Emma entered Regina's office at lunchtime.

"Hello, Miss Swan, or should I call you Deputy Swan?" Regina said.

"You can stick with Emma. Can you believe I am a deputy again?" she said sitting down in a chair in front of Regina's desk.

"You did resign your position as sheriff when you went back to New York. I am afraid that job now belongs to your father. At least he gave you a job."

"Still," she said. "How am I supposed to compete with the mayor when I am a deputy?"

"I didn't realize we were in a competition."

"Please, we have been in a competition since I got into this town," she said. "But that is not why I am here. I am here to see if you wanted to get some lunch."

Regina thought for a moment how easy it seemed to talk to Emma now, yet it was so hard before when they were actual adversaries. Back then she would never have thought she would get to the point where Emma would be asking her out to lunch.

"I wish I could," Regina said. "But I have a lot of work to do today."

"You can't skip lunch."

"I can't skip city business either," she said. "Henry and I were going to see a movie tonight though if you wanted to go with us."

"I can't. Deputy Swan has road patrol tonight."

Neither said anything for a few moments.

"This whole trying to date thing isn't easy is it?" Emma said.

"I don't imagine it is much different than any other people trying to date."

"We've gotten together twice since I have been back and ever since then it's been one thing after another. I could go out because I had to go to New York to pack up our stuff and move it back here. You couldn't go out because you had a committee meeting. Henry had a cold. I had to get recertified for my firearm. If I believed in fate I would be thinking fate was against us here."

"I can see where you might think that," Regina said. "I am not any happier about it than you are. Unfortunately life gets in the way sometimes."

"It shouldn't be getting in the way this much. I am not leaving here until we schedule our next official date."

"Ok," Regina said. "How about Friday night?"

"Um, I sort of promised Ruby that I would go out with her that night."

Regina gave her a look like 'are you serious?'

"What about Saturday night?"

"I work," Emma said. "Hey don't blame me, blame the sheriff. He makes the schedules."

"Yes, and he probably purposely made you work so we couldn't get together."

"My father wouldn't do that," Emma said. "I told you, they are ok with me making my own choices on who I choose to see."

Regina had to admit that she hadn't received any death stares or threats from the Charmings since she and Emma had made it known that they would be dating. Still, she didn't necessarily think that meant a total acceptance on their part.

"What about Sunday?" Emma said. "Do you have anything going on Sunday that would prevent us from getting together?"

"Nothing beyond having Henry."

"Henry can go hang out with my parents," Emma said. "Sunday, it's you and me."

"What would you like to do on Sunday?"

"I will take care of arranging something suitable for us to do, you just make sure nothing comes up in your life to prevent us from going," she said.

"Ok, I think I can manage that," Regina smiled. "Now I really do need to get back to work."

"Fine, fine," Emma said coming around to her side of the desk. "I should at least get a kiss since you turned me down for lunch."

She bent down and gave Regina a quick kiss before heading out.

…

Sunday rolled around and Regina couldn't help but wonder what Emma had in store for her. She had been instructed to dress casually, so here she was dressed in a pair of khakis and a light blue shirt. It was about as dressed down as she got so she hoped Emma was ok with her attire.

When Emma arrived she was dressed in a pair of jeans and a simple black shirt with three-quarter sleeves and a V-neck. They got into Emma's car and after a few minutes of small talk Regina looked more critically at the direction they were going in.

"Where are we going exactly?" she asked.

"I wanted it to be a surprise but there isn't much out in this direction."

Regina knew immediately where they were going. "Turn the car around."

"What? Why?"

"I can't go there."

"But, you own it."

"Yes, I do, but I have never actually been there."

"What? You said you loved riding horses. I thought we could go for a ride and then grab dinner."

"I appreciate the thought, really I do, but I just can't. Turn the car around."

Emma saw the look on her face and pulled the car over to the side of the road and parked it. "I'm sorry," Emma said.

"You don't have to apologize."

"Clearly I do. You are like two shades whiter right now. I didn't mean to upset you. I thought it would be a nice way to spend the afternoon together."

Regina turned to her. "I don't want you to think this is a reflection of you. It's not. I haven't been on a horse in years. I poured money into have the stables built and buying the horses so the kids and the community would have a place they could ride or learn to ride. I just … I've never been there."

