Once Emma had gotten both the women signed in at reception she led them to her very own VIP box and couldn't help but feel a certain amount of pride at how gleeful they both were as they explored their private territory for the afternoon. The spacious room has a large dining table in the centre of it, a long cupboard against the wall that holds the giant screen TV, that had various snacks spread out on it and a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket. The cupboards below were actually several mini bars that housed soft and alcoholic drinks. Towards the front of the modern room were several large bucket chairs that had the clubs logo on the headrests, they looked out towards the field, separated from the outside by a sliding glass doors that lead to a small terrace with more chairs that matched those in the players dugout. In front of those there was floor to ceiling glass windows that gave a perfect view onto the pitch, they were tinted so that no one could see in.
Kathryn's first port of call was to the champagne in the ice bucket. "Can we get started on this?" Her eyes are large and hopeful but it still hurts Emma that either of them think they have to ask permission for anything. They had both progressed really far since leaving Gold's but every now and then the behaviours that had been forced into them made their way to the surface.
"This is all yours for the afternoon so do as you please." She didn't want to give direct permission because she didn't want her to feel like it was something that was needed, she wanted to make them feel comfortable enough that they didn't feel the need to ask for anything, it was something she had covered with Archie a lot during her sessions with him. "There's a menu over here," which she plucks from its place next to the wall mounted phone, that has a list of numbers that were on speed dial laminated above it, "the kitchen is," she looks over the list of numbers, "under zero-six. You can call and order whatever you want whenever you want. If there's nothing you fancy on the menu they will make you anything you can think of."
Regina had taken off her jacket and placed it on one of the bucket chairs, along with her purse. She was looking out of the glass of the sliding door, taking in the enormity of the stadium from her vantage point. Emma feels like her heart could burst from happiness when she sees in her name on the back of her girlfriends jersey, she walks up behind her and loosely wraps her arms around her waist, and rests her chin on the brunettes shoulder. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"
Regina puts her hands over Emma's and turns her head slightly so she can look at the blonde, "I can't believe I'm actually here."
Emma steals a small kiss, "have I told you how absolutely beautiful you look today?"
"Only sixteen or so times," the brunette jokes as she bites her lip, feeling like a teenager on her first date.
"Is that all? I'm totally slacking then."
They are both pulled from their mutual adoration when a loud pop sounds from somewhere behind them. "Woohoo," Kathryn cheers for finally managing to open the champagne. It bubbles and pours from the rim, "shit," she exclaims before sealing her lips around the top and swallowing down the overflow.
They both laugh at the blonde trying to swallow the spilling bubbles. Emma gives Regina a kiss on her cheek, "I have to go and get checked out now. I'll come back up before the game starts, make yourself comfortable and if you need me just call, I'll keep my phone on me."
"Okay," she answers and nods her head, "good luck."
Kathryn gives her a thumbs up as she leaves, the champagne bottle still attached to her lips.
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There is only the team medic and physiotherapist in the changing room, waiting for Emma, when she arrives. They play with her foot and move it in every possible direction and angle as they assess it's ability for movement. A slight wince when they push her foot backwards and in a little, is the only sign that anything has happened to her ankle, all the swelling and bruising has gone and there is no obvious pain when she walks.
"So, still some discomfort?" The medic queries without looking at her as he continues to twist and turn the joint.
"Only when you push it into an unnatural position," she snaps. It wasn't like her to be like that but she had a lot riding on their diagnosis. "It's fine, it's not evening my shooting foot," she says, less aggressively now.
"I'm going to give you a pain injection and have you do a few exercises in the gym, see how that goes before I can clear you to play," the medic replies, unaffected by her short temper.
Emma groans but she knows the chances of her being cleared to play without extensive testing was not going to happen. The injection seems to do the trick because she sprints on the treadmill and completes every exercise they give her without even the slightest twinge.
They recheck her ankle once they have finished putting her through a myriad of trials and both of them are happy enough to sign her off to play.
