Chapter 4

The alarm clock went off the following day, startling Emma out of a sound sleep. She groaned loudly as she rolled over, attempting to make the noise stop without breaking her cell phone. She curled back up under her blankets and attempted to warm up her feet that were still frozen from her patrol through the Commons the night before. As her mind slowly woke up, she suddenly remembered her encounter with Regina, smacking herself in the head when the memory of making a total fool of herself in front of the amazing woman flashed through her mind. She knew that Regina had no intentions of calling her; she was only being polite last night when she had accepted the crumpled piece of paper with her phone number scribbled on it. Surely someone as beautiful as Regina wouldn't be single.

Emma dragged herself out of bed, mentally chastising herself for making such a colossal fool of herself in front of Regina. Nearly tripping as she attempted to stick her frozen feet in her worn out slippers, she started to make her way to the kitchen to start the much-needed coffee. She forced her brain to stop thinking as she watched the coffee drip into the carafe below, already knowing a very angry email from her boss was waiting for her on her computer. As soon as her coffee was ready, she poured herself a large mug, drowning the bitter liquid with cream and sugar, bringing the mug with her to the living room where her computer was already on and waiting for her. She placed her mug on the table next to the computer and turned on the TV, settling on an old movie to keep her company while she continued the work that she abandoned the night before in search of much needed sleep. Sure enough, as soon as she opened her laptop, an extremely angry email was waiting for her, demanding that she finish her nightly reports and submit them ASAP. Emma responded to the email, promising to have her reports finished before nightly assignment emails were sent out.

Taking one last sip of coffee, she went back to work, her fingers typing like crazy, attempting to reach her self-imposed deadline. She sent the last report just as her email inbox chimed, indicating her assignment email had just arrived. "Oh great," she said out loud. "Cemetery duty again." Clearly, this was a punishment for being late with her reports again. Her boss could be quite petty when she wanted to.

She was able to watch the very end of the movie before she needed to get ready for her night at work. She was busy dipping her knives in holy water, letting them dry in the drainboard, when her phone chimed from its spot on the coffee table. Emma stared at it in confusion. No one texted her. No one even called her for that matter, unless it was work related. She picked it up as if it were a live grenade, turning on the screen carefully, greeted by a new text message from an unknown number.

"Good evening, Miss Swan. It's Regina Mills from last night. I hope I am not catching you at a bad time. I just wanted to let you know that I would be honored to join you for coffee sometime. Let me know when you are available, I am flexible." She had to read Regina's message a few more times, unable to believe what was written on the screen in front of her. Her fingers began to type wildly the moment she hit the reply button.

"Hi, Regina. No, you didn't catch me at a bad time at all. I'm so glad you texted me. How does tomorrow sound? I'm off so I'm free anytime you are." She stared at her phone for what felt like eternity until she saw the bubble appear on the bottom left corner, indicating that Regina was already typing a new message.

"I am available in the evening, say around seven-thirty, if that's not too late for you."

"Seven-thirty is perfect. There's a cute little coffee shop a few blocks away from the Commons that has the best house blend."

"Looking forward to it," Regina texted back immediately, causing a smile so wide to form on Emma's face she was sure her skin was going to rip. Emma tucked her phone into her pocket as she went back to the task of getting ready for her night of patrol. Suddenly, cemetery duty didn't seem so bad after all; at least it gave her the opportunity to think about Regina and imagine what their date the following evening would be like.

The smile never left Emma's face the entire night.

Regina woke up suddenly before sunset, something that hadn't happened in over fifteen years. Her internal alarm clock always woke her just at the exact moment the sun disappeared over the horizon, when it was safe for her to emerge from her bed, which was covered with heavy blackout curtains. But tonight was different. She woke up suddenly, her heart already pounding in her chest. She could feel the sun was still up without having to leave her bed. She tossed and turned for a half hour before deciding she wasn't doing herself any good by thrashing around and emerged from her dark bed. She paced around her apartment, making sure to keep away from her windows. Even though they were covered with blackout curtains as well, she didn't want to take a chance. All she needed was to get burned by the sun before her date with Emma.

Regina Mills was nervous. Very nervous. Not only had it been decades since she had seen someone in a romantic capacity, but this time the stakes were even higher. Emma was a vampire hunter. Her entire job was to kill Vampires. Granted, due to the treaty Vampires have with Humans, Emma's job wasn't to kill Vampires on site, but she knew The Agency had ways around that. She had seen plenty of her fellow Vampires be taken down while peacefully minding their own business. This made Regina even more nervous. Over the past twenty-four hours since confirming the time and place of their first date, Regina had drafted a message canceling with Emma at least a dozen times, deleting it everytime. Because, even though this could very well be the final end of her, she was still willing to risk it. For Emma. Because, even though she had only spoken to Emma once, there was something about the blonde that intrigued her. And clearly she was willing to risk it all for one date with the beautiful blonde.

