A/N: is messing with my formatting, so if it continues to look terrible and unreadable, the fic is also up on AO3 under the same name

Emma moaned as she felt the touch of the other girl, her hand moving along her body, sending goose bumps down Emma's spine. She ran her hands through the other girl's hair, before pulling her down and capturing her lips and their tongues circled each other. The two girls broke apart, and Emma opened her eyes and stared into the glorious brown eyes of Regina Mills.

"I need you." Regina said, and Emma recaptured the brunette's lips. Kissing them fiercely, passionately. Almost protectively. Like she wanted to show Regina how much she meant, how much she was worth. Like it was more than a kiss, it was a promise.

"God Regina, this is so good." Emma moaned as Regina's hand circled around her breasts- Emma felt herself get wet between her legs. Emma recaptured Regina's lips, missing the feeling of Regina's mouth on her. Regina moaned into Emma's mouth as Emma's hands moved across the older woman's back. She could feel every curve.

Regina's mouth left hers, but before she had the chance to complain, Regina started kissing her neck, sucking, probably hard enough to leave a mark. The idea that Regina was branding her, only turned her on even more, and she moaned, "Please, Regina..."

Regina stopped, shifted so she again was hovering over the other girl. "What do you want?"

"You, only you. All of you." Emma moaned, "Please."

Regina smirked, "Then that is what you shall have." Regina's hand moved down her body, touching, stroking, making Emma go insane with anticipation. All she needed was Regina inside of her. She needed to feel her.

Regina's hand found her panty line, playing with the line, teasing, before a hand found its way down, Regina's eyes never left hers. She could see the gleam in those gorgeous brown eyes. Emma's breathing increased, as her body was getting ready for what was coming. She felt her entire body tense as she felt…

"Emma! Get out of bed, we are going to be late!" The shrill voice of her older sister woke Emma with a bolt. Damn. First she realized where she was, and then the dream came back. The glorious not exactly G-rated dream, she had about a girl who was supposed to be just a friend.

Sure, it wasn't the first sex dream she ever had about Regina. She had to admit that for a while there they had been rather frequent, but it was the first she'd had since she started dating Fiona. Weren't her sex dreams supposed to be about the girl she is dating, not one of her best friends? Why couldn't she get Regina out of her system? Why was it so hard?

Regina had made it perfectly clear that she was only interested in friendship when it came to Emma, yet Emma's body kept doing this to her. She cursed herself, her stupid body. She also cursed her sister for waking her up at the worst time, and most of all she hated the fact that she didn't have time to finish herself. A quick cold shower would have to be enough.

Stupid stupid teenage hormones.

"I have to talk to you. Like now." Emma grabbed her best friend the minute she saw her walk out of her classroom. She had come to school completely ready to face Regina. I mean it had only been a dream right? And it was not even the first time it happened. She had texted Regina to say that she was running late, and wouldn't have time to meet her that morning as they usually do on Monday, which was partly true as she had overslept, and partly because she didn't feel like facing Regina with the dream still so fresh in her mind.

Then Fiona showed up early, even if she had first period free, just because she had wanted to see Emma. Fiona had walked her to class, kissed her goodbye and said that she would see her after school, and Emma had spent the entirety of first period freaking out.

It wasn't like she had cheated on her. I mean you can't choose your dreams, if you could Emma would make damn sure she never had to dream about that creepy clown who looked at her really inappropriately when she was 7 and the group home had gone to the circus.

"What, Em? Is there something wrong?" Ruby said, as they walked towards the room that usually was designated for club meetings. Knowing that that classroom always stood empty on Monday's, Emma and Ruby sat down and locked the door.

"Yes, I mean no." Emma sighed, "It's just..."

"Spill it, Em." Ruby said, "Come on. It's me."

"I had a dream about Regina last night…" Emma said.

"You mean a dirty kind of dream?" Ruby said, and almost laughed.

"It's not funny. I'm supposed to be dating Fiona. I am trying so hard to get over Regina, but how on God's earth am I supposed to do that if she keeps showing up in my dreams?"

"Showing up in your dreams and seducing you?" Ruby teased, "Come on, Em. It's not that big of a deal. So you are still attracted to Regina. I could have told you that. That's not the point. The point is that you are moving forward..."

