A/N: sooo I posted this out of order, This is actually chapter 31 and then the other so it is going if you are reading this this is why we are seeming to backtrack a bit. sorry about that. I tend to stay one chapter ahead with this fic, except last time I posted the chapter I was working on instead of the one that was up next and messed everything up. So let's get back into part one a second for this filler. It's a bit long but at least you will be abreast of what had happened, and the whole setup with Ruby and everything. My bad. ~s.k.

First Real Date

Morning light filtered through the windows, casting a warm glow over Emma as she slowly woke up the next morning. Green eyes opened, and a smile spread across her face. She was about to embark on a new chapter of her life. Sitting up in bed, she reached for her AirPods and danced around her room out of sheer happiness.

Emma made her way down the hall to the shared bathroom, knowing that Kathryn and Awesome had already left for their demanding residency hours. Her disheveled hair added to her tousled morning look as she entered the damp bathroom. She continued to bop her head to the rhythm of "Hip to be Square" playing in her ears.

As she opened her eyes, she noticed the bathroom mirror was fogged. She paused, wiped the fog away, and was startled to see Fred standing naked behind the glass door. She turned in pure shock, only to find her sister Kathryn peeking out from behind him.

"Hey there, Em's," Fred said, hastily covering himself.

Emma had already seen everything. "My eyes!" She screamed, shielding her eyes. "Oh, I'm blind!"

The lovers chuckled as Emma practically ran out of the room. The trio later reconvened in the dining room for breakfast. Emma joined them, and the atmosphere was awkwardly silent. Kathryn rolled her eyes and took a sip of her coffee. Emma decided to break the ice.

"Okay, first of all, congratulations, Fred," she said with a wry smile, "on the... On what - you know, whatever God gave you there."

Fred chuckled, and Kathryn shook her head. Emma continued, "Second of all, the door was not locked, so I'm not a complete pervert. And third of all, this is just another reminder of why I need my own place."

Kathryn reassured her, "There's no rush, Emma. It's great having you here."

Emma looked at her sister, her mind now filled with plans for her future. "So, Kathryn, I've been thinking a lot about stuff, you know, like, uh, my life and my job."

Fred leaned in, curious. "Unburden yourself, Emma - where's that head of yours?"

Emma sighed, her expression turning serious. "I don't know, I just think you guys are right, you know? I shouldn't be working at a Buy More, right?"

Kathryn put her coffee mug down, concerned. "What happened?"

Emma hesitated for a moment, collecting her thoughts. "You know when you meet someone, and they just kind of flip your life upside down, shake things up a little?"

Fred leaned back, raising his eyebrows. "You're talking about a Mr. Tony Robbins."

Emma quirked a half-smile. "So close, and yet so far away." Her tone blended humor and sincerity. Suddenly, her phone buzzed urgently. "Honestly, I've got to go." She stood up quickly, apologetic. "I'm sorry. We'll talk about it later."

Kathryn shot up from her seat, urging Emma to stay. "No, no. Talk to me, Emma. I need to know if this is a good thing or a bad thing."

Emma's gaze softened as she met Kathryn's eyes. "No, it's a... it's a good thing," she said earnestly, her voice filled with excitement and determination. "It's not a Tony Robbins cult thing. I want this."

Kathryn smiled warmly, offering her support. "Okay, great. Well, then I'm really happy for you." Her words were genuine, and Emma felt a surge of gratitude. "I'm, like, super excited right now, and I'm just trying to keep it in."

Emma's smile grew wider, and her excitement bubbled to the surface. "Of course," she agreed, appreciating Kathryn's understanding.

"I'm proud of you," Kathryn said, her pride palpable.

Emma's gaze softened, her gratitude evident in her eyes. "Thank you." Kathryn hugged her close, and as Emma started to pull away, she added, "Okay, I love you. See ya."

With a final smile, Emma headed out the door, her heart full of determination and a sense of newfound purpose.

Emma walked into the bustling Apple Store, her determination evident. The store was alive with activity, and she watched her team of geniuses assisting customers while the sales force answered questions.

Ruby's infectious excitement was palpable as she bounded toward Emma. "Emma, come here."

Emma greeted her best friend with a warm smile. "Hey, what's up?"

Ruby adopted a serious demeanor and glanced around cautiously before pulling Emma aside to the back room. "Apple goons; they could be anywhere," she mumbled, holding up a blueprint with a secretive air. "I don't want them to see this."

Curiosity piqued, Emma examined the blueprint. "What is this?"

Ruby's eyes gleamed with enthusiasm as she began to explain. "It's the new floor plan from Call of Duty." She pointed to various sections of the blueprint. "After our last battle with those PlayStation fanatics, I started working on this." Ruby's excitement was contagious as she elaborated on her project and lowered her voice to share her strategy. "Planning how we could outsmart 'em. All right, listen up. Here are the specs, are you ready?"

