Slowly and steadily, things fell into place.

Regina booked the train tickets for their trip to Toronto, and Zelena booked plane tickets for herself and Henry. Emma booked the hotel rooms. Two rooms. Although Henry had tried to convince them that a third room would be required.

"I can sleep in my own room," he tried his best to convince Regina. "Please?"

But when it came to that, Regina could not be persuaded. There was no way she would let Henry sleep in his own hotel room. It was an unfamiliar city, and it would be in the middle of the night. Absolutely not. She refused to budge no matter how much Henry tried arguing.

"Fine," he said and looked a bit sour. But not much. Henry wasn't the kind of kid who sulked just because things didn't go his way.

"Alright. So that's two rooms," Emma summarized. "One for-" she interrupted herself and frowned. Looked at Regina. "You and Henry and me and Zelena? I don't mind bunking with her. That's completely fine."

"But don't you guys wanna sleep together?" Henry asked. Completely innocently of course.

Zelena bursted out laughing. Of course she chose to deliberately misunderstand Henry's sweet question.

"What?" Henry asked and shot his aunt a confused look. "What's funny?"

Regina glared at her sister. Honestly, wasn't Zelena supposed to be the mature one? She was the oldest one, after all. A detail Regina seldom let her forget.

"Nothing's funny, buddy," Zelena said, quickly scolding her features into something that wasn't a grin. But only for a second. It didn't take long before her serious façade crumbled and she felt compelled to make another ridiculous joke. "I'm sure your mom and Emma doesn't mind… bonking."

Regina was only a hair away from shaking her sister. She curled her hands into fists and narrowed her eyes in warning. She knew that that look had earned her the nickname 'the Evil Queen' when she was a professor at the university. And she hoped that Zelena would get the message. Which was that Regina definitely was not amused!

Emma coughed a little. Beautiful pink spots blossomed on her cheeks, and if Regina hadn't been so busy being annoyed at her sister, she definitely would be distracted by Emma's beautifully pink cheeks. Few things in life were better than Emma Swan blushing.

"Bunking. Pardon me," Zelena said and regretfully pulled Regina out of her musings about Emma's blushing cheeks. Now she was all annoyed again and she did nothing to hide that as she looked at Zelena who somehow managed to maintain a complete straight face as she continued: "I'll be happy to share a hotel room with my dear nephew so the lovebirds can snuggle all night."

"Okay then," Emma said a bit strained, fingers gliding over the laptop keyboard as she booked the rooms. "That's settled then."

And what else was settled was the thing about Emma's adoptive parents. Emma had mumbled something about going to see them while Regina was in surgery, but naturally, Regina had balked at that. There was no way she ever would let Emma go through that on her own. Absolutely not. Of course Emma had been chivalrous and silly. Had said that she wouldn't want to expose Regina to her adoptive mother's toxic ways, but Regina had brushed that off and had insisted. Literally insisted. She was NOT letting Emma face her adoptive parents on her own and that was final. And so Emma had reluctantly given in. They would be 'visiting' Mary Margaret Blanchard together. Period. Regina was very satisfied with that.

She was happy that Emma had caved in and had let her go with her to see Mary Margaret. Regina wasn't fearing the toxic ways Emma had spoken of. She was quite adapted to toxic ways. She could handle one manipulative woman. In fact there was a part of her that was looking forward to looking Mary Margaret in the eyes. Stare her down. She couldn't say what she felt about her, but she still could unleash 'the evil queen' on her. She could still glare at her and SHOW exactly what she thought of her and the way she had treated Emma.

Today there was exactly one month until they were leaving, and Regina was feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety. Of course she was a bit worried about the whole surgery thing, but she was starting to look forward to the train ride. That was what she would focus on first. The three day long train journey from Vancouver to Toronto. That was going to be fun. So much better than the last time.

Regina frowned slightly in concentration as she read the email her student had sent her. She was currently writing a paper on Dracula, and she wanted to know if Regina could read through it and give her opinion. Regina most certainly could. She answered the email with a: 'yes, certainly. Just send it straight through. Prof. R. Mills.'

