A/N: Thank you all for the love and attention you seem to be giving this story. I surely do appreciate the reviews that have been dropping in my email, too. And to thank you for those reviews, here is the next chapter in this new adventure that I will continue taking everyone on. :) Happy reading, all! Enjoy.

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Chapter 3: Cupid's Arrow

"Ladies!" The bus driver barks, startling Regina far more than Emma. "Look, I don't care who pays what- just sit down, huh?"

Regina blinked again, quickly turning around and handing the entire total of $1.70 to the bus driver, right in the palm of his hand. A piece of the change clattered along the floor, possibly by her feet or the bus driver's, rolling somewhere along a seat or a crease along the floor where it would be lost forever, but that wasn't Regina's problem anymore. "Sorry," she said smugly, the corner of her lip slightly tilting at the frown on the jerk bus driver's face.

'Manners said a lot about a person's character.' That's what her father always said. And he was right. Now that bus driver could spend a little extra of his clock-out minutes searching for that one loose change.

Emma watched the brunette woman walk by her, picking up a whiff of her clearly expensive perfume as she shared a knowing grin with Regina. She followed right behind her along the pathway, back to the only empty seat.

Regina was about to have herself a seat, until she shot back up, her eyes trained on Emma's, "Oh-sorry. This was your seat." She steps aside, allowing the woman to take it back.

"No, it's okay," Emma offered up her seat with her one book in hand.

"No," Regina shakes her head. "I couldn't possibly. This was your seat."

"And now it's yours." Emma smiles, her eyes locked onto Regina's that wouldn't and possibly couldn't look away. Just like Emma couldn't look away. "Please," her voice went softer.

So soft, all Regina could do was blink. She found herself in some sort of trance she never had once before. The woman was slightly taller, by a possible two, three inches, but then again Regina has always been short in size. Or maybe everyone just looked taller? She didn't know. Not that it was important. Point was, the woman's manners certainly said a lot about her character.

And up close, this woman didn't look bad at all to the eye.

"Thank you," Regina's reply was almost a whisper. She decided to thankfully take the seat, finally daring to tear her eyes away from Emma as the crowd of others standing grew a little confined around them, leaving Emma to drown somewhere along the sea of passengers.

Five feet, seven inches had always helped Emma feel reasonably tall. Tall enough that she could at least see the back of a full head of black jet hair. Emma's hand hung casually along one of the handle bars above her head, keeping herself steady as the bus moved in motion. She never liked standing in public transportation. People just didn't seem to respect personal space anymore. She hated feeling like a sardine hoping the top of this tin container would pop open. Although, if her fate was to be side by side along a beauty such as Regina's; Emma would gladly remain standing without a single complaint.

Regina watched a pair of large brown eyes staring directly at her. They belonged to a young girl, whose face was half hidden by the seat in which she sat with her mother by her side. Her hair had been placed in a tight ponytail that barely held it in place due to the massive curls that stuck out from every angle on the girl's head.

The child's massive eyes watched Regina with curiosity and wonder. Silenced.

Emma watched from afar, curious and silent from where she stood. She couldn't blame the little one for being captivated by Regina's overwhelming beauty. It was impossible. The corner of her lip slightly lifted as a small hand peeked out from behind the seat, waving back to Regina as she had waved to her first.

Regina held up her pointer finger and dug within her large portfolio, which rested right by her legs. She pulled out an 11x14 sketchbook she had stored in there for whenever inspiration struck it's cord on her artistic senses.

Both the girl and Emma watched Regina curiously. A small crease forming right in between Emma's eyes.

Holding her pencil in between her index and thumb, Regina placed her wrist along the pad, guiding the pencil along the blank page.

Emma's head tilts, attempting to get a good angle of view. "Excuse me," she murmured to a fellow passenger, all while slithering her way through the crowd. Her eyes never left Regina's hand, the way its movements shifted with familiarity along the page that little by little was marked down by inspiration.

Regina's eyes would switch from looking down at every new line created in her drawing to looking back up at the girl, who hadn't moved an inch since Regina began drawing her. Considering her age. The girl looked to be about five years old. That was Regina's estimated guess.