When she returns to the changing room, most of her teammates are now there, a nervous excitement can be felt in the air.
"Have you been cleared to play, Swan?" Ruby calls out when she notices the blonde walking in.
"Yep," she says, popping the 'p' smugly.
"Thank fuck!" Ruby breathes a sigh of relief. The odds of them winning have now skyrocketed.
A few minutes later the Coach walks in, "Fantastic news, Swan!" She says, referring to the blonde passing her medical, "We will go over the game plan at one thirty then I want you and Lucas with me for the news conference at two."
She checks the time on her phone and sees it quarter past one, that gives her just enough time to go and see her girlfriend for the last time before the game. She jogs along the many hallways and up several flights of stairs until she is in the corridor that is lined with the players VIP boxes. She heads straight to her room and slips inside after entering her passcode into the pin pad.
"Hey," she greets them both, as they sit around the dining table chatting and sipping on champagne.
"How did it go?" Regina hopefully asks as she gets up from her chair to go to her girlfriend.
"I'm fit to play." The blonde beams.
"That's wonderful, darling!" Regina happily exclaims as she pulls her in for a hug.
"I can only stay a minute. We have to go over the game plan and then do the news conference in a bit. I just wanted to check and see if you were okay."
"We are great, stop worrying about us. I just can't wait for the game to start." She slips her arms around the blondes neck as Emma holds onto her hips. "Is it true that if a player scores a hattrick they get to keep the football?"
"Yes, it is. Someone has been doing their homework I see," Emma teases but thinks nothing more of the random question.
"Don't make me throw this ice bucket over the two of you," Kathryn quips at the loved up pair.
"Then what will you use to keep the champagne cold?" Regina retorts.
"Fair point… continue," she gestures with her hand as she takes a gulp of champagne from the crystal glass she is now using.
Emma takes Regina by the hand and leads her out onto the terrace, sliding the door shut behind them. "I don't want you to feel pressurised but I want to give you the option… if we win, all our friends and family usually come onto the pitch to celebrate with us. It's up to you of course, but I didn't want you to see everyone else on the pitch and wonder why I hadn't asked you."
"Oh…" she's lost for words, unsure of what she wants to do. Her first reaction is to stay out of the public eye but she knows it's all going to come out after today anyway, and the thought of being the one Emma wants to celebrate with in front of everyone is very tempting. "I think I would like that."
"Yeah?" Emma's eyes go wide, she hadn't expected that to be Regina's reaction.
"Yeah," she agrees. "I'm in this with you. I'm proud to be with you and I want to stand besides you when you win."
"If we win," she corrects her.
"I'll be there with you when you win," she confidently reaffirms.
Emma kisses her softly, a slight wetness to her eyes that she's bravely trying to hold back. "I had better get back. One of the stewards will bring you down to the pitch if, I mean when, we win.
"I'll see you then." Emma quickly kisses her again before hastily leaving for the team meeting. Kathryn is pouring herself another glass of champagne when Regina approaches her. "You should go a little slower with that. When they win we get to go on the pitch to celebrate, I don't want to have to hold your drunken ass up," she teases the blonde.
"Seriously, we get to go on the pitch? Awesome!"
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At the team briefing the coach makes it clear that the first half is all about containing the fire power of the opposition. They are the only team in the league that can compete with the Slayers when it comes to goal scoring. They are to focus on defending and controlling the game, only taking their chances when it doesn't leave them vulnerable to attack.
The assistance coach takes the team sheet for it to be published to the TV channels as the Coach, along with Emma, and Ruby make their way to the news conference. They sit at the table that is surrounded by microphones and cameras, and facing out towards the rows and rows of chairs..
Regina and Kathryn have switched on the TV, the only channel available is the club channel and they watch it as Emma and Ruby and both on either side of the Coach, and the press questions begin.
"Is it true that The Saviour has been cleared to play?" The first reporter asks.