It didn't take long before her student- Louise Travers- send the email to her, and Regina was just about to make herself comfortable so she could read the paper when her phone chimed. For a split second, Regina was annoyed that someone was bothering her in the middle of working, but then she reminded herself that it very well could be Emma. Hearing from Emma was always a welcome surprise. Emma was always welcome to 'bother' her during work.

For Emma, she was prepared to put everything and anything on hold. For Emma, the whole world could wait. Regina grabbed her phone, eager to find out what Emma wanted.

But it was not a text from Emma. Surprisingly enough, it was actually a text from Malena.

Regina raised an eyebrow. She had not expected that. Quickly, she let her gaze roam over the words on the little screen.

'Hello, dear. I was wondering if you would be interested in having coffee with me tomorrow afternoon?'

Oh. This was… surprising. She had been bad at staying in touch with Mal. Very bad. Despite her promise to not be a stranger, Regina feared that she had been just that. A stranger. It hadn't been her intention. She really had planned on getting back in touch with Mal. But it had been so terribly difficult for her. She wasn't the woman she once was. She had changed. And a part of her was still on edge when it came to letting her old friends into her new life.

She ducked her head in shame and felt guilty. She had cut ties with all her colleagues when Killian truly began to isolate her. Because it was easier. And she hadn't been in touch with any of them since. But Mal was different. Mal was her oldest friend. One that she had missed so, so much. One that she had been tempted to reach out to a million times during Killian's reign of terror.

But she had been too scared and to proud to actually meet up with her old friend and say: 'he's hitting me, and I don't know what to do. Please help me.'

There was some kind of shame tied to that kind of admittance. It didn't make sense because she knew that it hadn't been her fault at all, but there was still a sort of shame connected to it. A strong woman like her needing help to leave an abusive relationship. She knew that she had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of, but at the time she had been much too embarrassed to reach out to Mal.

She had been too ashamed to let Mal see what Killian had reduced her to. What he had done to her.

Killian was locked away now. He couldn't hurt her again.

But Mal was still right here. Despite Regina's long radio silence, her oldest and best friend was still here. And now she wanted to meet up for coffee.

Regina answered the text with a: 'absolutely. I'd love to meet up for coffee.'

The reply came immediately. 'Wonderful. Shall we say at four in the usual place?'

Regina replied yes to that. Their 'usual place' was a small coffee house located a few miles from Dragon Publishing. Regina hadn't been there for ages, and she was wondering how it would feel to physically step back in time. Back to a time where she could still talk.

She worried her bottom lip. Thought about how it would be to meet up with Mal and try to have a conversation with her. Through post-its on the table. Or through her phone. Oh god, she hadn't done that with anyone but Emma. Would it be awkward to talk to Mal like that? Would Mal think that it was weird?

'Excellent. I can't wait to see you, my dear. It has been ages.'

'Yes, I truly has.' For a moment she felt tempted to ask Mal if she was okay with communicating through post-its, but decided against it and deleted the question without sending it. Mal had to be okay with it. Because there was no other way for Regina to communicate.

'I'm looking forward to it. Now I'm afraid I have to get back to work, but I will send you a text once I leave work. I wouldn't want you to sit and wait for me.'

'See you later', Regina settled for. She send off the text and put her phone away. Grabbed her laptop and tried to concentrate about work.

But she couldn't. Because she was thinking about her upcoming meeting with Mal.

Regina ran her fingers through her hair. Now she worried that she had said yes too quickly. She wasn't the same person anymore. She couldn't laugh and talk with her best friend like she once could. There would always be a phone or a post-it between them. She tried telling herself that it was just Malena. Her oldest, best friend who knew her better than anyone else. Mal who knew everything about her. Who had been there when her mother died, when her father passed away, when she was pregnant and confused. Mal had been present when Henry was born, and she had been there when he was a tiny wiggling thing. She had shown up at Regina's place with meals that just needed re-heating. She had taken Henry out in the stroller when Regina was exhausted and needed to sleep for an hour.

Mal had been a part of her life from when Regina was fourteen. First as friends then as her girlfriend and now as family. It didn't matter that they were not romantically involved anymore. They still cared deeply for one another. And Regina couldn't imagine not having Malena in her life.

