A/N: Hello everyone,

just a quick hello 'cause I'm super busy this week, but I wanted to share the update I managed to write with you anyway.
Sorry I can't answer all reviews etc at the moment, but I do appreciate them immensely. Every word always puts a smile on my face, which is awesome - especially with all the sad stuff I see every day.

So, thanks for that - as I said it's really appreciated and means more than I could ever put into words.

Hope everyone is well...

Much love,
raven

HOW TO DATE THE SAVIOR

3

Emma and her mother were sitting on the couch in the living room, drinking hot chocolate to relax after what had been a busy day for them when David entered the apartment, "Hello ladies."

He grabbed a beer from the fridge, earned a disapproving look from his wife and chose the chair on the opposite side of the couch to sit down, watching the two women in his life with a smile.

"Hey dad", Emma murmured while David leaned over the couch table to kiss his wife, who only turned her head away, "You are drinking beer although you are well aware that I hate the smell. And the taste. So no kissing before you've brushed your teeth."

He sat back down and sighed.

Pregnancy hormones.

On days like today Mary Margaret drove him a little crazy although he would rather swallow his tongue than to say that out loud because he had no desire to end up in the doghouse again.

But with Mary Margaret's current mood swings it would happen again eventually.

He took a swig from his bottle and chuckled at the memory of earlier events, "The weirdest thing happened today, you know..."

When Emma and Mary Margaret only glared at him he continued with a shrug, "Regina was at the station...and she was a little off. If I wouldn't know better I'd say it sounded like she wanted my permission to take you to dinner", David said the last words looking straight at Emma, who spit the cocoa she was sipping in that moment right in her father's face.

Mary Margaret watched the scene with a frown, "Don't be ridiculous, David. Now why would she do that? Have you been drinking on the job?"

"What?! No, of course not!" he defended himself while he tried to clean his face, "And I know how stupid that sounds...why would she ask for my permission when they have dinner together all the time...and it's not as if they were dating or anything."

Emma put the mug on the table and covered her face with her hands, sighing deeply.

She clearly had not thought this through.

Of course her father was dense like that and would not get the hint.

Poor Regina.

A moment later it finally hit her – Regina obviously was interested in dating her, right?

There was no other explanation for the brunette's behavior, was there?

A bright smile spread on her face at the realization and she was dying to know what exactly Regina had said to David, but clearly she could not ask that.

Not right away anyway.

She was not ready to share her interest in Regina with her parents yet although she knew she probably should.

But truth be told she was nowhere near ready to discuss the future she desired with Mary Margaret, not in her overly hormonal and emotional state.

She would catch David in a quiet moment and talk to him first.

He would see reason or at least so she hoped.

The next morning

"Do you already have plans for the weekend?"

Emma all, but jumped out of her seat, dropping the report she had been reading in the process, "Regina! You almost gave me a heart attack..."

How had she not heard the brunette stalk into the station when her heels usually announced her presence way before Regina was in sight.

Especially since this report was nowhere near interesting, she had not been that caught up in her work.

As soon as she turned around to look at the mayor though her eyes went wide.

Regina was standing there in a hoodie, sweat pants and sneakers.

What the hell?

"Uh..." Emma managed to say before Regina started to chuckle in amusement, "I never thought you'd be such a scaredy-cat, Sheriff."

"I'm not", the blonde stated while a blush crept up her neck, "So, what brings you here, Madame Mayor?"

Regina leaned against the table and crossed her hands in front of her chest, "Well, Henry and I decided to go camping this weekend and I wanted to know if you would want to come with us?"

Emma's eyes grew even wider.

What had gotten into Regina?

"C-camping? You want to go...camping?!"

"Yes. Is that really so surprising? I've lived in the woods for a while...once upon a time. While I was on the run from your mother in the Enchanted Forest. I was quite a badass too", Regina replied with a smirk, "So, are you coming with us or not?"

