A/N: A little late night update, but as promised here is the next chapter (which we knows what happens here for Emma) to this story that I hope you all re-enjoy. :) I have more updates coming for all my readers as well as new projects in the works, and yes, continuing on old projects as well. Stay tuned for more and happy reading!

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Chapter 46: Emma

I had been singing from the top of my lungs since I had taken off from seeing Regina. Today had been the best day of my life, overlooking that little incident with stable boy. But I trust, Regina handled it in the best way, even if I would have preferred to have been there. Then again, after today I could clearly see how well Regina could handle herself.

God, I loved her. I couldn't stop smiling, finding myself thinking about the time I had just spent with Regina. It had been only an hour since I was with her and already I found myself missing her. I debated turning back, but given the time I did promise my mom I'd be home for dinner. And I'm sure by this time Chief Irons was back with Regina. The thought made my stomach turn, but I had to trust that Regina would be safe with Sidney roaming about.

And besides, if anything did happen, Regina knows to call me.

Only thing that worried me now was what would happen once Audrey talked to Regina face to face? My main concern being that, maybe I wouldn't be there when the time came. But once again, I knew Regina could handle it. After seeing her today, taking control of a situation that was tougher on her than it had been on me, there was no doubt in my mind that Regina was truly a remarkable and admirable woman.

And she was mine.

And unlike her asshole husband, I would make sure to treat Regina with the utmost respect that she was possibly never treated with in her entire life. Yes, I was the other woman that was coming in between her marriage, but you know what? I didn't care. I loved Regina and I would love nothing more than spending the rest of my life showing her how much I loved her.

I would. Because Regina was it for me. Of that I was sure.

I pull into the driveway of my parent's house and with the same pep in my step, I march up to the house, where the smell of my mother's cooking hits me like a tidal wave. I hear her talking to someone as I remove my jacket and hang it by the coat rack, followed by removing my shoes.

"Is that you, Emma?" I hear my mom's voice come from the kitchen.

"Yep." I replied, hanging my keys along the hook by the door to the far left of the wall.

"Great! Come on in here, we're just about done with dinner." I heard my mom say.

"We?" I whisper to myself, my brows furrowing. As I walk past the living room and into the kitchen, my heart stops at the sight of Audrey, standing by my mother inside the kitchen, helping her cook. My eyes grow wide. "Audrey?"

"Hi, Emma." Audrey gives me a sad little smile that I can't even return.

What the hell was going on? What the fuck was Audrey doing here? My thoughts are the only loud thing ringing in my ears as I am standing there like a deer caught in headlights. I needed to say something.

"What… What are you doing here?" I managed to ask.

"What do you mean what is she doing here? She's your girlfriend." My mom, bless her golden heart, smiles in Audrey's direction. "She stopped by looking for you, and I invited her to stay for dinner."

"You what?" I looked over to Audrey, who wore an apologetic look written all over her face. Obviously, I knew she wouldn't be good in taking Regina's advice in not coming to look for me. Audrey wouldn't be Audrey if she did listen.

"I hope you don't mind." Audrey gives me an apologetic smile to finish off with her look. Her eyes looked so worn out that I could tell she's had it rough since our break-up. Can't say I blame her, but I wasn't expecting for her to show up in my parent's house and pull off this stunt as if we were still together.

"Of course she doesn't, Audrey. You are always welcomed here." Mom gives Audrey a warm and welcoming smile and I am dumbfounded. I didn't even realize I had been holding one of Regina's containers- which I had planned to give back- in my hand until my mom asked, "What do you have there, Emma?"

Regina! The apple pies! My eyes grew in panic as I quickly hid the container, holding it behind my back, praying to the almighty that Audrey hadn't seen it. Last thing I needed was for everything to be discovered by her simply recognizing her mother's containers. "Nothing. Just some… Dessert."

"Oh, well, that's nice. I'm sure it'll go well after we all eat dinner." Mom smiles.

Oh, no. I look over to Audrey who simply smiles at me, as if expecting me to say that it was okay for her to stay for dessert, too. But it wasn't. This wasn't okay, at all.

"Well, everything is nearly ready. Why don't you go wash up?" Mom nudges Audrey, who is more than happy to find the bathroom on her own as she walks past me. I rotated my body, following her until she was out of sight, making sure to keep the container secure behind me at all times.