But despite that, she still was not ready to tell Malena what had happened to her. She wasn't ready to reveal the truth about what kind of man Killian had been. It would be too much. Right now, Regina's life was fairly stable. She was looking ahead and getting ready for the operation and the next step in her life. The box called 'Killian Jones' was solidly locked and had been for a while. And the idea of opening it…

No. Regina couldn't do that. Not now.

Someday she would tell Malena. Someday, but not today.

Regina glanced at her now silent phone. She did not like to keep things from Malena, but she also had to look after herself. The time wasn't right for telling Malena. Not yet. Eventually, she would be ready, but she wasn't today. And that was okay….

Beep. Beep.

The sound of her phone was by no means loud, but Regina had really been getting into her work, so the sound still startled her. Louise's paper about Dracula had been thoroughly fascinating, and Regina had enjoyed 'nerding out' as Henry would call it. But now she replaced her laptop with her phone instead so she could check the new message.

This time, it was in fact a text from Emma. And she came bearing news.

'Talked to Malena. She gave me a week off and asked me to let her know if I needed more time. We're good to go :)'

Huh. 'Funny coincidence, she texted me a bit earlier and asked me if I'd like to go out and grab coffee with her tomorrow afternoon.'

'And what did you tell her?'

'I told her yes. Is that okay?'

'Regina, you don't need to ask for my permission to go out and see your friends.'

Oh, goodness. She had in fact done that. So stupid. But one of Killian's favorite games to play had been to make her ask for permission before doing anything. And sometimes Regina forgot that she didn't live under his rules anymore.

'And sometimes I forget that. Forgive me. Old habits die hard.' Some part of her subconscience had clearly been thinking about Killian. Otherwise she never would have slipped back into her old habits of asking permission.

'You don't need to apologize either, my love. Have coffee with whoever you want :D I'm just happy you're starting to see your friends again!'

Regina smiled. Of course she too was happy about that, but she was also a bit anxious. And there was no one better to discuss her feelings with than Emma.

'I must admit I'm a bit nervous about it. I've become so used to using post-its notes with you, I barely think about that it may seem strange to others.'

'You think she'd find it strange?'

Well…. 'No, but you know me. I'm paranoid.' To say the least. If being paranoid was something you could study, Regina would have been the best in the class.

'I don't think Malena will find the post-its notes strange. Quite the contrary. And once you've had coffee with her I wanna know all about it!'

That was sweet. Regina was just about to inform Emma of how much she appreciated that when another text arrived.

'Not because I don't trust you. But because I'm interested in you and everything you do. And I wanna hear all about your day at all times. Just to clarify.'

Even sweeter. Most people wouldn't have thought twice about what a potential double meaning in a text could mean. But Emma had. Of course she had.

'Emma, you don't need to clarify anything. I already know all that.'

'Good. Then I trust that you know how much I love you as well?'

Now Regina was really smiling. No one could turn a slightly serious conversation into a lighthearted one like Emma. Another of her wonderful traits.

'That I do. And I also know that you're at work right now. I'm distracting you.'

'I love being distracted by you :D'

Oh, Emma, Emma, Emma. Regina rumbled quietly to herself. She wasn't trying to distract Emma. If that had been the plan, she would have texted something daring. Something that would make Emma send her a row of those ridiculous moaning emojis she so favored.

But that wasn't on the program today. Unfortunately. It could have been fun though.

'I don't want Malena to become dissatisfied with you.' God forbid it. It took a lot to make Malena dissatisfied, but still.

'Nah, she'd never become dissatisfied with me. She adores me!'

'Adores'? Regina tilted her head slightly even though Emma wasn't here to see it. 'Does she indeed?'

'Yep, but don't worry. I really, really have a thing for brunette's :D'

Yes, so she had noticed. 'Is that so?'

'Mhmmm! And especially this gorgeous brunette I can't stop thinking about...'

Admittedly, Regina would have LOVED to hear more about the 'gorgeous brunette', but alas, she was still bothering Emma in the middle of work. And she actually needed to get back to Louise's paper.

'I think you should start working.'

'Yeah, you're probably right about that.'

'Start working then.' Regina couldn't help but tease a little.

'YOU start working, Mills ;)'

'Only if you do.'

'How do you know that I'm not already working?'

Well…. 'Touché, miss Swan. Touché.'