"Yes, after extensive testing and training the medical team has passed her with flying colours. She is fit, ready, and raring to go." The coach confidently boasts, embellishing the truth a little at how easily she passed the fitness tests to give the fans as much hope as possible. The crowd was the twelfth man after all, and seen as this was a home game they may as well use that to their advantage.
"Emma, how does it feel to be on the brink of helping the Slayers achieve their first piece of silverware in the clubs history, in your first season here, no less." Another reporter quickly jumps in before anyone else can.
Emma finishes taking a sip from the water bottle that was set in front of her on the table. "It feels pretty great to get the chance to repay the club and the Coach for all the faith they have shown me in the last year. I am happier than I have ever been in all my professional career and I think that shows when I'm playing."
The questions go on and on and each time one of the three people around the table answers them as professionally as possible.
Emma's professionalism wavers only slightly when one of the reporters near the back of the room asks her a more personal question. "Emma, two women were seen entering the building with you this morning, who are they? We all know of your history with women that has interfered with your career previously."
"That has nothing to do with the game," the Coach answers for her.
Emma wasn't about to let Regina and Kathryn be glossed over as if they were just as unimportant as her previous dalliances. "They are my two biggest fans and they are the reason I am playing better than I ever have. I have found a great happiness in my life and that is the reason the I am playing well enough to help my team be crowned champions by the end of the afternoon." It was a bold statement to make but Emma was prepared to give everything she had to make it happen. She was going to make Regina proud when they stood on the field together after the game, everyone would know that Regina was the difference between Emma being a great player and Emma being the best player in the league.
Kathryn cheers and claps her hands at Emma's answer. Regina's heart swells with love and pride as she watches her girlfriend confidently handle the inappropriate question.
The press goes wild, the reporters all shout over each other as they all clamour to find out more about the star players private life. The Coach calls time on the conference, it had already run over by a few minutes anyway.
The Coach would have normally been pissed at any of the players for responding to any questions regarding their private lives, but Emma's answer would have pumped up the crowd and her teammates with her confident statement about winning, and that's all the Coach was concerned with today.
When they get back to the changing room they change from the tracksuits into their kit so they can go for their warm-up on the pitch in preparation for the game.
Regina and Kathryn move to the terrace area when the Slayers are warming up on the pitch, going through their set exercises as the crowd in the quickly filling stadium watch on.
The atmosphere in the stadium builds up as three o'clock rapidly approaches. It's the biggest game in the Slayers history and for the first time ever there is an expectancy rather than a mere hope of winning.
The Storybrooke Slayers and the Seattle Boomers line up in the tunnel, ready to walk out into the sold out stadium. Ruby leads the Slayers out, Emma has been placed at the back of the line in order to whip the crowd into a frenzy when she walks out last. As both of the teams make their way onto the field the crowd goes crazy as they cheer on their teams. A massive surge in noise occurs when Emma emerges from the tunnel. Regina feels very self-satisfied to be there in the stadium, seeing and hearing the love the crowd has for her girlfriend.
The crowd quieten down as the commentator reads through the names of the visiting players first. The away fans give a cheer each time the name of one of their players is read out. The noise increases when the commentator starts reading off the names of the home team players, once again, Emma gets the biggest cheer of all, Regina and Kathryn join in with all the cheering at that point too.
When the referee blows the whistle for the start of the game, the crowd once again quietens down and the game begins to flow. Emma is following the Coach's instructions as she plays deeper than usual, helping to pin back the oppositions attack, letting them use up their energy in the first half of the game. That's exactly what the Boomers do, they run all over the pitch, desperately trying to break down the Slayers defence and nick a goal to help settle their nerves. By the end of the first half the visitors leave the pitch looking a lot more tired than the home team and they have nothing to show for it. The Slayers game plan had worked so far, the game was drawn, but the Slayers had plenty left in the tank to go on the attack in the second half.
