Ok so I'm a complete ass... I really didn't mean to leave y'all hanging like that. I kinda got into a slump and just couldn't focus at all. It was terribly frustrating and unintentional.

I have typed this chapter like a million times and that is barely an exaggeration... I can't really get it to where I'm happy with it.

It's sort of a filler chapter but kind of necessarily so... It had to help the actual plot along and stuff.

I'm gonna get to the good stuff again next chapter. I decided to just go ahead and post this chapter so I can get over my frustration with it and move on... lolz

Hopefully you guys don't Hate me too much... I'll definitely won't wait so long to post again... Not being able to focus enough to write sucked so hard...

Thanks for reading and feel free to R&R...

OH and OMG thanks so much for all the Follows/Faves/Comments on this fic... Really just blew me away and definitely brightened up my day every time I saw them...

Ok enough of my rambling... Read on Lovely People... :D

Chapter 3

She closes the door and positively struts back to her lukewarm coffee.

Life is good she smiled.

She looks back at her phone: 16 missed calls.

Well shit. How the hell did I miss 16 calls? ... Damn left it on silent after the meeting. She sighed. She knew her mom was flipping her shit with worry right now. Never mind that she was a 25- Scratch that -26 year old woman. Better call her back now...

It rang for about half a second when-

"Emma?! Where the hell have you been? I've called you sixteen -"

"I know sixteen times. I'm sorry, I left my phone on silent after I got out of the conference yesterday..."

"You can never do that again! All I could picture was you being BTK'd in some dark alleyway, Emma!" she could hear her mother's voice tremble.

"I know Mom I'm sorry..."

"I didn't even get to tell you Happy Birthday..." she gave a sad little sigh. " Happy Birthday baby..."

"Thanks Mom... I love you..." She said apologetically. Emma smiled to herself. No one could ever fault her mom for not loving her. Smothering her? Maybe, but never not loving her.

" I love you too...Did you at least have a good birthday? Do anything special?"

" Yeah yeah it was good, great actually..." she took on a slightly wistful tone that her mother did not miss.

"Oh really...?" she took on a teasing tone. "Did somebody meet somebody?"

"Mm I don't know... maybe..." she said with a blossoming smile.

"Oh my goodness, you did! I knew it would happen eventually... I'm so happy for you.." she continued to gush.

"Mom-MOM, calm down will you. It was just one night... I think you're gettin' a little ahead of yourself here..."

"Mhmm sure Ms. "One Night" . Don't think I didn't here that. You slept with her didn't you..." she said an annoyingly chipper and knowing tone.

Emma gave a heavy sigh. This is exactly why she moved to the city... well at least one of the reasons she was glad she did anyway.

"Yes, ok yes, I slept with her... That still doesn't prove anything, Mom. We've had this conversation before... You can sleep with people you don't love..." she said feeling like she was saying this to a lovestruck naïve teenager. Which face it, in many ways her mother still was.

Mary Margaret laughed, "Yes I'm aware of that Emma. However, as I have told you many times, We are a "Love at First Sight" family... Me and your father were like that, your father's parents were like that and-"

"Yeah yeah and Nana and Pops were like that too ... I know..." she said in an immature voice.

"Exactly... And you cannot convince me that you will not be the same way Emma Ruth Swan... Even if you are too stubborn to admit it..."

Emma could see the smug yet loving smile on her mother's pale face.

"Yeah ok whatever..." she mumbled childishly.

"So are you going to tell me about her or are you just going to bring her with you when you head down here next weekend...?" she said cheekily.

"Mom, seriously, we don't even have a second date, meeting, thing or whatever set up... I'm not bring her down to meet 'The Fam' like some desperate loser..."

"Maybe not yet... but you will..." she sing-songed the last part.

Emma huffed another sigh and spoke irritatedly into the receiver, " Look Mom is Dad around yet or is he still in the woods...?"

"Yes he's right here, you want to talk to him...?"
" Yep put him on..."
"Ok Love you sweetheart..."

"Love you too Mom..." she sighed again for the umpteenth time.

"David, baby... it's Emma" she could hear her mom as she handed off the phone.

"Heeey BabyGirl..." her father absolutely refused to stop calling her that no matter how many times she's hinted it embarrasses her.