'Spoilers: I am not actually working. I should, but I'm not. For some reason, texting my girlfriend is just so much more interesting!'

'I agree, but this is hardly a way to make money.'

'You're right. What is the busy professor working on today?'

Regina smirked. She definitely had a thing for being called 'professor' by Emma. 'A student of mine asked me to go over her paper about Dracula.'

'Ohhhh, I love me some Dracula! Okay, I'll let you work now. Dracula is important!'

Regina agreed. Dracula was quite important. And clearly a favorite of Emma's. Perhaps they could watch the movie together at some point…

That same afternoon found Regina walking into the little coffee house and sitting down in a booth by the window. She was a couple of minutes early. Malena wasn't here yet, but that suited Regina just fine. That gave her a moment to take off her coat and tidy her hair a little. It was a bit of a windy afternoon and Regina's so perfectly straight hair wasn't quite as straight anymore. It was a bit curly around the edges. Regina slung the coat over the back of her chair and smoothened a hand over her clothes. She was wearing her pinstriped skirt and matching blazer. That outfit always made her feel confident, and she could use a bit of extra confidence right now. She was still slightly nervous about this. The stack of post-its felt heavy in her purse, and she couldn't help but wonder how Malena would feel about it. Talking through notes. It worked so well with Emma. Because Emma was used to it. Because there never had been another option in the time she had known Regina.

But it was different with Mal. Mal had actually known her when she could talk. She was used to actually TALKING to Regina. Not communicate through post-its.

Oh god. What if it would be weird? Awkward, even?

What if this turned out to be a terrible mistake?

Regina took a deep, calming breath. She didn't want to panic. Not over this.

It was just Mal.

Her best friend in the whole world.

If she couldn't find a way to talk to her despite these circumstances, she would be damned.

She could do this. And there was no need to be so fucking dramatic about it.

She wasn't about to climb a mountain or walk through fire. She was having coffee with a friend. That was literally all.

"Can I get you anything, ma'am?"

Regina turned her head and looked at the waitress who had just come over to her table. She quickly put on a smile and even quicklier wrote a note. 'I am waiting for someone'.

"Oh, alright," the waitress smiled at her. "Just let me know when you're ready to order, okay?"

Regina returned the smile and watched the waitress walk away. What a nice girl. She couldn't be no older than seventeen. Just a kid, really. Regina could forgive her for calling her 'ma'am'. She reminded herself to tell Emma that later. She would undoubtedly find that hilarious. And Regina supposed that she too could see the joke in it. But she wasn't sure why waiters and waitresses always referred to her as 'ma'am'. She had never heard Emma being called 'ma'am'. Was it because Regina was older? Or was it just because of her clothes like Emma stubbornly kept claiming? She wasn't sure. And perhaps now wasn't the time to ponder about it.

After a few minutes of sitting quietly, texting Zelena who knew that she was a bit nervous, and observing the other people at the café, Regina's attention was drawn to the door opening.

Malena stepped inside the café, looking as exclusive as ever in her black and white spotted coat. Not a choice Regina ever would have made, but it looked good on Mal. She lifted a hand in the air so Mal didn't have to look for her for too long, and Mal was quick to spot her. She smiled as she walked over to Regina's table.

"My dear," she said simply as she bent down and kissed Regina on the cheek. "It is lovely to see you again."

Regina smiled in return. She didn't mind that kiss on the cheek one bit. There was nothing invasive or worrying about the kiss. It was simply Mal's way of greeting her. Malena took off her coat and revealed the salmon colored dress she was wearing underneath. As she sat down, Regina wondered about the dress. Had Mal just decided that she wanted to look like an absolute slaying lady boss today, or was she meeting Ursula later?

Regina suspected that was the case. But either way, it was a beautiful dress. It complimented Malena's blonde hair and blue eyes wonderfully.

"So," Malena said and smiled at Regina again. "Would you like your usual coffee or are you in the mood for something else?"

Time for the notes. Regina held back a wince as she opened her purse and fished out the stack of notes and her pencil. She looked up at Malena for a second as to gauge her reaction, but Malena's expression didn't change. She was still smiling kindly at her.

