***Author's Notes: Some Regina and Emma interaction, FINALLY. If you are still following this story, I want to thank you so very much for your patience. I hope that you enjoy this update. As always, thanks for reading!***

Killian pitches the idea to Regina almost immediately after his shift begins.

Regina does not even hesitate before she answers, "absolutely not. And what is it with you and your fascination with this person? You've known her like, what? A few minutes? We don't even need any extra help."

Killian scoffs at her last remark. "Really? We don't need any extra help? That's what you're going to go with. Gina, neither one of us ever has a full day off unless it's a holiday, and that's only if you decide to go visit your parents!"

Regina scowls at him and at the nickname he chooses to use. "Don't you dare call me that. You know I hate it. And if you want a full day off so damn much, take one. I can open and close this place by myself. I've done it before."

Killian thinks that this may not be the best time to be talking about all of this but then again, the floodgates have already been opened. Killian remembers when Robin first introduced him to Regina, that she was very skeptical of him as well. He knows that Regina is extremely protective of her bar, and of herself. He understands why she does it but he thinks that it is about time to put his foot down. "Do you remember when Robin brought me in here asking you to give me a job? Do you remember how much you hated that idea?"

"Of course, I do. I thought that you were cocky and obnoxious. And I didn't need the help."

"But you gave me a chance anyway. Why?"

Regina remembers exactly why, "because Robin and Marian are my good friends and for some whatever reason, unbeknownst to me at that time, they liked and trusted you. But that has nothing to do with what we are talking about here."

Killian refuses to back down. "Doesn't it though? You don't need the help, I get that. You could run this place without any help at all if you wanted to. But, not one of us that cares about you wants to see you working yourself to death. I'm not saying that Emma is going to come in and take all of your shifts. Nor mine. She has other work to tend to all over the city and she could just fill in when one of us can't or doesn't want to be here. And you know what, I know that you hate to admit it, but I'm right. I have a good feeling about Emma. I think that if you just give her a chance, you can learn to like her. You just need to trust me."

Regina stares quietly at Killian for a second because she does know that he is right. And, she does trust him. She sighs, clearly defeated, and leans back against the back counter. Regina is playing with her hands now, an anxious habit of hers, and it does not go unnoticed by Killian. "If you want me to hire her on so that you can have some more time off, that's fair. You deserve that. I know that you bust your ass for me sixty plus hours a week and that can get exhausting for anyone. But, this bar is my life and I don't need more time off. I wouldn't even know what to do with the extra free time anyway."

"Hey…" Killian walks over to Regina, grabs both her hands and holds them in his. "I know that this bar is your life. Everyone that knows you knows how much of yourself you put into it. But I also know that you can have a life outside of all of this too, because I've seen it. I remember a time when you barely wanted to be here. And you never loved the bar any less, but maybe you loved yourself a little more. Gina…" Once again, Regina glowers at the nickname so Killian clears his throat and starts again. "Regina, you have to allow yourself be happy again because that is what you deserve whether you believe that or not."

Regina blinks away fresh tears that are forming in her eyes and Killian reaches behind her for a napkin, handing it to her so that she can wipe them away. Then he pulls her in, hugs her tightly, and kisses the top of her head. Regina wraps her arms around him and takes a couple of deep breaths before finally replying, "I don't know if I can find that place again."

Killian knows exactly how she feels. It has been a rough few months for the both of them and he wants to remind her that he will always be by her side. "I'm going to tell you exactly what I keep telling myself every morning. You'll know it when you do feel it again and you're going to be just fine."

Regina pulls away so she can look at Killian then. He is smiling at her but she can see that there is still pain behind it. Regina knows that while he puts on a brave face, that he might just be as broken as she is. She manages a smile and nods in acknowledgement of his last words. "Thank you," she whispers before hugging him again.

After a bit more coaxing, Regina finally agrees. She tells Killian to give her Emma's phone number and promises him that she will give her a call after the weekend is over. This way they can plan on setting aside some time for a proper meeting. In return, Killian assures her that she will not regret her decision and that it will be a good change for both of them. Regina sincerely hopes that his intuitions are correct.

Emma ends up working at the stadiums on both Sunday and Monday. There is a soccer game the first day and then baseball the next. She is very grateful that the Seattle summer has been milder than she is expecting so far because being outside for such long hours at a time would be torturous otherwise. Since she is not scheduled for any work today, she wants to spend it doing something that she enjoys. She orders room service for breakfast and once she is finished, rather than being cooped up in her room all day, she grabs a book and heads outside. She is trying to enjoy the breezy, beautiful weather by the small hotel pool when her phone rings. She does not recognize the number but knows that she should answer in case it is someone calling from one of the many companies that she has been sending her résumé to. So she does.

"Hello, may I speak with Emma please?"

