Emma had spent the entire afternoon trying on outfits for the party that evening. This was unusual for the woman whose attitude to such things was to wear whichever clothes didn't need ironing. But for some reason, today had been an exception. She hadn't realised how many tough choices there were to make. Dress or pants? Smart-casual or formal? Hair up or down?

In the end, she played it safe with a plain, short, black dress and her hair in a loose bun with curls falling around her face. Classy and elegant - were two words that she wouldn't have ordinarily used to describe herself but were quite fitting given her well put together appearance that evening. She looked at herself in the full-length mirror and twirled around to get a complete view. She was rather impressed if she didn't say so herself. Not bad Swan, I scrub up pretty well when I put in the effort.

While she waited for the others to arrive for few pre-party drinks, she busied herself in the kitchen with slicing several limes for the obligatory tequilas. Once she finished that task, she set about hunting for the corkscrew which she always seemed to misplace when she needed it. It wasn't long before she was joined by Paul who hadn't even bothered knocking before entering the apartment. He had most definitely made himself at home there since he'd stayed with Henry while Emma was in the hospital. Not that Emma minded, she always enjoyed his entertaining company.

The young man set down the bottles of champagne he'd brought with him, and grabbed himself the pre-poured shot glass. Before they even greeted one another, they drank their first tequila. After a couple of minutes of general chit chat, Paul jumped straight into questioning the blonde on the thing he'd been desperate to ask.

"So Ems, what's going on between you and Regina?" He said as sat perched on the kitchen counter.

Emma, who was busy pouring the next round of drinks, looked up in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, that the two of you are giving off more sapphic vibes than a softball team wearing a flannel uniform."

The blonde let out an incredulous laugh. "You just get right to the point, don't you?"
"I'm not in the habit of beating around bushes."

"In more ways than one," Emma said with an eyebrow wiggle and a suggestive smirk.

Paul acknowledged her quick wit. "I tip my tiny invisible hat to you."

"I'll drink to that," Emma replied as she raised her shot glass to her friend. "Cheers." The pair clinked glasses and downed the contents with a wince; following it up with a lime slice.

"Getting back to my question. You and Regina- spill," Paul said as he popped open a bottle of champagne and poured it into two mugs. Apparently, the blonde's kitchen cupboards only contained mugs, shot glasses and plastic cups. She had bought wine glasses once but had managed to smash them all. She hadn't felt it was necessary to replace them in the mean time. One of her life mottos was - 'why drink wine from a glass when a coffee mug would do?' A motto that she found was applicable almost daily.

"Well, I like her… because of, you know, reasons." Emma said with a shrug, verbalising feelings wasn't one of her strengths.

"Is it the sharp dress sense or the even sharper array of insults?" The young man queried. For him, they were two of the brunette's most appealing qualities. He imagined it would be the same for most people.

"Both - amongst other stuff." Emma shrugged as she sipped her mug of champagne.

It wasn't much of an answer. But by Emma Swan standards it was quite the declaration and was enough to satisfy Paul - for now. "This whole getting you to admit you have a thing for Regina has been a lot easier this time. Last time required much more alcohol too. Progress- I'll drink to that." Paul held up his mug to Emma, which she tapped with her own before drinking to the achievement. After taking a large glug, she did a double take as she realised what the statement meant.

"Last time?" The blonde asked with curiosity. She wasn't aware of another time where this line of conversation had occurred. But if there was alcohol involved, then she could easily have forgotten it. It wouldn't have been the first time she'd blacked out an entire night due to excessive alcohol consumption, and probably wouldn't be the last.

"Yeah on Halloween, I got you to confess all your deepest desires over a gallon or two of cocktails," Paul said with a grin.

"Really? I drank cocktails?" Was Emma's immediate reaction; she must have been drunk if she'd agreed to that. Beer- yep. Whiskey- absolutely. Vodka- yes, please. Cocktails- definitely not. Once she got over that initial shock, she concentrated on the rest of the statement. If it was on Halloween, then obviously it made sense that she wouldn't remember it. Although, she must have gotten more intoxicated that night than she'd first thought. Getting run over was one thing, but confessing how she felt about someone was a whole other level of inebriation. "And I talked about feelings and shit?" She added. It was hard to believe she would have done such a thing after knowing Regina for so little time. At least now, she was pretty sure how she felt about the woman.

"Yep, it was pretty nauseating, to be honest," Paul said wth a shake of his head. He then added with dramatic arm movements, and a high pitched voice, which in no way resembled Emma's own. "We have this connection. We are drawn together. I want to protect her - feelings, feelings, blah, blah, blah." Paul rolled his eyes. "Vom!"