Once Audrey is out of the room, I quickly move toward my mom, keeping my voice to a whisper. "Mom," I breathe. "What's she doing here?" I asked, demanding an explanation.

"What do you mean?" My mom gives me a puzzling glance over her shoulder.

"I mean, why did you tell her she can stay for dinner?" I ask.

Mom's brow creases quizzically. "Emma Swan. What's wrong with that? Since when does it bother you that I invite your girlfriend over for dinner? And why are you whispering?" She whispers back.

I want to roll my eyes but hold back from doing so. Instead I quickly rush over to the refrigerator and place the container of pies inside, way back to where it's covered up by a gallon of milk. "Mom," as I move toward my mom, she hands me four sets of plates for me to set along the table. "You have to tell her to leave." I say bluntly.

"Why?" Mom places a fork and knife on each side of every plate I had already set along the table.

"Because it's not a good idea for Audrey to be here right now." I replied, setting down the third plate.

"Oh, Emma. Don't be rude. I can't just throw her out after I said she could stay. Besides, it'll give us a chance to talk. You hardly ever bring her around here, if only for a second. David and I feel like we hardly know her since you two have been dating." Mom sets the last fork and knife on each side of the fourth plate.

"Hey, family!" Like an act of God, David comes through the door, smiling from ear to ear. His smile is soon gone as soon as he lays eyes on Audrey who is making her way back into the living room from the bathroom. "Audrey, hi." He greets her.

"Good evening, Sheriff Nolan." Audrey smiles.

"What…" David's eyes move over to me. "What's going on?"

"I said she could stay for dinner." Mom smiles, walking back into the kitchen.

"I hope that's alright." Audrey looks to David, who's heart- just like mine- crushes in an instant at the silently pained look in Audrey's eyes.

"Sure, Audrey. Of course." He smiles as he looks over at me while removing his hat. I shrug in defeat.

"Audrey, would you mind helping me with the glasses, please?" Mom calls to her from the kitchen to which Audrey is more than happy to help.

David moves over toward the coat rack and beckons me near him. Once I'm near him, he whispers, "What is she doing here? I thought you broke it off with her."

"I did, but my mom invited her to stay for dinner when Audrey came looking for me." I whisper right back.

"Oh, boy," David breathes.

"Listen," I take a quick glance over David's shoulder, seeing that my mom and Audrey are both engraved in a conversation before turning back to David. "I was just with Regina. There's a plastic container with a green lid on it. I stuck it all the way back in the fridge. If my mom asks after dinner if you want some dessert, say no. Audrey cannot see the container."

"Got it. No dessert." David nods, and just as he's walking away, he comes right back. "Wait."

"What?"

"What's the dessert?" He asks.

"Apple pie." I could practically see the drool slide down David's chin. He was a sucker for a good apple pie. "You can have it all later, I promise, just help me first."

As David and I join my mom and Audrey at the table, my parents take their usual seats, opposite each other, on both ends of the table. I sit in my usual spot, facing the living room, while Audrey sat opposite me, facing the wall and, well me.

"What are you two being so secretive about over there?" Mom asks innocently.

"Nothing." David and I reply in unison, feeling all eyes turn on us.

"Hey, let's dig in here, I'm starving." Said David, stretching his arm toward me. "Pass me the carrots, please." He asks.

I reach for the carrots and hand them over to David, then I reach for the bowl of mash potatoes, feeling it a slight tug. My eyes looked up to Audrey who had also reached for the bowl. I instantly release the bowl.

"Oh. Sorry. Do you want-?" Audrey points to the mash potatoes.

"Go ahead." I nod and allow Audrey to serve herself first before I reach to take the mash potatoes from her. I tried keeping my eye contact with Audrey to a minimum, but even that couldn't cut through the awkwardness that I felt around her. What was she doing here?

Why was she here looking for me, especially when Regina advised her not to? Of course, leave it to Audrey to not listen to reason.

Next portion that was passed around was the chicken, David and I going for our usual two slices, while Audrey kept it down to one, same as my mom.

"Thank you for inviting me, Ms. Nolan, everything looks delicious." Said Audrey.