Emma thinks she recognizes the voice but she cannot place it. "This is Emma speaking."

"Hi Emma. This is Regina." When Regina does not hear a reply on Emma's end, she adds, "you know, from the bar?"

"OH! Yes. Hi Regina. Uh...Is everything alright?"

"Yes, actually, I asked Killian for your contact information because he told me that you might be interested in helping out at the bar part-time. I am calling to ask if that is still the case."

"Yes, of course. I mean, yeah, sure. If you're hiring, I would love that. I would really love to help you out, if you are looking for help." Emma realizes that she is rambling and smacks herself in the forehead. She hates that every single time she has had a chance to interact with Regina, she manages to completely make a fool of herself.

However, Regina does not notice Emma's awkwardness at all. "Yes, well, I think that I can probably use an extra person a few days or nights a week. Do you have time today to swing by so that we can have a quick conversation about the position? I'll be here for the rest of the afternoon and probably at least until the end of the Happy Hour rush."

"Sure. I'm actually free right now. I can be there in about half an hour, if that works for you?"

"Yes. That will be just fine. I will see you then."

They end the call and Emma grabs her stuff and heads back to her room. She thinks that this may be the one chance she gets to redeem herself with Regina. She slips out of her shorts and tank top and puts on a fresh pair of slacks and a nice fitted dress shirt. For the last few days she has had her hair wrapped up in a bun or braided back so that it is away from her face while she is working, so decides for today that she will wear it down instead. She puts on a bit of makeup which she has not been wearing very much of lately, and slips on a pair of her favorite loafers. She looks over herself one last time in the mirror by the door before locking up and heading out.

The drive to Regina's does not take Emma very long. By the time she parks and gets to the door, she is right on time. Emma is quite proud of herself for it because even though she usually tries to be punctual, time is hardly ever on her side. When she walks in, she sees that the bar is completely empty. Regina is behind the bar looking down at the phone in her hand.

When Regina looks up , she sees who it is and smiles. She notes that Emma looks somewhat different, maybe more relaxed than what she remembered from the other night. She cannot decide why but it is not what she is expecting at all. "Hello, Emma."

"Hi." Emma replies, smiling shyly. Emma sees that Regina is wearing a pair of black, thick-rimmed glasses and her hair is straighter than she has seen previously. She has some of it tucked behind her ear while the rest of it is softly framing her face. With the lighting in the bar so different during the day, Emma notices for the first time how naturally beautiful Regina is. Emma has to mentally shake out of it when she suddenly catches herself checking the other woman out.

"Can I make you something to drink? It's on the house."

Emma raises her brow and then teases, "Is that a trick question? Or do you always buy the people that you interview a drink first?"

Regina smiles, "well, if this were an interview, I suppose that it would be quite inappropriate. However, since I wasn't planning on this being that formal, I think that a drink would be alright."

"Okay, then." So, Emma decides on a beer.

"Do you like IPAs?"

Emma nods so Regina pours two of them and comes around to the front of the bar handing one to her. Then she motions towards the corner of the bar where the bookcase and the reading chairs are before she starts walking in that direction. Emma follows and sits in the chair that is opposite Regina. Regina takes a sip of her beer and puts it down on the coffee table that is in the center. Emma is just holding on to her beer looking into the glass when she speaks, "I'll have to admit, I am completely surprised that you called me today."

"Hm, oh yeah? Why is that?"

"I guess that I just get that feeling I didn't make a very good first impression." Emma takes a drink of her beer trying to forget that whole incident that happened on the sidewalk the first night she met Regina.

Regina laughs at this, "You most certainly did not." But before Emma can reply, she quickly adds, "Emma, in all honesty, I don't know you. But, I do know that Killian thinks very highly of you or else he wouldn't have suggested that I call you. So, the real purpose of this meeting is so that I can get to know you better and hopefully it will help you to get to know me a bit as well."

What Regina says about Killian makes Emma smile. She is also relieved that Regina does not seem to hold a grudge against her. "Killian has been very sweet. I think that he knows that I'm new to the city and he just really feels bad for me."

"Killian has a gift for making others feel like they are well cared for but I assure you that he isn't doing it because he feels bad for you." Regina grabs her beer again and takes a sip. "So, Killian also tells me that you are currently staying in the downtown area? How are you liking it so far?"

"It's alright. I mean, I'm staying at a hotel so it isn't exactly my dream destination or anything."

"Oh, so you haven't been here for very long then? Do you think that you will be looking for something more permanent any time soon?"

"Well, I've been here for almost two months. I haven't started looking for a place to live because I don't know what exactly it is that I am looking for. All I do know is that I haven't found it."

"Ah, that is pretty much the same reason that you are now in Seattle rather than in New York, correct?"