" Man, I love you, but your wife is killing me..." she sarked.

He gave his classic hearty laugh that always managed to warm Emma up from the inside-out.

" Love you too, BabyGirl... And you know deep-down that you love that she's like that..."

"Yeah whatever..." she mumbled.

"So... it seems like I heard somewhere that somebody might be after my BabyGirl..." she could hear the smile in his voice.

"I can't imagine where..." she snarked.

"Or was it that BabyGirl was the one doing the chasing...?"

"Dad, not you too..." she bemoaned.

"Honey, if your happy, I'm happy... but you know your mother is right on this one..." he talked over the groan coming through the phone, "However, I'm not gonna put any pressure on you... When your sure you'll be sure..."

"Thanks Dad..."

"No problem... So, you still coming down next weekend...?"

Emma really wanted to see her family and friends back home. But even 8 years later it still hurt to see it... to be reminded. But, nonetheless she made herself go back every couple of months to see them and at the end of the day the good always outweighed the bad... most of the time anyway.

"Yep still coming..."

"Great we've missed you... 6 months is way too long Em..."

"I know... Time just got away from me I guess..."

"Well... we'll just have to make this extra super special then won't we Birthday Girl..."

"Dad, my birthday was yesterday... I don't think I will still be "BIrthday Girl" by next weekend..." she chuckled.

"Oh yes you will... Yesterday didn't count. I didn't get to see you or anything so ... Next week, Birthday Girl, expect a bash... " he said excitement heavily lacing his voice.

"Ok Dad whatever makes you happy..."

"Now that's the spirit..." he laughed.

Silence hung in the air for a few moments when Emma had to add something.
Damn her mother putting ideas in her head.

"Hey Dad..." her voice took on a child-like quality.

David smiled knowing that one day this would happen, "Yeah BabyGIrl..."

"Mom might not have been totally wrong..."

"How do you mean...?"

"Well... I mean I don't wanna jump the gun or anything... But... Regina, the girl I was with yesterday...She's real special... Even if I don't really know her... you know..."

He gave a happy, contented sigh as he looked over to his wife and smiled, "Yep... I know exactly what you mean... Why don't you tell me all about her when you get down here...?"

Emma smiled a sweet smile, one her father always seemed to be able to bring out of her, "Yeah ok... Sounds good... Well I guess I should call Nana... tell her how the conference went..."

"Ok... we'll talk to you later... I love you..."

"Love you too Dad, tell Mom..."

"Will do kiddo... Bye..." he hung up and saw Mary Margaret sigh and close her book.

XXXXX

"I don't know how in the world you get her to do that..." she shook her head slightly.

"What...?" he knit his brows.

" What do you mean 'What?'... Tell you stuff... She's gonna just tell you all about her 'Mystery Woman' when she gets here and when I try to get her to open up about personal things like that she just completely shuts down on me..." she whined towards the end.

David chuckled and scooted over on the couch to pull the sulking woman to his chest, "What can I say ... I'm the Daughter Whisperer... Best Dad Ever... Hall of Famer of the Father League, The -"

"Oh shut up, you..." she laughed as she hit him on the face with a throw-pillow. " And if you're the great and powerful Daughter-Whisperer then where were you during her teenage years, hmm... Coulda used you then a few times..."

He grinned charmingly and lightly kissed her cheek, "Playing 'Good Cop'..."

XXXXX

Emma hung up and quickly hit Speed Dial #3 on her phone.

The familiar voice glided through the speaker and Emma was reminded of another reason she needed to go home.

Emma had a special kind of relationship with her grandmother. They understood each other on a different kind of level. Emma always suspected that maybe she was a little more like her Nana when she was younger. Eva always seemed to know what was going on before anyone else did. The only problem is often times she would stand back and let you figure things out for yourself. But... she was always there to pick of the pieces, dust you off, and hand you a steaming hot cup of hot cocoa with cinnamon and whipped cream... just how Emma liked it best.

"Hello...?" Eva answered because she was still too old-school to ever read her caller i.d.

"Hey Nana..."

"Emma! Honey it's so good to hear from you... Did you call your mother? She was on the phone with me pretty much all day yesterday about you..." she could hear the slightly scolding tone in her grandmother's voice and felt bad again for causing her family so much worry but ultimately would make the same decisions all over again for the sultry brunette.

