DISCLAIMER:: do not own. just borrowing for purpose of creative expression. no profit obtained.

A/N:: yet another update. the one after this will not be posted until really late tomorrow or possibly tuesday as i will be busy all day monday. but never fear because it is already ready to be posted, as is the update after that. thank you to all who've reviewed, it's always greatly appreciated. some questions to ponder: are regina's walls really breaking or is she firmly ensconced in her evil scheme to crush emma's heart? if mr. gold knows about the other world and obviously knew about emma before she was born, how come he doesn't (or pretends not to) know who she was? enjoy and review.

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-Chapter 21: And He Just Might Make Me Smile-

"You look like someone just stole the black crayon."

Emma raised an eyebrow at the schoolteacher and her comparison.

Mary Margaret shrugged. "What? I teach for a living."

Emma held up her hands in a placating gesture. "Hey, I'm not judging."

Mary Margaret set a cup of coffee in front of the blonde. "I noticed Henry's mood has improved quite substantially at school yesterday."

Emma shrugged. "He likes this whole dinner and a movie family thing that's been happening. If he had his way, we'd do it every night."

Mary sat down in the seat across from her. "So why don't you?"

"Have you met his mother?" Emma rolled her eyes. "This 'my home is your home' phase that Regina seems to be in right now is not going to last. I don't want him to get his hopes up that this is going to be something permanent."

Mary smiled knowingly into her cup of tea. "You mean you don't want to get your hopes up."

Emma looked at her, shocked.

Mary Margaret shook her head. "I've seen the dreamy smile on your face when you've come home these past two nights. You're falling in love with her… again." She sighed. "I don't know what happened between you two in the past, but do you ever think it ended for a reason? Maybe you and Regina aren't meant to be together."

Emma sighed and stared into the swirling depths of her coffee cup as if she were reading all the answers in the dark liquid. "We are. That's what makes everything so difficult. If I could turn off my heart I would. But it wants her."

Mary Margaret reached out and covered the blonde's hand with her own. "Then don't you think you should tell her that?"

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"Hey Em."

"Hey Rubes." Emma flashed the waitress her biggest grin and gestured towards the hot cocoa machine. "Care to give a girl a fix?"

Ruby rolled her eyes playfully and heaved a dramatic sigh. "Junkies." She grabbed a to-go cup and turned her attention to pouring Emma some of her liquid crack.

The bell tinkled over the door as August entered. He spotted Emma and came over to her with a smile. "You're here early. I didn't know you even knew what sunrise is."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Oh believe me, this is not my choice. If I want to take my kid to school I have to be at the mayor's by 7:15, which means sunrise and I have become intimately acquainted."

August grinned. "Well that works out in my favour because you are just the deputy I was hoping to see."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Oh yea? And why is that? Your cat stuck up a tree?"

Ruby burst out laughing but she reigned it in quickly as she went to go grab the cinnamon.

August shook his head. "I'd like to take you out tonight."

"On a date?"

August nodded. "There's a couple fancier restaurants in town. I thought we could have dinner."

Emma's mind flashed to how she'd been spending dinner recently. Regina's face as they'd fought over the sink faucet, Henry as she'd tucked him in, the burrito assembly line. Without really wanting to, Emma had let herself become comfortable with it. It felt like home. But Regina had not extended another invitation and she couldn't really turn August down on the hope that the mayor might request her presence. So she found herself nodding. "Sure. Sounds great."

August's smile was almost worth what she might miss with Regina. "Great. I'll pick you up at seven?"

Ruby set Emma's hot chocolate down in front of her.

Emma grabbed it and nodded. "Yea, see you at seven." She held up the hot chocolate. "Thanks Rubes."

"See you later Emma."

Both August and the waitress watched as the blonde exited the diner and headed for her bug. Ruby turned to him the second Emma had pulled away from the curb. "You really like her don't you?"

August shrugged. "We have a history, and I'm starting to think it's a pretty complicated one."

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"You were almost late." Regina gave her a glare as she came running up the walk just as the clock hit 7:15.

"I know. I'm sorry. I got held up at the diner."

Regina crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes well, you're in luck. My son is running late today as well."

The boy, as if summoned by Regina's words, appeared in the doorway. "Hey Emma."

"Hey kid. You ready?"

He nodded and jumped down off the stoop and came to a stop by her side. He turned to Regina. "Bye mom."

