AN: I'm so sorry I've been so crap at updating! I've had so much going on and I've been really busy, but I'm working on my next chapter already :)
Chapter 22
"So how was your date?" Ruby asked lying across Emma's bed
"Yeah, it was good" Emma replied "you wanna drink?"
"Yeah sure"
"Think we got some rootbeers back in a sec" Emma hopped off her bed and went downstairs to get the drinks, as she was on her way back up the stairs she heard Ruby
"Hello?... Nah but she'll be back in a sec"
She was clearly on the phone, Emma walked into the room smiling as she cracked open the two bottles
"So you're miss Fancy Pants then are you?" Emma stopped dead. Fancy Pants? That had to mean, crap Ruby was talking to Regina.
"Ok Ruby I'll take the phone" Emma said holding her hand out
"So tell me Fancy Pants are you going to treat our Em here like she should be treated?"
"Ruby!" At that Emma jumped towards Ruby wrestling the phone out of her grip
"Hey, Regina?" Emma said
"Hello Miss Swan" Regina's phone came through the phone causing Emma to instantly smile.
"Hey, sorry about that"
"It's alright, who was that?"
"That was Ruby"
"Ah, should have figured that out, even from the little you've told me of her, but fancy pants?"
"Yeah… Ruby saw you that day that we were sat by the docks, she came to the assumption that you were well off and had Fancy pants"
"Oh and here I was thinking you'd being talking about my things like my suits and my car"
"Well then she'd definitely call you fancy pants" Emma teased
"Careful Miss Swan, or I will rethink asking you out on another date"
"Like you could resist doing that"
"Yes, well you keep thinking you're irresistible, see how far that gets you, but I was thinking you could show me round that quaint little town you live in this weekend and we could get some lunch as well?"
"Sounds good, I'll think of all the places I need to show you, so Saturday work for you?"
"Oooo yes! I'm not working!" Ruby interjected "I can gate crash at one point and meet miss Fancy pants!"
"You're not invited" Emma added putting her hand over the phone
"Actually dear I'm working Saturday, over time, we're really busy, I was hoping we could do Sunday?" Regina replied
"Yeah, Sunday works for me, I'll text you where to meet, just let me know times and stuff, see you then"
"See you Sunday Miss Swan"
"Bye" Emma said hanging up
"What did you do that for?" Ruby asked crossing her arms looking angry
"Do what?"
"Pick Sunday? I'm working Sunday!"
"Well you're not invited" Emma replied handing Ruby her rootbeer.
/-/
Nervously Regina drove towards the clock tower that Emma had asked Regina to meet her at. She pulled up at 10:55, five minutes before Emma was due to arrive. Regina looked around the quiet little town, it was quiet, even for a Sunday, though Regina wouldn't be surprised if it was one of those towns that were reasonably quiet but everyone knew everyone else's business.
She'd only just turned off the car engine and sat back in the car seat when she heard a tap on the window, Regina turned to see Emma grinning at her. Regina couldn't help but smile at the goofy look the blonde had on her face, but it was a face that Regina found herself becoming rapidly fond of. Smiling back at the blonde Regina got out the car
"Hey" Emma said walking around the car, kissing Regina on the cheek
"Hello dear" Regina smiled warmly at the blonde "so what sights are you showing me today?"
"I wont lie, I'm mainly going to make it up as we go along to some degree" Emma blushed slightly. She was so adorable some times.
"well lead the way" Regina gestured to Emma.
"Well, seeing as we're here, this clock tower, there's a library is underneath it"
"Ooo, very exciting" Regina joked, causing Emma to playfully glare at Regina
"Well alright then, I've lived here for a few months and before that I lived here for several years before that, and that clock has never worked"
Regina looked up at the clock that was ticking along perfectly
"You know it's working right?"
"Yes, but it only recently started working"
"Oh? When was that?"
"Well I only noticed it the first time after the meeting"
"Which one?"
"The first one"
"Really? What an interesting way to commemorate your first meeting" Regina smiled, looking up at the clock
"Well we can stand here looking at the clock all day or we can go do the rest of things I have planned"
"I thought you never had anything planned?"
"Well I have a few things in mind" Emma teased Regina before walking off down the road. Regina rolled her eyes before following, she quickly caught up to Emma who took Regina's hand in her own, smirking slightly.
"So this is the main street" Emma said as they strolled hand in hand down the street. "main shop if just around the corner, there's a florist an ice cream shop, a bar, a diner, a pawnbrokers, a post office, you name it we've got it… somewhere, I guess the benefits of living in a small town is that everything is close to each other, nothing is too far away"
Regina couldn't help but smile at Emma at her attempts to sell her town to her.
"The toll bridge is a little further down that way" Emma said pointing "and then if you go through the woods then there's a wishing well that apparently has the powers to return something that has been lost"
"Very magical" Regina smiled, she glanced at Emma who was nibbling on her bottom lip, she looked nervous. Emma led her down another road where they passed her apartment, for a moment Regina thought that they were heading into it until Emma walked straight passed and headed in the direction that she had when they went the docks.
A few moments later they had reached the docks
"You know I saw this when I was here last time?" Regina asked
"Are you telling me that you saw all of the docks? Even the bits that you did pass? Or where you too busy concentrating on how the conversation with me was going to go?"
"You make a fair point"
"Exactly, there are some awesome ships down the other end anyway, past the fishing ones of course"
"Of course" Regina smiled in reply, there was clearly something bothering Emma, though Regina had no idea what. They walked onto the walkway of the docks and along past the fishing boats, something bright yellow further up the bank caught Regina's attention, Emma's bug. Regina turned her attention back to Emma who was now pointing over at the larger boats.
"That one is definitely not a boat, that's like a ship!" Regina commented at the largest of the vessels.
