A/N: This chapter is about Zelena and Emma's interaction. I give you a hint. It's about an old friend. :-)
The snow got thick on the sidewalk since the weather got stormed away in their town. Zelena and Emma gave their careless ways toward the weather. The ladies passed by the library and entered in the small cafe that was built in next door from Granny's Diner.
Emma looked up at the sign on the storefront and shrugged. Zelena just barged in for some coffee. She followed her along until its face appeared in her sight and widened her eyes.
"Ruby!" The brown-haired woman in a red plaid flannel with a red leather pants came out from the back of the kitchen. She whipped her head when her name was called by a familiar blonde woman in the person. Ruby went exclaimed when she saw her best friend, Emma standing there near the cashier. Zelena was busy reading on the menu above the coffee machine.
"Emma! It's been some years! How dare you to leave me alone back in New York City!?"
"Haha. I told you that you can stay there with your lover in the city. Where is your wife?"
"Um..." Ruby hesitantly replied before Zelena interrupted them for her coffee order. Emma furrowed her brows at her best friend and nearly forgot that her lover used to be Mr. Gold's wife after cheating on Ruby. The golden-haired woman palmed her forehead as she groaned.
"Oh. I forgot that she cheated on you before marrying our old pawn owner."
"Yeah. Now, I'm still with someone that you already knew from the past."
"Oh who?"
"Babe! I can't find your motorcycle keys!" It appeared in a womanly figure with the brown-hair and she looked beautiful. But it ended up in the frenemy ring with Emma. The said-actress widened her eyes and shrieked.
"Lily!" Emma used to be a best friend of Lily Sterling from her work in Broadway play. They used to bicker their lines together when they casted in a popular Broadway show until it ended in their friendship when Lily selfishly stole Emma's main role in few months later since the pregnancy with Henry.
"Emma." Ruby warned her with a glare. Zelena raised her eyebrows when she studied on the figure who was hasting her steps toward Ruby. Emma whipped her head between Lily and Ruby but her breathing got ragged quickly as her voice quavering.
"Ruby? You... date her... my frenemy. How?"
"After you left for Los Angeles, Lily and I just bumped into each other in New Year's Eve party at the restaurant. We just hit it off with some sparks and we've been together for five years. I know you are still not happy with my preference. Just let it go."
"Emma, is that you?" Lily mentioned as her eyes studied on the figure of the blonde actress. Zelena glanced over at her sister in law since she was Regina's sister and whispered.
"She is hot."
"Shut the fuck up, Zelena." Emma quieted her down but her eyes glared at Lily but her head kept bobbing to tell her that it was her. Lily almost chuckled before looking at her girlfriend and replied.
"I don't know that you are friends with Emma."
"Well, we've been grown up together since the elementary school. She is my soul friend. So, here you go. Meet Emma Swan, my soul friend for years. And, this is my girlfriend of five years, Lily Sterling."
"Swan? I thought it was Nolan?" Lily asked.
"She changed her last name after moving in New York City." Ruby muttered under her breath as she warned Emma to stay calm. The blonde woman sharply nodded and paid for Zelena's coffee then left the cafe. Ruby tried to call her name but no luck for her. Lily swayed her boots as she smiled at Zelena.
"Wow, this is so fuck up. I can't wait to tell Regina about this. And, thank you for an amazing coffee!" The redheaded woman waved her gesture before catching Emma in the sidewalk.
Zelena didn't know what happened between Emma and Lily in the past but preferred not to ask her at all. She decided to change the subject about the Christmas Gala at the Nolans' mansion. Emma was in her thoughts as she was frustrated with her best friend, Ruby who happened to date her frenemy.
"Are you planning to take Regina as your date for the Christmas Gala? I'm sure that she would love that if you ask her tonight. It's soon coming up in two weeks. Oh, don't tell me that you are planning to wear that sexy tuxedo from your GLADD back in Los Angeles?"
"You know that Lily was my friend back in the Broadway show when we worked together?" Emma was still on that point when it came to Ruby's life. Zelena was not sure how to respond to that but her antics changed into the Christmas Gala with no stops.
"I'm sure that Regina would look beautiful in a red evening dress by Vera Wang."
"Lily stole my main role when I was pregnant with Henry at that time. I was told by my producers that they would hold my main role until after giving a birth to my son."
"Oh. Regina would look beautiful in an emerald one either. Wait a minute, I'm wearing my emerald one too. Nah, she would look dashing in a red one, I bet." The redheaded woman was trying to drag Emma out of the conversation and didn't want to involve herself in the big fuss between Lily and her.
The blonde woman raised her eyebrow when she finally realized that Zelena didn't get involved in her conversation about Lily. Her sigh was loud but Emma shook her head. Zelena was nodding at herself when planning the outfits in her head before getting a punch from the blonde woman.
"Ow! What's it for!?" The redheaded woman soothed her arm. Emma glared at her and explained.
"You didn't get involved in my conversation about Lily. You didn't hear what I said while we walked over there."
"Well, I don't want to get involved in your love life since I know my sister. She would kill me first if she hear about this conversation between you and I."
"Did she know about Lily?" The golden-haired actress recognized that she did ask her in the public. They were at the town hall and planned to visit Regina there. Zelena had some information for her upcoming business with her sister about the barn outside the town.
"I believe so, yes. Since Regina arrived here, Ruby dragged Lily here too. What do you think she will be pissed off if you told her?" Zelena quipped before looking away for Regina. Emma stuttered but closed her mouth.
Zelena heard a silence from the blonde actress and glanced over her. Emma was frowning at herself and raked her blonde locks with a sigh. The redheaded woman raised her eyebrow at her before the voice raised up in the air. The ladies took a look at Regina who was walking forward to the secretary's desk.