"Yes Nana just got off the phone with her and Dad... I was calling to tell you about the conference yesterday about the Storybrooke camp..."

Eva gave a heavy, irritated sigh, "She tried to buy it again didn't she...?"

"Yep..."
"How much did she offer this time...?"

"Over double what it's worth..."

"She will never learn... it's not about the money; it's never been about the money..."

"Are you ever gonna tell me why this woman has such an issue with you?"

"No... not right now anyway..." Eva sighed again. "What did she say when you turned down the offer...?"

"I don't know... You know I never actually talk to them. I always see that snivelling lackey Sidney... I have no idea what's up with that dude but he's always either a smartass or looking like he's about to piss himself in fear..."

"It's that woman, Emma... She brings it out in people... makes them crazy..." Emma could hear the irritation creep into Eva's usually calm, motherly tone.

"Man you really don't like Cora Mills do you...?"

Another heavy sigh later Eva answered, "It's... complicated... If I ever do get around to telling you that long, sad story you'll probably just end up with more questions than answers..."

"Why do you still have me review her offers if you know you'll never sell...? Isn't that kind of pointless... and a waste of our time...?"

"Yes, but... well... Part of me hopes that one day she'll stop hiding behind her desks and fancy office buildings, get that stick out of her ass, and come here to have it out face to face... I know it will most likely never happen but there's always a chance... So... If she makes another offer, review it a couple of days... and then turn it down again..." she finished in a low mutter.

"If you say so Nana... Well, I guess I'll see you next weekend... Dad seems set on throwing me some kind of belated birthday party. Wanna maybe make sure he doesn't go too overboard...? If you did, that would make you the Best Nana in the World..." she finished in a sing-song.

"Please, I'm already the Best Nana in the World..." she scoffed. "And besides, you know once your father sets his mind on something no one can stop him..." and then belatedly added to Emma's disgust, " And if I couldn't stop him from knocking your mother up at 17, then I'm not sure I can do much about a birthday celebration ..." she finished with a vulgar chuckle.

"Nana, visuals!" Emma whined.

"Ooh did Nana embarrass the baby?" she said in a mocking tone.

"YES! You are no longer the Best Nana in the World..."

"Fine then... I guess you'll just have to find someone else to cook for that party then... too bad too because I was going to make all your favorites: double-chocolate layer cake with fudge icing, my special slow-roasted honey ham, my-"

"Ok, ok... My God woman pull out the big guns why don't ya..." Eva chuckled at her grand-daughter. "You're back on the Best Nana in the World list.. but all those foods better be present at my party..."

"Love you too honey... Talk to you later..."

"Love you too Nana... Bye..."

XXXXX

Emma smiled and hung up. She loved her family. They were all probably certifiably nuts, but she loved them anyway.

But now on to the important things... A.K.A Regina... What to do about her...?

Regina left the note so the ball was officially in her court.

Emma smiled and pulled up the newly added contact and opened the text screen.

She let her thumbs hover over the screen trying to think about what to type when she remembered the note left in her mailbox.

She felt a smirk form on her face and just went with it.

'Highly pleasurable' huh..? You weren't so bad yourself ;)

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Regina stepped out of her mother's over-sized jet-black town car and walked up to her best friend's house.

Brightly colored toys and Tonka Trucks, not to mention all the playground equipment bought specifically for one tiny person, set this yard apart from all the rest of the emaculate and pristine lawns in the snooty, upper-class neighborhood.

Looking at the not so organized chaos of her best friend's lawn brought a large smile to her face because she knew it was a symbol of how much Kathryn truly adored her son.

It was kind of bittersweet though. Regina had always imagined multiple children to be at this house knowing the couple that lived in it. That didn't see to be likely to happen though. Not after all these years of trying... and failing. Sometimes, Life dealt out unusually rough hands to the most undeserving of people.

After a few swift knocks, the door swung open reveal the paint be-smeared but smirking face of one Kathryn Knight.

Regina couldn't hold in the chuckle at seeing the streaks of red, blue, green, and yellow lining her friends face. "You know there are times I'm not sure who's more of a child, you or Henry..."

Kathryn shrugged and leaned against the door frame, "What can I say I'm young at heart..."