"Firstly, I do not sound so nasal and melodramatic."

"Debatable." The young man shrugged.

"Rude!" She said as she playfully nudged him in the ribs.

"Is there a secondly?" He queried with a smile.

"Yeah. Secondly, ugh - I can't believe I said that." It sounded way too gushy for her. But Paul nodded in confirmation that she had indeed said such things that night. Emma shuddered at the thought of being so emotionally exposed. She kept her feelings very much bottled up at all times. This was why she didn't drink cocktails. She would have never been so emotional after a few beers.

"So are you two…?" Paul asked as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Are us two what?" Emma called over her shoulder as she grabbed a beer from the fridge, until further notice this was the only form of alcohol she'd be drinking.

"Dining out in vagina town. Riding the O-Train to Lez city, next stop clit central."

Emma leant against the counter as she pulled the cap off her beer. She shook her head with amusement and said. "Paul, that's not a thing. Nobody says that."

"I don't know all the lesbian lingo, do I? I try my best not think about that region of the body." He said with a look somewhere between disgust and fear on his face. The young man gestured in wide circles at the area from Emma's neck to her knees. "One big no-go zone."

Emma slapped away his hand causing him to giggle to himself. "Well, we aren't sleeping together if that's what you're asking." She let out a sigh and stared at the beer in her hand. In barely more than a whisper she added. "There isn't much of anything happening, to be honest."

Paul gave her a warm smile as she looked back up at him. "But you want there to be," it wasn't a question. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was true. Emma nodded her head and let out a shuddery breath. "There's only one way you can make it happen. You need to woman up, Swan."

Emma furrowed her brow and picked at the label on her beer bottle. Admitting these things to Paul was one thing, but saying them to Regina was something else entirely. "I know, but what if-"

Paul cut in before she could come up with an excuse, this had gone on long enough and he was getting tired of the pair dancing around their feelings. "Nope, no buts or what ifs. You need to tell her how you feel tonight. End of discussion."

"But-"

"Nope."

You-"

"Nuh-huh."

"She-"

"What part of - end of discussion - don't you understand?"

Emma let out a defeated sigh and hunched her shoulders, "I-" Before she could finish her response she was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"I'll get it," Paul said with a mischievous grin. Emma's arms flailed as she tried to grab him but he was too quick for her. Before she had a chance to get to the door, he had already opened it and was greeting the woman on the other side. "Hello, gorgeous, we were just talking about you."

Regina entered the apartment with a radiant smile on her face. She looked from Paul to Emma. The blonde's breath caught for her moment when their gaze met. Wow, Regina's really beautiful when she smiles. Who am I kidding? She is all the time. Emma's face slowly changed into a matching wide grin of her own.

"Nothing bad I hope," Regina said, causing the blonde came back to her senses.

Paul opened his mouth to speak but was cut off before he had the chance. "No, it was all good, just, uh, wondering what time you were getting here is all. But you're here now, so that's all that needs to be said on the matter." Emma gave Paul a pointed look, "Isn't that right, Paul?"

"Oh, I would beg to differ. But the night is still young, and there is still much alcohol to be drunk." The young man gave her a smile that challenged the woman to counter. She narrowed her eyes at him and folded her arms, but didn't get drawn into his trap. "Speaking of - here you go, drink this. You have some catching up to do." Paul said as he handed Regina a half empty bottle of champagne and a mug.

xxxxxxx

Once Paul had decided that Regina was sufficiently caught up with her drinking, they headed out to the party. As it turned out, it was at the same establishment as the Halloween party. Apparently Paul was good friends with the owner of the place, so was guaranteed entry to any event. The downside was it was on the other side of the city, therefore, required either a lengthy trip on the subway or a heftily priced taxi ride. They'd opted for the taxi on this occasion.

When they arrived at the bar, Paul led them directly to the front of the queue, which resulted in several insults being bandied about between themselves and some of those who had been patiently waiting in the cold winter air. Paul had given his name to the burly doorman, and they were instantly allowed entry into the building.

They managed to find themselves a table, and Paul bought the first few rounds of drinks. The three laughed, joked, drank and chatted happily together; they were having a great evening all round. Emma stuck to her plan of only drinking beer - she wasn't going to allow herself to get overly emotional tonight. She was going to enjoy herself, get pleasantly tipsy and see where things led. If she felt like the moment was right, she would say something to Regina. But she wasn't gonna make a big deal about it. She wouldn't fret over it, and ruin their time together. Emma decided that she should probably have more to drink; that would definitely help in this situation.