"Yeah, I don't even know who that belongs to, occasionally it disappears and them comes back, so it must belong to someone, but I've never seen anyone on it" Emma shrugged. The two of them stared out at the ships for a moment before Emma broke the silence "I'll be back in a sec" she said before disappearing up the bank. Regina waited a few moments for Emma to return before moving to the bench not far away, Regina sat there for another five or so minutes watching the fisherman loading their boats up, she was beginning to think that Emma was not coming back when she ran back up to Regina slightly flushed.
"Sorry I took so long" Emma said panting slightly
"It's alright dear, everything ok?"
Emma nodded "yeah, everything's fine. Shall we?" Emma held out her hand for Regina to take, confused she did just that and allowed the blonde to lead her off the path slightly and up the bank, they walked up onto a slight hill where there was a blanket laid out, complete with picnic basket.
"You did this for me?" Regina whispered, she couldn't help but smile at the effort the blonde had put in for her. Emma shrugged
"Sure, I know it's not much and this town doesn't really have that much to offer either, and I know I said I'd show you the sights before realising that actually Storybrooke doesn't have that many sights, so really this isn't going to be the best date"
"Emma" Regina said stopping the other woman from rambling on anymore, everything suddenly fitted to why Emma had been the way she had. "It's perfect"
"Really?" Regina looked at Emma, she looked so hopeful and so worried
"Really" Regina pressed a gentle kiss to Emma's lips before walking over to the blanket "well are you going to show me what you packed?" Regina asked sitting down on the blanket. A huge grin spread across Emma's face as she hurried to the blanket sitting down next to Regina.
"They don't have caviar in the local shops, sorry you'll have to have a sausage roll instead" Emma teased unwrapping some sausage rolls handing one to Regina
"It may surprise you that I have never actually tried caviar, nor do I intend to"
"Well I am surprised, they didn't have lobster either"
"Ok, that I have tried" Regina glared at Emma before smiling lightly taking a bite of her sausage roll.
/-/
The two women talked for a few moments and Emma told her various stories about the town.
"I realise that this town isn't very interesting, I'm sure you're used to more exciting dates" Emma said looking down at the blanket, what had she been thinking agreeing to show Regina this place?
"Just how many dates do you think I go on Miss Swan?" Regina raised her eyebrows
"No!" Emma looked up panicking, "that isn't what I meant, I just meant that I'm sure you're used to more interesting things"
"Emma, I don't know what kind of life you think I live but it isn't particularly exciting or adventurous, and I asked you to show me around because I wanted to see where you live"
"Why?" Emma looked at Regina feeling confused
"Because I want to know you and your life, all aspects of it"
Emma felt her heart flutter, she leaned into Regina and pressed their lips together
"Thank you" Emma whispered
"For what?"
"For not making me feel like a poor idiot, even though I am"
"Emma you're not, don't be ridiculous"
"Well ok, but I'm used to being the poor orphan in the foster system, so even though I'm not exactly poor anymore I can't really take you to these big fancy restaurants"
"Emma that doesn't matter"
"Not to you, but it does to me, but I'm thanking you because it's not a problem for you and you make me feel like its ok"
Regina smiled kindly at the blonde, she knew Regina was used to high class things, things she was unlikely to ever be able to give her, but she was sure as hell going to try.
"To be honest it's a lovely change not going to a fancy restaurant and to just act like a normal person, this isn't exactly the kind of thing my mother would ever approve of"
"Even when you were a child?"
"Even when I was a child, occasionally we'd go for a walk in the park on a Sunday afternoon and I'd see other families sitting around having a picnic or playing with a ball and I'd just want to do that. To just sit and enjoy the day. But my mother always had different ideas for us, I asked her once if we could have a picnic in the park"
"And what did she say?" Emma watched Regina as she stared off into the distance seeming to get lost in her memories.
"She said that it was for commoners and most unbecoming of a young lady, my mother would rather we spent our free time reading, learning piano, studying that kind of thing"
"So you can play piano and recite poetry and all fancy stuff like that?" Emma joked, Regina smiled and pursed her lips slightly
"Not quite dear, but you get the idea"
"I do, and there's still plenty of time to have fun, we just have to fit around your work now"
"Oh is that so?" Regina smiled suggestively, causing Emma to blush
"Maybe" Emma replied although she heard her voice crack slightly, Regina smirked at her.
"So tell me more about the infamous Ruby" Regina asked, lying on her side leaning on her hand.
"Well she's probably exactly what you imagine, she's kinda loud, bubbly, friendly, very nosey, doesn't always respect boundaries" Emma joked then shrugged "I don't know what to say really, she's just Ruby"
"Partner in crime?"
"I suppose she has been known as that" Emma smiled "she's Snow's friend as well, but Snow doesn't always approve of her when she takes me to bars and asks me to go out on the pull with her" Emma smiled until she saw Regina raise her eyebrows questiongly, she quickly diverted the conversation away from Ruby.
Ten minutes later they had packed the picnic away and were walking back towards main street. They walked hand in hand making small talk until Emma spotted Granny's letting go of Regina's head she pointed over to it
"And that is the place most people go for their lunch and coffee and well pretty much anything they don't want to make themselves"
"Ah right, is it good?"
"It's ok I suppose, just don't tell Ruby I said that"
"Why not?"
"Because her Grandmother owns the place, that's where she works"
"Is that so?" Regina's eyes suddenly flashed mischievously and she crossed the road towards the diner
"Where are you going?" Emma called over
"I want to meet Ruby" Regina called back over, before stopping at the gate and turning to look back at Emma "Are you going to stand there all day or are you going to come with me?"
Emma quickly hurried across the road, there was no way she was going to leave Regina to Ruby unattended, she just hoped the diner wasn't too busy.