Chapter 22.

Belle frowned at her friend as they slid into a booth at Granny's, "So… ask me what?" she repeated.

Ruby sighed, looking away, "It was…nothing," she muttered.

"Ruby, come on, tell me," Belle persisted.

Ruby looked at her friend; she didn't get nervous often but she was worried. More than anything, she didn't want to scare Belle off.

"Ruby?" Belle interrupted her friends' thoughts.

Ruby unclenched her jaw, "I just… ," she hesitated, "I guess… I want to know if there's a chance for us…to be more than friends. I mean, I'm not saying right now, I just mean at all, because I still really, really like you but I need to know if there's no chance so I can move on and stop pining…well, not pining but – "

"Yes," Belle answered, interrupting Ruby's sudden rant, "I really, really like you too, Ruby. And I want to try again. I really do."

Ruby nodded slowly, "What about Emma?" she asked quietly.

Belle sighed, biting her tongue a moment, "I guess… I needed to tell her how I felt so that I could move on. She's my best friend, Ruby, and she will always be in my life, I'm never going to compromise that but we're not meant to be together," she shrugged, "I'm just sorry I went about things the way I did, it was stupid and reckless. I guess I held in my feelings too long and then…" she trailed off, "I mean, it's not an excuse," she shook her head, "But, I tried to get over you too when we broke up, but I couldn't. I don't think I want to."

Ruby couldn't help smiling at the feeling that swelled inside her chest, "Really? I mean, great. Like I said, no rush or anything, I don't want to push – "

"What if I want to rush?" Belle asked quietly, "I've really missed you Rubes. I don't want to waste any more time."

Ruby frowned, "Are you sure?"

Belle smiled and reached across the table, taking her friends' hand in her own, "Positive."

Ruby nodded, her face breaking out into a group, "I've missed you too. You wanna, uh, get take away and go back to my place? Watch a movie? Reconnect?"

Belle giggled, "Is that what the kids are calling it? But yes…reconnecting sounds nice," she smiled, eyes shining.

"I've been thinking…" Emma started before pausing and getting lost in thought.

"What is it, dear?" Regina asked, putting her arm around her girlfriend as they sat on the couch.

Emma sighed, shrugging.

Regina frowned, "Tell me what you're thinking," she said quietly.

"Well, I don't know," Emma started again, "I mean, things have been good lately. I've felt pretty good and I caught up in school. My friends are good, you're…amazing," she bit her lip and smiled, "But… it's just, you know some people wait their whole lives to resolve things from their childhood? They get to like fifty and they're still bitter and they can look back on their lives and relate everything to that one thing and wonder how different things could have been if they'd just dealt with…whatever it is that held them back for so long."

Regina nodded slowly, "Of course, some people take longer than others to deal with their issues…but it's very individual, some people might not be ready to face their past until a lot later in life."

Emma nodded, "I guess… But, well, I think I'm ready."

Regina remained calm, though unconsciously squeezed the teenagers shoulder gently, "What do you want to do, honey?"

"I want to tell my doctor…about the abuse, I guess. And I want to know why I am the way I am," she shrugged, "I don't want it to hang over me anymore. I don't want to be angry all the time and sabotage relationships with my friends. And, I mean, I love feeling safe with you, but I want to feel safe other places too."

The brunette nodded, leaning forward and removing her arm from the teenagers shoulder to take her hands in her own, "You're very brave, honey. You know I will support you in any way I can, and I know your friends will too," she smiled, squeezing the hands she held.

Emma nodded, "I know, I'm so lucky to have you," she mumbled, staring at their entwined hands.

Regina smiled quickly before asking, "When you say…you want to feel safe other places, may I ask, what do you mean by that exactly? Do you not feel safe with your friends? What about at school?"

Emma nibbled on her lip for a moment, "I feel safe with you, obviously, and with Belle too. Even with Ruby most of the time… And here, this house, feels safe mostly. But I guess, what I mean is, like…I just always feel on edge, vigilant I suppose. Some places are worse than others; school isn't so bad because I know you're not far away and same with Belle. I don't like being here alone though," she looked around the house, "It's stupid, I guess, but I just don't feel safe. I really don't like doctors' surgeries, I don't know why, I guess I hear too many myths about sleazy doctors and my mind runs wild."

Regina looked thoughtful as she nodded, "Are you scared someone will hurt you? Is that what invokes this fear?"

Emma shrugged, "Sometimes. I know it's irrational though, but that doesn't stop the anxiety. My imagination is too good sometimes. As soon as I think something, it turns into a whole scenario and I can convince myself something bad will happen…" she shrugged again.

"Hmm," Regina hummed, "It makes sense, dear, really it does. As a child, you were in a situation you thought was meant to be safe…and you got hurt… it makes sense that you don't know when you're really safe… Is there anywhere other than here that you feel safe?"

Emma thought for a moment, "In mine and Belle's treehouse. We don't go there so much now, but that used to be the only time I felt safe, when we went there and read, or she would read to me. I could relax and let my mind wander, but it wasn't in a scary way, it was peaceful."

Regina smiled warmly, "You two are very lucky to have found each other, you know. I don't think I've ever encountered anyone with as strong a connection as you and Belle seem to have, it really is quite special."

Emma bit back a smile, "She was the first person I ever considered my family," she said quietly, "And for a long time, I thought she might be the only one I ever did."

Regina wrapped her arms around the teenager, pulling her close, "I will always be your family, Emma," she murmured.

Emma nuzzled into her neck, breathing in her perfume, "I know," she whispered, "But I'm scared. I've never spoken about it, not to a professional…I…I'm scared."