Emma watched carefully, silently standing right by Regina, having slithered her way through the crowded bus just a little more to have gained as much closeness as she could. The corner of her lip quirked up at the life-like drawing that had been created in an impressive matter of minutes.

But what captivated Emma more was the breathtaking smile that spread along Regina's lips. She couldn't look away from that smile, even as Regina happily flashed her life-like drawing for the girl to look at. Emma's own lips split into a small grin at the sound of the small gasp that escaped the girl's lungs. Her round eyes turning rounder by surprise.

Regina placed her sketchbook along her lap, careful not to rub off her forearms along the new drawing. Her eyes turned, feeling someone's gaze trained on her, surprised by Emma standing so close to her.

And at the sight of Regina's eyes momentarily finding hers, Emma's quickly turned away. Seeing a seat become available up front as soon as one of the passengers stepped off at a bus stop, Emma quickly moved up to take it. From that spot, with the way the seat was positioned, she could still enjoy the pleasure of looking at Regina without hovering over her shoulder for the remainder of their trip.

As Emma moved, Regina's eyes automatically looked back at the blonde, the way her fingers brushed back a single strand of loose golden hair. She watched the way the sunlight paint brushed the profile, adding a shade along her long neck due to her strong marked jaw.

Emma's eyes moved in her direction, and Regina quickly looked away, clearing her throat to fight a slight blush she could feel settle along her cheeks. Regina shifted in her seat, her hand flipping to the pages of her sketchbook once again. Her pencil at the ready. Despite Emma's expression changing, due to her picking up her book, Regina focused on the profile. Her brown eyes would look up on occasion, quickly committing every curve and line of Emma's beautiful face. She looked down and green eyes shifted over the book, silently watching Regina.

Their eyes danced like this for several minutes, playing their game of tag while the world moved along.

The little girl sitting in front of Regina looked down at the new drawing that was being finished. Her head turned to find the source, right where Emma was sitting. Her wide eyes sparkling in amazement.

"Excuse me," a man's voice called to Regina's attention. And it was only when she looked beside her that she realized there had been someone else sitting in the seat next to hers. Seeing that he was waiting to step off the bus at the next stop it had reached, Regina quickly stood from her seat, allowing the man to pass. At the same time, the little girl and her mother got up and off their own seats.

Emma quickly stood, taking advantage of a closer seat and sat right up front. Her eyes locked with Regina's in one quick glance as they stood face to face with one another. Regina, out of sheer panic, shut her sketchbook to the cover, fearing that Emma would have spotted the drawing. Her heart had never beat so fast before today.

"Incoming! Watch out your feet," a heavyset looking man, carrying a large box of supplies, propped up along his right shoulder pushed his way through, so roughly be bumped right into Emma's back as she crossed before his path. "Watch out." He pushed through a little further.

Emma felt a shove along her back, her feet forcing her near Regina to where their eyes met again. Regina couldn't help but look directly into Emma's green eyes. She could get lost in them. It was safe to say that maybe after today- green would become Regina's favorite color.

"Sorry," Emma said kindly, locking eyes with Regina.

"It's quite alright." Regina couldn't help but smile up at Emma, praying that another blush wouldn't manifest just like one had already settled along Emma's own cheeks, giving them a rosy shading.

Suffice to say, they had been so busy ridiculously looking into each other's eyes that they had lost their seats to other passengers who had unknowingly- to them- moved in to take them. But who said standing was such a bad thing, anyway? Regina certainly didn't mind, and neither did Emma.

The bus was in motion, and as it jerked, shaking roughly due to a pothole that was carelessly driven over by the driver, Emma knew well to hang on, tightening her grip along one of the handlebars that was nearest to her. "Oh!" Regina on the other hand, couldn't stop what happened next. Her body swung roughly to the side, straight into Emma's own body. She held her sketchbook protectively upfront, feeling it tumble out of her hands along with Emma's book.

Regina couldn't recall ever being this close to another human in her entire existence, the way she was with Emma. Talk about invading someone else's personal space. "I'm so sorry," she muttered, feeling her breath hitch in the back of her throat.

"Are you alright?" Emma breathed, her eyes studying the details of the woman's lips with one quick flick. Her fingers tightened along the woman's back, taking in the softness of the fabric belonging to her dress.