Mom smiles, "Eat as much as you want." She welcomes her, eyeing Audrey and myself as she continues, "I'm just so happy you both are here, enjoying a meal at our table. Now that you're back Audrey, I do hope to see you around more."

I bite down on my fork, slowly pulling it out of my mouth. I feel Audrey's eyes on me. "Oh, well, depending on how busy school keeps us. Besides, I wouldn't want to impose." Said Audrey.

"Impose? No. Whatever gave you that idea?" Mom turns to me. "Emma, tell her she is welcome to come."

"I think she already knows that, mom." I replied dryly, taking a sip of my tea to quench down this uneasy tension.

"Emma!" Mom's eyes could burn a hole through me with the stare she was giving me.

Yes, I know I was being a little rude. But Audrey clearly wasn't willing to listen to reason, not after this.

David clears his throat as he wipes his mouth. "So, school is going to be keeping you both pretty busy this year, huh?" He asked, changing the subject. "I'm sorry, Audrey, remind me again what you're studying for?"

"Electrical engineering." Audrey smiles at David, the first genuine smile I have seen her give since we broke up.

"Is that right?" David looks to mom, impressed as they both share a smile before he turns back to Audrey. "You'd have to be very smart for that, huh?"

Audrey chuckles, brushing back a strand of her hair. "A little. My father was hoping I'd go into the oil business like him, help him run his companies, but… That was never for me. I like being around mechanics and learning what makes them tick. I like helping others build things, it seems far more productive."

"Your father sure sounds like a smart man." Mom smiles.

"He is." Audrey smiles proudly, while I frown.

"Why didn't you tell us what her father did, Emma?" Mom turns to me and I shrug.

"Well, to be fair, this is the first Emma's heard of what he does." Audrey steps in as if I needed saving. "He's very private about his work. He barely likes talking about it when he's at home. He's so private, my mom doesn't even know about anything he does."

"Well, that's understandable. A man should have his privacy." As my mom says this, I glare at her, even if she doesn't know what kind of man Leopold White is.

"My mother would say the same thing when I was a kid." Audrey smiles. "My father would travel a lot. Still does."

"And what about your mother? What does she do?" My eyes turn to my mom who takes a sip of her tea.

The knife slips from my hand as I am cutting into my chicken, my eyes turning toward Audrey.

"Well, my mother stays at home. But she does have a teaching degree." Said Audrey.

"Oh, how nice! What field?" Mom grins.

"Literary professor." Audrey smiles.

The corner of my lip tilts into a little knowing smile of my own, and as I look over to David, I see him share my smile right back at me. I could certainly see Regina teaching a class. A class I wouldn't mind being in if that ever happened for her again. Learning wouldn't be so boring then.

"A college professor. Did you hear that, David?" Mom gasped, turning to David.

"Sure did." David smiles, popping a piece of chicken into his mouth.

"I think you and her would get along famously, Ms. Nolan. You being a music teacher and all." Said Audrey.

"I bet we would. Maybe you could invite them here, the next time they visit you." My mom said this innocently, but for me this wasn't as innocent as my mom suspected. This caused me to slurp on my tea, so much that it went down my throat the wrong way and up my nose, causing me to cough time and time again. "Emma…" Mom turns my way. "Are you alright?" She asks.

"Sorry," I mumble into my napkin, wiping at my mouth and nose as I clear my throat rather loudly.

There was no way I would ever let that asshole set foot inside this house. Over my dead body.

Dinner went along as awkward as I expected it to go. I was tempted so many times to reach for my phone and send Regina a text, but I couldn't while Audrey was here. I didn't need her asking me more questions. Or my mom going on about how rude I was being. Once we were through with dinner, Audrey insisted on helping my mom with the dishes, but my mom wasn't having that.

"I know what you can help me with, if you insist. Why don't you pass out the dessert that Emma brought home?" Mom pulled open the fridge.

My eyes grew wide as I looked over to David and shook my head at him.

David quickly spoke up, "Uh, let's not do dessert tonight, sweetheart. That chicken really hit the spot, you know." He slaps his stomach and smiles. "I tell you, I'm so full, I'd pop if you poked my stomach with a needle right now."

"Or go into an eternal sleep like Sleeping Beauty." I said, and David laughed as he playfully shoved me.