Emma rolled her eyes but listened attentively. "Ruby..."

The brunette leaned in closer, her voice becoming almost conspiratorial. "23 infantry troopers, 16 snipers, seven heavy gunners, four demolitions experts, and enough ammunition to orbit Arnold Schwarzenegger." Her enthusiasm was undeniable as she described her arsenal. "Fifty gamers, one call, all ready for the challenge. With this team assembled and my plan, I think we can outshine 'em."

Emma couldn't help but admire her friend's determination. She nodded, the gamer inside her doing a little victory dance. "Ruby, you are my new hero."

Ruby grinned, clearly pleased with the praise. "I know."

Emma noticed Agent Blaize speaking to a customer at the far end of the room. She had something important to say, so she excused herself from Ruby. "Wait, before you go," Ruby said, "Marco wanted to talk to you, and I told him I would send you over."

Emma acknowledged with a nod. "Message received. Thanks, Rubes." Then she hurried to catch up with Agent Blaize.

"Hey, Blaize, Blaize, Blaize, Blaize, Blaize," Emma said, placing a hand on her shoulder. Blaize looked at the hand and growled.

Emma quickly withdrew her hand, raising it in front of her defensively. "Hey, hey, hey, hey." The two paused, and Emma took a deep breath. "Um, do you have a second?"

Blaize's response was curt. "Not now, I've got a single white female asking about the latest iPhone." She attempted to move around Emma, but the younger blonde persisted.

"It's just a quick second, I promise," Emma said earnestly. "I wanted to say thank you. I'm going to miss you, Mal." Her emotions were genuine, and she continued to express her gratitude, swallowing back tears. "And thank you for showing me how to do things I never thought were possible. You were always there to guide me through the glitches, which sounds horribly cheesy now that I'm saying it aloud." She chuckled at herself.

Blaize's response, though seemingly dismissive on the surface, carried a touch of sentiment. "Really. Forget it." She then walked away to continue with her feigned duties.

As Blaize walked away, Marco popped his head out of his office. "Swan!" Then, without lingering, he retreated into his office. Emma turned and headed in his direction.

She entered Marco's office, her mind filled with a pressing question. She had been contemplating how to quit her job without burning any bridges. "Yes, Marco?"

He gestured for her to sit, so she settled herself in the visitor chair, waiting for what he had to say. "The assistant managership," Marco began as if presenting Emma with a grand prize. Six months ago, it might have felt like one, but now... she wasn't so sure. "The number-two spot here at the Apple Store, my right-hand person, the captain of the ship when I'm not around, which, as we both know, is often."

Emma nodded in understanding. "Uh-huh."

Marco leaned in, his expression serious. "Here's the thing. Corporate is on my case to fill the spot, but I really don't want to interview those characters out there."

Emma furrowed her brows, a bit puzzled. "Your employees?"

"Exactly, they scare me, Emma," Marco admitted, then paused, locking eyes with her earnestly. "So... want the job?"She hesitated, contemplating the older man's hopeful gaze. But Emma had hopes and dreams of her own, ones that she could now make a reality b because the Intersect had taught her a lot, but it also has gone away almost as swiftly as it arrived in her life.. Did she want to make such a huge commitment?

"Well, Emma, do you?"

Ruby knew exactly why Marco had called Emma into the office. In fact, everyone did. They all waited with anticipation for her to emerge, hoping for good news. When Emma finally stepped out, a newfound confidence in her stride, Ruby cheered her on. "All hail the once and future assistant manager - Emma Swan!"

Emma, grinning, shook her head playfully. "Huh?"

"The sleeper has awoken!" Ruby continued to praise her.

"Ruby..." Emma began to protest, but Ruby was on a roll.

"Behold the dawn of a new age here at the Apple Store," Ruby proclaimed proudly. "And I, as your lieutenant, will institute policies that we've always wanted. Right, team?"

Aladdin, dripping with sarcasm, chimed in, "Hooray."

However, Emma's next words surprised everyone. "Ruby, I didn't take the job."

"What?" Ruby exclaimed in disbelief. She shook her head in despair. "Why, oh, why, oh, why, Emma?"

Emma patted her distressed friend on the shoulder. "I'm also here to inform you that Marco has ordered me to interview and choose the new assistant store manager as my punishment."

This caught Aladdin's interest, and he asked, "References go to you, Emma?"

"Or Ruby!" Emma countered.

"See ya; I got a resumé to nail," Killian said as he hurried after Aladdin.

Dorothy stopped in front of her girlfriend and her best friend, making a statement. "If I get the job, you should quiver in fear," she declared, then walked off to do her job.

Confused, Ruby stopped Emma. "Listen to me, listen to me." She paused and looked her friend in the eye. "Emma, Emma, you being the A. M. and me being the right hand to the A. M. was what we always dreamed of."

