Ch.6

A loud noise woke Regina. She didn't know what it was, only that she was awake. She turned her head to see the time on the glowing alarm clock. It was not even 4am yet. From outside a car horn went off again. Regina got up, checked on the baby who was still sleeping, and went to her window to see who was honking their horn at this hour. When she drew back her curtains she saw that parked right across the street from her house was a yellow bug, with a blonde woman moving about in it. Regina rolled her eyes and grabbed her robe as she stormed out of her bedroom.

"What the hell do you think you are doing out here in the middle of the night?" Regina whisper-yelled as she stalked across her lawn at a brisk pace.

As she reached Emma's car she saw the blonde was dabbing napkins on her legs and seat.

"I'm sorry Regina; I didn't mean to wake you up! I spilled my coffee and beeped the horn when I was trying to clean it up." Emma said, giving the mayor her big puppy dog eyes.

"What are you doing drinking coffee outside my house at this hour?" Regina asked again. Emma looked down in shame.

"I was making sure you were okay." Emma said in a small voice.

"How long have you been out here?" Regina asked.

"Since ten." Emma admitted.

"So you left Henry home alone, while he is clearly worried about Dark Emma being here just so you could spy on me?" Regina asked putting her hands on her hips.

"No, Hook is with him. He came home early, and apologized. I pretended to forgive him so he would stay with Henry. He wasn't happy I was leaving to come here, but he knows he's in the doghouse still." Emma said with a grin of satisfaction.

"Besides, I would rather be doing a stakeout than with him talking about our problems." Emma admitted.

"That sounds healthy." Said Regina in a snarky tone.

"Hey, it's my business not yours."

Regina raised her eyebrow at Emma. "You just admitted to watching me through my windows all night, and you're telling me I'm being nosy?"

"If the shoe fits." Emma joked; she knew she was being a hypocrite. "Fine, you're right, it isn't healthy. I think we are over."

"I'm sorry your relationship isn't going well." Regina said stiffly. She didn't want Emma to pick up that she was ecstatic about the news that she and the pirate were on the verge of breaking up.

"Yeah, well. It is what it is." Emma said bitterly. A movement from the house caught her eye. Standing in the far window on the second floor was the silhouette of Dark Emma. She was watching them.

"Look, she's spying on us! She's up to something Regina I can feel it! She's creepy, and she keeps looking at you like you're a snack." Emma said pointing to the window. By the time Regina looked over her shoulder Dark Emma had vanished.

"She's spying on us? Again, it baffles me how obtuse you can be sometimes." Regina scoffed as she turned and walked back towards her house. "Go Home Miss Swan."

Emma sighed, turned her car on, and drove away. She would be back though, once she was sure Regina had fallen back to sleep. She wasn't going to leave her alone. Not with The Dark One sleeping under her roof.

That morning Emma made sure she left before Regina woke up. She went home, changed her clothes, and headed for Granny's for some much needed coffee. Luckily, she was used to all night stakeouts. All she would need to do is take a quick power nap at work sometime this morning and be good as new. She figured Regina was safe during the day, she would at least be awake and alert, so if The Dark One tried to hurt her she would be better prepared to counter the attack.

While she sat in a booth at the back of the diner, Emma watched people pass by outside. She saw Henry walking to school with a group of his friends. He still had a few more weeks left of the school year before it was time to get him ready for Storybrooke College. She smiled as she sat and sipped her coffee, enjoying a few peaceful moments before her day started. Just then the bell to the diner door jingled and Emma looked up and saw Regina enter. Emma gulped and scrunched down in her seat so Regina wouldn't see her. Emma was sure Regina was still mad at her for spying last night, and she was not in the mood to be yelled at again. She watched as Regina went to the counter and ordered two coffee's to go. Emma frowned. Why was she bringing Dark Emma coffee? Are they buddies now? For a moment she forgot she was hiding and smacked her elbow on the wall.

"Ouch!" Emma yelled.

"Miss Swan?" Regina asked as Emma dove further under the table.

"Are you hiding from me?" Regina asked walking to the booth.

"What? No. Hiding? No. I wasn't hiding from you, I was looking for my fork." Emma said as she picked up an old fork that was sitting under the booth when she got there.

"A fork to stir your coffee?" Regina asked skeptically.

"Yea..yes. Yes. I prefer to stir with a fork. It allows for better airflow. You should try it." Emma said as she stirred her fresh coffee with the old and dirty fork.

Regina grimaced and nodded as she backed away from the Sherriff. "Okay, well see you later."

"Bye." Emma said as she slumped in her booth from embarrassment. 'Real smooth Emma.' She said to herself. What the hell was she doing? She was practically driving Regina into the arms of her evil self. Of course Regina would want Dark Emma over her, she was a blundering fool, while Dark Emma was smooth and sophisticated.

She had to win Regina over. She couldn't let Regina go home to Dark Emma after seeing her stir her coffee with an old fork. It was a long shot but she had to try.

Emma threw some dollar bills on the table and ran out of the diner. She saw Regina turn the corner down the street and ran after her.

"Regina! Wait!" Emma called as she ran. Regina stopped and turned looking confused.

"Yes Dear? Did you want to give me other helpful techniques for liquid stirring?" Regina asked with a smile.

"What? No, I wanted…to ask…" Emma tried to push her nerves aside.

"Ask me what Dear?" Regina asked becoming a little impatient.

"Iwantedtoaskifyouwantedtogooutwithmetonight." Emma said it all so fast there was no way Regina understood a word of what she said.

"I'm sorry Miss Swan, I didn't catch that."

She took a deep breath and slowed her words down. "I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go out with me tonight."

Regina's eye borrows shot to the sky. She was surprised, that's for sure, but happy. "You want to go out on a date with me?" She asked.

"Well, I mean, we don't have to call it a date. It can be just us going to a nice place to eat, but yeah. I want to take you out on a date." Emma said, she stuffed her hands deep in her pockets in a hopeful attempt to look casual, as if this was no big deal. "But I totally understand if you don't want to, with everything that is going on. I would totally under..."

"Yes." Regina said cutting Emma off mid-sentence.

"Yes? Like, yes you will go out with me?" Emma asked.

Regina smiled and turned around to continue her walk home.

Emma panicked. "Regina?"

"I'll see you tonight at eight for our date Miss Swan. Don't be late picking me up."