"Have a good day Henry."

He set off towards the bug.

"I assume we can expect you tonight for dinner Miss Swan. I'm making teriyaki chicken."

Emma frowned. "As delicious as that sounds, I have plans tonight." She started backing up the walkway, looking truly apologetic. "Rain check?"

Regina nodded. She suppressed the urge to ask what the blonde's plans were. What business was it of hers if Miss Swan wanted to go somewhere else for dinner? It would give her a break from the insufferable woman without breaking her plan. Yes, this worked out well.

"Have a good day Regina." And then Emma Swan was gone up the walk.

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"Something strong and be quick about it." Regina set her purse on the counter and glared at Ruby who immediately jumped into action.

"Did Emma get Henry off okay then?"

Regina tensed as she whirled around to find August Booth, staring at her as he sipped his own coffee. "Excuse me?"

"Emma. She said this morning that she was taking Henry to school."

Regina pursed her lips. "Yes well. She hasn't failed to get him there safely yet, so I have faith today's effort was successful as well."

"She doesn't generally keep him after school days, does she? She didn't say anything when I asked her out tonight, but I don't want her to cancel any time with her son just for a last minute date."

For some reason, it seemed like he shouted the word date ten times louder than the rest to Regina. Emma was going on a date with this insignificant little cockroach? Really, she could do so much better. I'm so much better for her than he is. She paled as the thought crossed her mind. Miss Swan wasn't her territory to claim. "No, I pick Henry up on Thursdays."

August blew out a breath of relief.

Ruby chose that moment to blessedly reappear bearing her coffee. She snagged it greedily, suddenly feeling a need to be anywhere but there. "Good day Mr. Booth. I do hope you enjoy your evening."

"Thank you Mayor Mills."

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"So what'd you do to the mayor last night?"

Emma frowned at Graham as he set the file down on her desk. "What do you mean? Dinner was good."

"Well that was just her on the phone. She called to make sure I would be attending our morning meeting this Saturday. She hasn't mentioned it all week, and yet now she does. It seems like something set her off."

Emma shrugged. "I just picked up Henry this morning." Emma ran over the conversation in her mind. "She asked me if I'd like to have dinner with her and Henry again tonight. I politely declined because of my date with August, but I…"

"Wait, hold on." Graham held up a hand to interrupt her, sitting on the corner of her desk. "The mayor knows you're going on a date with August instead of accepting her invitation to dinner, which I told you has never been extended to anyone else?"

Again Emma shrugged. "I didn't tell her specifically that I was going on a date with August, but it wouldn't surprise me if she's found out. There's very few things in this town Regina doesn't know about."

Graham chuckled. "Well that would explain it."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Care to share with the class?"

Graham grinned. "I think Mayor Mills might actually be jealous."

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"Do I look okay?" Emma came down the stairs in a hurry and twirled in front of Mary Margaret. She had very little time to get ready before her date after a run in with Leroy had kept her overtime at the station.

Mary looked up from the couch and her hands clasped together, a look of joy crossing her features. "Oh Emma, you look wonderful."

Emma smiled and nodded. "Good."

"I'm so happy you're going on this date. It gives me hope that I might find love one day."

Emma's stomach dropped. Love was right under Mary Margaret's nose in the form of an animal shelter worker by the name of David Nolan. They should be together, they were meant to be together. But even though she knew this, she couldn't exactly tell her roommate to pursue a married man. She still had yet to meet his wife, Regina's best friend. She wondered how hard of a woman Katherine Nolan must be to be the mayor's best friend. Mary Margaret kept claiming she was friendly, sweet and all around lovely, but Emma wasn't sure how someone could be friendly and be best friends with someone like Mayor Mills. And if she was so friendly why hadn't Emma run into her in the two weeks she'd been here? Of course that could be because Emma herself wasn't exactly the friendly type.

"Are you sure you really want to go on this date though, Emma?"

Emma snapped out of her thoughts at the woman's words, her brow furrowing. "What would make you say that?"

"Well, it's obvious there's something going on between you and Regina. Don't you both owe it to yourselves, and to Henry for that matter, to figure it out before you start pursuing August?"

Emma crossed her arms defensively across her chest. "For one thing, August is pursuing me, not vice versa, and for another thing, Regina and I might never work this thing out. I can't stay celibate for the rest of my life just in case Regina Mill's might one day decide to pull her head out of her ass long enough to see the truth of the situation."

