. "I'm feeling like a Netflix marathon… Can we?"

"Yeah, that sounds like fun!...Regina, you want to come?" Emma blurted.

Ruby glanced at Emma like she had grown a third eye. Emma herself didn't know where her comment had come from and Regina looked equally shocked

"Um… aren't you mad at me?" Regina asked perplexed.

"Look, you are obviously curious about the muggle world, which I will keep that secret as well since that is apparently what I do… so Ruby and I… we're watching TV.. a muggle thing... so I thought if you wanted to come, I mean I know you hate me, and I should be really angry at you, but… Whatever, wanna come or not?" Emma nervously rambled.

Regina nodded still appalled wondering when the other shoe would drop but Emma seemed sincere in her question. It all seemed surreal to her after her experience at the party, and being overwhelmed by so many new things at the place they had lunch at.

"Umm, Emma can I talk to you for a second?" Ruby interrupted and whispered to Emma. Regina didn't miss the look of distaste on Ruby's face.

"Just give me a minute, I'll meet you upstairs.." Emma replied clueless and Ruby just huffed and went inside the castle.

Emma shook her head "Well, I gotta go and see what she wants. We'll see you in the left corridor of the seventh floor in ten minutes." Emma said turning to Regina.

"Thanks… " Regina muttered as the blonde turned away. "And Emma?..."

"Yeah?" Emma stopped and turned her head.

"I don't hate you" Regina said.

Emma just turned around and kept walking but a warm feeling spread inside her at the brunette's admission.

"Emma, what on earth were you thinking?! REGINA; REGINA fucking Mills. Because what, you thought it would be a learning experience? Come on! What on earth were you thinking. She followed us and cut the party short for us, and because of that, you what? Become all buddy buddy with her all of a sudden? And you didn't even take my opinion into account?" Ruby ranted.

"You're right Ruby, I don't know what I was thinking. It just, she's been through a lot, and I sort of felt bad and…" Emma sighed.

Ruby was glaring at Emma's excuses and Emma herself didn't know what had made her invite Regina.

"Ok, you're right I know, but let's go. It would be more awkward to uninvited her. You got to admit it's pretty funny to see Regina clueless about the muggle world. We've hung out long enough for you to get used to muggle stuff but did you see her staring at the cash register like it was possessed? You can't say that wasn't entertaining. Come on, it'll be fun to see how she reacts watching Revenge, or Doctor Who, or Game of Thrones, or…" Emma continued.

"All right, all right, I got your point…. Let's go you dork." Ruby sighed in resignation.

"Ok, so you have to promise not to tell anyone, though I'm not sure they would find this even if they were looking for it. I have to say, no one can replicate this home theater…" Emma told the brunette.

"This what?" Regina asked as she gazed at a big white squared wall and a bunch of sofa recliners that seemed to be facing that wall.

"You'll see" Emma said

"So what are we watching?" Ruby chimed in.

"Well, what are you guys in the mood for? Comedy, drama, blood?" Emma asked.

"I have no idea what this is all about, but I would prefer if blood wasn't involved" Regina said.

"Well then let's watch Game of Thrones!" Ruby said.

"What's Game of Thrones" Regina asked curiously.

"Haha very funny, Ruby…" Emma said, throwing a sarcastic glance at her friend. "I know! Let's watch Gilmore Girls! It's light, humorous and full of muggle references. You will both enjoy it I promise…"

"All right, but then next time we watch a movie, it will be my turn to choose… Deal?" Ruby said.

Emma sighed, she knew she would probably be stuck watching Annabelle or one of those crazy horror movies Ruby loved to watch.

"Deal"

"Popcorn, chips, or candy anyone? We have the whole muggle variety, the perks of this place…" the blonde offered.

Regina sat down in one of the couches, uncertain of what to do. Emma was flicking through what seemed a complicated bar with many buttons. She gazed at the screen as it flicked on and a bunch of images appeared. It was like a non-stop picture with sound, but apparently about things people wrote. She was fascinated by it and didn't realize how fast she was eating the Berry Life Savers Emma had given her. This muggle candy was not magical but it was delicious. The plot of the tv-show was interesting. It was basically narrating the life of a muggle mom and her daughter in a small town. It was definitely full of new muggle things she'd never seen before, and Emma occasionally chimed in to explain what they were. She was enjoying it. She watched the relationship between Lorelai and Rory and their friends, and couldn't help but compare it to her own relationship with her mother, and to her own life right now.

Emma loved Gilmore Girls. She used to invent theories about who her real mom was and sometimes she imagined her mom would've been someone like Lorelai Gilmore, or how their life might have been if she had kept her. Of course it was far-fetched, and she loved the Whites… but there would always be that part that wondered what could've happened. Emma shifted around and noticed that Ruby was fast asleep. Seriously? Were horror movies the only thing that kept her friend awake? She glanced at Regina and noticed the brunette was hugging one of the pillows against her chest and silent tears were streaming down her eyes.

"Um, Regina… Are you ok?" Emma asked quietly.

Regina immediately straightened, rubbed her eyes and turned to face Emma. "Yes."

Emma looked at her skeptically. "It is none of your concern, Swan." Regina said. She stood up and Emma could see she was gripping onto the empty wrapper as if hanging onto her life.

"Right…" Emma half-smiled.

" I thank you for the invitation. I… I need to figure out what to write my report for today's visit on, seeing how we weren't there" she said.

"Well, it wasn't my fault you followed us." Emma smirked.

"Well, clearly it was a mistake. It was a waste of my time." Regina replied curtly.

"Oh come on, Regina! I know it was kind of rough at first for you, but don't tell me that you didn't have least a little fun…" Emma said in a teasing voice.

"Mother says there are more important things than having fun…" Regina tried to argue.

"Mother says..." Emma paused reflectively. "So this is what it's all about, huh? Your mother? I saw you crying Regina and I know your mother…" Emma snapped.

"Stop talking…" Regina said through gritted teeth.

"Or what? I think I've seen your worse, and guess what, it doesn't scare me…" Emma replied.

Regina faltered for a second. She had never met someone that wasn't scared of her. She felt Emma Swan was the only one capable of being at her level, in every possible way. She gulped when she saw sheer determination reflected in the blonde's eyes but she did what she did best and masked her fear with anger.

She walked invading the blonde's personal space, enough to see a glimpse of surprise in Emma's face and hear her gasp.

"Don't push it, Swan, you have no idea what I'm capable of…" Regina said, and she stomped out of the Room of Requirement with the LifeSavers wrapper still clutched tightly in her palm.

"Well, this is becoming a routine..." Emma said to herself, as she leaned against the wall, trying to shake off the memory of the brunette's face and her berry smelling lips.