AN: It's been a while but finally chapter 2 and SQ interaction!

"How do I look?" Emma asked twirling as Graham whistled.

"They'll be drooling." He said rising from the bed and flattening down his suit. Emma walked up to him and straightened his tie. Green to match her eyes, he'd said.

"You scrub up nicely, Mr Humbert." She smiled up at him, even with the heels he'd snuck in his bag he still towered above her. The easy smile he sent back spoke volumes, so did the anxiety in his eyes.

"We'll be alright. Won't we, Em?"

"I hope so, Gray." She said leaning her forehead on his chest. "We can leave if it gets too much, right?"

"Yup. I got your back." Graham saluted, dodging the arm set to strike his arm. "I gotta say you look damn good in that dress. It's a shame you don't swing my way."

"I think spin the bottle kinda sorted that out for us." They both shuddered at the memories of their awkward teenage kiss. Afterwards they'd looked at each other said 'no' simultaneously then laughed, and drank more.

Knocking at Graham's door pulled them from their memories. Graham opened it with a smile for Ruby that she missed due to her gaze dropping to the floor then raising. "Hi."

Graham chuckled his eye darting over her own bright red cocktail dress. "Hi, Ruby. Time to go?"

"Sure is. If you're ready."

Graham turned to Emma as she fixed her air in the mirror. "Ready, Princess?" Emma tugged the lapels of her blazer, checking her shoulder holster was hidden. While not necessary she knew from experience one could never be too careful.

"As I'll ever be, Huntsman." Emma smiled linking her arm with Graham's and turning to Ruby at her wolf whistle.

"Hot damn. You too are gonna be talk of the town tonight." She said eyes gliding between them both, not knowing where to rest. "I always thought you too would end up together."

As they walked out of the hall and through the inn Emma and Graham let Ruby tell them all that they'd missed.

Which didn't seem to be much at all.

Seven-year-old Emma swung her feet as she sat upon the playground that was meant to be a tower if the fading mural was anything to go by. She tilted her head as she watched the brunet boy her age dart behind trees the pounce at the occasional bush. She watched as he darted closer to her spot while looking toward the water.

"What are you doing?" She asked as he froze before moving on like she hadn't said anything. "Hey! What are you doing?"

Turning to look at her huffed. "I'm hunting." He declared proudly running a hand through his curls finding the twig that had made Emma smile.

"Hunting what?"

"Animals?" He shrugged before crouching back behind his tree.

Emma bit her lip and pushed her new glasses up her nose. "Can I join?" She asked quietly looking down at her swinging feet.

"You wanna play with me?" He asked shocked anyone would want to join him.

Emma nodded vigorously.

"Alright you can be the princess."

"I don't be a princess stuck in a tower." Emma whined thinking that it might have been a bad idea to join now.

"I never said you had be in the tower. You can be princess and still hunt." Emma hopped down off the tower and ran over to the boy.

"You mean it? I can hunt and be a princess." The boy nodded with a grin.

"You'll need a weapon." He stated searching the ground before rising with a sturdy stick in hand. "Your sword, Princess."

Emma grinned taking the stick and swinging it a few times. "If I'm a princess what are you?"

"I'm the Graham the Huntsman."

"Princess Emma." They smiled widely at each other before Graham grew serious.

"Ready to hunt, Princess?"

"Lead the way, Huntsman."

When Emma's father called out to take her home she came running from the trees. Sticks in her hair, mud over her clothes, and the biggest smile he'd ever seen. It grew when she waved at the Humbert boy whose smile was just as wide, if not wider.

Emma kept her back to the wall. If one more grubby hand touched her backside she'd shoot it off. Graham was being tugged around by Ruby who'd decided he was her arm candy for the evening. Emma watched them with a smile as Ruby showed him off delighting in the shocked faces of their former classmates.

Sighing into her beer she barely noticed the woman beside her.

"Everything alright?" Emma turned at the voice. The woman looked familiar, not that Emma could ever forget a woman as gorgeous as her.

"Yeah, just seems there's a case of the grabby hands out tonight." Emma sighed with a small smile noting the dark eyes surveying the room with suspicions.

"Who?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Who grabbed?" The woman's intense gaze shocked Emma. Seemed like she was out for blood.

"Guy who smelled like ocean and seems to have an unhealthy affinity for leather and eyeliner mostly."

"Jones." The woman stated shaking her head. "Immature little roach that one."

Emma laughed before draining her beer.

"I'm sorry, how rude of me. I'm Regina Mills. M-"

"You're the mayor." Emma interrupted blushing immediately. She had to admit that while she'd looked beautiful as a teen as woman Regina Mills was stunning. "Sorry."

"It's quite alright. I see you heard of me." The tilted head showed the unsaid question of just what Emma had heard.

"All everyone's talking about is the free bar all thanks to the mayor." Emma smiled. Regina didn't need to know the other comments she'd heard along the way. "Trying to win yourself more votes perhaps?"

"My plan is foiled." Regina declared in good humour as they chuckled. "I don't believe we've met though. I did see you come in with Graham Humbert. Are you his partner by chance?"

"I-I... we... okay this is gonna get complicated. Yes, I'm his partner but not how you think. We work together. And we have met before."

Regina's eyes roved he face once more with a frown. "No, I'm sure I wouldn't forget you." She said mostly to Emma's chest but she was not going complain about that.

"We had chemistry together. And English. And history." Emma delighted as Regina's frown grew as she tried to place her.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." Emma smiled. "I used to wear glasses. Ah, who am I kidding? You probably didn't even notice me. I'm-"

"Emma Swan." Regina said almost reverently as her eyes softened looking upon her once more. "My, how things change."

Emma chuckled nervously under the scrutiny. "Yeah, I guess so."

Regina took a sip of her wine before grabbing Emma's empty glass from her hands. "Another? It's on me." Regina said with a wink as she sauntered up to the bar. Emma watched her go. Finally allowing her some time alone to acknowledge the butterflies in her stomach since hearing her name.

Apparently her crush in high school was still strong. Possibly stronger.

Fuck.

AN: Already got the next chap in the works.

Action coming up, the cop kind. Not the sexy kind, sadly.

Anyway, review, tell me what you think :)