"I felt so guilty when Fiona kissed me this morning, I couldn't think of anything else for all of first period. And we both know I have to pay attention in Algebra. I know that technically I didn't do anything wrong, but it still feels wrong."

"Oh, Em." Ruby said, and took her best friends hand, "I know that will always feel like you aren't good enough. That everything you do is wrong, maybe especially the things you can't control. But trust me. This has happened to all of us."

"Really?" Emma said, and looked at her best friend. Most of the time, Emma knew she would be lost with Ruby. Sure, she had a safe home now, a family that loved her. But there were still so many insecurities in her. So many parts of her that screamed that she was doomed to mess up. That people would always leave. That she would never be good enough.

"I dreamt about Justin Fareell just last week." Ruby said.

"Your ex, Justin?" Emma asked.

"Yeah. He was a great kisser. That doesn't mean that I don't think Peter is a good kisser, nor does it mean that I am still hung up on Justin. It just means that my body remembers that Justin was a good kisser."

"This is why you are my best friend you know?" Emma said, and gently squeezed Ruby's hand.

"Because I have dirty dreams about my exes?" Ruby joked.

"No…" Emma laughed, "Because you can always talk me down from a ledge. No matter how stupid said ledge is. I really don't know what I would do without you."

"Obviously crash and burn." Ruby said, "There is really no other outcome."

"Idiot." Emma said, and smacked Ruby with her free hand, not actually letting go of the other.

"That's why you love me."

"Yeah, it is." Emma pulled Ruby into a hug, "It really is."

The two girls broke apart, "So are you ready to face the world again without freaking out?"

"I think so." Emma said with a smile, while she moved towards the door and unlocked it. She opened the door and walked as only she could straight into Regina.

"Ow," Regina winced as their bodies collided, and seeing as it was far from the first time it happened, Emma noticed the unusual wincing. She looked at the older girl and noticed a bruised along her collarbone. She also looked more exhausted than usual.

"What happened to you?" Emma was worried. Regina was usually so pristine. Now she looked like she hadn't slept since before Thanksgiving. Everything that Emma had worried about when it came to seeing Regina just disappears, and now she wishes she hadn't cancelled that morning.

Her eyes were red, and Emma was sure that she could see a bruise forming in her face, in addition to the one on her collarbone. If Emma hadn't known better, she would have guessed that Regina had been in a fight.

"It's nothing," Regina fidgeted, "I went riding over Thanksgiving weekend, and something spooked Rocinante, and he threw me off. I landed really badly, on a bunch of rocks. I'm going to be fine." Regina gave Emma a strained smile.

"Regina…" Emma said, not sure she believed Regina, but knowing that she probably wouldn't get the real story. Whatever that might be.

"I'm fine. Trust me, this isn't the first time this happened, and I am pretty sure it won't be the last. I'll heal. I always do."

Emma still wasn't convinced, something didn't seem right, but she decided to let it go. Maybe she really did fall of her horse, what did Emma know? She had barely seen a horse, let alone fallen off one.

"If you say so." Emma said, "And I am sorry for cancelling on you this morning. I totally overslept."

"It's fine." Regina said with a smile, "I had some other stuff I had to take care of regarding the dance anyway."

"Oh, did you go shopping for the stuff we need for the decorations?" Ruby asked excitedly. With the dance less than 3 weeks away, the final preparations were in full swing. The battle of the bands weas that Friday, the food and drinks had all been ordered and paid for thanks to the raffle tickets sold at Halloween.

"Yes, I did. So if you two could come by the office after the GSA on Tuesday so we can start making them that would be great."

"Yes!" Ruby exclaimed, Ruby loved arts and crafts to Emma's wild amusement. She had never figured her best friend to be the DIY type, but as it turns out Ruby loved that sort of thing. "Also I am bringing Peter. He said he would love to help out with this stuff, but really I think it's just an excuse to get to hang out with me more, since Grams has been kinda strict about everything lately."

"The more the merrier. Really." Regina said, "I mean the fact that there are barely any of us on the committee to begin with, and you two weren't even supposed to go."

"Well, thankfully Emma and I learned that dating older people is the way to go." Ruby joked, "I mean, it would have been a shame to miss out on all of that fun."