Emma looks up towards her VIP box as she leaves the pitch, she can't see anything behind the blacked out glass but she hopes Regina can see her. Regina does indeed notice the blonde looking up towards the box but she's too far away for the brunette to make out her features, but she assumes she's smiling.
The medic takes a quick look at Emma's ankle back in the changing room and gives her one more pain relief injection, just as a precaution for the second half.
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"Ready to do this, Swan?" Ruby asks the blonde as she makes her way past her and towards the front of the line-up in the tunnel.
"You know it," Emma calls after her.
The Boomers wasted energy from the first half tells on them from the get go in the second half and they can barely contain the Slayers attacking force. A brilliant save from their goalkeeper is the only thing that stops them going a goal down in less than a minute of the restart, when Mulan blasts a low ball towards the left corner of the goal, forcing the goalkeeper to dive to keep the ball out.
Their lucky break comes only a few minutes later when Emma heads in a high ball from Elsa's cross that came from the far side of the pitch. The roar of the crowd is deafening as Emma celebrates with her teammates.
Regina is jumping up and down, cheering louder than anyone else in the stadium when her girlfriend scores. A few small happy tears slip from her eyes as she celebrates with Kathryn.
The crowd is buoyant as the game resumes, their one goal lead injects some spirit into them and settles their jangly nerves.
Less than ten minutes later and Emma is taking a corner after the right-back for the Boomers knocks the ball out of play during another Slayers attack. She kicks the ball behind the throng of players just in front of the goal, into Ruby's path. The brunette controls the ball with her first touch and smacks it low and hard down the centre of the goal with her second touch, the players in front of the goal make it impossible for the goalkeeper to see it in time. The slayers are two goals up within thirteen minutes of the restart.
"That's my girl!" Regina shouts at no one in particular, at the goal Emma had set up for Ruby with pinpoint accuracy.
"That's my best friends girl!" Kathryn chimes in as she pulls Regina into a one armed hug, her champagne glass precariously balancing in her other hand.
The opposition weren't playing for silverware but they were playing for pride and if this game continued the way it was, they were going to end up being humiliated. With that in mind the Boomers Coach makes three changes to the team. He bolsters their defence by putting on another defender and taking off their attacking midfielder. Then he makes two straight swaps, putting on two fresh pair of legs in attack. It calms things down as the fresh energy impedes the Slayers dominance just a little.
The fans are in good spirits as they sing and cheer, they are just twenty minutes away from winning the league trophy. The games has slowed down considerably but the Slayers are still dominating possession.
Regina is almost pressed up against the glass of the VIP box, tracking every kick of the game and cursing each opposition player every time they get a touch of the ball. Kathryn is just as engrossed, but she does take her eyes off the game every time she needs to top up her glass.
The Boomers manage to form an attack and get a shot on goal that the Slayers goalkeeper, Merida, saves easily. She spots Emma on the other half of the pitch, just two Boomer players still up the pitch, between her and their goalkeeper. Merida quickly kicks the ball in Emma's direction, before the opposition can get back into position. The ball lands a few meters behind her but with her speed she easily beats both the defenders to it and makes a run towards the goal, a bit of fancy footwork her has the keeper going the wrong way, and a small tap has the ball rolling over the line. It wouldn't go down as one of her most memorable goals but it was a goal none the less and the Slayers were three-nil up.
Her teammates are barrelling up the pitch to celebrate with her. They are three goals up with just over ten minutes to go, there wasn't much chance of the Boomers coming back from that, the trophy was as good as theirs.
Ruby is one of the last to get to her to congratulate her, but when she gets there she throws an arm around her shoulders and walks with her back to the centre of the field so they can restart the game. "Do you think you have a hattrick in you, Swan? Finish this game in style!" She says before slapping the blondes back and making her way to the centre circle.
Emma is taken back to Regina's question earlier in the afternoon. It was a random thing for the brunette to ask, about the scorer of a hattrick getting to keep the ball. She wasn't sure if it was Regina's way of hinting that she wanted the winning ball, but there was only one way to find out.
