A/N: gotta keep the drama to keep it interesting. It won't all be plain sailing between our lovely ladies but I can promise a happy ending …

As always, thank you so much for the reviews, favourites, and follows. Every one makes me smile! And I can't believe this story has over 100 followers! I'm so happy you are enjoying my story!

Emma wiped her face, gathered up her sweaty clothes and walked hurriedly from the bathroom. As soon as she got to her bunk, she pulled on clean underwear, donned a fresh set of prison issue clothes and climbed into bed.

Red noticed Emma's puffy eyes but said nothing, watching her friend dart around her room until she settled under the covers.

"Swan?" Red said, tentatively.

"I'm fine," Emma replied, turning to face the wall.

"No you're not," Red said, standing and moving to sit beside Emma, running a hand lightly over her shoulder. She felt the blonde shake slightly beneath her palm.

Emma sniffed, trying not to cry harder. "No, I'm not," she agreed, "but I will be. I just need a bit of time."

"Is this something to do with Mills?" Red guessed. She wasn't stupid and she had seen the way the two women interacted. Something was going on between them and Red was beginning to grow more concerned.

Emma didn't reply, didn't move. That was enough for Red to know she was right.

"Can I do anything to help?" Red asked.

"No. Thanks though, Red," Emma said quietly.

"Anytime Swanny," Red said, squeezing Emma's shoulder gently as she got up and walked out of the bunk to meet French in the dining hall.

Emma heard Red leave and allowed her body to sag further into the thin mattress, shaking with sobs once more. She couldn't go to the dining hall now. She knew she should eat, for the baby's sake, but showing her face where Mills would be waiting for her could put the baby even more at risk if Faery and Feinberg decided to give Emma a beatdown for so much as looking at the brunette.

Emma wondered what had happened since her conversation with the brunette earlier. That morning Regina had said she would talk to her cronies, explain to them that they were not to hurt the blonde. At least that's what she said she would tell them. What if she changed her mind? About Emma. About their relationship. What if she told the three thugs Emma was pursuing her and she didn't want the attention? Maybe the women came to tell Emma to back off because that was what Regina really wanted.

No, Emma shook her head firmly. No one could fake the passion and emotion they shared the previous evening. There was no way Regina's feelings towards her were anything but genuine. Faery and Feinberg couldn't have been acting on the brunette's orders … Could they?

Tormented by her thoughts, Emma sat up and reached for The Great Gatsby before lying back down, hoping Fitzgerald could distract her from the mess of a life she found herself in. As she read, her hand drifted to lay protectively over her still flat stomach.

"Emma?"

The voice was softer, quieter than usual but Emma knew exactly who was stood in the doorway. Her body tensed as she lay, waiting for Regina to say something else.

The brunette frowned as she regarded the younger woman. Emma was lying on her bed, a book open in front of her and the blankets pulled tightly around. At the sound of her voice, the blonde had visibly jumped but hadn't yet turned over to look at her lover.

"Where were you?" Regina asked, moving further inside the room.

Silence.

"Emma? What's wrong?" the brunette pressed, moving to sit beside the woman still resolutely facing the wall.

As the bed dipped, Emma whipped her head around to stare, wide eyed at the woman now sat before her.

"What?" Regina asked panicked. "What happened? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Pushing herself up, Emma gathered here blanket around her, looking carefully at Regina.

"You don't know?" the blonde asked in a small voice.

"Know what?" Regina asked, her tone rising. "Honey, please, you're scaring me."

"Faery and Feinberg," Emma whispered.

Regina frowned. "What about them?"

"They found me in the bathroom, told me to stay away from you. Did you send them?"

Regina's eyes widened as Emma spoke. "You think … you think I asked those two idiots to tell you to stay away from me?" The blonde nodded. "I'm crazy about you, Emma," Regina said earnestly, reaching a hand out and placing it gently on the blonde's knee. "I told Faery, Feinberg and Trident at lunch that I would be eating dinner with you. I didn't tell them we were dating or together or whatever we are. But they read between the lines. They seemed fine with it, at least, they didn't say anything to me. Oh honey, I'm so sorry!" The hand on Emma's knee squeezed softly.