"I just…"

But the schoolteacher was cut off from saying anything more by a knock at the door. Emma rushed forward and opened it, revealing a dashing looking August, and for a moment, he reminded her of that boy on the shores of Lake Berryetta who she'd lost her virginity to. That boy she had wanted so desperately to be her true love.

He was dressed in dark jeans, not the usual ones he wore everyday, these were of a better quality and cut. He wore his usual t-shirt, but the casualness of it was offset by the suit jacket he wore over it. In his hands was a small bouquet of flowers, which he held out to her with a flourish. "You look beautiful."

Emma herself had chosen to wear a skirt that would normally show off her shapely legs, but she'd decided to wear tights. It was Maine in the late fall after all. And she paired it with a silk blouse that she normally wore to job interviews. She generally had one token date dress that she'd wear in such instances as this but she had yet to replace her last one from the night Henry had showed up on her doorstep. So this ensemble would have to do in a pinch.

She tried to hold back an eye roll as she heard a girly sigh come from the direction of the couch. She took the flowers with a smile. "Thanks. You clean up nice."

Mary was suddenly at her side, reaching for the flowers. "I'll take care of putting these in some water. You two go have a good time."

August offered Emma his arm. "Shall we?"

Emma took it with a nod. "Lead the way."

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Once she relaxed a little and allowed herself to enjoy it, the dinner was actually great. It felt good to smile and laugh. It threw into glaring reality the truth of how low the mayor brought her down. She was on the defensive all the time now, and it came through in her mood, even if she didn't realize it. And being in the company of her old friend and one time lover felt better than it should, considering she was in love with someone else. But there was a familiarity with him that she lacked with Mayor Mills. He knew her secret, and he was okay with it. It made conversation easier and more fun. She could get used to his company.

He walked her to the front door of the building that housed her flat.

"This was really fun Emma."

She nodded, smiling. "It was a good night. I enjoyed myself."

"We could do it again."

Emma pretended to mull it over for a moment though she already knew her answer. "I might be able to adjust my busy schedule and pencil you in."

"Sunday night?"

Emma nodded. "Sounds good."

He went in for the kiss before she even realized what was happening. Their lips connected and Emma felt that old familiarity. He was the same. She was the same. And they'd always fit together. It was pleasant and she let him hold her face to his and drag the kiss out. But the whole thing was tinged with just the tiniest bit of wrong. And after he'd pulled away, wished her goodnight, and left, she couldn't help that her mind went straight to the woman whose invitation she'd declined to keep this date. Did she have a wonderful time on her date? Yes. It ranked up there in her top three, and she'd gone on many dates in her life in this world, some for work, some for play. Would she have had a better time with her son and his cold mother? Yes. Even if she had spent the night insulting everything Emma was, Emma would never stop desiring her company. Maybe she was a masochist.

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She hadn't even realized she'd been walking until she looked up at the white house. The windows were dark, the occupants asleep. It was after ten and the mayor had work in the morning, Henry had school. She wasn't even sure why she'd come here. It wasn't as if she could rewind the night and choose to spend the evening with Regina and Henry. She opened the gate and walked up the walkway. It wasn't until she was about to knock that she realized this was the stupidest idea she'd ever had. They were asleep. Regina would be furious she woke her up and downright murderous if she managed to wake Henry too. And for what? What did she possibly have to say? Was she going to regale Regina with the details of her wonderful date like they were some high school girls giggling about boys? She shouldn't have come here. She turned to leave just as the door opened behind her.

"Miss Swan?"

Emma turned around, her guilt written plainly across her face. "Did I wake you?"

Regina raised an eyebrow. "I was already up. Are you drunk? What are you doing on my stoop at eleven at night?"

Emma shrugged. "I…I…"

"You what?" The brunette didn't even try to hide her impatience.

Emma looked stung by the woman's tone, and she was. "I had a really good night and the first thing I wanted to do was tell you. It's stupid, I know. We're not even friends."

Regina's brow furrowed and Emma couldn't tell if the look in her eyes was impatience or anger or what, but it wasn't the normal contempt. That was something she could hold on to.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here. I'll see you in the morning Madam Mayor." She didn't even wait to hear the mayor's stinging retort. Her only goal was to get away from there as soon as possible.

Once Emma was gone, Regina went back inside and closed the door. She smirked. Breaking Emma Swan might be easier than she thought after all.