The clock ticks down as the battle for possession takes place in midfield. The Boomers were practising damage control at this point, they had battened down the hatches and their sole focus was to not concede another goal, rather than to score one.
Each attack the Slayers mounted was met by a wall of eleven players who were trying to save their blushes. The Boomers were successful at keeping the goal difference to only three as the clock ran down on the standard ninety minutes. The fourth official held up the board that showed there would be three extra minutes due to the changes that were made in the game and when the game had to be stopped when rules had been broken and free kicks had to be taken.
Emma had just three minutes to get her hattrick and win the ball, whether Regina actually wanted it or not. Every attempt she made in the next two minutes were unsuccessful and she could feel her frustration rising. The Boomers kicked the ball around in the middle of the field, her teammates only half-heartedly chasing it, knowing there was no need for them to give their all as long as the ball didn't make it into their half of the pitch. The two central midfielders were knocking it backwards and forwards as Elsa tracked it but didn't put in a tackle. Emma came from behind and as the number ten knocked it forward she intercepted it and chased it down the left wing, two defenders came running at her but she flicked it over their heads and ran in between them, catching it on her foot when she was past them, the right-back flew in with a sliding tackle that she pre-empted and was easily able to dodge. The goalkeeper made the mistake of coming off her line and running towards Emma, who kicked the ball with the side of her foot, sending it to the right-hand side of the goal, it hit the bar and ricocheted in over the line.
The crowd goes wild and Emma runs down the field, sidestepping her teammates as they try to grab her. The final whistle blows, it's all over. Emma comes to a stop when she's at the side of the pitch that is directly below her VIP box, she looks up, unable to see Regina but she knows the brunette will be looking at her. She slaps her hand over her heart, anyone else would think she was slapping the badge on her chest but Regina knows better, Regina knows Emma is declaring her love for her in front of everyone. Now there's no stopping the flow of happy tears that track down her Bronze cheeks.
Her teammates have caught up with her and are throwing themselves on her as they celebrate their victory.
"She loves you so much, you know?" Kathryn whispers with a delicacy that is not like her.
"I know." Regina happily sobs. It was all so much to take in. The crowd and Emma's teammates were celebrating like that had just survived the apocalypse and all Emma wanted to do was let Regina know that she loves her.
Once the Boomers have been over to the visitors stand to clap their fans, they trudge off the pitch and leave the Slayers to their celebrations. The entire team and all the staff are out on the pitch, dancing and running around, kissing the badges on their shirts and waving Slayers emblazoned scarves and flags as the crowd cheer them on. Slowly the friends and family of the players start appearing on the pitch. Regina and Kathryn are watching it all as a knock comes at the door. Kathryn runs to answer it, hoping it was for them to be taken onto the pitch with Emma. She was right, a steward was there to escort them down to the field. Regina was a little nervous but Kathryn was full of pure excitement as they followed the steward down the corridor. Instead of taking the turning that they took when they were led up there earlier in the day, the were led the opposite way towards an elevator that took them to the ground floor, the doors opened into another corridor, but this one wasn't decorated like the others. The walls were painted white and had no decorations or pictures; they were in the players tunnel. They followed the steward down the tunnel and into the sunlight, where they could hear the full noise of the crowd for the first time and it was almost deafening. The steward turned and smiled at them and then stepped back to leave them celebrate with the team. They were both frozen to the spot, feeling out of their depth as they looked around at the size of the crowd, somehow it seemed bigger now that they were actually in it.
Emma spots Regina as soon as she appears along the side line, she breaks away from Ruby who is holding the blondes arm in the air in celebration, and sprints towards her girlfriend. Regina feels Emma wrapping her arms around her and lifting her off the ground before she actually sees her.
"Sweetheart," the blonde exclaims.
Regina hugs her back, wrapping her arms around her neck. Neither of them notice nearly every camera in the ground turn towards them. "You did it, Emma. I'm so proud of you."
