The house band was playing a stripped down version of an old country song when Regina and Bette delicately made their way through the large double doors. Bette spotted Tina and Emma at a small table near the stage, engaged in conversation.

"Take those sunglasses off," Bette hissed. "You look ridiculous."

"I will do no such thing. I'm hardly recognizable with such exaggerated eyewear. It's not my fault that you can't blend in because your girlfriend is probably expecting you to show up." Regina peeked over the top of her glasses to see if she could read Emma's lips. She could not.

"Fucking dwarf," Bette cursed, sneering at Regina.

"What did you call me?" Regina asked, raising her voice to a quiet yell.

"Shhhh! What is wrong with you?"

Trying to think logically, Regina smiled to herself as she realized she could just waltz her way back through those doors and leave, and this vile woman would have no way of getting back to the restaurant. Let her stumble down a busy route in unfamiliar territory in high heels. Regina felt a spark of delight course through her body.

At that moment, she saw Emma stand and press down on her dress, straightening a wrinkle. Regina shoved Bette forward, nearly pushing her into a wall that was decorated with various animal heads. Before Bette could scold her, Regina clapped a hand over her mouth. "They're coming this way!" she said, panicking. The only escape that offered any hope was a door marked 'Employees Only' and Regina quickly pulled at the knob. By the grace of God, it opened.

Bette staggered in first, and made room for Regina before she closed the door quickly behind them. Regina sighed in unreserved disgust as she realized they were in a supply closet. Toilet paper rolls were stacked ten feet high, cleaning products lined the shelves, and a dingy mop with hair stuck to it rounded out the beautiful scenario.

"Is this really my life? How have I fallen so far?" Regina asked rhetorically, pushing her sunglasses up on her head.

Bette ignored her, cracking open the door just enough to see through the sliver of light. "Ugh," she moaned. "Why did they move? They are sitting at a table right there!" Bette told her, pointing.

"To get away from that racket, I would assume." Regina said sullenly.

"I guess that's it," Bette surrendered. "The jig is up. We should just go out there and come clean."

"No, we will not do that, Ms. Porter. This little stunt of ours will only complicate matters further, and I can't have that."

"What is your relationship with Emma, anyway?" Bette asked, leaning up against the door. She knitted her eyebrows together, realizing she had no idea.

"Not that it's any of your business," Regina told her, straightening her shirt, "But once again, things are…complicated…between Ms. Swan and me."

Bette snorted. "How complicated can they be if you call her Ms. Swan? Sounds like this whole relationship might be taking place in your head."

Stunned at the preposterous woman in front of her, Regina opened her mouth several times, only to keep closing it. "I assure you, it is not," she finally settled on, letting the tiniest of doubts infiltrate her confidence.

"Whatever you say," Bette breathed out.

"If your relationship with Tina is so spectacular, what exactly is she doing here, on a date no less?"

Bette fiddled with the cuffs of her sleeve. "She's the love of my life. And not that it's any of your business, but we've been through a lot together. I've hurt her in so many ways I'm not proud of, and she's…done things too. But we're working hard to put all of that behind us. So, needless to say, this is a bit of a shock to me," Bette told her, not meeting her eyes.

Regina softened, only a little. "Yes, well, I am certain that I have done things to Emma which would make your…indiscretions pale in comparison. She somehow found it in within herself to forgive me. But I've never been one for reading people's emotions. I can't usually find the justification to care."

Nodding, Bette toyed with one of her earrings. "I have many…selfish tendencies as well. But now that she's back in my life, I can't let her go. She's everything to me."

Realization dawned on Regina as she listened to Bette speak of Tina with such honesty and regard. She felt that way too, even though she had never wanted to admit it. Really, everything she did revolved around Emma in one way or another.

"Yeah," Regina said softly, "She's everything to me, too."

000

"I'm so glad we did this," Tina said loudly, trying to carry her voice over the music. "I haven't been able to just go out and relax in such a long time. Even if we did spend the night pining over other people," Tina laughed.