While Regina excused herself to go to the bathroom, and Paul discreetly checked out any potential midnight kissing material (he hadn't found himself a hot guy to bring with them, but he wasn't going to let that get in his way, he still had more than enough time to find someone). Emma went to get the next round of drinks in.

The blonde leant against the bar and caught the attention of a young bartender. "Hey buddy, two beers and a glass of Pinot Noir, please." He nodded his understanding and left to get the drinks. Emma drummed her fingers on the wooden surface as she tapped her foot and hummed to the song that was playing in the background.

"Well, well, well- if it isn't psycho Snow White. Long time no see." Came an unfamiliar male voice from over her shoulder. Emma turned around to come face to face with a man who had messy, dirty blonde hair and an unkempt appearance. He had a double whiskey in his hand, which he swallowed in one and slammed down on the bar behind Emma, leaning towards her threateningly as he did so.

"Excuse me? Do I know you?" Emma could smell the stench of alcohol and desperation as he leered at her. He was obviously drunk and had mistaken her for someone else.

"We met a little while back; you know- when your fist got acquainted with my Jaw?" He snarled, swaying slightly as he spoke.

Emma looked back with confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?" She said. She had no recollection of this man. But punching him certainly sounded like something she would do; he had one of those punchable faces.

"I know you're a blonde but you can't be that dumb," he slurred, pushing her on the shoulder.

Emma closed her eyes and took in a calming breath. She removed his hand, then turned back to the bar to wait for her drinks. She was having a fun night so far, and getting into a fight with some random drunk wasn't part of her plans. The blonde hoped that if she ignored him long enough, he would go anyway of his own accord.

Evidently she was mistaken, he grabbed Emma roughly by the arm and spun her around, pinning her against the bar. "So are you fucking her yet? Or are you still just her guard dog?" He growled a little too close to her for comfort.

Emma, feeling her patience start to wear thin, decided she would give the asshole one final warning before she lost her resolve altogether. "Seriously, unless you want your balls to become acquainted with my knee, you need to back the fuck off," she said, as she pushed him away from her. He stumbled backwards, grabbing onto whoever was in his path to prevent his from falling over. Unfortunately for him, it just so happened to be Paul, who had made his way through the bar as soon as he had spotted the man approaching his friend. Paul removed the hand from his arm. Without the support, the man tumbled to the ground where he lay spreadeagled on the floor.

"You alright, Ems?" Paul asked as he ignored the man who was attempting to get back to his feet. Emma nodded and grabbed their drinks from the bar.

"Well, if it isn't the fucking homo who can't keep his goddamn mouth shut." The drunk snarled from the floor as he crawled towards a bar stool, trying to hoist himself up to his feet.

Paul shook his head at the pathetic sight. "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response," he said to himself. He turned away from the other man and back to his friend. Taking his beer from her, he added: "Come on, let's leave this drunken asshole to his pity party."

The pair walked back to their table, which was now occupied by a gaggle of girls, who definitely weren't old enough to be drinking. A few choice words from Emma soon had them vacating the area.

"So what the fuck was that about?" Emma asked now sitting back in her seat. She was still in confusion about what was going on. She hoped that Paul could enlighten her on things; he seemed to know who that guy was and vice versa. And neither appeared to like one another very much.

Paul let out a long sigh and leant back in his seat. "Long story, babes."

"I've got time."

"Fine I'll tell you, but let's wait for Regina to get back. She'll need to fill you in on a few of the deats too."

Emma had an ominous feeling about this. She didn't think she was going to like what she was going to hear. Especially if it involved the brunette too.

xxxxxxx

Paul regaled both women with the story of how he knew Charles. Regina had been as shocked as Emma to discover some of the details. Paul had told her that Charles was married previously, but she hadn't realised how much of a philanderer he was. She was suddenly immensely more grateful to Emma for intervening that night, and immeasurably more remorseful for how she reacted to said intervention.

Once Paul had finished his story, two sets of eyes fell upon Regina. The other two encourage her to follow up with her take on proceedings. So reluctantly, she informed them of her encounter with the man. She spoke about him with disgust and derision. Her mood became noticeable lighter when she informed them of Emma stepping in that night. Regina's face morphed into a melancholy smile, as she trailed off after telling them of the altercation between the two. She didn't want to repeat the events that followed.