Eventually, the sun set and it was time for Regina to start getting ready. She tore apart her closet and her drawers, pulling clothes out and holding them up, trying to find the perfect combination. She wanted to make a good impression on Emma but also didn't want to make it seem like she was trying too hard. Twenty minutes and five outfits later, Regina was finally dressed and ready to go, eventually deciding on a pair of jeans and a simple long-sleeved shirt. She thought for a second that maybe she should have something to drink before she met Emma but realized she was too nervous to eat anything.

She checked her phone for the time and discovered she was, of course, running late. She quickly ran out of her apartment only to realize she forgot her coat. Even though she didn't need it, she always wore a coat when it was cold to keep up appearances. The last thing she needed was to raise suspicion. She rushed back in and grabbed her coat and realized she also forgot Emma's gloves. She rolled her eyes at herself for forgetting everything. She took a minute to compose herself and check to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything else and left her apartment for a third time that night.

She had spent the previous night googling and mapping out the perfect route to the coffee shop to ensure she didn't get lost on her way. As she approached the coffee shop, she could see Emma sitting at a table in the corner by the window, scrolling through her phone, her knee bouncing nervously under the table. Regina took another deep breath before pulling open the door and stepping inside, stumbling slightly over the threshold.

"Sorry, I'm late…" Regina said as she approached the table, causing Emma's head to snap up toward her, a wide smile spreading across her face.

"You made it, that's all that matters." Emma jumped up to her feet, gesturing for Regina to join her. "What can I get you?" Emma asked, taking a small step toward the counter.

"Oh…umm…I guess just a plain coffee," Regina said, panicking all of a sudden. She forgot that Emma would expect her to actually consume something other than blood on their date. Her mind raced as she tried to come up with an excuse as to why she wasn't drinking when Emma reappeared at the table, two paper cups filled to the top with steaming hot liquid. Emma handed one to Regina before sitting across the table from her, gently blowing into the small opening in the plastic lid. "Thank you," Regina said, copying Emma's action, her hand burning from the heat of the cup. They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes, both panicking a little that this was a failed date already.

"So…" Emma said nervously, her knee bouncing under the table once again.

"So…" Regina repeated, her voice shaking slightly with the single word.

"So…ummm…what do you do? Like for a living?" Emma asked, breaking the ice.

"Right now, I teach a creative writing class at the Boston Public Library a few nights a week," Regina answered, already feeling a little more relaxed.

"That sounds fun. I think I might have actually seen you on Halloween coming out of the library," Emma said.

"Yeah, I would say you did. You walked right into me while you were fixing your jacket." Regina chuckled.

"Yeah…I definitely did that." Emma blushed. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay. I believe people call that a 'meet-cute'. We can tell people that was the first time we met." Regina giggled slightly, her brain confused by the foreign sound coming out of her lips.

"I can live with that." Emma smiled. "It must be cool though, teaching a creative writing class," Emma continued.

"It's alright." Regina shrugged. "I mean, yes, I enjoy it. And my students seem to enjoy it as well. But it's just something to pay the bills. My real dream was to be a published author, but nothing I've written ever took off," Regina said.

"Their loss," Emma blurted out, turning slightly red. "I mean…I'm sure you're an excellent author. Maybe I could read something you wrote sometime."

"Sure. I think that could be arranged." Regina smiled, blushing slightly. She suddenly realized that in the short time they had been sitting there, Emma had taken quite a few sips of her coffee. Regina raised her cup to her lip and tilted it slightly until the hot liquid touched her lip, but didn't allow it any further. The hot coffee burned her lip so bad she was afraid it might start to blister, but she couldn't allow Emma to see that. She stopped herself from making a face as she pretended to drink. "What about you? What do you do for a living?" Regina asked, pretending to take another sip.

"Oh. I'm a vampire hunter. I work for the Boston office of The Agency," Emma said. Even though she already knew the answer, hearing those words out of Emma's mouth still stung.

"Really?" Regina asked, trying to sound interested, her heart pounding slightly. "What's that like?"

"It's…interesting," Emma answered. "I work nights, for obvious reasons. It's not so bad once you get used to it."

"But?" Regina asked, sensing Emma's hesitation, showing her she was interested in hearing the rest of Emma's story.

"They don't treat their hunters very well. But I guess it is what it is. We are technically at the bottom of the food chain after all." Emma sighed.

"What made you join The Agency in the first place, if you don't mind me asking?" Regina asked, pretending to take a sip of her coffee.

"My mother was killed by a Vampire when I was fourteen. After she died, I decided I would enlist when I turned eighteen. I guess in some way I wanted to avenge her death," Emma answered.

"Oh Emma, I'm so sorry," Regina responded, with genuine sorrow in her voice.

