A/N: Apologies! I know I said this update would come during the weekend, but finally, here it is and more will come. I want to thank you all for fully enjoying this story and giving it a chance. :) More writing will get done later, which means, more updates tomorrow. Happy reading!

Emma was gulping down her third glass of water. She never knew herself to be this thirsty. But here she was, chugging them down as if they were shot glasses.

"You know… I have a bottle hidden somewhere in this kitchen," said Eugenia, grinning from ear to ear. "I could pour you a glass. Just don't give me away."

Emma shook her head, "I'll be alright." She lied. Because the truth was, she could use something much stronger.

Eugenia chuckled, stirring whatever stew she had cooking inside a pot. "The only way you'll be fine is if you tell her how you really feel."

Tell her how I really feel? Her green eyes grew wide at the thought. "So, what's the deal with this…?" Emma quickly changed the conversation.

"Pen pal?" Eugenia finished the blonde's sentence. She chuckled. "She met him on some dating app. Actually it was her sister who pushed her to it, Regina didn't really want to talk to anyone."

Her sister? Her brow furrowed, "Zelena does seem to be very persistent herself, huh?"

"Oh, honey… you'd be surprised. That's why she sticks around, because she's the only one who can tame Regina." Eugenia shrugged. "Of course, once Regina says no to something, it's a definite no. They both have this way of clashing with each other sometimes."

"Tame her? You make her sound like a caged lion."

"Let me know when you are confined to a wheelchair for two years, and I'll ask you how you feel."

Emma frowned.

"Anyway, Regina had pushed all of us away, including her sister. After her accident, she just… wasn't the same. And losing her wife was even more devastating for her."

"Yeah, she does seem eager to die."

"Yes," Eugenia mumbled, nodding. "She's been wanting that for a long time. Which is why when she has those breathing attacks, she wishes one of them could just take her away, but her sister won't allow that to happen. We were all amazed she chose you to care for her."

"Join the club," Emma snorted, taking her last sip of water. "I have absolutely no experience. Why hire me?"

The older woman smiled. "Knowing Regina, it was because she saw something in you that she really liked. That's saying a lot these days for her."

The blonde chuckled, her arms crossed over her chest. "Yeah, must be my sense of humor." She joked.

Eugenia chuckled, shaking her head, knowing perfectly well that was only one of the things Regina liked about Emma. "Looks like she wasn't the only one who was awestruck."

"What? What do you mean?" Emma's eyes grew wide, the blush on her cheeks more apparent.

"Oh, honey…" The woman smirked. "Do you honestly think I was born yesterday? I see the way you look at her."

Emma grew pale. Was it that obvious? She shook her head, "No… Regina isn't my type."

"Oh, she's not, huh?"

"No."

Their heads turned to the sight of Regina entering the kitchen. Eugenia looked at the woman in shock, given that this was the only room she never entered. Emma stood up straight, her hands tucking inside of her pockets. Her heart beating twice as fast as it just was.

"Eugenia," Regina nodded.

"Ms. Mills," the woman nodded. "This is a surprise."

"I've been looking for Emma." Regina's eyes moved to the blonde. "I have to be at the gallery at 11. Do you drive?"

"Like the wind." Emma replied.

"Good. Shall we?" Regina rotated her chair, exiting the kitchen without another word.

Emma turned to Eugenia who sported a smirk on her lips. "I'll see you later."

"Have fun." The woman chuckled, going back to her cooking.

"You must be wondering why the blue letter." Said Regina, moving her chair into the elevator just outside the hallway.

"Not really," Emma mumbled. "I mean, it's your business." She leaned in to press the button to the first floor.

Regina's eyes followed Emma until she stood behind her. She needed to explain to Emma- she wanted to explain. "It is. But, I feel you should know… I was writing someone. It started last year. His name is Daniel." She chuckled, "Zelena pushed me into it. He's a very good friend of hers. Truth is, I stopped corresponding to his letters because when we met each other, I was…" She paused, her eyes watering. "I could walk. Honestly, if he saw me now, I don't think it would be what he expects. It's better that way."

"And you don't think your wife would want you to be happy with someone?" Emma asked, looking at the back of the woman's head.

"I know she would. Just not with a man." Regina murmured, the corners of her lips tilting into a tiny smirk.

"Then why put yourself through that?"

"To please my sister. Like my mother, she was never accepting of me being married to my wife."

"Why are you telling me all this?" She finally asked.

"Because I trust you." Regina's heart beat fast inside her chest. "That's one of the reasons why I hired you."

"Will I ever get to know the other reason?" Regina remained quiet, letting Emma know that she may never come to know it. "So, is this how you came into all this money?" She asked, changing conversation. "By writing all those books you have in your living room?"

"No."

"So, what do you do?"

"I specialize in turning around failing companies."

"So, like… you invest in people's ideas?" Emma asked.

Regina nodded.

"What if I told you I wanted to start my own company. Then what?"

