Chapter Six

XXXX

As I was sitting in my advanced creative writing class, I noticed when I looked at all of the students around me that I was the oldest one there. In fact, I thought I could probably be some of their mothers.

"Geez," I whispered to myself as I shook my head.

I didn't have long to ponder this because our teacher, Henry, walked into the room. I don't know why he wanted us to call him by his first name. I guess it was because he knew that he'd be reading some personal work and wanted there to be no judgment.

"Ok, ok," he said. "Please sit down."

The room quieted in a second or two.

"So the end of the semester is swiftly approaching," he began his speech, "And I wanted to give you plenty of time to think about your final assignment for this class."

There was a smattering of groans from the class.

"I know, I know, bummer, right? But I hope you'll be excited to hear what the assignment is," he encouraged us.

I sat up as I was interested in hearing what it was. He saw me and smiled. "Thanks, Emma," he said.

Some people stared at me, but I didn't care.

"So for your final assignment, I'd like for you to write about a person who is currently or has inspired you. Someone who has encouraged you to see beyond what's in front of you during this time of your life. Someone who is a big part of your life. A person who helps to make it better," he finished.

"What format," one student asked.

"Whatever you think is necessary for you to adequately describe them. You don't have to reveal who they are, if you prefer not to. For this last assignment, I just write from your heart," he said.

When he finished, I immediately thought of her. Truly it was a no brainer.

"Regina," my heart and my brain yelled at the same time.

XXXX

I was working an early shift, my one and only for that day when Archie walked up to me and said, "Hey, Reggie, who have you been hanging out with recently?"

"First of all, how many times do I have to tell you my name's Regina? And secondly who I hang out with is none of your concern."

"Well, Regina, it is my business if it's a patron of this establishment," he retorted back.

Don't tell him.

"Is that a rule," I asked.

"Um, yes, it is," he attempted to lie.

"Bullshit, it's not in that lame excuse of a 'handbook'!"

He coughed roughly.

"And even if it is, what are you gonna do. Fire me?"

He looked at me with a defeated expression on his face.

"Yeah, that's right. If you fire me not only will you lose out on a lot of moola, but also you know that the other dancers would walk out right behind me," I said confidently.

He went to say something, but I ran into the main room where all of the dancers were. I yelled, "Hey!" All of their heads jolted up when they heard me.

"Archie here tried to ask who I've been hanging out with. And, of course, I stopped him in his tracks."

There was thunderous applause.

"Hey, Archie, from now on the ladies can hang out with or date anyone they choose, especially if they happen to meet them here, right?"

Archie nodded his head and whispered, "Yes."

"What's that I didn't hear you?"

"Yes," he said louder.

"What?"

"Yes!" he boomed.

The ladies went wild with applause.

I walked away with pride and confidence. I figured either way it turned out, I'd be okay. I wanted to tell someone. My thoughts instantly went to Emma.

My Emma.

As soon as I finished my shift and then texted her.

Come to my apartment ASAP!

XXXX

My phone chimed and I looked at it.

I bolted up from my seat in the cafeteria and apologized to my friends.

"I gotta go," I said hurriedly.

"Is everything okay?" one of them asked.

"I hope so," I said as I ran from the table.

I hailed a cab and shouted the directions to him as I got into the vehicle. The cab zoomed off and immediately I was in front of her apartment building.

I raced inside and up to her floor. I ran to her apartment and quickly knocked on the door.

"Hey," Regina said as she opened it up.

"Hi," I panted out as I was out of breath.

"Emma," Regina questioned.

"I got your text. It sounded urgent. Are you okay," I said nervously.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. Yes, I'm fine." She pulled me into a tight hug.

"Oh, good," I said as I dropped my bag to hug her.

"I'm flattered that you care," she said and kissed my cheek. "Archie approached me. He's my boss."

"Oh, what did he want," I asked.

Regina let me go and walked into her small kitchen. "He had the nerve to ask who was hanging out with."

I froze. "Is this not appropriate," I asked concerned.

"Well, he tried to say that it wasn't. He even thought that he could blame it on the stupid manual he gave me on my first day. He didn't know that I actually took the time to read that stupid book. It doesn't say anything about after hours and patrons. So…"

"So," I repeated.

"The ladies know that they are now allow to date or hangout with customers if they so choose to," Regina said triumphantly.

"That's amazing…."

"I know right!"

"Be my girlfriend," I blurted out.

She had walked away from me, but whipped herself around when she heard my question.

"What?"

"Regina, would you please be my girlfriend?"

She came barreling towards me. I opened my arms out for her. When she was closer to me she jumped into my arms and they immediately gripped her tightly. Her legs wrapped around my waist.

"Yes!" she said and then kissed me passionately.

XXXX

"I'm so excited!" I yelled after we broke the kiss.

"Me too," she said as she walked us to my couch.

She quickly sat down with me still attached to her. I sat on her knees while we looked into each other's eyes.

"You really want to be my girlfriend," she asked hesitantly.

"Yes, Emma Swan, I want to more than anything," I said and kissed her cheek. Her grip on me tightened as we hugged each other.

"Yay!" she said with a smile.

I lunged forward and captured her lips with my own.

"Hmm." I heard her moan in the kiss.

I pushed myself against her as much as possible.

"I love kissing you," I said between kisses.

"I love it more," she said as she eagerly took my lips in another kiss.

Just then her cell phone chimed.

"No," I whined.

"Please," she asked as she took the device out of her pocket.

"Quickly," I told her.

She unlocked the screen and opened the text message. As she read the message her eyes bulged out of their sockets.

"Who's 'the eagle'?" I read with her.

"Um, my Mom," she said.

She dialed Ruby and on the first ring she picked up. "Swan…come home," she insisted.

"Where is she?"