Emma shook her head, contemplating her future. "I'm not completely convinced that the Apple Store is where I want to work forever, you know."

Ruby sighed, understanding but still disappointed. "Got it. Where would we work then?"

Emma paused, her thoughts wandering. "Where would... where would we… We?" She realized Ruby might not have thought beyond this moment. Working together indefinitely might not be feasible. "Uh, I don't know. Wherever."

Suddenly, Ruby gave Emma a knowing look. "It's Regina, right? She's finally done it."

Confused by Ruby's train of thought, Emma asked, "No, what, done what?"

"You know, it makes perfect sense, too, come to think of it," Ruby said thoughtfully. "I mean, if you were going to choose someone over me and all that we've built, it should be her. She is - unironically speaking - awesome."

Emma smiled, acknowledging Regina's awesomeness. Yes, she was indeed remarkable.

Over the past few weeks, Regina had transitioned from working at the Cheesecake Factory to a FroYo shop named Orange Orange. It was a better fit for maintaining Regina's cover than the more public Cheesecake Factory. The FroYo shop was almost always empty, and Regina was its sole employee.

During her break, Emma decided to pay a visit to Orange Orange. She had something important to discuss with Regina before her upcoming reassignment. Emma wanted to approach this conversation right, so she entered the shop. Regina was at the computer by the register and looked up when Emma walked in.

"Hey," Regina greeted with a warm smile.

"Hey," Emma replied, a hint of shyness in her voice. She approached Regina. "Can I be completely honest?"

Regina couldn't hide her smile. "Yeah."

"I miss The Cheesecake Factory," Emma admitted with a shrug. "I mean, the Bavarian charm and the overwhelming variety of cheesecakes they had there."

Regina playfully scrunched her nose. "My clothes smelled like dessert."

Emma chuckled. "And that's supposed to be a bad thing?"

Regina laughed and then asked, "So what's up?"

Emma took a deep breath, emboldened by the fact that they would no longer be working together. "You want to go on a date sometime? I mean a date without aliases, spy gear, and a mission?"

Regina's eyes lit up at the idea. "Like a real date?"

Emma nodded. "Yeah."

Regina hesitated for a moment. "Emma… I'm still a CIA agent, and there are a hundred reasons why I shouldn't do that."

Emma shrugged and glanced around the empty shop. "What do you have to lose? In a week, you're going to be undercover in some place like Jakarta in a knife fight with some evil-doer, and in that exact moment, you're going to wish that you would've spent one last... night of fun with me."

A slow smile graced Regina's lips. "Okay."

Emma's face lit up. "Really?"

Regina nodded. "Mm-hmm."

With that, Emma took a step back, not wanting to give Regina a chance to change her mind. "Tonight… Our first real date."

Regina added flirtatiously, "Or our second first date."

Emma assured her, "No gunfight, I promise."

"Okay," Regina agreed.

"Okay," Emma echoed and happily returned to work, knowing that something special awaited her that evening.

Emma meticulously dressed for her date, choosing a white button-down shirt and a blazer to complement her skinny jeans. Her blonde hair was artfully braided to the side, and she wore a thin sea-green tie that accentuated her eyes. As she walked out of her bedroom, there was a newfound confidence in her stride. It was the swagger of someone who knew she was going out with the most beautiful girl in the world. But this time, it was real. Regina was going on a date with HER.

Kathryn, sitting and reading a medical journal, looked up with a knowing smile. "Hey, date tonight?"

Emma grinned, pausing by the door. "Yeah, yeah— we're going to grab some Chinese food and then maybe hit The Echo after that."

Kathryn playfully turned towards her fiancé, Fred, who was sprawled out on the couch looking visibly exhausted. "Did you hear that, Fred? Do you recognize the sound of a proper date when you hear it?"

Fred, drained from whatever the day had thrown at him, simply replied, "My tank's empty, babe."

"That's my future husband," Kathryn quipped, then turned her attention back to her little sister. "What about you? Any revelations? Any ideas about what you're going to do next?"

Emma paused to think and shrugged. "Um... yeah, a few."

Kathryn prodded, "If you say 'pilot the Millennium Falcon,' I will hit you."

Emma chuckled, "I—why would I say that? That's absurd." She shook her head, and then her smirk returned. "I'm going to be a ninja assassin."

Kathryn rolled her eyes. "No, try again."

The banter continued, with Emma suggesting various amusing career paths, but when she got serious, her true aspiration emerged. "Secret agent."

Kathryn rolled her eyes again. "This is what happens when you sit in front of the television set too long. Seriously, what are you going to do?"

Emma frowned slightly, wondering if her sister believed she could do anything cool. "I—I don't know," she admitted. "I've got a bunch of ideas, you know? A bunch of things to think about and choose from." She spread her arms to illustrate her openness to possibilities. "I mean, I want to go finish college. I think that's important. And I want to travel, and... I don't know."