"Wow, what an asshole. I feel like I should go punch him again." Emma said once she'd listened to both stories. She was furious and agitated; now she wished she hadn't held herself back tonight. She was glad she'd punched him before, but she would have liked to remember that feeling. The blonde continued her musings of what she would to the man out loud. "Or kick him in the balls, yeah I'll do that. Maybe crack a rib or two. Actually, where the fuck is my taser? I'm gonna go taser his good for nothing ass."

Paul decided to interject when he noticed his friend getting increasingly worked up. He could understand her outrage, but she had more important things she needed to do tonight. No, he hadn't forgotten what he'd told Emma a few hours earlier at the apartment. "He's really not worth it Ems. Look at him," Emma followed Paul's gaze to where the man was stumbling around near the bar and starting an argument with anyone within earshot. "He can barely keep himself upright. I think Maria getting her act together and kicking his ass out was punishment enough." The young man had been overjoyed when a delighted Sheila had informed him that her daughter was getting a divorce from Charles. So much so, they had closed the store early and gone for a coffee and a slice of cake to celebrate.

"Good for her; if it were me, I would have ripped out his heart and crushed it into dust," Regina stated matter of factly as she sipped on her wine. When she noticed the startled expressions looking back at her, she realised what she had just admitted. She really needed to be more careful with what she said around these people if she was going to keep her anonymity intact. So with a smile and a laugh, she added, "Metaphorically speaking, of course." The former Evil Queen hoped that it would be enough to cover up her admission.

Paul laughed heartily as he replied. "Remind me not to get on the wrong side of you. You can be one scary bitch, you know that?"

Regina smirked in response. She prided herself on being a 'scary bitch' as he put it. "I will take that as a compliment."

"You should, it was meant as one."

Emma, who had remained quiet and contemplative during the little exchange, eyed the other woman closely "So is this what you weren't telling me?" She queried, causing the brunette's attention to snap back to her.

"What do you mean?" Regina asked gulping harshly, her eyes widening at the prospect that she may have given up her true identity so thoughtlessly. She tried to mask the internal panic she was feeling and attempted to reassure herself that it wasn't possible for the other woman to have figured out who she was from one casual remark. But Regina was already working out potential excuses and escape strategies regardless.

"At the hospital, when I woke up. I could tell you were holding something back." The blonde clarified, eyes still narrowed and questioning.

"Oh, I see." The brunette let out a relieved breath. That made much more sense. "And how exactly did you come to that conclusion?" When she came to think about it; it really wasn't that much more logical.

"I kinda have this superpower," Emma stated nonchalantly with a hint of pride as she took a swig of her beer.

Paul leant in closer to Regina and said with a grin. "Here we go. This should be good." He sat back in his seat and folded his arms as he titled his head toward the blonde. "She's been telling people this since she was a kid and I'm yet to see it in action. So brace yourself, we could be in for quite the show here."

Emma let out an exasperated sigh. She knew when she was being made fun of. "It's true," she stated indignantly with a pout. Why was this so difficult for people to believe? "I can tell when someone's lying, at least, sixty-four percent of the time." Two unimpressed faces looked back at her so she repeated for emphasis. "At - least!"

"Well, that is quite the feat," Regina scoffed. "And how exactly does this superpower of your's work?"

"I feel it here." Emma didn't pick up on the sarcasm as she pointed to her stomach in an attempt to explain her talent.

Paul bit his lip to suppress a laugh. He could tell that the woman was sure in her belief of her ability. But he couldn't help himself, teasing her about it was too much fun. So he asked with a humourless expression, "Are you sure that's not hunger you're feeling?"

"I think I'd know the difference," the blonde said with annoyance. She was trying to be serious here; she had a genuine gift, and she was being mocked for it. It must have been how the X-men felt when they were persecuted for being mutants - this was virtually the same scenario. "It's like there's a ping in my gut, and then I know that the motherfuckers lying their ass off."

"Is that what happened when I recalled the traumatic events of that night?" Regina queried with a raised brow.

"Not exactly in those words - but you get the gist."

It still sounded ridiculous to the brunette, but she decided to placate the woman for now. Who was she to discredit someone who claimed they had some sort of mystical power? If she had confessed her own magical abilities, she probably would have been considered insane in this world. "Well, you stomach region was correct in this case. I decided not to tell you about it; it didn't seem necessary at the time."

"Ha! A genuine superpower in action," the blonde stated, feeling vindicated in her talents. She stood, puffed out her chest and placed her hands on her hips. "Just give me a cape and tights, and call me the Human Lie Detector."

"Why would we do that?" Regina asked in confusion. Paul just laughed; not with Emma - at her.