"Actually, that would be you." Says David.

"Well, more for us, then," Mom turns to Audrey. "Audrey, would you care for some dessert?"

"Sure." Audrey shrugs and smiles, all the more happy to keep visiting.

Suddenly, my body reacts by shooting up from my chair, my eyes wide. "No! No, mom!" I feel bad for how much I startled my mom, so bad she whipped around with her hand on her chest. "I- I just remembered something."

"What?"

"The… Dessert. It's gone bad. I checked it earlier in the car, and it's no good." Now I feel horrible for saying such a lie regarding Regina's delicious pie. "Besides, I'm sure Audrey has to get going." I turn to Audrey.

"Actually, I was hoping we could talk? If that's okay?" And of course, Audrey wanted to talk. But after everything, I also think I owed her that. Things had ended so horrible between us, it would be nice if they could take a turn for a more calmer situation. And the quicker I'd talk to Audrey, the quicker she'd leave, and the quicker I could text Regina.

"Well, alright, no dessert." Mom opens the fridge. "You two go outside and talk, and I'll just throw away the-"

"I'll do it!" David quickly jumped to his feet next, so hard his chair almost fell back as he rushed over to the kitchen, startling mom in the process. "You should be resting with your feet up. You've cooked all day. I can throw away what Emma brought." He said, and I am thankful.

I've never felt more nervous than I did right now, swallowing down a hard lump that formed inside of my throat as my mom's eyes narrowed as she looked at me and David. "You two are acting so strange today." She said, walking past David as she walked up to Audrey. "Well, Audrey," she kisses her cheek. "Don't be a stranger."

"I won't." Audrey smiles.

"Come back, anytime."

Audrey hugs mom, followed by David as they say their goodbyes, and I follow her out the door, tucking my hands inside my pockets.

"I'm sorry if I made this night uncomfortable for you, Em." Audrey brushes back a strand of hair as we walk side by side along the driveway. "I figured that you would have already told your parents that you broke things off with me."

"David knows," I walk along until we stop. "I'm still working on how to tell my mom. You know, especially since she likes you a lot."

"Well, it's good to know someone will miss me." Audrey smiles as she says with humor that I can't smile at right now. "That was a joke." Said Audrey, "And a very bad one, it seems." She sighs, "Why are situations awkward after a break-up?" She asks.

I chuckle and shake my head, "I don't know."

Why indeed?

"So, were you not home because you were coming back from seeing her?" Audrey asks, frowning.

"Audrey." I look away for a minute, trying to avoid looking into Audrey's teary eyes again.

"It's okay, Em. I mean, you said you wanted to try and be friends, right? Well, here I am, trying. The least you could do as a friend is be honest with me."

"Yes," I sigh, locking eyes with Audrey. "I was with her." As I say this, Audrey's eyes turn glossy. "And yes, I said I wanted to be friends, but I also remember saying that somewhere in the future, not hours before we broke up."

"Technically it was you who ended things. I was fine until you fell for someone else-" There's bite in Audrey's words.

I don't hold back an eye roll anymore. "So, this is why you came here tonight, to attack me?" I bite back. "Is that it? To make yourself feel shittier than you do right now?"

"No." Audrey sighs and runs a hand through her hair. "Look, I'm sorry. I guess… It's still very fresh." She paused. "I called my mom earlier today. She knows."

I remained quiet because I knew Audrey had called Regina. I was there.

"And even when she suggested I'd give you some time," Audrey chuckles, wiping away a fallen tear. "Here I am, having to put up with you walking around eggshells around me."

"I'm not walking around eggshells around you, Audrey." I shake my head.

"Oh, really?"

"No." I shake my head once more. Okay, maybe I was a little, just on the fact that I was now seeing her mother. But that was temporary.

"Look, Emma, do me a favor. Don't treat me like I'm stupid." My gaze meets Audrey's. "I didn't have to come here tonight, and yet I did. Because unlike you, who already has someone else, I have no one. I'm still in love with you, and I have no idea how long it will take for that feeling to evaporate from my life." Her voice breaks as does my heart all over again. "So, here I am, willing to put myself through the pain of the realization of having lost you, and try being your friend. Because the truth is, the only way I can calm this aching pain that's ripping me from inside/out, it's if you're near me somehow."