"Well you certainly have the mind of a child..." Regina jibed.

"Mmhmm, deflect from the real subject all you want Regina Mills..."

Scrunching her eyebrows in confusion Regina asked, "What do you mean deflect...?"

Kathryn neatly folded her similarly paint speckled arms, "Oh I don't know but rumor has it somebody was gettin' biz-ay with a hot blonde last night..."

Regina let her mouth drop open slightly, "My God, did she call you the second I got out of the house?"

"Pretty much" Kathryn smirked. "You know your mother tells me everything now... Believe me there are practically no secrets with that woman... If your ever curious about your mother's overly sexual thoughts and behaviours-"

Regina quickly raised her hands in a halting gesture, "Nope... No. Dear God no..."

Kathryn laughed and finally moved out of the doorway and walked towards the den. She eased towards the door and motioned Regina to be quiet and pointed at the sunken hardwood floor.

Henry laid there soundly sleeping. His chubby little 4-year-old face pressed into a large finger painting and paint from his , slightly lighter than his mother's, brown hair to his elbows.

A smile that she reserved only for her son swept across Regina's face as she abandoned her high heels in the hallway and quietly made her way to the sleeping boy.

She looked at his painting and saw several stick figures and handprints taking up most of the poster paper.

Brushing his partially paint stiffened hair from his face she leaned down and kissed the boy's pale cheek leaving behind another mark in the form of her dark red lipstick.

"How long's he been out...?" she whispered to Kathryn who stood watching with a slightly sad smile on her face.

"About an hour... He had too much fun... Just passed right out in the middle of his masterpiece..."

"I guess I'll let him nap a little longer then... Mother's supposed to call me when Daddy gets home anyway..."

"Great so you have a few minutes then..." Kathryn whispered excitedly as she pulled Regina by the elbow towards the kitchen.

XXX

Regina was grateful her friend was a coffee addict when she smelled the wonderful aroma hit her nostrils. She left in such a rush that morning from Emma's that she hadn't gotten her daily fix and from the mischievous look on her friends face she was going to need her energy.

Kathryn poured them each a cup and settled in the plush cushions of her breakfast nook. Regina eased in across from her and took a long pull from her cup.

Kathryn decided to just dive right in, "So Emma, huh..."

Regina refused to make eye contact with the blonde and looked out the window but let a small smile grace her face.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'..." Kathryn smirked.

After a few more long seconds of silence from the brunette, Kathryn added, "You might as well get out with it. Cora has told me everything already..."

"Oh well if Mother's told you everything then what do you need me for..." Regina added coyly.

"Oh come off it Regina... you didn't tell her any of the good stuff... I want the gritty details... You know I live all my lesbian fantasies through you..." she chuckled.

Regina pursed her lips and smiled, "And does your husband know about these fantasies..."

A salacious grin crossed Kathryn's face, "Please Freddie likes me to talk about them in bed..."

Regina rolled her eyes, "I swear you and Mother need a filter..." she murmured.

"Whatever.." Kathryn said with a slight shake of her head. "Just tell me how awesome the sex was already..."

When a light blush passed across Regina's cheeks Kathryn gave a slight gasp, "That good then..."

Regina set her cup down and with her eyes diverted downwards admitted, " I didn't even dominate her, no control of the situation at all..." she practically whispered.

Kathryn arched a brow, "Wait a minute, Control Freak Regina Mills didn't dominate in the bedroom...?"

Regina shook her head and her blush deepened, "No... I mean... She- I- I let her do what she wanted to..."

"What do you mean what she wanted to...? Did she - Did you let her go 'to the restaurant Downtown'...?" she asked a bit incredulously and making air quotes.

Regina just nodded.

Kathryn gasped again, "You never let anybody do that..." she practically hissed. "You always said it was too intimate..."

"I know- I know what I said... I didn't even attempt to stop her Kat..." she paused for a long second. "She made me come first... there I said it..." she slid her hands up over her face.

"Well..." Kathryn said looking a bit dumbfounded at her life-long friend. "Damn, Regina..."

"It gets worse... after... everything... I fell asleep naked on top of this woman and woke up practically straddling her and my face in her breasts... Snuggling... " she finished saying the last word like it was dirty.

"Well shit... are you gonna see her again...?"