Emma huffed in annoyance, they were ruining her moment of empowerment. "Because it's my superpower," she explained and slumped back into her chair, "and superheroes wear capes and tights and have cool names." Upon receiving two stony-faced gazes, she sighed with exasperation and mumbled. "Never mind. Henry would have found it funny."

"Doubt it, Ems."

"Yeah, well…your face is funny." The blonde retorted to her friend in a weak comeback.

"Really? Is that really where you're going?" Paul asked with a smirk. Emma shook her head and winced. "Do you wish to retract your last comment?" She nodded with a lopsided smile and drank her beer. She should quit while she was ahead.

xxxxxxx

As midnight drew closer, and the New Year approached. Paul decided it was time to leave the women to their own devices while he found someone to see 2013 in with. He departed the table, giving both women a quick kiss on the cheek. He wished them a Happy New Year in case he didn't see them for the rest of the night, which was a distinct possibility. Then left, but not without gesturing towards Regina from behind her and mouthing a reminder at Emma - 'Tell her'.

Emma subtly nodded her understanding and watched the large TV screen as the clock it displayed ticked closer to the twelve. The two women sat quietly drinking and smiling a little awkwardly at one another as the room buzzed with excitement in the build-up to the New Year. Without Paul as a buffer, the conversation that had previously been so easy and free flowing, had now come to a standstill. Emma took the opportunity to decide on how to approach saying what she needed to the other woman.

"So, I was kinda thinking something." The blonde said as she leant in close enough so Regina could hear.

"Well, that's a rare occurrence," Regina replied with a smirk. Emma moved away and huffed at the response. The brunette really didn't make these things easy. "Are you just informing me in general, or do you wish to enlighten me on this thought?"

"Not if you are gonna be a snarky bitch about it," Emma mumbled too quietly for the other woman to hear as she had a quick drink of her beer to gather her nerves. Speaking more clearly she said, "I was thinking that maybe we could go out for a drink together."

"Isn't that what we are doing now?" Regina stated as she gestured to the table full of empty bottles and glasses.

The blonde shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Yeah, but at some other time, just the two of us," She said with an awkward smile. Regina had to get what she was asking, right?

"And where would this drink be?" The brunette replied with an unreadable expression. Emma regarded her closely, but she just couldn't gauge what the other woman was thinking.

"I dunno, at a bar maybe." Emma scratched her head while she thought of potential places they could go. With a hopeful smile, she suggested. "We could get a coffee if you'd prefer that." Emma shook her head, once she'd made the suggestion out loud, it'd sounded stupid. Nope, that was a terrible idea; it wasn't going to impress Regina at all. "It doesn't even need to be a drink. Maybe we could go out for a meal at a restaurant instead," The blonde tried. She looked on expectantly as she waited for a reply. Emma figured she couldn't have been any more clear. She was asking Regina on a date. Paul had to be happy with that. Declarations of feelings could come later. It was progress. Emma decided to congratulate herself with another swig of her beer.

"Of course, there would need to be food involved. Why do I need to be witness to any more of your excessive eating habits?" Regina said with an eye roll. "I take it everyone else has turned you down your offer, and I'm your last resort."

Obviously, the other woman hadn't understood what she'd been asking. "What? No, that's not what I'm saying. You're missing the point."

"Then what is your point exactly?" Regina asked impatiently. "You're not making any sense."

Emma let out a breath as she gathered her composure. This was it. She was going to have to do feelings and stuff. "I'm not very good at this sort of thing, but I figured it was now or never. Well, not never ever, but now is as good a time as any, right?" In the background, the crowd began counting down to midnight. Emma looked down at the beer bottle in hand. The label had started to peel away where she'd been picking at it while she contemplated how she would proceed. She couldn't quite meet the other woman's eye as she spoke. The blonde was afraid that if she did, she would lose her nerve altogether.

The room erupted as the New Year drew closer. "Five!"

"I like you, Regina. A lot." Emma began.

"Four!"

"I think there's something happening between us." She picked at the beer label with her thumb some more. Still unable to meet the brunette's gaze.

"Three!"

"And I hope that, maybe, you feel the same way." She chanced a look up at the other woman but reconsidered at the last moment.

"Two!"

"We could be good together."

"One"

Finally, Emma brought her anxious green eyes up to meet curious brown ones. She smiled hopefully at the other woman. "What do you say?"

"Happy New Year!"

a/n: The next chapter picks up straight from where this one left off. So stay tuned for Regina reaction and other developments.