"Audrey," I try to make my voice as soft as possible. "I wouldn't mind being your friend. Like I said before, you are important to me. More than you know. And even if my feelings for you may have changed a little, I don't like the idea of ending things on bad terms." A tiny smile wants to emerge from Audrey's lips. "I just ask that you give me some time. Just a few weeks or a month, just enough so that we can come to a better understanding and preferably be in the same room without being surrounded by a wall of awkwardness between us."

Audrey gives me a sad smile that makes me feel she might understand that, "I could learn to live with that." She says, "I won't lie to you and say that I would prefer it if in the span of a couple of weeks or a month as you say, you realize that you've made a mistake and come back to me."

There's an attempt of humor in Audrey's words that I know holds a lot of truth to it.

And as much as I didn't want to keep hurting her, I had to be honest with her, too. "That's not going to happen, Audrey." Another frown takes over Audrey as I say this, "I'm sorry. I know that's not what you want to hear but I can't give you false hope on something that won't happen."

Audrey holds back more treats from springing free. "Well, if there's something I always appreciated about you, Em, is that you are always honest. You don't beat around the bush with things, no matter how grave something may be." She flashes another sad smile toward me and this time it feels as if I'd been punched in the gut.

I could understand Regina's pain a little bit from earlier when Audrey had called her. Of course, the pain a parent goes through, I knew I could never truly understand it. Not until I had a kid of my own. That's something my mom always liked to say, and I did well to remember it.

"Well," Audrey sniffs, quickly wiping away another tear. "I guess I'll call it an evening."

"Yeah." I nod.

"So, I'll… See you at school in one week?" She asks.

"I'll be there."

Suddenly Audrey moves forward, taking me by surprise as she's wrapping me up in a hug. A hug where my arms linger there for a moment, hovering behind her back before I'm returning it. The air was so thick and so silent around us, all you could hear were the crickets that sang around us, and a distant honk coming from a neighbor's car. I was more than ready to pull away from the hug, but Audrey hung on for a little while longer, until she finally pulled away. Only she doesn't pull away from our embrace, our faces are only inches apart as her eyes study me. I can tell she wants to kiss me. I've seen that look in her eye many times before to know it well. And I was more than prepared to pull back if she attempted to make the move. Thankfully, she doesn't, finally letting go.

"Kay, well. Have a good night, Em." Audrey's voice sounds softly broken.

"Good night." I nod. "Are you- are you going to be okay to drive?" I ask, willing to drive her myself if she said no.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm sure I'll be fine." She gives me another sad smile. Audrey's wearing her oversize sweater. The same one she always wore when she was saddened by something. It was her comfort sweater. The neckline was so worn and stretched out, I could see her t-shirt from underneath.

Audrey's eyes are glossy as she's walking toward her car. She turns to look at me one last time and I give her a sad smile of my own before she opens the driver's side door and climbs right in. I wait until she drives away, fully out of sight to reach for my phone inside of my pocket, checking for any missed messages from Regina. Nothing. With that I head right back inside.

As I walk into the house, I am met with mom and David engraved in conversation. They were talking about me, and I was surprised to see David already scarfing down a piece of one of the slices of apple pie from the container. I should have known he wasn't going to be able to hold back from trying one. But he did help me get through this evening with Audrey, so I owed him those slices of pie.

"Emma, I thought you said this dessert had gone bad?" My mom, on the other hand, waited for an explanation as soon as I walked through the front door.

"Uh…" My eyes look to David, who's mouth is chewing through a bit of pie.

"Sowy, Em." He mumbled through a mouth full.

I turned back to my mom, "What is going on with you today?" She asks, still waiting for an explanation. "Why would you lie about this dessert?"

"Well, mom, come on," I walked further into the house, past my own mom. "You know how I am with great apple pie. I don't like sharing." I pull open the fridge and pull out the gallon of milk, helping myself to a sip.

"Oh, Em- use a glass!" Mom carefully takes the gallon of milk from me, reaching for a glass and filling it with milk for me.

"Thanks," I replied, accepting the glass and taking another sip.

David moves about the kitchen, reaching for his own glass and serving himself some milk.