"Actually, yes..." Regina gave a small smile. "I was gonna just go... but I just couldn't. I left her a note and we're gonna meet up again sometime soon. I told her I'd let her know..."

"Holy shit..."

"I know..."

"I am so freaking excited for you..." she said in a giddy tone.

" I must say I'm looking forward to seeing her again..."

"Mm I bet you are..." Kathryn added suggestively.

"Shut up.." Regina laughed and slapped at Kat's hand playfully.

"So where are you going to take her this next 'meeting'...?"

"I have no idea... I haven't really thought that far yet..."

"Well we'll have to figure something out then..."

"We...?" she asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Yes 'we'... If I let you do this on your own just imagine the disaster..." she said with wide eyes.

"Yes dear, that's what I am doing..." she joked.

"When have I ever lead you astray...?" Kathryn asked with mock hurt in her voice.

"We don't have that kind of time to go over all that..."

"You wound me Regina..." she raised a hand to her heart.

Regina just laughed.

They sat drinking their coffee for a few more silent moments when Kathryn remembered what else she wanted to talk about.

"So what about this whole camp thing Cora is talking about..."

Regina gave a slight groan, "It's her latest scheme...She wants me to sign up Henry for this camp up in Maine and travel along with him to stay in separate 'Parent's Cabins' to spy from the inside..." she said with a shake of her head and a sardonic tone of voice. "What she expects me to find, I have no idea... She's obsessed with buying it for some reason... Her last offer for the property was ridiculously over property value..."

"I wonder why she wants it so badly...?" Kathryn thought aloud.

"I have no idea but it is just killing her that she hasn't 'won' this little game of hers... I kind of want to go just so I can maybe finally convince her to let it drop already..."

Kathryn nodded her head in understanding when they heard small feet slapping on the stone floor.

"Aunt Kat...?" the high-pitched voice called out.

"In here Henny"

She heard his little excited gasp and Regina turned as her son ran over to her and jumped in her lap, " Mama!" he practically squealed. She loved that he got excited every time she they were separated even if it was just for a few hours.

She squeezed him tightly to her chest and settled him in her lap. "Hey bebé" she greeted him placing a kiss to his forehead.

"Did you have fun with Aunt Kat today...?"

"Oh yeah! Did you see, Mama..." he pointed towards the blonde woman, "Aunt Kat let me paint her face... Don't she look pretty, Mama...?"

Regina held in her laugh and nodded, "Oh yes, Henry... She looks so pretty you should do that every time you come over here..." she said smirking to her friend.

Henry just nodded his excited head in agreement, missing the teasing going on between the adults in the room.

"Yes Henry, I'll let you take some of it home so you can help Mama look pretty too..." Kat smirked back and Regina rolled her eyes.

Swiftly changing the subject Regina looked back down at Henry, "Henry, Papi is coming back home today. How about we go have dinner tonight with him and Gigi, hmm...?"

Henry's eyes lit up and he practically vibrated with excitement. "Papi's back?"

"Mmhmm..."

"Woohoo..." he shouted throwing his hands up. "Let's go Mama..." he said hopping down and pulling on Regina's hand.

"Wait he's not back just yet, Henry... Gigi said she would call when he got back and we'll go as soon as she does... " she said to his pouting face. "But first we need to go home and get you cleaned up. You have paint everywhere bebé..." she said hefting the boy up on her hip and heading towards the door.

Kathryn followed behind the pair smiling. Regina slipped her heels back on and stopped at the door to say their farewells. She leaned in and kissed Kathryn on the cheek and Kat gave Henry a loud raspberry. "I'll put your stuff in your room for next time Henny... okay..."

"Okay Aunt Kat..." he said laughing and rubbing his cheek.

Regina headed out the door and towards the towncar when Kat called out, "I'll call you later... We still need to figure out what we're gonna do about your date..." she said with a wink.

"Sure..." Regina laughed sarcastically as she buckled Henry in the backseat and slid into the driver's seat.

Henry's waved erratically from the backseat as Kathryn stood in the doorway smiling as the black town car backed out of her driveway.

XXXXXX

Well hope y'all like it. Please drop me a review and tell me how you liked it or didn't like it... Or rant because I didn't post for so long... Whatevs... ;)

Thanks for Reading :D