The blonde looked intently at the woman before her. Remorse had replaced the panic on Regina's face as she spoke. She appeared genuinely surprised at Emma's revelation and certainly sincere when she apologised.

Emma took a deep breath. "You really didn't send them?"

"No, Emma," Regina implored. "Please believe me, I would never do anything to hurt you."

Emma nodded, reaching up to covered Regina's hand with her own. "I'm sorry I suspected you. I find it hard to trust people"

Regina waved her hand, dismissing the apology as unnecessary as she turned her palm over and squeezed Emma's tightly in hers.

"So," Emma started. "What do we do now?"

"You mean about the fact that two of my cronies," Emma's beloved air quotes were back, "went behind my back, threatened you and disobeyed my order?" The blonde nodded. "Don't worry, you leave them to me but I promise you're safe ok. If they come near you again, please tell me."

"I will."

Regina smiled reassuringly, glanced towards the door and then leant towards Emma to place a chaste kiss on the blonde's lips.

"So, have you eaten?" Regina asked as she pulled away.

Emma shook her head just as her stomach rumbled audibly.

Regina chuckled. "Come on, I have a couple of instant noodle packets in my cabinet. We can use the kettle in the tv room and make some dinner. The food Athena served tonight was appalling anyway."

She stood and held out her hand. Emma took it without hesitation and the two of them walked out to the corridor. Reluctantly they released each other when they emerged into the main hallway but they walked side by side down to Regina's bunk. Emma waited as the brunette dug around in her cabinet, admiring the shapely ass which looked good even through the baggy beige uniform. Regina straightened up with two Pot Noodles in her hands and turned around, an eyebrow raised as she saw the slightly glazed over expression on Emma's face.

"See something you like Miss Swan?" she asked, wiggling her butt teasingly as she walked towards the blonde.

"Yes," Emma growled, reaching around and grasping both cheeks firmly.

Regina yelped and pushed Emma away, moving past her into the corridor. The blonde grinned and jogged after her.

The tv room was relatively busy. Sunday nights meant a new Once Upon a Time episode was airing and groups of inmates were sat, talking excitedly about the previous week's cliffhanger. Regina and Emma made their way to the back corner where a kettle, microwave, sink and a small collection of plastic utensils were kept for inmates to use whenever they wanted. Officer Nolan stood in the corner, watching them as Regina filled up the kettle and flicked it on to boil. She then leant against the counter, Emma moving to stand next to her as they waited for the water. Making sure their arms were hidden from Nolan, Regina moved her pinky finger to intertwine with Emma's, both women smiling at the secret, intimate touch.

When the kettle clicked off, Regina reluctantly let go of Emma's finger and turned back around. Peeling off the lids, she filled the pots with steaming water, stirred and re-covered them.

"Which one do you want?" she asked Emma, gesturing to the two flavours.

Emma squinted to read the labels through the darkness of the tv room. "Erm, sticky rib please."

Regina grinned widely at her.

"What?" Emma asked.

"Nothing, it's just Chinese chow mien is my favourite," she said, pointing to the other pot.

"Looks like we're a match made in heaven," Emma winked.

"Match made in prison," Regina laughed, reaching for two forks and handing Emma her meal. "Where do you want to eat?"

Emma looked around. The room was packed and a few inmates were looking curiously at the queen of the prison chatting and laughing so freely with a new inmate. "Not here," she said, nodding her head towards the door.

They walked out, Regina following just behind Emma as they headed down the corridor. The blonde thought quickly about where to take the older woman. The chapel was too dark. The laundry room would be locked. They weren't allowed outside. Making up her mind, Emma turned right and headed towards the infirmary.

Regina frowned as she saw the door ahead of them. "I know the food isn't top notch but I doubt you'll need medical assistance after you eat it."

Emma laughed before opening a door on her right and stepping back.

"The library?" Regina asked, surprised.