"I'd say, 'What is your idea?'"

Emma shrugged, "I don't know."

Regina scoffed, "Well, what are you passionate about?"

"Women. Sleeping. Sleeping with women." She smirked

Regina rolled her eyes. "A little difficult to monetize, Emma."

"I have some friends that would disagree with you." Emma moved behind the woman's chair, grabbing onto the handle bars to help her by pushing it for once. Giving Regina a break in using her chin to control it automatically.

"There has to be something you are passionate about-"

"Regina Mills!"

A male voice echoed through the parking garage of the apartment complex, along with a tapping of a cane- that made the brunette mumble something under her breath that Emma couldn't quite make it out, but gave her the impression that the woman did not like this man.

"Look at you! Up and about. Finally." The man smirked, his hair a dark gray color that suited him. His long trench coat and leather gloves fit his choice of scarf perfectly well. He had an almost evil smirk to him, obviously a rich snob from what Emma could tell.

"Finally," Regina mumbled, smiling sarcastically.

"That's amazing. You know, my wife knows someone who has found the most perfect carer for her mother. I'll give you the number to the agency." He said smugly. The man was always flaunting how young his wife was, it was sickening.

Emma belched, realizing that this man wasn't even acknowledging her presence. Raising her hand in a wave, she said, "Hello. I'm right here. I'm caring." She smiled sarcastically. Who is this asshole?

The man's smile left his lips, his eyes studying the blonde woman standing behind the brunette. Her poor choice of attire. Beautiful- but poor.

"Robert, this is Emma Swan-" Regina said, only for Emma to jump in next.

"The third. Emma Swan, the third," the blonde smiled, extending her hand toward the man.

Regina held in a grin that wanted to stretch across her lips.

"I see." Robert's eyes studied the blonde once more. A creepy, sarcastic smile stretching across his lips. "I uh, I won't shake your hand."

"It's probably best." Emma nodded, still smiling, her fist wanting badly to be introduced to the man's face. She wouldn't want to have another charge added to her record. "Anyway, Gina, we have to get going." She reminded the brunette.

"Excuse us, Robert," the brunette smiled, feeling Emma push her chair past the man.

"Charming. Friend of yours?" Emma mumbled under her breath.

"Get to know me, Emma Swan, the third." Regina chuckled.

"Whoa…" Emma's mouth parted, her eyes sparkling at the sight of very expensive, very imported cars. There was an entire row of them, different styles and colors. Her favorite? A yellow Audi R8. "Which one is yours?" She asked the brunette.

"All of these to the right." Regina kept moving, rotating her chair to find a gawking Emma, drooling over one specific vehicle. The R8. The corner's of her lips tilted up into a tiny smile. Clearly Emma was passionate about cars or their mechanics. "You like that one." She pointed out.

Emma's eyes fell on the brunette, then back to the vehicle. "What's not to like? How fast does it run?"

"I don't know." Regina moved her chair a little forward. "I never personally drove it."

Green eyes gawked, Emma's mouth fell open. "You never-? What car do you use to get around in?"

Regina nodded, causing Emma to look over her right shoulder, her eyes falling on a navy blue van.

"No way." Emma shook her head.

"I don't go out much, not since my accident."

"So what's your plan for all these beautiful cars?" Emma asked.

"I was planning on keeping them, but given that I can no longer drive them, they will be put up for sale."

"Did your sister decide this?" Emma glared her way.

"No. I did."

"You have to at least keep one." Emma turned to gawk at the R8 once more, her hand gently brushing against the door. "I mean, how can you not want a ride in a car this beautiful?" She scoffed, "There's no way I am putting you in a van unless you're drunk. Are you drunk?"

"Just on your positive attitude." Regina glared.

"You want a positive attitude? Let's go." Emma moved behind Regina's chair, pushing her toward the R8. Her stomach was tickling with butterflies and her body was rushing with adrenaline.

"Emma, I don't think this car-"

"This car is perfect. It's a beautiful day, and you want me to drive you to this gallery, right?" Emma unbuckled the brunette, her eyes connecting with her brown ones.

"That would be greatly appreciated. Yes." Regina blinked, almost forgetting how due to looking into mesmerizing green eyes.

"Then, we are taking this R8 out for a test drive. A car this beautiful deserves to be driven." She quickly opened the passenger door, luckily it was unlocked, and her arms reached around the brunette and sat her inside, buckling her up. "And besides… a beautiful woman like you deserves to cruise around in a car like this. Especially when going to a gallery."

Beautiful? Regina blinked, her eyes locking on green ones once more. Her cheeks started to feel a little warm. She could kiss her. Here. Now. But would it be too soon? What if Emma pulled away?

Emma's eyes moved down to the woman's lips, studying the scar above her lip even closer. It would be the perfect time to lean in and dare to kiss her. She wanted to, but she also felt it was too soon. What if Regina rejected her? An action like this could also get her fired.