"You know Fiona hasn't actually asked me to the dance yet, right?" Emma asked, "I mean I could still end up not going."

"Oh come on, Em. We both know she is going to ask you." Ruby said, and winked.

"Things are going well between you and Fiona then?" Regina asked, and Emma was surprised at the question. She and Regina had reached a point where Regina acknowledged that Fiona was someone important to Emma, but they didn't talk about it. At all.

"Yeah," She answered tentatively, still unsure about how to handle this situation. "It's going really good."

"So you're happy?" Regina asked, which just added to Emma's confusion. Where was all of this coming from?

"Yes. I am. More so than I thought." She answered honestly. Fiona has given her so much more than she had expected. It was nice to be wanted, and maybe more importantly to want back. Whatever residual feelings she still had for Regina didn't change the fact that the thing between her and Fiona was absolutely wonderful, new and exciting.

It was the thing she had only dreamt about. Someone she could possibly end up loving someday. She was dating an actual girl, something that just 6 months had been nothing but a distant dream.

"Good. You both deserve it." Regina said, "I really mean that."

Emma opened the door to a sight that quite frankly had become almost natural to her, Mary Margaret and Graham sitting in front of the living room TV watching some sort of sci-fi show that Graham insisted was necessary for any self-proclaimed geek. Ever since the Halloween Dance, and Graham's absolute awe at Mary Margaret's costume, these viewings had become a weekly occurrence. Usually on Thursdays, sometimes even Fridays and Saturdays despite that those days used to be dedicated entirely to dates and parties since Mary Margaret turned 15.

Emma could tell they were watching Fringe, because she recognized Joshua Jackson, who had stolen her little pre-teen heart as Pacey. She had tried to watch it with them last week, but she had gotten lost at "He's from the alternative universe that's why he glows," so she had just left them to it and went up to her room and Netflix'ed on her own. At least her head wouldn't have to try to understand alternative universes. She still didn't quite understand how LOST ended.

"Hi, I'm home," Emma said, and closed the door. She could tell that someone pushed the pause button.

"Hi, Emma. How was movie?" Mary Margaret asked as she walked into the living room. "It was fine. Nothing special, but you know, I enjoyed it."

"How's the gang?" Graham asked, "You know you could have asked me to come. I feel left out when you guys go out without me."

"Yeah, I can tell how absolutely sad you are. Here. With my sister." Emma said almost teasing. She knew how Graham felt about her sister. It was obvious in everything he did these days. She just wished her sister would wise up, dump David, and just get together with Graham already.

"Well, your sister is better company than you anyway. Also we have Fringe, which is undoubtedly better than anything you girls went to see. Without me." Graham snarked back.

Instead of answering, Emma turned to her sister. "Is there any food left? I'm starving. I didn't get the chance to eat anything before the movie." Emma chose not to disclose why she had almost been late to the movie. It wasn't really her fault that she lost all track of time when she was with Fiona. Especially if she was kissing her. They have gotten closer. Their make out sessions more intense.

It was actually freaking Emma out a little. She knew that Fiona was more experienced in that area than she was. Everyone had heard the rumors about Fiona and Katie getting caught having sex by Mrs. Drake in the girls locker room last year. It wasn't too farfetched to believe that maybe Fiona would want more. Maybe even soon.

Emma shook the thought from her mind. She really shouldn't be thinking about this now. She should just talk to Fiona about it. Tell her that she wasn't ready for that yet.

"Actually yes. There should be some pasta in the fridge. Dad is out, so it was just me and Graham."

"Where is dad?" Emma asked, their dad was never out at this time of night.

"I think he might have a date."

"What, with who?" Emma exclaimed, "But dad never goes on dates. I can't remember him every going out with anyone. Ever."

"I don't know. He didn't really say. And I chose not to pry. If it is something serious, he'll tell us. Just relax. Eat some pasta. Go to bed." Mary Margaret said, "You have an early day tomorrow."

"I know." Emma sighed, "Goodnight you two." Emma said as she walked into the kitchen, grabbed the pasta, and went up to her room.

"Do you want to grab some frozen yogurt or something before I drive you home?" Fiona asked as they walked through the mall, Fiona was carrying 6 bags filled with clothes while Emma had brought a pair of jeans, a dress for Christmas, and she had found the Iron Man comic where Hawkeye made his first appearance for Graham's Christmas gift. She was actually kind of proud of that one.

