"Hi, I'm home," Emma said as she entered the house, she looked over to the TV area where she found her sister, watching another one of those Rachel McAdams movies she loved so much, which usually meant she had fought with James again.

"Were you out with Fiona again?" Mary Margaret asked when Emma sat down next to her, "I feel like I have barely seen you these past two weeks."

"Yes, I was. And so what if we've been on 10 dates since Halloween? I really like her," Emma answered, almost defensively.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I am happy for you," Mary Margaret smiled, "So what did you guys do this time?"

"We saw a movie," Emma answered with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Which one?"

"I have no idea. I couldn't even tell you what it was about. We didn't see very much..." Emma blushed.

"My baby sister is growing up..." Mary Margaret said in a faux sad voice, and then proceeded to pinch Emma's cheek.

"Haha," Emma said, sarcastically.

"No, but Em. This is a big moment in your life, the first time you went to the movies to make out instead of watching the movie."

"It's not that big of a deal, MM. I really like hanging out with Fiona, and she likes me."

"I'm happy for you, I really am. It makes me so happy to see you like this. I was worried there for a while."

"You were worried about me?"

"I always worry about you," Mary Margaret said, and placed her hand on her sister's leg. "And when you came out, I worried. I worried you wouldn't be able to have this. And now you do."

"Yeah, I really do. I am not saying I am falling in love with her or anything, but it's nice to see that as a possible future you know? I mean, this feels different than it did with Brian or with Justin," Emma said brightly.

"I'm glad. You deserve everything, Emma."

Emma looked at her sister, and to the movie that was playing, "So do you. Please don't forget it."

"Em…"

"I'm not going to say anything, I promise. Just take care of yourself," Emma said, before standing up, kissing her sister's head.

"I'll try," Mary Margaret said, and Emma felt her heart break a little at the fact that her sister let her boyfriend treat her like that. But there was nothing she could do. She could only hope that Mary Margaret would see that light, or that James would. She wanted to say something; instead she just said, "I love you."

"I love you too."

"So, it's been a little over two weeks. How are things going with you and Fiona?" Graham asked casually as they were sitting in the student council room waiting for Regina to finish up with yearbook, and Ruby to get done with track so they could go get their weekly Friday pizza.

"It's great," Emma said dreamily. "She's fun, she makes me smile, she has a great sense of humor, and she gets me."

"Besides she is super-hot," Graham added.

"Graham!" Emma exclaimed in a voice of fake shock.

"Come on, she totally is Em. Just because she plays for your team doesn't mean I can't look." He smirked at her, and Emma slapped him playfully.

"You are such a pig some times, Gray."

"Just keeping it real."

"You're an ass. I am so glad I'm into girls," Emma said jokingly. "But also, you are right. She is smoking hot."

"Ha. I knew you were as shallow as I am. You just pretend to be all superior with your lesbian skills."

"Why am I even friends with you?" Emma asked.

"Because you loooove me," Graham started making kissing sounds, and puckering his lips.

"Eww…Boys cooties." Emma said and ran to the other side of the room where she collapsed in laughter. This was the very reason why she was friends with Graham. Why they had hit it off so well. They just matched.

"Also speak of the devil…" Graham said, and motioned to the door where Fiona was standing.

"Hi. What are you doing here?" Emma said, and walked to the door and kissed Fiona gently.

"I figured you'd be here. Since you are pretty much always here," Fiona joked, "And I wanted to ask you out tonight. I know you and the gang have plans now, but I wondered if you wanted to go the Rumbling Dingoes show? They are playing at the old Warehouse."

"I'd love to." Emma said, and kissed Fiona softly.

"Good. Killian gave me back stage passes. This really just means that we can hang out back stage and get free stuff, but you know still back stage passes."

"I already said I'm in, you don't need to seduce me with fancy stuff you know..." Emma said mischievously.

"Oh trust me; you have seen nothing of my seduction skills yet." She said with a wink, "I'll pick you up at 7."

"I'm looking forward to it," Emma said, and blushed, "All of it."

As the door closed, and Fiona left, Graham spoke, "Damn, that girl got some serious game."

"Shut it, Gray."

"Hi, I'm going out. I shouldn't be too late," Emma said to her sister as she put on her jacket, and looked for her scarf in the hallway closet.

"Does dad know you are going out?"

"Of course. He said it was okay as long as I am home till eleven, and that I've done all my homework. Which I have," Emma said, rather proudly. She had managed to do all of her algebra homework with minimal stress. The Monday mornings with Regina had really helped her, and if she continued this way, she might even get a B in the subject, which is a huge improvement from the D she currently had.

"Where are you going?"

"They are showing 'Cinema Paradiso' at the Box tonight," Emma said with a smile, the Italian classic was one of her favorite movies. She still remembered the first time she saw it, and it was in many ways the reason why she loved classic movies so much.

"Are you taking Fiona?" Mary Margaret asked.

"No, I'm going with Regina." Emma said, excited. She was looking forward to Regina seeing the movie, hoping she would like it as much as she did.

"Really?" Mary Margaret asked skeptically, and the tone in her voice really annoyed Emma. She loved her sister, but who she chose to go to the movies with was really none of her business.