Emma is surprised by Regina's bluntness but nods, "Now, I am beginning to think that you know more about me than you are letting on. Maybe I should be the one asking the questions."

"I am the bartender, Emma. I hear everything." Regina is amused by the comment and she is up for the challenge. "What is it that you would like to know about me? Ask away."

"You may regret that." Emma jokes before she starts thinking of questions that she can ask Regina.

Regina shrugs, "I don't really have very much to hide."

Emma considers a few different topics before settling on something simple. "So, are you from around here?" Emma asks.

Regina answers without any hesitation. "More or less. I grew up in Vancouver, Washington. My parents still live there now. I moved to the city after I graduated high school."

"Did you always want to own a bar?"

Regina thinks about this one for a second, "No, I guess not. It honestly never even crossed my mind. I studied pre-law and after I finished my undergrad, I decided that I really didn't want to go to law school. I worked for a tech company in the downtown area for a few years doing marketing and market research and the first time I ever stepped foot into this bar, I fell in love with it. I would come in here a lot and just sit in this corner with a book and a glass of wine. I became friends with the previous owner and he frequently talked about retiring and selling the bar. His biggest worry was that some real estate jerks would get ahold of it and ruin everything that he built. So, I talked him into selling it to me instead. And so, here I am, and now I can't imagine myself doing anything else."

Emma can tell by the way Regina talks about the bar how much she loves it. "Well, you are very good at what you do for this not ever being your Plan A."

Regina laughs and Emma thinks that it makes her even more beautiful. "I don't have a clue what I'm doing most of the time. It isn't exactly the most glamorous career choice either, but who doesn't like being able to come into work everyday in jeans and a flannel?"

Emma finishes the last of her beer and smirks at Regina, "It is a very practical outfit and not to mention, looks very good on you."

Regina laughs nervously as she tucks some of her stray bangs behind her ear. "You're too kind, really." Regina feels her face get warm and blames it on the sun shining in from the window next to her. "So, what was your Plan A?"

"I was never really good at making plans. As long as I have gas money and enough to feed myself, I think that it's a pretty good day."

Regina thinks about how scary that sounds. Both scary but extremely admirable at the same time. She cannot imagine herself being able to just pack up her things and leave Washington without any plans at all.

They spend a while longer just casually talking. Emma asks a few more very random questions and finds out that Regina loves cheeseburgers and bar nachos even though she does not allow herself to eat either one very often and Regina learns that Emma could eat a grilled cheese sandwich everyday of the week. They exchange bar stories, Regina telling Emma some funny stories about some of the regulars that come into the bar and in exchange, Emma shares with her about Ruby and some of her favorite bar stories from when she lived in New York. Emma also talks about her drive across the country and it surprises Regina how intriguing all of the stories are.

When Killian comes in ready to start his shift, he finds the two of them completely engrossed in conversation. Regina notices him first and waves him over. "Why hello ladies, you two look like you're getting on quite well."

They smile at each other and when Regina gets up, Emma immediately misses the other woman's presence. "I didn't realize that we had been talking for so long, Emma. I didn't mean to keep you from enjoying your day off."

"Oh no, don't worry about it. That was actually really, really nice." She smiles happily.

Killian looks between the two women, first at Emma and then back at Regina. He sees that the they are still smiling at each other and considers walking away so that he does not further interrupt the moment they are having. But before he can do so, Regina speaks again, "So, Emma, if you're still interested in the position, it's yours."

Emma beams, "Really? I...yes. I mean, yes, of course I am still interested." Then she playfully adds, "just let me know when you need me to come in and I will get my flannel and jeans ready."

Regina laughs at Emma's quip "Just come in whenever you are free and either Killian or I will stick around to show you the ropes. It doesn't sound like you will need much training since you said that you've done bartending and serving before. But you will have to get the Washington state MAST permit to be able to serve. There's a training course that you can take online and it's pretty inexpensive. We can always work out an actual schedule later on."

Emma makes a mental note to look up information for the course once she is back at the hotel. "That sounds great. Thank you again for today, and for the beer. I should probably get out of here and let you two get to work." Then she walks to Killian and hugs him which surprises him. "Thanks for everything Killian. I owe you a Reuben sandwich."

"You know that I won't turn that down," he answers as he gladly returns the hug.

Before making it out the door, Emma turns back to tell Regina that she will take the class for the permit as soon as possible. She asks Regina whether she should just call her or stop by again so they can decide on when a good start date for her would be. Regina tells her that it will probably take a week to ten days before she will have her permit in hand so she can just stop by anytime after that.

By the time Emma is back at the hotel, she cannot remember the last time she was so excited to start a new position. She suddenly feels very, very happy that she made the decision to stop in Seattle. Then she dials Ruby's number so that she can tell Ruby about her day.