"Yes. I would love to." Emma said, and leaned in and gave Fiona a peck. She didn't even think twice about kissing the other girl in public anymore. Maybe she should, but she didn't.

"Do you want to go to the one opposite the movies or the one on Mifflin Street?" Fiona asked as they exited the mall.

"Actually, I think I might want a milkshake instead. Would you mind if we went to Granny's instead?" Emma flashed her brightest smile, knowing that Fiona wouldn't say no to it.

"Of course not, it's just around the corner too. Besides, you get the family discount." Fiona said with a wink.

"Emma!" Emma heard someone call her name and turned around to find Mary Margaret's five-year-old cousin, Philip. While Emma despises his mother, she couldn't help but love the little guy who knew no difference between her and her sister as she had been adopted before he'd been born.

"Hi, Philip. What are you doing here?" Emma asked the little boy, hoping that it was his dad that had brought him today.

"Momma and I have been shopping for Christmas." Alas, no such luck. So Jessica was around here somewhere. Maybe she would be lucky enough not to run into her. The day had been going so well and everything. She had spent her entire Saturday with Fiona. They had gone to see Fiona's little sister Sasha perform at her school, then gotten lunch and spent the rest of the day shopping at the mall.

But just as the thought had left Emma's mind, she could hear Jessica calling out for Philip. And before she had the chance to grab Fiona and run as fast as she could, the woman came into view. "Oh, there you are. You know you shouldn't run away like that."

"I just wanted to say hi to Emma." Philip said innocently, and Emma selfishly wished the boy could stay that young and sweet, and without the prejudices of his mother.

"Oh. Emma. Hello. I didn't see you there." Jessica said, and Emma could hear the disdain in her voice. Sometimes she wanted to slap the woman.

"Hello, Jessica. Nice to see you." Emma said with as much friendliness as she could muster, "But we should really get going." Emma gestured to Fiona, who smiled.

"I see, well, aren't you going to introduce us first?" Jessica asked, and now Emma really wanted to slap her. She really couldn't stand that woman.

"Of course," Emma said, and waived Fiona over. "This is Fiona Moreno. She is my..." Emma started. Should she say girlfriend? Was Fiona even her girl friend? Did Jessica need to know that Fiona was maybe-possibly her girlfriend? It would for sure wipe that stupid smile of her face.

"I'm her girlfriend." Fiona said, and at least that answered that question. Emma couldn't really help but smile. Fiona Moreno was her girlfriend.

"She is your… you are..." Jessica struggled to form a proper sentence and Emma wanted to laugh at her. Under normal circumstances the idea of coming out to someone as homophobic as her would be the last thing she would want, but she really didn't care what Jessica thought about her. If she was lucky, she wouldn't have to see the woman for another two years anyway.

"Yes. I am. And Fiona, this is Jessica White, my sister's aunt. It seems like the cat got her tongue," Emma said with snark, and leaned down to say goodbye to Philip. "Have a good day, Philip." Emma said and hugged him, "And you too, Jessica. As soon as you pick your jaw up off the ground there."

The two girls walked away, and walked the short distance to Granny's. Fiona didn't say a word and Emma wondered if she had said something. Or if her handling of Jessica had freaked her out. They walked into Granny's, Emma gestured to Gus, he smiled, nodded, and the two girls sat down in what Emma had come to call "her" booth in the very end of the diner.

"Did I say something wrong?" Emma finally asked as they settled down in the booth, "I probably shouldn't have talked that way to Jessica but I don't like her, and she doesn't like me."

"No. I'm just... Should I not have said that I was your girlfriend? I didn't mean to out to you to someone who it really seemed you would prefer not to know your business." Fiona said, and Emma took a relieved breath. Fiona was so sensitive to her feelings, and how new she was to all of this.

"Are you my girlfriend?" Emma asked, and smiled.

"I hope so. I mean, I want you to be." Fiona said, and Emma could swear that she could see Fiona blush, something that was a completely new thing. Fiona was always so self-assured about everything.

"Then you said nothing wrong. I don't care if Jessica knows that I am in a relationship with you. I really don't care much about her at all. And also, yes. You are my girlfriend." Emma said, leaned over the table and kissed Fiona fiercely.