The blonde puts her back down on the ground but keeps her close, pressing her sweaty forehead against that of her girlfriends. "You are?"
"Yes, so damn proud," she reiterates before grabbing the blondes face and pulling her in for a hard kiss.
Their reunion is displayed on the giant TV's around the stadium, it doesn't cause as much of a stir as they had expected, the crowd is far too busy celebrating their historic win.
When they part Emma pulls in Kathryn, who is hovering just to the side of them, for a hug.
"Ewww, maybe you could shower first?" Kathryn protests but she still hugs her tightly and congratulates her.
They join the rest of the team and their loved ones on the pitch, Emma keeps her arm wrapped around Regina's waist, partly because she wants her girlfriend right by her side but mainly it was because Regina had asked her to, so she didn't fall over on the pitch in her stilettos.
Eventually they were all cleared off the pitch so the stand could be erected for the winners ceremony. It didn't take very long and before they knew it the players were lined up, ready to receive their winners medals and raise the league trophy. The league Director stands behind a podium and shakes each players hand as the Assistant Director places a medal around their neck. Ruby leads the way, Emma the next in line. Regina has her hands resting over her heart as she watches her girlfriend collect her medal. Once every player has a medal hanging around their neck the trophy is placed on the podium. The crowd start a low 'ooooh' that builds in volume and intensity and when it hits its apex Ruby and Emma lift the trophy and the crowd breaks out in raucous cheering.
From somewhere, giant bottles of champagne appear, which the players shake and spray at each other, and the Coach.
"Such a waste," Kathryn mutters to herself.
The next trophy to arrive was the Golden Boot. The engraver that had added the 'Storybrooke Slayers' to the list of names of the teams that had already won the league on the league trophy had had a busy afternoon. Emma's last minute goal had guaranteed her to be the Golden Boot winner for the season and the engraver had just finished etching her name onto it.
The players pose for photographs with their medals and the trophy, alone and with their teammates, and then with their loved ones. For the first time ever Emma has loved ones to pose with as the photographs and being taken. Usually this would have made her uneasy and itch to get away from it all but now she had Regina and Kathryn at her side and she revelled in her glory.
Slowly the celebrations wind down and the players make their way inside as their family and friends are taken to a separate room that is set up for a party. Emma checks with Regina before heading inside, to see if she wanted to join the party or head home, the brunette finds herself easily agreeing to join the party. She's taken the first step into Emma's world and now she's ready to jump in, head first.
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They take the glass of champagne that is offered to them as they enter the huge room the party is being held in. They find a table and sit down together, most of the other guests seem to know each other and have all congregated around their own tables in their preferred groups.
After a few minutes a young woman approaches them. "Hi, I'm Anna, Elsa's sister. You are both with Emma, right? I don't mean like you're both with her, but you're both here with her. Well, you will be when she gets here."
Regina was quite amused by the strange, but sweet, rambling girl. "Yes, we are. I'm Emma's girlfriend and this is my friend, Kathryn. The three of them talk a little more, well, Anna talks and Regina and Kathryn both do their best to follow her ramblings. Soon, more and more people begin to approach them, almost as if they were too wary to do so at first, but then they follow Anna's lead. Regina could feel herself relaxing more and more as the chitchat flowed easily, no one probed too deeply, it was almost as if it was an unwritten rule to not delve into anyone's private lives.
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"You've been holding out on my, Swan!"
"What do you mean?" Emma asks for clarification as she places the match ball in her locker.
"Your girlfriend? She's gorgeous, where the hell did you find her? And the blonde, who is she? I thought my vagina was going to spontaneously combust when I saw her!" She dramatically fans herself with her hand.
"You're gross." Emma accuses the brunette instead of answering the question.
"We all have our crosses to bear," she replies nonchalantly.
"So, come one, how did you meet, how long have you been together, why have you kept it so quiet?" The brunette fires one question after the other as she sits down on the bench in front of Emma's locker.