"Where are the keys?" Emma murmured.

"Inside the same key case in the kitchen. On the wall."

"Don't drive away." Emma walked away, shutting the door.

Regina chuckled, watching the blonde through the car window as she mounted the elevator in search for the keys. She was in way over her head.

The R8's engine roared as Emma sped through the streets of New York. A pearly white smile stretched across her face at the discovery that this car could go pretty fast. Faster than any other car she's been in. Not that she's been in a car this expensive. Regina's head turned to look over at Emma, a matching smile stretching on her lips at the sight of excitement displaying on the woman's face. She was truly beautiful, even more so when she smiled.

"There is no way you can't get rid of this car, Gina!" Emma grinned, looking at the road before her. Her stomach tickled with many flapping butterflies.

Regina chuckled, her cheeks sore from smiling so much. A smile that Emma quickly took notice of.

"Look at that."

"What?" Regina frowned.

"You do have a hidden smile in there somewhere."

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Just drive."

"You should smile more, you know. It's quite captivating." Emma said this as she looked at the road ahead. Too afraid to make eye contact with the brunette.

A single brow raised from Regina. "Is that a compliment? Or are you flirting with me?"

Emma shrugged, a tiny smirk tugging on her lips. "I'll get back to you on that."

Another smile spread across the brunette's lips.

"All this is worth millions of dollars?" Emma looked around at all the art in the museum she had just walked into, pushing Regina's chair.

"More or less, yes."

"A lot of it is ugly." She whispered, leaning down a little as she said this.

Regina smiled. "You'll learn to appreciate it. Once you appreciate it, you know it's true value."

"Ms. Mills." A brunette woman dressed in a tight black, elegant dress approached them, her smile beaming.

"I know her true value." Emma's lips parted as her eyes feasted on the woman.

Regina's brow furrowed at the blonde's comment, her smile on point as the woman stood before her. "How do you do? Is it still here?"

"Yes, ma'am. I kept it out of sight just as you asked. Allow me to bring it for you. I will be right back."

Regina nodded, turning to Emma who's eyes were taking in another work of art. A portrait with a blue and orange background, a naked woman in the middle, sitting up, her naked back a light blue color that made her pop out of the painting.

"You seem to appreciate that one."

Emma turned to her side, surprised to see Regina moved up beside her. "Is it supposed to represent something?" She asked, looking back up at the painting. "That's art, right? Doesn't it have… representation?"

Regina smirked. "Some. Other works of art are what the artist is simply feeling. Or it's made to make you feel, interpret what they are feeling."

"Well, I feel like this artist got lucky after painting this woman."

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Really look. What does it make you feel?"

Emma's eyes focused on the painting once more, hands tucked inside of her pockets. Her head cocked to one side. "Peaceful."

"Is that what you feel she's feeling?" Asked Regina.

"I think…" Green eyes squinted. "I think she's feeling appreciated. Loved, even. Sensual." The corner's of her lips tilted upward.

The woman's throat cleared, causing both women to turn her way. Their eyes falling on the painting she now displayed in the center of the gallery for the brunette to look at it.

Regina moved her chair toward the painting. It was the last piece of her wife's collection. She had spent almost a year searching for it, and always came out unlucky. Until now. "They found it." She murmured. A proud sparkle in her eye became visible at the sight of it. "How much?"

"$75, I believe. I could check for you." Said the woman.

"Would you?"

"Certainly." The woman walked away again, her heels clicking loudly against the hardwood floor.

Emma scoffed, still not understanding why anyone would want to buy a painting of an entire yellow background with an outlined square right in the center. Especially not for seventy-five thousand dollars. "For seventy-five thousand, I could paint you a square. I could throw in some rectangles, too, if you'd like. Besides, don't you already have this one?"

Regina smirked. Her eyes facing forward, not moving from the painting. "It's part of a collection my wife loved. She couldn't finish collecting them, so I spent a long time looking for this one."

"Sorry. It's $80,000." The woman came back, looking down at Regina.

"Hm," Regina hummed, her eyes moving back to the painting. "I'll take it."

Emma's eyes grew wide at just how easy Regina decided she would take the painting. Damn the price.

"Eighty thousand dollars? Just like that?" Emma's eyes turned to the brunette sitting in the passenger seat, then back at the road as she drove. "Do you know what I could do with eighty thousand dollars?"

Regina smiled. She has been smiling more today than any other day, her cheeks were already hurting. But she didn't care. Truth was, she was enjoying this day out with Emma. "But when you get it for someone you loved- how can you put a price? It's like you with your son."

Emma's eyes turned to the brunette once again.

"You made your share of mistakes with him, but I'm sure you would do anything now to gain his forgiveness. You would get him anything he wanted just to know he's happy. How could you put a price on that?"

The blonde frowned. Her heart was aching, aching for Henry, and for this woman who without knowing her, gave her a job. A good job. And she's been nothing but amazing, past her depression. She needed to get that book back.