"That's completely understandable," Regina said soothingly, "You know, if it's too hard for you to verbalise, at least at first, maybe you could write something down instead? You could show that to your doctor," she shrugged, "I don't know, it's just a thought."

Emma nodded, "It's a good one, maybe I should try that. I'm a better writer than I am speaker."

Regina smiled, "I am so proud of you," she whispered, cupping the teenagers cheek in her hand, "I don't think you have any idea how wise and brave you are."

Emma swallowed hard, "Thank you," she mumbled, "I love you."

"Oh, and I love you, dear, so very much. Every day, you amaze me, you are always teaching me something new."

Emma smiled, "Role reversal," she teased softly.

Regina chuckled, "Does this mean I get to be the rebellious teenager?"

"Nah ah," Emma shook her head, "I like it like this," she leant her head against Regina's chest, "It's as close to perfect as can be," she finished, letting her eyes close.

"Hey, hey look who got some muscles," Ruby teased as her hands traced Belle's arms.

Belle blushed, "Oh, shut up, I do not," she protested.

Ruby laughed, "Do too," she replied softly.

Belle frowned skeptically, "Really? I don't think so, not like Emma's, hers are so prominent."

Ruby rolled her eyes, "No, not like Emma's, but I can feel them, it just takes a while for them to build, you know that."

Belle nodded, "Uh-huh."

"Anyway, it's dead cute," Ruby smiled, "Sexy, too," she murmured, moving her lips just centimetres from Belle's.

They stayed in that position a few seconds before Belle pressed her lips to her Ruby's and put a soft hand on her cheek as the kiss deepened, Ruby gently moving her tongue into the other woman's mouth, circling the other woman's slowly until Belle pushed back just as passionately, their tongue's dancing in the middle. Eventually, the two pulled apart, breath ragged as Belle's hand slipped to Ruby's jaw, running a thumb along it.

Belle licked her lips as she panted, "I missed that taste," she murmured.

Ruby grinned through her own laboured breathing, "I missed it too, Belle," she replied quietly, "I wonder if you know how amazing you are," she bit her lip, blinking slowly as she stared at the girl in front of her.

Belle's cheeks burnt, "I think maybe you have me on a pedestal, Rubes," she said.

Ruby's eyes squinted, "Maybe," she shrugged, "But I don't care. You're not like anyone else I've ever met. I could travel the world and never find someone who feels so deeply, reads so intensely, is so curious, someone who smiles so brightly, whose energy is enough to reach into the very heart's of the people she loves…someone who spends her life admiring the heroes in her books when she doesn't even realise that she's the real hero," she finished quietly.

Belle's throat constricted and her eyes were wide as she took Ruby's hands in her own, "Ruby…" she was lost for words, "Thank you," she simply said, a tear rolling down her cheek, "I don't even know what to say. I – I think you put on this tough act sometimes, but in your heart," she moved her hand to Ruby's chest, feeling that heart beat under her fingertips, "you're a pure romantic," she smiled, "A total sweetheart. I'm so lucky to even know you, let alone be with you."

Ruby sighed as she smiled and pulled the smaller brunette into her arms; she knew she'd missed Belle, but perhaps hadn't realised quite how much until she held her in her arms again like this, resting her cheek in soft hair as she closed her eyes.

"Mm, hey sleepy."

Emma groaned as the warm breath tickled her ear, "Is it that time already?"

Regina threw her arms around her lover's stomach, resting her chin on her shoulder, "I'm afraid it is, dear. School, work beckons us."

Emma groaned again, "Why don't they start school later in the day?" she grumbled.

Regina chuckled softly, "I don't know, dear, but they don't."

Emma squirmed and turned around to face the schoolteacher, "Well, you're a teacher, you should know."

Regina laughed, "I didn't make the rules, silly."

Emma yawned, "Well, you should tell them to change them. Teenagers don't like getting up so early. Maybe they wouldn't give so much attitude to teachers if we started later in the day."

Regina smiled, shaking her head, "I bet you would be just as much a rebel as you are now," she teased gently, "Anyway, you only have a month left of senior year, then you can sleep all you'd like."

Emma rolled her eyes, "I doubt it. I bet community college have stupid, early classes too."

The brunette rolled her eyes, "Hmm," she hummed, "You should find out this the scores you need to get in this week. Are you excited?"

Emma bit down on her lip, "I don't know… I probably won't even get in, my marks are…" she shrugged.

Regina sighed, "Honey, how many times must I tell you? You're smart. Even without trying, you've been scoring above average, you'll be fine to get into community college."

Emma shrugged before nodding silently.

Regina watched her carefully, "Emma, I know it's not Columbia… but it's a start. It's just for now."

Emma nodded, "Yeah, I know. I mean, Belle worked so hard to get into Columbia, early acceptance and she'll probably get a scholarship too… I should be in the same boat, I should have studied, I should have – "

Regina placed her hands on the teenagers shoulders, "Hey, hey," she spoke softly, "You have dealt with so much this year, honey, life is not measured by academia, you know that," she paused as Emma nodded reluctantly, "Besides, at least now you get to stay here; you and Ruby may even get to go to school together and Belle will still be here. It will be make the transition that little bit easier. Columbia can still happen…or not," she shrugged, "Whatever you decide."

Emma nodded, "I guess so… I mean, I know. I just have to stop thinking about the future too much, I mean three, four years is too much right now, I know that. I have to take things slowly," she sat up, "But this morning has been slow enough, I should go shower," she paused, "Hm, no," she thought, "We should go shower."

Regina laughed as Emma rolled out of bed and followed behind her to the bathroom.