"Now, let's get Gus over here so we can get our milkshake on." Emma said, causing Fiona to laugh. And Emma had to admit her life was pretty darn amazing right now.

Fiona gently pushed Emma until her back was against the bed, and the brunette was hovering over her. Emma wasn't even quite sure how they had ended up like this. It had seemed casual and easy enough just inviting Fiona up to her bedroom so they could watch a movie without the prying eyes of Emma's father.

But the movie was long forgotten, and Fiona ran her hands down Emma's arms, to her wrists and brought them above her head; she then trailed her hands back down, to her sides, as they stared intently into each other's eyes. Emma was, not for the first time, taken aback by her girlfriend's incredible beauty, the way her curls framed her face, and the sparkle in her eyes.

The brunette leaned down, capturing Emma's lips and the blonde fervently kissed her back. They had made out before, but this felt different to Emma. There was a hunger in the way Fiona was kissing her, and Emma felt it too.

Their tongues circled each other, exploring until Fiona pulled back, nipping at Emma's bottom lip. Emma moaned at the action, which only seemed to spur Fiona on more. The brunette's hands travelled to the hem of Emma's shirt and beneath the fabric causing her breath to hitch and goose bumps to erupt everywhere the other girl touched.

Fiona stopped just below Emma's bra, and ran her thumbs along the brunette's ribs. After trailing kisses along Emma's jaw and down her neck, Fiona's hand started inching up, running along the smooth fabric of Emma's bra.

"We have to stop." Emma said, reaching down to still the brunette's hands. Fiona quickly removed her hands and jumped to the other side of the bed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Emma said, reaching out for Fiona's hand, "We're just – I'm just..." Emma sighed, running her free hand through her hair. "It's okay," Fiona said, "Sometimes I forget how new you are to all of this. I didn't mean to push you."

"I'm just not..." Emma sighed.

"Not ready." Fiona finished. "And that's alright. I would never push you into something you aren't ready for. I hope you know that. I don't need, I mean we don't have to have sex."

"It's just… I'm still... I mean, I haven't.." Emma stumbled on her words, and it wasn't that she didn't want to sleep with Fiona. She really liked her, and she was gorgeous and everything. She just wasn't ready for that step.

"I get it." Fiona smiled, leaned over and kissed Emma gently. "There is no rush. We can do this your speed."

"That doesn't mean we can't still make out though." Emma said with a grin, and pushed Fiona back down on the bed before attacking her mouth feverishly.

It was the Monday before the big dance, and Emma was starting the get worried about Fiona asking her. While she had originally not even thought she would go to this dance, she didn't think she would have a date that was old enough to take her. She didn't actually think she would be dating anyone at all. With her mind being on Regina and Regina only and all, but now she had an actual girlfriend. An actual senior girlfriend. And all of this planning the dance, seeing how all of it comes together, making the decorations, choosing the bans. Now she really wanted to be able to enjoy the labor of her hard work. She wanted to go to the dance dammit.

Regina had even brought it up again this morning when they were going over Emma's algebra homework, asking if they had brought their tickets yet because Regina offered to get them free ones, since Emma was on the committee after all. Why hadn't she asked her yet?

Just then, her phone let her know that she had a new text from Fiona.

"Can you meet me at your locker, I think I left my history book in there."

Emma walked over to her locker, where she saw Fiona standing. "I'm so sorry. I have looked everywhere else for it, and then I remembered that I left it there last Friday because I didn't want to walk back to my own locker."

"It's fine." Emma said, and it really was. But she was really bummed out that Fiona hadn't asked her yet.

So she opened her locker, and in it was two Barbie dolls who looked somewhat liked them, with a speech bubble saying, "Will you go to the Winter Dance with me?"

"Fiona!" Emma said, and almost jumped up. Not was Fiona just asking her out, but she had done it the same way that Ashley asked Spencer to prom on South of Nowhere. She leaned in and kissed her fiercely.

"So is that a yes?" Fiona asked and winked.

"Of course it's a yes. I would love love love to go the dance with you." Emma said, before kissing her again.

"Come on, let's go and get a hot cocoa at Granny's. It's freezing outside, and I want something sweet and tasty," Fiona said, and winked.