"I'm finished with this budget paperwork and please send it to the Sheriff within an hour. Oh, may I have the files from Mr. Gold before we meet up for a conference, please?"
"Sure, Madame Mayor. I'll get to it soon when I receive the paperwork from him."
"Oh, good. Thank you. You may have a lunch break."
The secretary nodded with a smile before typing it up in the computer. Regina turned around but her eyes caught her sister and Emma in the front entrance. It was leading her to them and her smile showed up in a bright one.
"It is nice to see my girlfriend and Zelena, what the hell are you doing here?"
"Did you remember today? We have a meeting about my business, don't you forget?" Zelena was annoyed by Regina's remarks and rolled her eyes. Emma snickered before kissing Regina's lips. The redheaded woman sent a glare toward the blonde woman.
"Oh well, come in." Regina was grimaced by her sister's visit. Emma grinned at Zelena and followed her along until they reached the office. Regina gestured them to enter in and closed the door behind her. Emma was sitting on the armchair. Zelena was standing upright while waiting for Regina to take a chair behind her desk.
"What can I do for you?"
"My business proposal is here with me so, you can read it later if you like. Right now, I'm explaining everything from the start to the end. It's about an idea coming up in a picture."
"What about the light bulb in the black and white picture?" Emma teased. Zelena slapped her blonde locks with a hand and retorted.
"Idiot, I was talking about the business that I planned for the years is the auditorium. I'm going to direct my play, Wicked for the community."
"Oh. Sorry. But it hurts!" The Golden-haired woman soothed her head before glaring at her. Regina rolled her eyes at their childish acts and spoke up.
"Zelena, I think it's fantastic. Do you have any paperwork for budget to start it up?"
"Here is the proposal binder. Everything is in there. Just let me know if any changes from this binder and I will think about it before it is a good one."
"All right. Your idea is a great one so far. What are your exceptions from this one?" Regina asked.
"It should be in during the fall season. It's a perfect timing for the play while the children are at school. It's easier that way if they come from the school to watch the school play. It would be next year. So, right now I'm still working on the locations and everything else but I need a budget paperwork by our agreement to pay everything for the play." Zelena explained with a smile. Regina nodded before dismissing the paperwork in the basket case. Emma was frowning at herself before bringing it up.
"Why didn't you do it before?"
"Well, I was in a bad situation before." Zelena muttered under her breath. The golden-haired diva heard her but didn't say anything. Regina rolled her eyes and asked her sister.
"Are you done?"
"Yes. So, thanks. Bye!" Zelena rushed out of the office. It left Emma alone with her girlfriend. She swallowed a lump but didn't know how to explain that she saw her ex-girlfriend in Granny's cafe. Emma wished that she could escape with Zelena and didn't want to worry about what happened back there. The blonde woman took her sweet time to look around and pretended to daydream about her situation. Regina hummed thoroughly as she looked on the binder but her eyes glanced over at her girlfriend who was looking on the spines of the books. It brought her some curiosity.
"Emma?"
Emma was frowning when she saw the spine of the book which was the Shakespeare book, Othello. She reminisced her old days in English class during her junior year and it was a same class for Regina. But Emma didn't remember when she joined as Regina's partner for that year. The golden-haired diva didn't notice Regina approaching her in her personal space and felt a nudge to startle her.
"Oh!" Emma blinked several times before looking at Regina who looked worried. She chuckled nervously. Regina raised her eyebrows and asked.
"Are you okay? Are you daydreaming?" It caused the brown-haired mayor to smirk. Emma rolled her eyes and continued.
"Really? I was not daydreaming but just looking on the book on your shelf. That's all. I have a question. Why did you keep that book, Othello?" She pointed toward the spine of the book and Regina took a glance before smiling at the memory. They took their time to sit on the couch beside the bookshelves.
"It was our junior year."
"I know, Regina. I remembered that year but didn't remember if I was partnered with you on that year."
"Well, you were not my partner. Remember, Graham?"
"Oh yeah. So, tell me about that day. I didn't remember that day very well." Emma shrugged as she tried to recall the day. Regina raised her eyebrows as she was surprised that Emma didn't remember that whole part in the class. It was when Emma got in a fight with Graham on that day. The brown-haired woman heard the footsteps outside of her office door and looked up at her secretary.
"Hello, sorry to interrupt you both. Madame Mayor, you have a meeting with Mr. Gold today. He is here for you."
"Oh crap! Please let him come in. And, Emma we will talk about it later if you are planning to come over at my house for dinner. It's just two of us."
"Sure. I'm seeing myself out. At 7pm?"
Regina nodded as the ladies walked out from her office. Emma smiled at her and pecked on her lips before waving a greeting to Mr. Gold who was walking toward the ladies. The secretary just left already as Mr. Gold was informed to be granted to come in. Regina waved her hand at her girlfriend and gestured the old man to come in an office.
In Emma's mind, she was lucky that she didn't need to explain what happened back in the cafe but knew that she had to do that right away before the chaos interrupted their love life. She sighed when she stood outside by the front entrance. Emma glanced up at the sky and muttered.
"Please help me out." It sent Emma to laugh away and she took a stroll back to her childhood home. Emma promised her mom that she was going to help Mary Margaret to do some shopping for grocery. She didn't realize when she got a text from her son, Henry while she was working with her mom in the house. Henry was informing her that he was out with Emma's brother, Neal for helping him out with the decorations at the mansion which it was the Christmas Gala was hosting in. Emma sent an affirmative text before smiling at her mom who was chattering about the theme of Christmas Gala.
A/N: Are you wondering about Regina's reaction toward Lily Sterling? Stay tuned!