Chapter 30

"It's nice to see you like this, you know," Regina mumbled into Emma's neck.

"Like what?" Emma asked.

Regina pulled back, "I don't know; so happy, hopeful. And you and Belle dancing around," she giggled, "It's nice."

Emma smiled, "I do kinda feel…I don't know, a bit lighter or something," she shrugged.

Regina touched her face, "Mm, have I mentioned how proud I am of you in the last five minutes?"

Emma laughed, "Hmm, the last five minutes? I think not."

Regina grinned, "Well, darling, I am very, very proud of you," she nipped her on the ear gently, before fiddling with it with her fingers.

"Always the ears," Emma rolled her eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I not hear you say you liked it once or twice?" Regina quirked an eyebrow, a smile playing on her lips.

Emma bit back a smile, "Course I do," she retorted, "I like everything you do."

Regina grinned, "Oh, dear, you are too kind."

Emma smiled before licking her lips, "Nah ah," she shook her head before curling up into Regina's side.

"You tired, honey?" Regina asked, as she ran her hand over blonde hair.

Emma nodded, "A bit, I guess," she stifled a yawn, "I'm okay, it's still early."

Regina chuckled, "It's alright, sweetheart. Why don't we watch a movie or something?"

Emma smiled, "Okay! You choose."

"Oh, come on, why don't you choose, it's your special day."

Emma sat up and shrugged, "But I'll fall asleep," she insisted, "You pick."

Regina just laughed and sat up with the teenager, wrapping her hands around her waist, "You're so beautiful," she mumbled before nipping her ear.

"Mail for you, dear," Regina passed Emma an envelope, "It's from Columbia," she smiled.

Emma turned it over in her hands slowly and proceeded to tear it open.

Regina rolled her eyes, "I hope you're not like this at Christmas dear."

Emma smiled sheepishly, "Sorry," she said as she finally opened the letter and her eyes scanned over it quickly, "They say I can study online, but I still have to go up there to enrol or whatever."

Regina nodded, "That's great news!"

Emma nodded, "Yeah, there's actually way more available online than I thought there would be, I was looking at it last night," she admitted as she bit her lip.

"Ah, the joys of technology!" Regina said dramatically, making the teenager laugh.

"Oh!" Emma exclaimed and pulled her phone out of her pocket, "You know what this means, right?"

Regina squinted, "Uh… ?"

"Road trip!" Emma said excitedly, "And Belle will have to go enrol too! So maybe all four of us can go?"

Regina smiled, "A road trip with a bunch of teenagers?" she teased.

Emma rolled her eyes, "You know you've only got another eighteen months to make that joke, right? Then I won't be a teenager anymore."

Regina grinned, "I know, that's why I'll milk it while I can," she winked.

Emma laughed, shaking her head as she pulled out her phone but before she could dial, there was a knock at the door and she ran to it, swinging it open to see Belle bouncing excitedly on her toes and Ruby only just reaching her, looking breathless.

Belle shoved her letter into Emma's face.

Emma laughed as she took it, "I know, I got mine too!"

"You know what this means, right?" Belle grinned.

"Roadtrip!" Both girls squealed as they hugged one another.

Regina rolled her eyes at the squealing but couldn't hide the smile on her face at the girls enthusiasm.

Ruby jumped in at this, "Sweet! We can finally get away from your strict parents and my nosy Granny," she bounced her eyebrows at a blushing Belle.

"Ruby," she whined, nudging into her gently before biting her lip.

Ruby just laughed and threw her hand over Belle's shoulder, kissing her on the cheek.

Emma shook her head, "Too much information," she muttered, but only jokingly.

Ruby just grinned, "Hey, it's a good excuse for a break, huh? I mean, I've had enough of that dump…" she paused and stammered under Regina's raised eyebrows in referring to her workplace this way, "I mean, that lovely school," she grinned, "for a life time. We can go shopping and ooh, to central park and you can go to all the galleries and sophisticated stuff," she bumped into Belle playfully.