"So, Audrey was nice. You really should bring her around more often. She seems really lovely." Mom smiles.

I swallow the milk I had just taken, and I nod. "Yeah, she's nice." My eyes turn to David who is quietly eating some pie without uttering a word. "But, listen mom, don't get too comfortable with the idea of having Audrey around a lot."

"Why not?" Mom's brow slightly lifts in a quizzical manner.

"Well," I breathe, looking over to David again.

"Alright, what's going on?" Mom stands with her arms crossed over her chest. Her eyes on David and me.

David takes a sip of his milk, clearing his throat and wiping away an obvious milk mustache. "What makes you think anything's wrong, sweetheart? What could possibly be wrong?" He asks.

"Gee, I don't know," Mom mocks him. "For starters, Emma," she turns to me. "You've been on high alert ever since you saw that I invited Audrey over to dinner. You were quiet throughout dinner, something you never do, and you obviously didn't want to have her around tonight." She paused, her eyes on David, "And you- David- you're eating a dessert that Emma said had gone bad, when you said you couldn't eat another bite. What happened?"

David turns to me before looking back at my mother, "I changed my mind." He replied, chewing through another bit of pie. He was holding onto that container as if it was his lifeline. "My stomach is unpredictable sometimes, you knew that the day you married me."

Mom's eyes turn to me next, and I know, I can tell from her stare alone that she's waiting for a much better explanation. An explanation that wasn't the right time to give her. But then again, maybe it was. Maybe if I just confessed to everything here and now, I could get it over with.

"Mom…" I breathe, taking a moment to gather my thoughts of where I would start. After all, telling your mother that you had fallen in love and now was seeing someone older, who also happened to be Audrey's mother, wasn't like telling her a fairy tale. Although, I did see Regina's and my relationship as a fairy tale that would have a happy ending. "The truth is…" I pause, looking at David who I could swear stopped breathing. "Audrey and I… Audrey and I-"

"Had a fight." Mom and I turn to David, who nods at me. "Right, Em?"

I blink as I turn back to my mom, "Y- yeah. Right."

"Oh…" Mom's shoulders slump. "Is that it?" She places her hand along my shoulder sympathetically. "Sweetheart, why couldn't you just tell me that?"

"Well, I talked to David about it, and besides I didn't want to trouble you with my problems." I shrug, going along with the story.

"Emma, you would never bother me with any of your problems. I'm your mother, it's what I'm here for. Just like David- David! Use a fork, for God sake!" Mom snaps, reaching for a fork along one of the kitchen drawers and handing it to him so that he would stop eating the pie with his hands. I can't say I wasn't thankful for that myself. "Anyway, sweetheart. What I'm trying to say is whatever problem you and Audrey have, I'm sure you'll work it out." She smiles.

I give her a small smile and nod, simply to make her drop this conversation. The time will come- and I suspected soon- that I would come clean to my mom about the real reason behind the tension of tonight.

"Well, get some rest. Tomorrow will be a brand new day." Mom smiles, placing a kiss along my cheek. "Brush your teeth before you come to bed." She tells David, walking her way out of the kitchen.

"Yes, dear." David finally speaks, turning in my direction as soon as the door to their bedroom closes.

"Thank you for covering for me, David." I breathe.

"You're welcome, kiddo. I honestly can't believe you didn't take off running during dinner." Said David.

I scoff, "I almost did, believe me."

David squeezed my arm, "I'm proud of you, kiddo. Audrey doesn't seem to be having it easy now, but give it time. Once things settle though, I think you should come clean about everything. You owe her that."

"Yeah," I nod. "Yeah, I know. And I plan to. I promise."

David smiles, "I know you, kiddo. And I know that if anyone will do the right thing, it's you. And listen, don't worry about your mother. She will understand."

"You think so?" I ask.

"I know so. This is your mother, Emma. That woman wouldn't stop loving you for anything in the world. I promise you that." I smile for the first time since I last saw Regina. David holds the container with pie still left inside of it, "You have to try this pie. It is honestly the best pie I've ever had in my life. I'm telling you, I could die happy."

I grin, feeling my smile grow, "Don't mind if I do." I take the fork and help myself to a bite, moaning in the process because holy fuck this pie was amazing.