"Mhm," Regina's head bobs. Her eyes couldn't look away from Emma's. She was so lost, she hadn't realized the woman's arms had been protectively holding her until Emma broke the connection.

"Um…" Emma blinked, hoping to erase the blush along her cheeks before it went noticed by the source that caused it. A nervous smile manifested along her thin lips, seeing Regina mirror one in response. To hide her blush, Emma dipped down and picked up the sketchbook along with her own book, tucked underneath. "Here."

Regina reached for her sketchbook, feeling a wave of electric shock as their fingers slightly brushed with one another. Skin on skin. "Thank you."

The corner of Emma's lip curved upward in response. This was a first for her. Losing the ability to speak over a pretty face. It wasn't like she was a stranger to pretty faces, but compared to this one- the rest just couldn't compare.

"Next stop!" The bus driver announced. Had he been announcing each stop this whole time? Regina thought.

"Um," Emma slightly frowned as the bus began to slow down. Her eyes trained on Regina's, "This is me."

"Oh," Regina blinked, forgetting for a moment that they had been standing. "Right." She quickly steps aside, allowing Emma to pass through.

Emma never wanted to stay for a longer bus ride until now. Her eyes easily found Regina again, as a seat right by the window where she stood, emptied, allowing Regina to take it. Their eyes met for the last time through the glass window before the bus drove away for good. As the bus became smaller and smaller, Emma let out a breath she had been holding.

"Emma?" Emma's head whipped around to the sound of her name being called by a voice she knew all too well. "I thought that was you! I could spot you a mile away!"

"Hey, Mary Margaret," Emma grinned. "Doing a little light shopping, huh?" Her eyes flickered to the amount of large bags, all hanging along the woman's arms.

"You know me, always prepared." The woman flashed a friendly smile. "Will you help me?"

"Of course, yeah," Emma quickly reached for a set of bags, as many as her fingers could grip onto, diluting some of the weight for the older woman.

"Thank you so much. You're a life-saver." Mary Margaret led the way on foot, walking side by side with Emma. "Are you just getting back from college?"

Emma's head bobs, "Yeah. Big test today."

"Oh, that's right- for your engineering degree!" Mary Margaret stopped short. "How'd it go?" She asked through a huge, confident grin.

"Good… I hope." Emma chuckled. "I won't know until next week."

"Oh, well, I'm sure you'll get it." Mary Margaret walked along. "Do you have some time to come over for some hot chocolate and cookies?"

"Always. As long as you're making it." Emma grinned.

"Good! Let's hurry then, and we'll have a long overdue chat. You can tell me all about the girl you met." Said Mary Margaret, her steps hurrying and leaving a dumbstruck Emma behind a few steps.

"Alright, come on," Mary Margaret places a re-filled mug of hot chocolate in front of Emma, joining her along her round breakfast table. "Spill it. Who's the girl?" She reaches for a cookie and takes an immediate bite.

A blush settles along Emma's cheeks, "Are you ever going to let me in on your secret of how you do that?"

"I have no secrets, Emma." Mary Margaret shakes her head.

Emma's brow quirks, "Everyone's got secrets." She takes another sip of hot chocolate. Mary Margaret's was the best.

"I'm gifted. I can read minds, and yours is swimming."

Emma sits back until her back impacts her chair. She takes a small bite of the cookie in her hand.

"Now- spill. Who is she?"

Emma chuckles, "I thought you could read minds?" She grins, earning a glare from the woman. "I don't know her name."

"Now, how can that be, Emma?"

Emma shrugs, "We just didn't have a chance to introduce ourselves, I guess." She frowns as she wonders the mystery woman's name.

"Well, why didn't you ask her?" Mary Margaret crossed one leg over the other. "Sounds to me like you had every chance of doing so- you were just too awestruck to do it."

A small laugh escapes Emma, "Come on… you're talking about love at first sight."

"And why not?" Mary Margaret's brow lifts.

"That kind of stuff doesn't exist, Mary Margaret."

"I assure you, it does, Emma. And whether you want to believe me or not- I believe that you just experienced that very thing."

Emma chuckled, chewing through another cookie bite.

"Okay, fine. Don't believe me. What do I know? I only have…" Mary Margaret takes a deep breath, "Years of experience under my belt." If anyone knew about love- true love- first hand, it was her. She could see it right behind Emma's eyes. The way her cheeks wouldn't stop blushing as she told her the story behind that bus ride.