"Seriously? First you complain that I am spending too much time with Fiona, despite the fact that we are dating, and you spend more time with James than I do with her. And now you are all concerned or something because I am taking Regina to a movie?" Her tone was harsh, probably harder than she intended.

"I just… I know how you feel about Regina. And then the added history of her and Fiona, I just.." Her sister said, more carefully, and Emma regretted the tone she'd used. She knew her sister was only looking out for her, but her thing with Regina was still so precious to her and it was just theirs. And her thing with Fiona was new and wonderful.

"Regina is one of my best friends, MM. I don't know how it happened, but it did. So I am taking her to see a movie I think she would love. And I know for a fact that Fiona would hate it. She refuses to watch anything made prior to 1995 that isn't animated. She hasn't even seen the Breakfast Club, MM."

That was the one thing about Fiona that truly annoyed Emma, but if that was the biggest thing, Emma was pretty sure she could live with it. It also meant that she didn't really have to explain to Fiona why she loved The Box so much, and that somehow felt like a relief.

"Em…"

"I know what I am doing okay?" Emma said softly.

"I know they have a history, even though no one except the two of them seems to know exactly what happened but neither one of them expect me to shut the other person out. They are even almost civil when they see each other now. Fiona gets that Regina is a part of my life, and Regina would never ask me to ditch Fiona because of their past. She isn't like that."

Emma paused, "And whatever feelings I have or had for Regina are beside the point. We're friends. Good friends. And I am super grateful for to her for letting me in as much as she has. So yeah, I am taking Regina to see a movie tonight."

"I'm sorry, Em."

"You don't have to be. You just have to trust me on this. I won't choose between them and neither one of them is asking me to."

"I shouldn't have said anything. I just…"

"I get it." And Emma did, while the weeks since the Halloween dance had been great for her, it had been less so for her sister. James was growing distant and annoying, and there had been a few nights too many in Emma's mind where she had found her sister on the couch with a pint of ice cream and a Rachel McAdams movie.

"You go have a nice time." Mary Margaret said with a smile, and Emma smiled back.

"I will. Thank you."

"Any way you can just cancel Thanksgiving weekend?" Emma asked as she dramatically lay down on the couch in the student council room, it was the Tuesday before the break.

"I'm afraid that falls way out of my responsibilities. Anyway, I would have thought you'd love Thanksgiving? All that food and no school."

"I do love Thanksgiving. Every other year," Emma answered

"That was oddly specific. Why every other year?" Regina asked curiously.

"Because we alternate grandparents and while dad's family is everything I ever wished for. Eva's family is…not."

"Eva?"

"Mary Margaret's mom," Emma said, a little sad, "I mean I understand why we have to go. It wouldn't be fair to MM to lose that side of her family, along with her mom. But they really don't like me."

"Is it because of the…" Regina started, and then paused.

"The gay thing?" Emma suggested, "No. They don't even know. They have never liked me."

"Why?"

"The same reason they don't really like dad. They feel like he married into money, and wasn't worth Eva's love or something. And then multiply that with me, who according to them is some sort of street rat who came to steal all their money."

"Wow, I thought my family had issues," Regina almost joked, "So that's why you want me to cancel the whole thing?"

"Pretty much. I mean, MM's grandparents are great. They never treated me any different, but her aunt and cousins? I can't even…" Emma said, the anger seething in her voice. "Like I chose to be an orphan, like I planned any of this, as if a 10 year old can plan out a plan to take a family for all they are worth. They were all I ever wanted, and I didn't care that they were rich. I cared that they wanted me."

"Hey, Em," Regina said carefully, using the abbreviated version of her name that Regina never used. "No matter what they might say to, or think about you. Remember that your family chose you."

"I know. And for that I will be forever grateful. Doesn't mean I have to like the fact that I have to spend the weekend with those bigoted annoying rich folk."

"Trust me, I know how you feel..." Regina started, "I think Thanksgiving is the only holiday where my entire family is together, and let's just say they aren't the coziest of people."

There it was again, just that twinge of hurt and anger that always seemed to show up in Regina's voice when she talked about her family. Emma felt like there was a story in there somewhere, something important. Possibly life changing, but if Regina wanted to keep it to herself. Emma would let her, because if it was one thing Emma Swan-Blanchard knew it was how important it was to keep some things to yourself. Especially things related to family.

"So I take it you aren't looking forward to Thanksgiving weekend either?" Emma said, switching the topic from herself to Regina.

"It's complicated," Regina said, "At least my dad is coming home. I haven't seen him in a very long time."

"Are your parents divorced?" Emma asked, realizing that she has never really heard Regina talk about her dad in regards to her home life. It was always about what her mother wanted.

"No," Regina said, "I mean, not technically at least. But seeing as my dad spends 10 months of the year in Europe, and my mother usually spends most of the 2 months Dad is home in New York…" she trailed off.

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't be. It's probably better this way," Regina said, a little sadly. "I wish Dad was home more though. But I can't complain. I really shouldn't. Especially not to you."

"Everyone is allowed to complain a little every once in a while. It's healthy." Emma said, "Besides I was the one who wanted you to cancel the entire thanksgiving weekend so I wouldn't have to spend time with MM's stupid family."

"You have a point. That was rather selfish of you," Regina said, causing Emma to smile widely. "You really should think about other people sometimes."

"Oh, shut up," Emma said.