"Thanks," Emma said, a slight sadness in her voice. "My father and I enlisted together actually. But he was considered too old to be a hunter, and he wasn't qualified for a higher up position."

"I bet he's very proud of all the hard work you do," Regina said.

"He was…" Emma said, the sadness returning.

"Was?"

"He passed away a few years ago."

"Oh Emma. I'm so sorry. Was it…?" Regina started to ask, not sure how to finish the question.

"A Vampire attack as well? No. He had a heart attack. After my mom died, we didn't exactly stick to a healthy diet. It only got worse when I moved out." Emma laughed. Regina found herself laughing along with Emma. "What about you, Regina? What is your family like?"

"Oh. I don't have any family," Regina answered, trying not to bring down the conversation more than it already was.

"None? Really? Not even a weird cousin or a creepy uncle?" Emma asked.

"None that I know of. My parents are deceased, as well as my older sister. It's just me," Regina said sadly, not bringing up her niece for fear Emma will ask why she was dead as well.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset," Emma said, her voice sounding soft and comforting. "Looks like we have more in common than we thought." Emma laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

"That's comforting to know." Regina laughed along with Emma.

"So, we might as well break out the cliche 'first date' questions. What do you do for fun, Regina?" Emma asked.

"I like to read a lot. Whenever I can, actually. Occasionally, I like to watch movies, usually the classics. I don't watch many modern movies, but I suppose I would be up for it, with the right company of course," Regina answered, surprising herself at the slight flirtation.

"I don't read much. To be honest, I don't have much time to read. Work keeps me pretty busy these days, but I'm always up for suggestions. And maybe…one day…we could watch a movie together. I could show you a modern one and you can introduce me to the classics," Emma said, her cheeks turning pink from embarrassment.

"I'd like that," Regina said, her cheeks matching Emma's.

Their conversation flowed freely from that point on. They talked for hours, until it was past closing and the baristas had to ask them to leave, forcing them back out into the frigid winter night.

"So…I kinda don't want this date to end. Can I walk you home?" Emma asked, shoving her hands into her jacket pocket, nervously gazing at the ground.

"I would like that," Regina answered, her face turning slightly red. "And for the record, I don't want this date to end either." Emma looked up and smiled as Regina began to lead the way toward her apartment.

They continued to talk as they walked side-by-side down the sidewalk, Emma secretly wishing she could hold Regina's hand. She had never been much for public displays of affection, going out of her way sometimes to avoid them. But there was something about Regina that made her want to break that rule. It took everything in her power to not grab her hand and lace their fingers together and hold on tight. Regina stopped suddenly a few blocks away, turning to face Emma.

"This is me," she said, with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Oh…" Emma said, sharing in her disappointment. Emma looked up at the building, realizing she had walked past this building a thousand times since moving to Boston. Little did she know, Regina was upstairs the whole time.

"I had a really great time tonight," Regina said, her eyes falling nervously to the ground.

"I did too," Emma answered without missing a beat. "I hope we can do it again sometime," she added, her voice sounding just as nervous as Regina's.

"I'd like that." Regina's eyes met Emma's once again, a smile spreading across her face. "I almost forgot to give these back to you," Regina said, reaching into her pockets, pulling out the borrowed gloves.

"Keep them. It'll give you more incentive to see me again." Emma laughed, causing Regina to smile even wider as she stuffed the gloves back in her pockets.

"Good night, Miss Swan," she said, a hint of flirtation in her voice.

"Good night, Miss Mills," Emma answered back, a flirtatious smile spreading across her face.

Emma watched as Regina slowly disappeared into the brick building in front of them. She quickly began to scan the windows above her, hoping to see a light turn on. A few minutes later, a light appeared in the previously dark window in the top left corner of the building. Emma squinted and could have sworn she saw Regina's shadow walking around. She stared up at the window for a few moments, hoping to see Regina's face peering out, when a sudden gust of cold air blew through her, causing her entire body to shiver. It was clearly her cue to go home. Turning to look up at the window one last time, Emma started off in the direction of her apartment, trying desperately not to freeze to death.

As soon as she made it back home and the door was locked, she shed her jacket and boots and made a beeline to the bathroom, wishing for a hot shower to thaw her frozen bones. Her skin was bright pink by the time she turned off the water, the chill long since disappeared. She climbed into bed and checked her phone one last time, smiling immediately when she saw a text message from Regina waiting for her.

"Thank you again for tonight, I had a really great time. I can't wait to see you again."

"Me too."

"Good night, Emma," Regina texted back immediately after receiving Emma's response.

"Good night, Regina." Emma put her phone on silent and plugged it in, knowing if she didn't put her phone away right then she would end up calling Regina and talking to her instead of sleeping. There was plenty of time for that. She rolled over and tried to fall asleep, but visions of the beautiful brunette with the bright brown eyes made sleep damn near impossible.