"I can't wait for this weekend," grinned Ruby as she stretched out on the grass of the park, Regina sitting a few feet away with her nose in a book, Katheryn on her other side, sunbathing.

"We all know why," grinned Katheryn, knowing the lanky girl was already day dreaming of a whole weekend with Belle.

The shorter haired brunette looked up. "I can't wait to be away from my mother for two days. She has this drinks thing on Thursday and hasn't stopped going on about it."

"And because you're away after school on Friday you won't even have to help with the clean up," grinned Katheryn.

"Or listen to her gloat about how well it went!" added Ruby. "Emma still coming? She looked a bit weird when I mentioned it the other day."

"She just didn't have a tent," said Regina.

"She's still coming though?" asked Katheryn.

Regina nodded, her head back in her book. "Yes, she's sharing with me." She sighed after a few minutes, closing her book. "Stop giving each other that look. She didn't think she could go because she didn't have a tent, and you know mine is like a mini mansion."

"Hey, we didn't say anything!" defended Ruby.

"You didn't have to," mumbled Regina.

Pushing herself off of the grass, Ruby came to sit close to Regina, an arm around her shoulders. "Why are you still giving yourself a hard time about liking her?"

"She's been here a week!" exclaimed Regina, as if that explained everything.

"And?" asked Katheryn. "It doesn't matter if you like her after a day or a year, you still like her. And there's nothing wrong with that."

"My mother wouldn't think so," mumbled the brunette, uncharacteristically leaning into Ruby, even letting Katheryn hug her other side.

"Okay, let me ask something?" said Ruby, pulling back slightly to look at the other brunette's face. "If you mother wasn't an issue, would you ask her out?"

The pair watched as Regina's mouth opened a number of times, but no words came out. Finally she took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "Yes," she whispered. "But how do I know she even likes me? I mean…She might not even like girls…"

"Regina!" Ruby cut in. "She likes you. Trust me, she likes you."

Regina sighed. "It doesn't even matter. My mother is an issue."

"Excuse me," said Katheryn. "How many things have we hidden from your mother over the years? The first time you got drunk you stayed at mine for two days and she didn't even notice you were gone. I'm sure sneaking around a little to see Emma wouldn't be that hard."

Katheryn had a point, Regina realised. Her mother tended to be very wrapped up in her work, never questioning her if she said she was going out somewhere. If her excuses were to be believed, she practically lived in the library. That would be more true of Ruby, who had taken to camping out there whenever Belle worked shifts after school.

"So," said Ruby. "You gonna ask her, or do we have to do it for you?"

"I am perfectly capable of asking her out myself!"

Ruby grinned. "Oh I know you are, question is, will you?"

"Yes!" said Regina, who then spooked at her own shout. "Just…in my own time, okay?"

Katheryn and Ruby grinned at one another, leaving Regina to her internal monologue.