And so Regina began writing. 'Just my usual coffee, I think. It has been a while since I last had that.' Once done writing, she tentatively pushed the note across the table. God, she was almost unreasonably anxious about this. Why was this so difficult with Malena when it wasn't with Emma? Malena knew that she couldn't talk anymore. She had seen Regina use Sign Language and communicate through Emma. This shouldn't be so different.

But Emma wasn't here right now. Regina was on her own. And she had to learn to talk to her friend on her own. In the way she communicated now. She couldn't rely on communicating through Emma all the time. She needed to do things on her own.

"Alright," Malena said lightly. "Do you prefer writing down your order and give it to the waitress?"

It was very thoughtful of her to give Regina the choice. 'Isn't it easier if you order for me?' Regina wrote on a new note. 'You already know what I want.' She pushed the note across the table to Malena.

"Very well," Malena said as soon as she had read it. "I'll order, then. I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't walking all over you. If you know what I mean."

Regina nodded and wrote a quick 'thank you' under the other message. Then she smiled at Malena. Was it possible that her heart beat had slowed down a little? Was she really less nervous? That would be really nice if that was the case.

"Have you decided what you'd like to order?" the perky waitress was back at their table, and this time she had brought her own little note and pencil.

"Yes, my friend would like a caramel latté with extra foam, and I would like a cappuccino."

The waitress took their order and concluded her scribbling with what appeared to be a firm 'dot!' on the paper. "Coming right up!" she said cheerfully as she turned around and left.

Now it was just Regina and Malena again, and it didn't take long before Regina noticed that Malena was looking at her. In a bit of an odd way. She was frowning. Regina frowned too and grabbed a new note. 'Is something wrong?' she wrote and pushed the note towards Malena.

"I hope not," Malena said as she looked up from the note. "I'm detecting some… nervous vibes from you, my dear."

Oh. Nicely detected. Regina should have foreseen that. Malena was so good at reading her. 'You are not entirely wrong', she wrote on a new post-it note. 'I am a bit nervous. This is so different from what you're used to.'

"Hmm," Malena said as she read the note. Then she looked up at Regina again. "Whatever do you mean? I am spending time with my best friend. That's the most important. It does not matter to me how we're talking as long as we're talking."

That made Regina smile. Widely. That was really nice to hear. It soothed her anxiety.

"I like the notes," Malena said simply.

So did Regina. She had grown to love the notes. And now that she felt less anxious about everything, she was more eager to talk to her friend. 'How was work today?' she wrote and quickly nudged the note towards Mal.

"Work was fine," Mal replied. "Had some issues with one of my employees, but luckily, we managed to solve that together in a good way."

Which employee? Regina tilted her head.

"Not your Emma if that's what you're worried about," Malena half-chuckled. "She is the picture of a perfect employee. She's always on top of her work and she is always smiling. Which I really like. The place sometimes can get a bit stale. It's nice to have someone who is always in a good mood."

Regina's heart melted. She really liked the idea of Emma walking the hallways of Dragon Publishing with a big, beautiful smile on her lips.

"Here is your coffee!"

The perky waitress interrupted their conversation. Regina smiled at her when she sat the cup of coffee down in front of her.

"Thank you," Malena said and once the waitress had taken off, she lifted her cup of coffee. "Cheers, my dear."

'Cheers', Regina mouthed as she too lifted her cup of coffee. She gently blew on it before taking a small sip. The coffee tasted very good.

"Just like old times," Malena smiled. "Don't you think?"

Very much so. Regina nodded. Perhaps this was easier than she had imagined. Perhaps this truly wasn't bigger than her and Malena meeting up for a casual cup of coffee and a chat. A chance to catch up.

Regina smirked a little. Catching up meant being filled in on all the things she had missed. And she knew exactly what to ask about first. 'Tell me about you and Ursula', she wrote on a fresh note. 'How did the two of you get together?' once done writing, she eagerly pushed the note across the table to her friend.

"Oh," Mal chuckled a little as she read the message. "I figured you would ask that, dear. Well. What can I say? She was helping me doing inventory one evening and she kept pushing her hair away from her face and in the end she put it in a bun. And I couldn't stop looking away from the back of her neck. Strange place to focus my attention, I know, but nonetheless that was what I did. And from that point… Well, there wasn't anything I could do. A few days later, I asked her out, she said yes, and the rest is history as they say."

