A/N: Did not think I'd actually continue this fic. But here's another chapter. Read and Review and tell what you guys think.
Regina opened her purse searching for the key to her dormitory and thought to give up and hope her roommate was home from her party, when she saw the glimmer of her keychain at the bottom of her purse. Jiggling the key into the lock, Regina sighed when she finally set foot into her room and able to change into her pajama bottoms and her dad's Yale sweatshirt. Elizabeth was most likely still at her party and Regina prayed she was okay and not getting herself into trouble. She pulled her computer from under her bed and started responding to emails, sent from professors, students she was tutoring or those who wanted to be tutored, but the one email she craved to see in her inbox was not there. Carefully closing her computer, Regina walked over to the mini fridge and grabbed a bottle of water and her mind started wandering.
First to logical things like end of term assignment, exams and internships for the summer. But then she thought back to her evening with Henry and how he wanted Emma to like him and be his friend. He never had issues making friends but it was his first time meeting her and Henry seemed nervous. Regina had no expectations for the woman, she expected her to be a rebel child who the Nolans had no patience for and quickly shipped to boarding school. Her first encounter was not what she expected, in the less, because she sort of imagined Emma with piercings on her face, bizarre colors in her hair, wearing a too tight tank top and an extremely short shorts with fish net stockings.
Regina laughed at her wild imagination because she had come up with such a detailed image of the girl based off of many television series and trashy novels. Saying the woman was shocked when she met the real Emma would be an understatement. Emma was wearing a UPENN spirit jersey and a pair of skinny jeans with her hair pulled in a messy bun. Regina knew better than to judge a book by it's cover but from what she saw and their brief conversation, the brunette did not think the woman had a rebellious bone in her body. This, however, did not stop Regina from despising the woman. She figured the Nolans would have no need for her to babysit Henry, any longer because his big sister had arrived. Regina did not entirely blame them but she wondered if she would ever have another opportunity to see Henry and play hide and seek or make brownies with him. Emma had officially replaced the brunette as a babysitter and for that she had very strong feelings towards her. Regina removed the blonde from her mind and got into bed, sleep coming easily for her.
Emma felt the need to pinch herself because she could hardly believe she was back home, after all these years. When she left for boarding school, her parents, mainly her mother made it clear that she would never see the inside of her home for a long time. It had only been three years since she left home but it felt like decades. She was grateful for the 'second chance' her parents, mainly her father, had offered her. Not seeing family or friends for three years certainly makes the heart grow fonder and desperate for a chance to return home, as the prodigal daughter. Exeter, where she finished her last two years of high school, was an experience she would never be grateful for. She hated the weird structure of the school, the hours she spent slaving over a paper only to receive a grade she did not deserve and most importantly the pretentious assholes that attended the school. Emma had been thrown into several environments and quickly fitted in, but at Exeter this was not the case.
Every girl seemed to own the same article of clothing: Hunter boots, Patagonia, Lulu Lemons, Jack Rogers, those hideous green Barbour jackets and not to mention Lily Pulitzer. Her mother, urged her to buy some of these clothing online but Emma refused to let these Blair Waldorf wannabes to let her determine her style of clothing. She expressed this several times to girls on her hall, classes and in after school activities, which were the reason, she had very little female friends. She refused to think about the boys, at her school, thankful her time at the school was for a short time. When time for applying to colleges came, Emma had never thought she would be so excited to write supplements and take the SATs and ACTs. Hearing back from UPENN, by far the greatest moment of her life and graduation could not come fast enough for her. She had been doing extremely well, at UPENN, when her father asked Emma to come back home. Uneasy about seeing her parents, after three years, Emma denied the invitation. Her father sounded heartbroken, after she told him, that she quickly changed her mind. She wanted to finish her semester, before travelling home.
Emma told her best friend, Ruby, of her return, only to be greeted with a moment of silence before a shrill of high-pitched squeals. She wanted Ruby to be the one to pick her up, but her mother, insisted Emma come home directly and be with her family. Emma scoffed at the notion, wondering where this family was when she shipped off to Massachusetts. Her thoughts were quickly interrupted, when she heard the door squeaking open. She turned around to see her father, watching her with this a certain look in his eyes. Emma had seen it in many times before, but never thought she would see it again. She felt tears coming to her eyes, and shuffled over to her father and slammed herself into his body, demanding he hug her. He quickly obliged and wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head, before resting his cheek on it.
She attempted to say something but she choked on her words, due to her tears. After several more tries, Emma finally said, "I never thought we would hug again."
David sniffled and coughed trying to mask his tears. "One of the many reasons, I needed you back home. Let's never do this again. No matter what happens."
Emma pulled away, and walked back to her bed. "Knowing mom, she'll find some reason to send me back."
David shook his head in disbelief but knew part of it was true. "Have faith in her. I think you guys should catch up and talk."
"Talk about what? How she sent me to the other side of the country because I made a mistake. Or when she only agreed to talk to me once I admitted I'd been acting recklessly. No, or maybe we can talk about the months of therapy and medications, I had to take because she insisted something was wrong with me."