"Yep," Emma nodded, guiding the brunette gently through with her hand at the small of her back and closing the door behind them. "My friend French usually mans it but I spotted her in the tv room with Red so I figured it would be empty. Convicts aren't the biggest readers."

Regina smiled widely at Emma's plan. The blonde grinned back before dumping her noodles on a table and moving to pull two chairs from a stack by the wall. Placing them opposite each another, Emma pulled one out slightly and motioned for Regina's to sit down. Pleasantly surprised by the blonde's chivalry, Regina sat in the proffered chair as Emma slid it expertly underneath her. Hurrying around, the young woman sat in the chair opposite and pulled her food towards her.

Both women grinned at each other before tucking into their meals. Quickly realising noodles weren't the most attractive food to eat, Regina tried hard to not splatter the sauce down her chin as they swung from the flimsy plastic fork. When she looked up at Emma, she burst out laughing at the brown streaks on the younger woman's chin.

"It's not funny," Emma complained through a mouthful of noodles. "I tried to stop them."

Regina continued to chuckle as she pulled a clean tissue from her pocket and handed it wordlessly to the red faced blonde.

They chatted as they ate, mostly about books as they were surrounded by them. Regina loved to read too, crime novels specifically but she had finished all the relevant titles held in the prison library in the first year of her incarceration. She had tried to expand her interests to other genres but never found the storylines gripping enough.

"You have to read Gatsby though," Emma argued as Regina shook her head. "It's a classic! You saw the movie right?"

"I've been in FCI for two and a half years Emma," Regina reminded her. "I've not seen any film made before 2010."

"Then when I get out, I'll get the DVD and we'll watch it together."

Both women froze, the implication of the blonde's statement hanging in the air between them.

"It's a date," Regina said after a moment.

"Date?" Emma asked. "Are we dating?"

Regina looked pointedly around them. "What would you call this dear? Two people, food, conversation."

"Prisoners, pot noodle, conversation," Emma replied.

"So you don't want to date me?" Regina asked, feigning hurt.

"No, no!" the blonde said hurriedly. "I do, I definitely do. I just wish our first date wasn't quite so … pathetic."

"Well I admit it's not ideal." Regina reached out to take hold of Emma's hand. "But it's the company that matters and right now, I'm on the best date of my life."

Emma looked deep into the chocolate eyes before her and smiled. "Me too," she whispered.

The two women finished their food and discarded the pots in the trash. Finding themselves standing awkwardly by the door, Emma shifted from one foot to the other. Regina cocked her head at the blonde's sudden shyness. It was endearing. She moved forward, wrapped her arms around Emma's waist and looked up into the green eyes.

"Thank you for a wonderful date Emma, I had a great time," Regina murmured before she leant forward to place a soft kiss against Emma's mouth. As she pulled away, the blonde's lips followed her, reconnecting their mouths and slipping her tongue out to taste the older woman. Regina moaned into the kiss and fisted her hands in the material of Emma's top. As the blonde's hands slid up to cup her breasts, Regina pulled away more firmly, unwrapped her arms and stepped out of Emma's embrace.

Emma looked questioningly at the brunette. "Is everything ok?" she asked.

"Of course dear," Regina nodded. "I just don't go any further than a goodnight kiss on a first date."

Emma snorted and folded her arms, looking pointedly at the brunette.

"Last night was different," she argued. "We weren't dating then."

Emma chuckled and moved forward to slip her arms around Regina's waist, pulling the brunette towards her for a hug. "Your logic is flawed babe," Emma whispered in her ear, "but I'll abide by your rules … for tonight."

Pulling back, Emma moved to open the door, bowing deeply as Regina walked out. The queen of FCI laughed at the action and slapped the blonde playfully on the shoulder. Emma giggled and hurried to catch up with the brunette, walking together back to their respective bunks. Neither woman noticed a pair of grey-blue eyes watching intently as they lingered outside Regina's room. Emma's hand came briefly up to caress the brunette's cheek before the blonde turned and walked quickly to her own bunk.