Regina smiled, "You have all been to New York before?"

Ruby shrugged, "I went years ago with Granny once, but it's not really the same as going with your friends!"

Emma grinned, "I've been a couple of times but not since…" she looked at Belle, "Well, we went a couple years ago," she shrugged.

Ruby raised her eyebrows, "You did? When? How did you even get there?" she looked from Emma to Belle, "And your folks let you?" she looked at Belle.

Belle bit her lip, "No, not really. They were away so I just… went," her cheeks went a shade of crimson.

Ruby looked at her incredulously, "Seriously? Wow, you rebel," she rested her head on Belle's shoulder from behind, whispering, "Who knew you were so bad? Mm, sexy."

"How did you get there?" Regina frowned, "It takes at least six hours driving, I can't imagine what it would take trying to get there on public transport."

Emma chewed her lip, glancing at Belle, "We got a taxi most of the way," she shrugged.

Regina tilted her head, "A taxi? How did – "

"I stole the money from my foster family at the time," Emma came clean, averting her eyes from the gazes of her friends, "I…I needed to get away and I knew where they kept a stash of money so I took it and… Belle, being the good friend she is, wouldn't let me go alone, so she came with me."

Belle nodded, "Yeah," she confirmed, "I knew if I didn't go with her, she probably wouldn't come back. My mum went with dad on some work trip and so I convinced Emma to wait a couple days so I could go with her."

Regina nodded, studying her girlfriend's face and taking and squeezing her hand gently, "How long did you go for?" she asked.

"Just a few days," Emma shrugged, "Until the money was gone. Then we came back and I was switched homes again… By then, I didn't really care," she chewed her lip, "I know it was the wrong thing to do, to steal the money and all… "

Regina pulled her closer, "You were young, sweetheart, and confused. It's okay, nobody judges you for it," she kissed her on top of the head.

Ruby nodded, "'Course not, Em. Don't even worry about it," she shrugged, "I used to take money out of the till sometimes, 'til Granny noticed anyway."

"You what?" Belle asked in surprise, "Granny must have skinned you alive!"

Ruby grinned sheepishly, "Yeah, she was pretty pissed."

"Why did you – "

"Cause Granny wouldn't give me money to go shopping and all she bought me were clothes like – "

"Oh my god," Belle put her head in her hands, not sure whether to laugh or not but she couldn't help snorting.

Ruby blushed, "Oh, shut up, she has no fashion sense, okay?"

Emma joined in as Belle giggled.

"Well, at least one of you isn't a thief," Regina rolled her eyes but looked at Belle.

Belle smiled, "I never stole anything," she said proudly, nodding her head.

Emma laughed, "Yeah, you did."

Belle frowned, "Nah ah, that was you, Em."

"You stole that chocolate bar, remember?" Emma said pointedly.

Belle blinked, "Oh, that's not fair! I forgot I had it, I didn't mean to steal it and I gave them the money the next day!"

Ruby barked out a laugh and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. "You gave them the money?" she chuckled into Belle's shoulder, "That's so fucking cute."

Regina smiled, "That is pretty cute," she chortled, "Well, anyway, nobody needs to steal anymore, right?" she sighed dramatically, "You're all adults now, it's time to grow up and take responsibility," she kept a straight face before breaking into laughter at the expression on the young girls faces.

Emma rolled her eyes, "Weird sense of humour," she offered as an explanation to Belle and Ruby but they just laughed too.

"So, we can use your car, right?" Ruby quirked an eyebrow, "I don't think mine'll make it all the way to New York."

Regina nodded, "Of course!"

"I'm going to make us a road trip playlist!" Emma exclaimed suddenly.

Ruby's ears practically perked up, "Yes! I'm helping!"

The two ran to the computer excitedly.

"Yes! I can't wait!" Ruby grinned, "This is gonna be AWESOME!"