Regina smiled. That sounded like a very sweet beginning indeed.

"I know that she's my secretary and all, but honestly I'm the one who makes the rules for the company," Mal chuckled. "And I have decided that it is perfectly okay for me to date my secretary. As long as she wants to date me, obviously. But so far, so good as they say."

Regina let out a rumble of amusement and immediately felt a bit self-conscious. She carefully examined Malena's face, but Malena didn't seem the least bit bothered by Regina's new way of laughing.

"Your Emma was a bit shocked when she found out about us, though. She walked in on us," Malena said casually and shrugged.

Regina snorted unladylike into her coffee. Emma had never told her that story. But it was highly amusing. And it also hadn't escaped her notice that Malena consequently said, 'your Emma'. That was really sweet.

But seriously, she would have to ask Emma about the whole 'walking in'-situation. That was hilarious.

They sipped their coffee. It had been quite a while since Regina had had a caramel latté. It tasted very good. And it also felt very good to be back at 'their' café. They would have to do this again soon. From now on, she truly would be better at staying in contact with Malena. Re-kindling their friendship truly was this easy. Some coffee and catch up. The post-it notes weren't a problem at all.

Regina felt like the woman she had been once. Before Killian Jones happened. Her relationship with Malena hadn't changed just because she couldn't talk.

"How are you doing, my dear?" Malena asked. "What is happening in your life?"

'Not that much', Regina wrote. 'I'm teaching from home. Raising a ten year old. And trying to find a place to live.'

"Oh, right, you're staying at Zelena's place right now," Malena nodded. "If you need any help with finding a place, let me know. I'm sure I have a few strings to pull. A few contacts to reach out to."

'Thank you. I might just take you up on that offer.' But first the surgery. That was the top priority. Getting the surgery and recovering from it. Which would take a while. But THEN she would start thinking about finding a place to live. Her and Henry. Emma hadn't expressed any desire to live together since that night where she had been tipsy, and Regina was trying her best to make peace with accepting that it had just been drunk-talk. And not a genuine wish. Unfortunately.

She took a sip of her coffee and immediately picked up on something. Malena was looking at her. No, not at her. At her neck.

Regina quickly glanced down and was quick to figure out what Malena was looking at.

The scarf she had put on before leaving had slipped and was now partially revealing her neck. The red lines from the belt. And the mark from the belt-buckle.

Having her throat bared in a coffee house immediately made Regina feel paranoid. She imagined that everyone was looking at her neck, and the knee-jerk reaction came quickly. Regina yanked the scarf up, so it covered the marks on her neck once again.

"I am terribly sorry about that," Malena said quickly. "I shouldn't have looked. Forgive me."

Regina's shoulders uncurled some and her breathing became less rapid as she wrote on a new post-it. 'Nothing to forgive. I just get insecure. I'm trying to not wear the scarf as much, but the way my neck looks still bothers me. I know it's not pretty. It's the seatbelt laceration.' She pushed the note across the table and immediately regretted having added the 'it's the seatbelt laceration'-bit. There hadn't really been any reason to add that in. Like everyone else, Malena knew of the 'car accident'.

"Of course," Malena said softly. "I'm truly sorry for looking. I shouldn't have. That was rude of me."

Regina smiled at her friend to assure her that it was okay. And it occurred to her that there was something in Malena's eyes. The slightest hint of something. Something that gave Regina the feeling that Malena didn't believe her. That she was questioning what Regina had just told her.

Was it the seatbelt laceration comment that had thrown Malena off?

Or had Malena been questioning the authenticity of the car accident all along?

Was it possible that Malena knew something? Not the truth. Had she known the truth, she would have told Regina a long time ago.

But the look in Mal's eyes certainly suggested that she knew that there was something fishy about the 'car accident' that had injured Regina and stolen her voice.

Regina tugged at the scarf to make sure it still was sitting in place. Now could have been the perfect time to tell Malena the truth.

But this was a coffee house.

One didn't just share such a personal story in a coffee house.

No, the time wasn't quite right. Not yet.

'I am getting my neck fixed', Regina wrote on a new note. 'I am having an operation in Toronto in a month. Hopefully the surgeons can make the scars look a little better. And perhaps my ability to speak can even be restored. At least that's what we're hoping.'