David shifted uncomfortably where he was standing and lowered his head. He knew of everything his wife did to Emma because of her past choices. Nothing he said could persuade Mary Margaret to give their daughter a chance to recover without being sent to boarding school. She insisted Emma needed discipline and structure, which wasn't being offered living on a college campus. David knew Emma resented him for the first couple months but after leaving hundreds of messages and voicemails, the young blonde came around and eventually, forgave her father.
"I'll be the first one to admit. She does not receive the prize for world's greatest mother but she has changed since the incident and I think Henry has helped."
Emma removed the bags that were lying on her bed and turned it down. She had a long day and did not care to discuss the topic, further. "I'll think about it. See you in the morning, Dad."
David smiled and turned to his daughter placing a kiss on her forehead. "Welcome home, sweetheart."
Emma knew Ruby's hours for the café and decided to avoid an awkward breakfast with her parents to catch up with her best friend. Besides her father and Henry, Emma missed Ruby and it left a pain in her heart when she had to leave without saying goodbye. Walking at a medium pace, she greeted the faculty members who wished her a welcome back. Her mother concocted a lie, stating her daughter wanted a change in pace and decided boarding school on the east coast was her best option. Emma rolled her eyes, thinking about all the lies her mother probably told to keep her secret.
She reached the café and inhaled the smell of fresh coffee and pastries. This used to be her favourite spot when she needed to escape from home and be alone. Ruby told her something about the café receiving some fancy award for world's best coffee, making the little café a popular tourist attraction and popular with students, even with high prices. Entering the café Emma felt a bit out of place, the café had an entire makeover with new furniture, booths with plush cushioning and the servers wearing either a black pants or skirt with a white shirt and tie. Emma scanned the place for Ruby and spotted the woman losing her tie about to end her shift. The blonde smiled and basically ran over to the tall, gorgeous brunette. Similar to last night, Emma body slammed into the waitress who fell over a bit but prevented herself from causing a scene in the restaurant.
Ruby was about to give a few choice words to the rude person but when she turned around the brunette almost started crying before she pulled Emma into a hug. "Emma! I thought you were one of these assess who attend this school." Ruby held Emma at a safe distance and held one of her hands.
"I missed you so much, kid. It's been three whole damn years." Ruby said over her shoulder as she led her best friend into a quieter place.
Emma only nodded. She had a lot of things to tell Ruby but she wanted them to sit down, first. "Missed you too, wolfie." The blonde smirked when the last words slipped from her lips.
"Wolfie? I can't believe you remembered that. It's been…what? Six or seven years since you called me that." The waitress pulled the blonde down into a booth barely occupied by anyone throughout the day.
The blonde dropped her head and blushed. "Yeah cause I hated that nickname."
"Which makes no sense! Cause you were the one who made it up. I never minded it. I though it was cute."
"Well, I'm not cute. If I were cute, my mom would not have sent me off to boarding school. I'm rebellious and dangerous." Emma laughed a little to prove she was joking.
"Oh, please. Your mother over reacted big time. One stupid, silly mistake and she ships you off the boarding school. I don't get it." Ruby knew Emma like the back of her hand. The mistake the blonde made was one that could possibly happen to anyone. Emma deserved a second chance or an explanation even before her parents sent her away,
"How I wish you were my mom." The blonde played with Ruby's fingers and continued to stare down.
"Who else will buy your liquor? Mothers are supposed to set an example."
"I know." Emma whispered, refusing to look the brunette in the eyes.
"Emma, come on. Don't be like that. You have a lot of time to start your relationship. Everything will be okay. I promise." Ruby took Emma's hand and interlocked their fingers. She gave the woman a reassuring squeeze.
"Okay. Okay, now is not the time to be gloomy. Shall we?" Emma saw as her friend's eyes twinkled with excitement. They were about to play their favorite game, 21 Questions something they've been playing since both girls hit puberty.
"Can I start?" Ruby started to bounce in her seat.
Emma nodded. "Sure."
"Alright. Any boyfriends?"
The blonde furrowed her eyebrows not fully understanding the question. "In the moment or did I have any?"
Ruby twitched her nose, giving it thought. "The latter."
"Oh. No. Hookups but no one I would call a boyfriend." Emma bit her bottom lip because there was so much she needed to tell Ruby.
"My turn. Are you still with Killian?"
Ruby's face turned a bright red. Killian had been her on and off boyfriend since high school. She loved him ever since she could remember but things never seemed to work out for too long. That or they could not stay away from each other. "We haven't been with each other for like four months. Which has been the longest."
"Oh, I'm sorry Rubs." Emma reached over and ran her fingers on Ruby's arm.
"It's truly fine. Did you ever contact Neal?"
"Once or twice. But he doesn't know I'm back though. And I'd like to keep it that way." Emma saw the look Ruby gave her and quickly interjected, "For now."
"I'll keep you to that, Swan."