"Because of Daniel," Emma said, not really asking the question. She cursed herself silently for not realizing that this would be issue for Regina. She had thought since Regina loved horses she would get to see her enjoying a relaxing afternoon. Now she felt like the whole day was shot.

"I will take you home," Emma said putting the car in gear.

"Wait," Regina said exhaling a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. She looked down the road knowing that in about two miles they would end up at the Storybrooke Stables. "Let's keep going."

"Regina, we don't have to do this."

"I know," she said pausing. "I know we don't have to, but I think I need to. I've been avoiding that place too long for reasons I can't even explain to myself. I want to go."

"We're supposed to be on a date, having fun, I don't want to see you get upset."

"And I can't promise I won't get upset. I can't even promise that I will be able to get out of the car once we get there. I also know I don't think I could go there on my own and there is no one else I trust more to go with me than you."

Emma was still skeptical, but she pulled back onto the road and headed toward the stables. They were silent the entire time and Emma could see Regina was lost in her own thoughts. Emma was sure this was the worst idea for both of them.

She stopped the car outside the entrance. "Are you sure about this?"

"No," Regina said. "I want to go anyway."

She pulled in and drove to the parking lot. You could see the stable and some of the training rings on the drive up. Emma had only been to it once when she first became sheriff and was exploring the town. She was surprised by how big the place was – until she found out Regina owned it and then she wasn't surprised.

She parked the car and looked at Regina who was staring the stable. They didn't speak to each other and Emma was sure Regina would not be getting out of the car. She kept waiting for Regina to tell her it was time to leave.

But then Regina reached for the door handle and got out.

Emma had to scramble to pull out the key and get out as well. She came around the side of the car as Regina began to walk to the stables. Emma caught up and walked beside her. She wasn't sure what was going to happen but knew she needed to be there for Regina.

They walked not into the stable but to one of the rings. Regina leaned against the fence and watched as one of the trainers worked with a horse.

"That's the stables newest addition," Regina said. "I had him bought two weeks ago. He is from Colorado actually just old enough to be sold and brought cross country. He comes from a fine line of horses that are known for their endurance. He is more beautiful in person than he was in the pictures and video."

Emma would be the first to admit she knew nothing about horses but she could tell that Regina was completely captivated by the sight of him. They continued to stand there and watch, Regina making the occasional comment about the technique that the trainer was using.

"Mayor Mills."

They turned as a man came toward them.

"Gary," Regina said as he got closer and shook her hand. "Emma this is Gary Davis. He is in charge out here." Emma exchanged greetings with him.

"I see you were taking a look at Silverhawk," Gary said nodding his head toward the horse.

Regina turned again to look at the stallion. "He is worth every penny."

"I agree there. Have you decided if you want to breed him yet? Mixing his stock with Madeline's line could produce you a whole new generation of horses that aren't just fast, but no how to finish a race."

"Do you have racing horses?" Emma said.
"Not exactly," Regina said. "The stable here is actually quite lucrative especially since the curse was broken and we were able to conduct business with the outside world easier. It's more than paid for its building several times over."

"How did you do that? People who cross the border lose their memories."

"Thanks to Rumple we have a way around that now, but before then, well I didn't have any memories to lose by crossing the border so I handled the transactions before. Gary or one the stable hands would handle the loading and I would meet them in town and I would take it from there."

"Mayor Mills has a keen eye for the horses," Gary said. "Even if she didn't own all of this I would still consult with her on these matters."

"The breeding aspect is just the business part of it," Regina said. "The reason this was built was for the community, especially the kids. If we were in our world they would all probably know how to ride a horse, but here it's not the same."

"Still," Gary said. "There are kids who come here and from the first moment they see a horse you can see this glint in their eyes and you know that kid is going to be rider."

"Speaking of riding, can you have two horses saddled for me and Emma?"

"Of course. Do you have a preference on who you want to ride?"

"I've always want to ride Kennedy actually," she said and then looked at Emma. "You may want to saddle one of the more tame horses for Miss Swan – perhaps Casey or Shannon."

"Will do," he said.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Emma asked,

Regina again looked at Silverhawk. "Yes I am."

"Ok, but why do I get a tame horse?"
"Ridden much Miss Swan?"

"Not horses," she smiled.

"Cute. When we are done with our ride then you can ask me again why I requested a tame horse."