Emma looked at her sister, her tone becoming more contemplative. "I want to learn an obscure language that, you know, only really cool people know." She smirked. "Oddly enough, not one of my dreams includes working at the Apple Store for another week."

Kathryn's smile grew. "Huh? Well, look who's growing up."

Then, there was a knock on the door, causing Emma to startle. "That'll be Regina."

She opened the door to reveal Ruby, who barged in without missing a beat. "What's up, bitch?" Ruby said as she made her way into the living room. "I know you have a date. Not gonna get in the way. Just wondering if you have five to 45 minutes to test out a new Call of Duty strategy?"

Emma glanced at Ruby and then back at Kathryn. Kathryn shook her head, clearly amused by the interruption. "Emma..."

Emma closed the door behind Ruby with a sigh. "Baby steps, sis... Baby steps."

Thirty minutes later, Emma stood at Regina's door, her nerves tingling beneath her skin. She knocked, and when Regina opened the door, the sight before her took Emma's breath away. Regina was wearing a stunning purple dress that accentuated every curve of her body. Her smile was radiant, and Emma couldn't help but smile in return. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," Regina replied, turning to grab her handbag but, before that, reaching inside and removing her pistol, placing it on the dresser. No guns tonight. That was Emma's rule.

They headed downtown and went to Ruby's favorite Chinese food place. As they savored their meal, Regina hummed in appreciation. "Wow, this food is good!" She took another bite. "So how did you hear about this place, anyway?"

Emma smirked. "Ruby, as a matter of fact." She took another bite. "The woman has a black belt in dumplings. I trust any recommendation she gives me for food items less than ten dollars."

Impressed, Regina nodded. "So our first date is a Ruby recommendation?"

"Wow, no faith in my bestie?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "Only your bestie? Has she never been more? She is quite attractive."

Emma chuckled and shook her head. "Okay, I think you should know she's always been supportive of our fake relationship. And she's never found it remotely unbelievable that a girl like me could be dating, um…" Emma paused. "You know."

"What?" Regina asked, setting her chopsticks down.

Emma shrugged. "Um... you know, you."

"What about me?"

"You're really going to make me say it, aren't you?" Emma set her utensils down and looked directly into Regina's eyes. "You—wow, okay. Fine. All right, we'll play it your way." Emma took a deep breath, her heart pounding as she voiced her admiration. "A girl like you. Or more appropriately, a woman like you." She chuckled, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and adoration. "Considering the fact that you could probably kick the ass of everyone in this joint. And a... a smart one at that. Not to mention cool and... extremely beautiful." Emma finally looked up into Regina's bemused eyes. "And, and you can stop me anytime with the compliments if they're becoming, you know…"

Regina smiled warmly. "No, no, that was very sweet."

"Sweet…" Emma teased, looking down at her food again and continuing to eat. "Golly gee, thanks for making me feel like I'm eight."

Regina couldn't help but laugh. "Well, you're not so bad yourself."

Emma playfully rolled her eyes. "Please. I'm fantastic."

"Yeah, you are," Regina answered her face dead serious.

Emma blinked, not exactly knowing what to do with a compliment like that. She took a sim of her tea and then looked back to Regina. " What would Blaize think if she knew we were doing this right now?"

Regina smirked, "It would probably kill her."

They continued their pleasant meal, cracking open their fortune cookies. As they did, Emma's gaze drifted to Regina's hands. "So does it say where you're, uh, going next? Your new mission?"

Regina looked at Emma and grinned mischievously. "Actually, it does."

Emma's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

Regina chuckled. "No, not really." She paused, her expression becoming more serious. "Besides, it doesn't work that way. They'll probably give me a new cover and move me as far away from here as possible."

Emma frowned, not liking the thought of Regina being sent away. "What if they didn't?"

Regina sighed, her gaze locked on Emma's. "Emma, a CIA officer doesn't get to choose."

Emma, feeling a surge of determination, leaned in closer. "You know, I- I still have an awful lot of secrets in my head," she said softly, her voice filled with meaning. "The Lindbergh baby, the formula for New Coke..."

Regina's eyes flickered with curiosity. "What are you saying, Emma?" They moved closer, drawn together like magnets.

"What I've always wanted to say, Regina," Emma whispered, and their faces drew even nearer. But just as their lips were about to meet, Emma's eyes focused on the couple sitting at the next table behind Regina. The intersect in her brain began dispensing unwelcome information, and she shook her head. "No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no, not now. Not now."

Taken aback, Regina pulled away from the blonde, her concern evident. She glanced around the restaurant, trying to understand what had just happened. "Emma, what is it?"

Emma, still tense, replied, "We're surrounded."