"'We're'," Malena softly echoed as soon as she had read the note. "Emma is going with you." It wasn't a question.

'Yes, she is. That is why she asked came and asked for some time off today.'

"Ah, now that makes sense," Mal smiled. "I hope that the operation will give you back what you have lost, my dear. And make sure to let me know which hospital you're going to so I can send you flowers."

'That sounds nice. Snapdragons?'

"Of course. You know me too well, dear," Malena chuckled and shook her head in amusement.

That Regina did. She knew that Malena's special interest influenced every part of her life. From the name of her company to her favorite flowers. Everything had to be dragon themed. Even today, Mal was wearing discreet little dragon earrings. She didn't necessarily wear a t-shirt with a large dragon on it (even though she did own one, Regina had 'borrowed' it many times), just a tiny little thing that represented the thing she loved most. Dragons.

"So, how are things with you and Emma?" Malena asked curiously. "Is she being nice to you?"

It was clearly meant as a joke. Obviously. This was just how Mal spoke. But Regina still nodded and nodded because yes, Emma was nice to her. So, so nice to her…..

When they parted ways in the parking lot, Malena gave her a big old hug. "Well. This has been very nice. I hope we'll be able to do this again."

Regina nodded and returned the hug. She hoped the same.

"Perhaps we could do something the four of us?" Malena suggested. "You and Emma and me and Ursula."

Regina tilted her head. Was Malena suggesting a double date? That was really something. Malena wasn't too fond of going out in general. She preferred nights in in her cozy little 'nest'.

"I know, I know," Mal chuckled. "I'm suggesting a double date. Shocking, isn't it?"

Truthfully, a little, yes. Regina rumbled softly.

"Perhaps Ursula is changing me," Malena quipped for a second before growing serious. "No, she would never do that. Apparently, she loves me just the way I am. Startling, right?"

No. Not even a little bit. Regina shook her head and gave Malena's hand a friendly little pat.

Malena had her own things to battle. Insecurities. Hesitation about being herself. About letting the world see the real her. Not many people knew of her autism. Her parents hadn't been very supportive of her and that had rattled Malena's confidence. For a long while, she had been very insecure about herself and everything, but the older she became, the more she grew into herself and became her own person.

Regina was proud of her. But she didn't want to hear Malena express surprise over having found someone who loved her. Malena was extremely loveable. Ridiculously intelligent. Funny with that top notch dry humor that had made Regina laugh so many times. A treasure chest of information about Stephen King. And dragons. And so many other things no other person could possibly know.

Malena was brilliant. And Regina would be happy to remind her of that if necessary.

'It has been really wonderful to spend time with you', she wrote on her phone and flipped the screen so Mal could read the message.

"Likewise, my dear," Mal said warmly and gave her an extra hug. "Things are going pretty well in my life at the moment, but it isn't quite the same without my best friend. I'm glad that I have gotten her back. Don't forget to let me know which hospital you're going to. I really do want to send you flowers after your operation."

Regina promised to text the name of the hospital. Then she gave her best friend another hug for good measurement and got into her car. Malena honked at her when she drove away, and Regina rumbled to herself. Typical Malena.

She was smiling as she drove away from the coffee house. This had been a success and she was so, so happy about it! It felt like she could do anything now. Even take on the rest of the long week waiting for her…

When Friday night came, Regina was by herself and fairly tipsy. For no particular reason. At least not a negative one. Henry was at Nick's for a sleepover and Zelena was with Chad tonight. So Regina had carved out a nice little evening for herself with some wine and a good book. Ahh. She'd had a long week with many papers to go through. Many emails to respond to. And many, many online modules to plan. She had deserved to relax with a book and some wine. Even getting a bit tipsy. She was allowed that too. It wasn't that she was ridiculously drunk or anything. Just pleasantly buzzed and in a good mood.

She sipped her wine and exhaled softly Few things in life were better than this.

Beep-beep.

Well. Except for that.

Regina took another sip of her wine and reached for her phone. The screen lit up and so did Emma's name. Regina had sent her a text some time ago. Nothing important, she had just asked how Emma's Sign Language lesson had been. She had received no answer, so she figured that Emma had gotten hold up with something afterwards. Perhaps a drink with the others from the course or something like that.