"I know you will. Did you ever apply to college?" Emma knew Ruby thought she was not college material or even worthy of college but the blonde knew exactly how smart and talented the woman was.
"Yeah, actually. I applied to all of the UCs, well most of them." Ruby paused for a couple seconds and then continued. "I got into most of them. I'm taking classes at UCD mostly full time cause I can change my work schedule when needed."
"Dude! That's amazing. I knew you could do it. I'm so freaking proud of you." Emma smiled showcasing the pride she felt for her friend's success.
"Thanks, Em. I'm happy you are home; I only did it for you. Which I'm glad I did. Okay, next question. Is there anything new about you? Like something I may not know?"
Emma blushed softly. There were most definitely things she needed to tell her best friend. "Uh, yeah. A lot actually."
"Okay, start with the easiest one." Ruby wondered what could have possibly changed so much in Emma's life.
"I'm near fluent in Spanish. One summer I spent three or four months in Spain with a host family. I'm also minoring in the language."
"How cool is that! I didn't even know you knew Spanish." Ruby wanted to know more about Emma's life and experience over in the east.
The blonde chuckled, finding enjoyment in Ruby's excitement. "The classes I took at school were the only background I had. So I entered in Spanish Three Honors my junior year. And I spent that summer in Spain and ended up in Spanish Six my senior year."
"I'm happy about that. You bilingual bitch." Ruby laughed at her own joke. "Okay, give me one of the hardest ones."
Emma hesitated for a bit. She knew exactly which one she needed and wanted to tell Ruby but she lacked courage. "I'll just come right out and say it." She inhaled a long breath and spat everything out. "I like girls. I like guys too. But I like girls more. More like I love girls. I realized I was bisexual the last few months of senior year. And I've date a girl or two nothing serious."
Ruby remained quiet for what seemed like ages when the silence was interrupted with an outburst of laughter. "Oh, my dear gay child."
"What? Why'd you say that?" Emma's facial expressions completely changed to those of confusion.
"Emma. I'm your best friend of over twelve years. You really think I didn't know that. Come on. Give me more credit." Ruby chucked as if it was obvious.
"How did you know but I didn't?" Emma refused to believe Ruby knew she was queer before knowing herself.
"Cause I pick up on signs, dummy. When we were eight and playing house you thought there should be two mommies and not a mom and dad. If you gorgeous girl walks pass us, you can't help but comment on her. I just know."
"Huh, how long?"
"When you threw a tantrum before your thirteen birthday party because your mother wouldn't let you host a pool party. And your reasoning to me was the weather and stars were aligned for it." The brunette shook her head and laughed.
"What? I think that's perfectly good reason." Emma felt a soft blush creep on her cheeks.
"Your birthday is in October, kid. We live in California; anything below 70 is cold. "
"Whatever. I'll give that one to you, I guess." Emma smiled but after two seconds a fit of laughter came over her. She couldn't stop thinking about that tantrum. The blonde remembered it perfectly well because it had been the only one she ever threw in her life. Her poor father did not know what to do about it. And her mom continued to ignore her requests for a pool party. Ruby joined Emma in her fits of laughter, mostly because Emma's laugh is extremely contagious. They laughed for about two minutes when they heard a cough interrupt them. Both women mid-laugh saw a familiar but stern face staring down at them.
"Hi, Regina." Emma barely managed to get the two words out of her mouth.
"Hello." The woman responded without any emotion in her voice. Just ice cold.
"Uh, were we being loud? We promise to keep it down. Right, Ruby?" Emma turned to the waitress who simply nodded in agreement.
"That's not the reason I'm here. But thank you. The café is full and I'd like to sit down. Unfortunately, only this booth remains." The brunette eyed both women at the table, indicating they were the problems.
"Oh. We were wrapping things up, anyway. I'll leave the booth free for you." Emma scooted out of the booth and Ruby followed suit. They watched as Regina squeezed pass them, completely ignoring their presence or even saying thank you.
Ruby whispered 'rude', grab hold of Emma's hand and escorted her a couple feet way from the table. They were still within earshot of the booth but women figured Regina was not paying attention to them.
"I'll see you soon, right?" Ruby rubbed circles on the back of Emma's hand.
"I'm back for good, Rubs. No need to worry. I'll be on my best behavior." Emma gave Ruby a reassuring smile and squeezed her hand.
"You better. I need the other half of my yin-yang."
"I think we are both yin, though." Emma laughed at the memories they shared together.
"Don't ruin this. Call or text me soon. We still need to finish." Ruby rubbed a few tears away.
"Will do." Emma leaned in and pressed a kiss on Ruby's cheek. "Friends forever, wolfie."
This instantly cheered Ruby up and she repeated it back to Emma. "Friends forever."
Emma smiled and walked away but not before Ruby gave her a gentle love tap on her ass which earned a small yelp from Emma. The blonde turned around and stuck her tongue out at the waitress and she strutted out the restaurant feeling good about herself. Little did she know that a certain pair of chocolate colored eyes watched the entire farewell and now a bit intrigued by Emma.