"Sitting on the couch, lookin' at me expectantly."

"Tell, my daughter I'm here," Emma must have heard in the background.

"I'll be over soon," she said and hung up.

She looked at me with a small smile. "I have to go. Apparently my mother is in our apartment scaring Ruby…You wouldn't perhaps, maybe, um, like to come to meet my mother, would you?"

She was looking down at her fingers when I said, "Absolutely!"

She picked her head up and had the brightest smile on her face. "Really?"

"Yes, silly. You're my girlfriend. I wanna do it so we can move forward," I said with a warm smile.

She leaned forward to kiss me sweetly.

After the kiss ended, she lightly smacked my thighs and I stood up.

"Ok, let's go," she said as she got up and grabbed her bag. I grabbed my purse and her hand. We pulled each other out of my apartment and into a cab.

While in the car, I told her, "I plan on being honest."

"I wouldn't want it any other way. I'm old enough to decide where I go and who I'm attracted to. I don't think she'll have a problem," she said.

XXXX

Soon we arrived at my apartment. I paid the driver and extended my hand to Regina who grabbed it.

We walked in to my shared apartment with Ruby and saw my mother and best friend chatting in the living room.

"Oh, look, Emma's here," Ruby said relieved.

"Hey, Mom," I said with a smile.

"Hello, dear," my Mom replied.

Regina stood in the background so that we could reunite.

"Who's that," my Mom asked when she noticed Regina.

"Oh," I said and extended my hand out to her and of course she grabbed it. I nudged her over to us. "This is Regina Mills, my girlfriend. Regina, this is my Mom. Mary Margaret Swan…"

Regina extended her hand out and my Mom shook it.

"Oh, this is Ruby," I said as I pointed to her.

"I've heard many things," Regina said as she waved her hand.

"Lies…all lies," Ruby said and laughed.

We all laughed.

"I was going to go to my room, but I think I'll stay," Ruby said as she winked at me.

I gave her a weird expression, but she plopped back in the seat.

"So, Regina," my Mom said as she sat down again, "Where are you from?"

"Storybrooke, Mrs. Swan," Regina said politely.

"All her life," I said happily.

"That's nice. Who are your parents?"

"Mother, since when did we become that family," I yelled.

"What? I'm merely trying to get to know her," she said shocked.

"Emma, it's alright. My parents are Henry and Cora Mills. To be completely honest, I don't know where they are right now as they abandoned me when was a young girl…" Regina looked down at her hand. She immediately saw my hand as it grabbed hers tightly.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," my mother said sincerely.

"I'm proud of her, Mom, I mean, most people would probably break down and not at least attempt at having a nice life. Not Regina. She's surviving and I think coming out of the experience a stronger woman because of it."

Regina smiled at me.

"What do you do for a living, Regina?"

Ruby's head jolted up and a smile appeared on her face. I nonchalantly slapped the back of her head because I was the closest to her.

"Well, Mrs. Swan, I'm a dancer," Regina said with a smile.

"Wow…Tap? Ballet? Ballroom?"

"Pole," Regina replied meekly.

Mrs. Swan blinked her eyes a few times and then asked, "Did you say pole?"

"Yeah, Mom, Regina's, uh, a pole dancer. She's the best that they got," I interrupted Regina.

"Oh, and how long have you been in that, uh, profession?"

"Three years, ma'am," Regina replied.

'I see," Mom said and then stood up from her chair, "Emma, may I have a word?"

She walked over to the farthest corner of the apartment.

XXXX

She regrettably released my hand after she kissed it to walk over to where her mother was standing.

"Yeah," Emma asked.

"She's a stripper?"

"She's a dancer," she said proudly. She had the widest smile on her face.

"And you're proud of that?" her mother said accusingly.

"I'm proud of her! The stripping is just a part of the 'Regina Mills' package!"

Mrs. Swan snorted and said, "Well, that's certainly going to give me something to think about."

"Why do you have to think about it? I'm the only one who needs to and I have already and I'm fine with it," Emma said with a smile.

"You don't care that men drool over her and toss money her way?"

"Look at her...She's gorgeous!" Emma's head turned in my direction. I smiled brightly at her, "She's taking of herself, independently. I thought you'd recognized this quality. I mean, you taught me to independent!"

"And look where that got you," my Mom said and shook her head.

"Mom, really…I'm an adult. Regina's my girlfriend and if I have anything to do with it maybe something more in the future," said with a huge smile.

"Um, is everything alright?" I asked as I timidly walked over to Emma and her Mom.

"Yeah," she said and extended her hand to me. I grabbed it and was pulled closer to them.

"Regina, I'm sorry," her Mom apologized, "I love people who are independent. I tried to teach my daughter that."

Emma beamed with pride. Me and her Mom looked at her and chuckled.

"To be totally honest, Mrs. Swan, Emma's the best thing to happen to me in a long time, if ever. She's so thoughtful and loyal, and wonderful. I am proud to be her girlfriend and I will prove it…"

"Regina, you don't have to prove it," she said honestly.

"Yes, Emma, I do," I said with a smile, "If I ever want to be 'Mrs. Regina Swan,' someday I gotta prove that I'm worthy of it."

She tilted her head to the side and smiled warmly at me.

"Regina, dear, all you truly need to do is continue to be the wonderful woman you are right now. Keep your chin up and keep striving…"

"Thank you, Mrs. Swan," I said with a smile.

"Call me, 'Mary Margaret'!"

"Ok," I said stunned.

"Actually maybe you could show me a few moves sometime. Something for her father," Emma's Mom said and smiled brightly at me.

"And there's a big mental picture I don't want," Emma said as she looked horrified.

We all laughed.

We hung out after and I listened with great interest as her Mom told me about Emma's awkward years.