Emma doesn't want to lie to someone who is the closest thing she's ever had to a friend but she knows she has to stick to her agents story. "A few months ago I had to go visit Cruella in her office to go over a few business things and Regina was there for a job interview to be Cruella's assistant. We just kind of hit it off immediately. We've just been taking it slow but now felt like the right time to go public." She's practically shouting at Ruby because of all the noise in the changing room due to their celebrating teammates.
"Oh… so did she get the job?
"Huh?"
"Regina… did she get the job?"
"No, Cruella's assistant changed her mind at the eleventh hour and decided to stay on." She was cringing internally and hoped the words she was saying sounded more natural to Ruby than they felt as they fell from her dishonest lips.
"That's either brave of crazy because Cruella is one scary ass bitch."
"We had better hurry up or we are going to miss all the fun at the party," the blonde says to Ruby, she just wanted any excuse for the questioning to stop. It seems that everyone else has the same idea about getting to the party as the shower cubicles start to fill up.
Emma stands under the warm spray with a huge grin on her face as she relives the last couple of hours. She was relieved to have won the trophy, it meant that the club and team would be more accepting of whatever was going to appear in the press, she knew that even with Cruella's tales, the press would still go ahead and make up any old crap that they liked. But more than anything she felt like she and Regina had turned the biggest corner in their relationship yet; they had gone public and they had done it in style.
A bang on the cubicle door pulls her from her thoughts. "Yo, Swan, stop whatever you are doing with the showerhead and get out of there already, everyone is gone already."
She realised that she couldn't hear any of the showers running and the laughter and cheering of her teammates was no longer in the background. "Go ahead, I won't be long." She finishes washing off the soap suds from her body, not sure where the time had gone as she daydreamed about Regina. She gets ready as quickly as she can, putting on the black boots, dark blue dress jeans and fitted white shirt that she had hung in her locker shortly after arriving that morning. She ties her hair in a high ponytail once she has finished blow-drying it and she is ready to go. She could hear the music and shouting from the end of the corridor as she made her way to the party.
Upon entering the party, all eyes turn to her and everyone claps, they all knew she was the reason they had even had a chance at the trophy. Her cheeks pinken but she takes a theatrical bow and as she straightens her eyes dart around the room, trying to seek out Regina. When she spots her she immediately walks over the brunette who is smiling back at her.
"Are you okay? Are you having a good time?" She asks as she pulls the brunette against her, not caring about all the eyes on them.
"I am having a really good time and everyone is really nice," Her speech is not quite slurred but there's a difference to it that tells the blonde her girlfriend has been enjoying the free drinks, "I think I've made some friends." She seems almost shy to admit something that sounds almost juvenile to her.
"That's wonderful." Emma doesn't want to make a big deal about it but it feels like a big deal. It's a step in the right direction as the brunette builds a new life for herself. "I'm going to grab a drink, do you want another?"
"Yes, a glass of champagne, please."
"Hey, where's Kathryn?" Emma queries as she looks around, she half expected the blonde to pop out of somewhere when she offered to go and grab them drinks. Regina points to the far corner of the bar with a smirk on her face. Emma turns to see Kathryn laughing at something Ruby is whispering into her ear. She's not sure if Kathryn is actually into women but it's none of her business, as long as everyone was having a good time nothing else mattered.
It took Emma much longer than it should have to get the drinks because her teammates kept pulling her in for hugs and slapping her back. Everyone else was pretty much queuing up to congratulate her. When she does finally have the drinks she turns towards the table she left Regina at and is filled with warmth and hope when she sees a few women she recognises as family of her teammates, all sitting at the table with Regina, chatting and having a good time. She had barely spoken to any of the women at the table in the entire time she had been at the club but Regina seems to have them all captivated after only knowing them for an hour or so.
She swallows down the lump in her throat and promises herself that this will be a night to remember.