"Are you analyzing me?" Emma's head tilts knowingly. She's been Mary Margaret's one and only friend that the woman has allowed herself to have. Given that she wasn't much of a people person. Emma could say she had come to know her well in their time of friendship.

Mary Margaret was another member of her family. She never visited, but Emma was always welcomed to stop by.

"No."

"Liar. You are. You're doing that thing with your eyes," Emma pointed.

"What thing?" Mary Margaret blinked.

"That thing you do with your eyes every time you analyze me." The corner of Emma's lip quirked up in a knowing little smirk.

"Can you blame me? I just thought I'd never see the day!" Mary Margaret grinned, cradling her cup of hot chocolate in her hands. "You're first love! It's exciting, Emma."

Emma gulps down the rest of her hot chocolate, setting her now empty mug aside. "It can't be when I don't even know her name."

Mary Margaret scoffed, "And whose fault is that?" She stood up and reached for Emma's mug, placing it inside her sink for a later wash. "But, mark my words, Emma- if there is anything I know about true love is that it's marked by destiny."

Another laugh escaped Emma's lips.

"You may laugh, but I swear it's true." The older woman said sternly. "And I do know this…" she held up a single digit. "Is that no one can defy destiny. What's meant to be will be. And if destiny deems it so, you two will find each other again. Mark my words."

One thing was for certain. Emma wouldn't be caught dead fighting against seeing Regina again.

That evening, Regina had decided to work a little more on a charcoal portrait she wanted to present to the gallery. It was of her father. She hoped to show it to him and give him the exciting news of her day today. If anyone would be happy for her on this small accomplishment- it would be him.

Regina sighed as her black charcoal- being the one that she mostly used- met its end. She stood up and searched deep within her portfolio, knowing perfectly well that she had an extra black charcoal stored away in there; somewhere. Her arm dug further, coming to a pause as her hand caught a feel of something a little thicker than a sketchbook.

As Regina brought the object out of her portfolio, her brows knitted together. Her head tilted slightly at the book that had been placed inside. She flipped it, realizing that the title of it had been turned upside down. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Her eyes danced along the cover of the book as her mind tracked back to her day on the bus.

Could it be? A small smile manifested along the corner of Regina's lip as she flipped the cover. Right along the corner, just behind the cover was a phone number along with a name, written in blue pen just at the bottom of the row of numbers. Emma Swan.

Regina closed the book, setting it along her bed before digging out her 11x14 sketchbook. She flipped through her drawings until she came across the one of the beautiful, no-longer-nameless-stranger who had saved her from being thrown out of a bus today. And who had chivalrously given up her seat to her.

Removing her father's charcoal painting, Regina replaced it with her 24x36 (larger) sketchbook right along her easel. Flipping through her drawings, she stopped at the sight of a blank, clean page, reached for her pencil, placed her smaller sketchbook along her easel and began re-drawing her first portrait of Emma. Only this time, she added in out of the depths of her memory, the single strand of blonde hair that had been along her eyes and cheek, minutes before being brushed back behind her ear.

Regina had felt her heart flutter before, but never this loud to where she could hear the beat within her ear drums. And certainly never over another woman. A beautiful woman at that. She ran the tip of her pencil lightly along the woman's captivating eyes, adding in some last minute details and being struck by them all over again.

"Regina?" Her mother's voice startled her hand's movement, leaving the brunette to gasp once she pushed her bedroom door open, inviting herself in once again. "What on earth are you doing? Are you still not ready?"

"Jesus, mother, don't you ever knock?" Regina breathed.

"We don't have time for that, Regina. Your father's guests will be here in five minutes, now, please, get dressed and come downstairs."

"Okay," Regina looked up at her drawing, admiring for a short minute before turning back at her mother, who lingered by her door. "I'll be right there. Just… give me a minute."

Cora's eyes glared as she exited, leaving the door to the bedroom ajar. Regina sighed, shaking her head. She had closed her eyes for a single second before opening them to the sight of her larger size drawing of that chivalrous stranger. Emma. If that was even her name.

Of course, she would have to find that out later. Right now, she had a dinner to attend to.