Regina checked the message and couldn't help but grin at what she was reading. 'The lesson was good. Urgh, I'm so sorry I haven't answered for hours! I was kidnapped by Ruby and Elsa and Isabelle when I got back. I literally didn't hear the message. You've probably gone to bed, and I've totally just missed the opportunity of saying goodnight to you. Ugh!'

Kidnapped by her friends, huh? That sounded like a fun night. But poor Emma was clearly upset about seemingly having 'missed her chance'. Time to put a smile on Emma's face.

'I'm still up.' Regina sent off the text and glanced at the time. Goodness, had it already gotten so late? Perhaps she ought to be in bed then.

The problem was that she wasn't one bit sleepy or in the mood for going to bed. She was in the mood for drinking her wine. And texting her girlfriend.

'Oh thank god! What are you doing then?'

Well….. Regina grinned as she took another sip of her wine. 'I'm actually not doing anything in particular right now. How was the night out?'

'Fun. A bit long, but fun. Ruby and Isabelle had a bit too much to drink, but Elsa and I preferred to stay sober.'

Sober, huh? That was more than what could be said about Regina right now. She was definitely NOT sober. Buzzed rather than just tipsy. If she kept this up, she would end up getting good old fashioned drunk.

'How very sensible of you.' And impressive, really. It was Friday night. Emma was a woman in her twenties. She should be out there painting the town.

'Ha, ha ha. How come you're up this late? Have you and Henry watched a movie?'

'No, Henry isn't home tonight. He's having a sleep over with at Nick's.'

Regina stopped with the glass of wine near her lips and looked around in the living room. Maybe she should put on some music. One Mint Julep. Or maybe she could watch a movie. She had deserved that too. Some good old fashioned relaxing.

But first texting. Emma had just replied to her message, and Regina was quick to open this new message.

'Oh. Forced sister time with Zelena then ;)?'

Regina snorted. For once the answer to that was no. 'Zelena is with Chad.'

'So you're home alone?'

'Yes.' Mhmm, she was home alone. All by herself. Just her and her glass of wine. No company.

'You shouldn't be on your own... Wanna come over? ;)'

Regina quirked an eyebrow. Tempting offer, but… 'I can't. I've had wine. And I'm not dressed either. At least not for going out.' She wasn't stumbling drunk, but it still wouldn't be safe for her to drive. And she definitely wasn't dressed for going anywhere. Regina rumbled as she imagined herself driving to Emma's in the clothes she was wearing right now. Her little grey nightgown and the matching silk robe. Well. Emma certainly would be delighted if she showed up wearing THAT. Imagining how Emma's beautiful green eyes would widen and her mouth pop open was very entertaining and it also made Regina feel more lightheaded than the wine had.

'Want some company then? ;)'

A shiver of excitement coursed through Regina's body, and she had to cross her legs. None of them had said so directly, but she suspected that both of them could read between the lines. Still, she felt compelled to ask: 'Is this what could be defined as a "booty call"?'

'Do you want it to be a booty call?'

Yes. Absolutely. But it seemed to impolite and vulgar to text that. Of course Regina approached this in the ladylike fashion. 'I'll settle for finding out when I see you. I've had wine. I can't be trusted to text right now.' Definitely couldn't be trusted. The wine was going straight to her head. And… other places. Or perhaps that was just Emma that had that effect on her.

'So you DO want me to come over :P'

'Yes, that would be nice. But only if you want to. It's fairly late.'

'IDGAF. I'm on my way. Don't fall asleep ;)'

'I'd never do that.'

Emma didn't reply to that text and Regina suspected that she literally WAS on her way.

Well then. Regina took a long swig of her wine. Certainly not the worst way to end this lovely little evening. She couldn't wait to see Emma.

She uncrossed her legs and then crossed them again. Tighter than the last time. Glancing down at herself she wondered if she perhaps should put on some clothes. No. Suddenly it seemed like a very good idea to greet Emma like this. In nothing but a flimsy nightgown with thin straps and a silk bathrobe.

Regina smirked a little and stretched her neck to glance out of the window. She was already looking for the first sign of Emma's little yellow bug….

To Be Continued…..