Emma placed her hand over Tina's. "Me too, it was so good to see you. If I wasn't so consumed with my son's other mother, I would definitely be asking you out again," Emma winked, glad to know she had solidified her friendship with Tina.

A non-descript wooden door they were seated near began rattling, and both women turned to see what was making the noise.

000

Inside the supply closet, Bette was turning the knob, but it was not giving in either direction. "What the fuck is wrong with this thing?"

"Let me," Regina said, pushing her out of the way. "It's jammed." She tried pulling it, using her leg against the door for leverage, but to no avail. "It's not budging."

Bette touched her hand to her chest and began breathing rapidly. "Oh my God, we're going to run out of oxygen. I can't breathe," she sputtered, as she put both of her hands on her knees.

"Are you serious, Ms. Porter?" Regina looked at her like she was an alien life form. "There is plenty of oxygen in here. We just need to break off the knob." She rolled her eyes and sighed in disgust. "Apparently I will have to come up with something since you seem to be in the throes of a panic attack."

Regina glanced around the small closet, looking for something to smash the knob with. Bette handed her her cell phone, still breathing in large gasps.

"Oh sure, and when they send the fire department to break us out of here, I'm sure the four of us will all sit down to dinner and giggle over this silly little misunderstanding. Use your head." Regina spotted an industrial sized container of disinfectant, and decided that would be heavy enough to do the job.

"Stand back." Regina raised the can and with a heavy hand came crashing down on the door knob. The knob careened to the floor. At the same time, the aerosol sprayer was punctured, and disinfectant began to overtake the room.

In an overwhelming force of adrenaline, Bette surged forward, letting out a death wail. The door crashed open, slamming so hard against the back wall that it hung sideways from its hinges.

In a surreal, slow-motion scene, nearly every head in the bar whipped around to see what the commotion was. As the women exited the room in a cloud of fumes and fumble of legs, Tina jumped up and clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Bette?" she exclaimed, casting a quick glance at Emma.

Emma smirked, more than a little smug that Tina's ex had been spying on them. Obviously she had seen Emma as a threat. Before Emma could make her way over to Tina, who was checking on Bette in her delirium, she stopped dead in her tracks, her jaw tickling the scuffed up floor.

"R-Regina?"

Regina stood in front of her, a hand on either side of her neck as she tried to get her bearings. "Oh, don't look so judgmental, Emma. Get off your high horse. Surprised to see me?"

A smile broke out over Emma's face. She could find no words to cut through the absolutely shock she felt. "If I woke up tomorrow with my face on fire, I wouldn't be as surprised as I am right now."

Emma looked toward Bette and Tina, who were laughing quietly, although she was sure Bette would get an earful later about her devious escapades. "How do you know her? I didn't-"

Regina put a hand up to stop her. "I don't know her. Well, didn't before tonight." She turned to the bar, where there were still a good amount of people watching them. "Everyone get their fill of antics for this evening? Please, feel free to go back to your cheap beer and boring conversations." Regina straightened her shirt and removed the sunglasses from the top of her head.

"Um, why are you here, exactly?" Emma asked, still unable to wipe the grin that had taken over her entire face.

"If I have to spell it out for you, then maybe I was incorrect in my assumptions. You've acted as though you've been interested in me for some time, Ms. Swan. When I heard that you were going out on a date, I wrestled with a form of…"

"Jealousy?" Emma supplied.

Regina rolled her eyes and scoffed. "No, not jealousy. I was feeling a complex combination of resentment and uneasiness."

"So…jealousy?"

Regina shook her head, irritated, and started walking toward the door. It was far beneath her to admit such a childish emotion as jealousy.

Before she could get away, she felt an arm tug on her blouse and turn her around. Emma stood in her space, smiling like a fool. "I like you too," she whispered, kissing Regina fully on the lips.