Emma felt like she was stuck in the twilight zone, "Are you sure that's a good idea? The weather isn't supposed to be that great on the weekend either."

Regina raised an eyebrow at that, "Is that a no?"

"What? No. I mean...um...sure...I'm coming with you, guys", Emma mumbled and rubbed her neck.

Her answer earned her a nod of approval from the brunette, "Perfect. We'll pick you up at 7 tomorrow morning. Have a nice day, Emma."

With that the mayor left the station and the blonde let herself fall back into her chair, eyes closed, sighing deeply before she muttered, "Awesome. I can't wait."

But deep down she already knew that the next disaster was right around the corner.

Once she arrived back at the mansion Regina closed the front door and leaned against it, trembling from her adrenalin rush.

So, she had managed to surprise Emma with her outfit like she had intended. Emma clearly had not expected that. And she even had managed to get her to agree to join them for camping.

Take that, Ruby Lucas!

Maybe she could make Emma see what a great match they were during that trip and she could save herself the embarassment of asking David for his permission to date his daughter.

She had to make Emma realise that there was more to her than the mayor and the evil queen. She had been capable of so much more once upon a time – when she had not been so focused on anger and revenge.

She could pull this off. She was outdoorsy.

Well, she had been back in the day. Back in the Enchanted Forest, before Snow White, when she had been in love with Daniel.

And now she was...infatuated...yes, infatuated was good, with Snow White's daughter and she would try to be a little bit like her former self again to show that she was not all bad.

Oh, the irony!

Maybe she should spend the weekend in the psych ward instead of camping in the woods.

Emma was sitting at the station, trying to process what had transpired a few minutes ago.

Regina had snuck up on her. In sweatpants, sneakers and a hoodie no less.

Who knew Regina even owned a hoodie?

Or sweatpants.

And sneakers.

But God had she looked good in this unusual outfit.

She was not too thrilled about spending the weekend in the woods, but oh well...how could she say 'no' to Regina?

The truth was she could not.

Emma looked like a zombie when Regina and Henry arrived in the morning.

It was way too early for her liking, but being late would have been even more painful than getting up at this ungodly hour.

There was no doubt that Regina would have given her hell if she had not been on time and she did not want to risk that, especially not when she wanted to impress Regina and make her see that all the hassle with her parents was totally worth it if they could be together in the end.

Now that she was sitting in the car, sipping on the coffee Regina had thankfully brought for her, Henry was talking a mile a minute about how excited he was while the brunette seemed almost nervous, not that Emma would ever comment on that or say it out loud because she really did not have a deathwish.

They arrived at their destination before she knew it and were well on the way into the woods only a few minutes later.

Watching Regina with a backpack, jeans, a rain jacket and walking boots was even more surreal than the outfit she had worn the day before and it did amazing things to Emma to see that Regina really did try to be more than just the mayor or the former evil queen.

And while Regina explained something to Henry about wildlife and trees Emma got caught up in her thoughts and how much she wished Regina would be hers.

About half an hour into their journey it started raining and Emma began to doubt that their little trip had been a good idea.

The weather report had not been all that great for the weekend after all.

By the time they arrived at the place Regina obviously had chosen as their campsite it was pouring and Emma was outright cursing herself for coming along.

The weather report had been bad and she had told Regina that.

Damn you, Regina Mills! Damn you and your stupid camping!

Her mood was sour, she was soaked and she wanted to go home, but Regina and Henry seemed to be determined if their attempt to get the tents up as quickly as possible was anything to go by while Emma was hidding under the trees, trying to find shelter from the rain.

It had taken them a while to get both tents up in the rain, but Regina and Henry had not minded all that much, they had been laughing through all of it and Emma had stood in the shadows, watching their interaction with fascination.

Regina had come a long way ever since they had first met and she felt so grateful for that.

And she was mesmerized by Regina's unguarded laugh, she she seemed so happy and content. She was absolutely breath taking although the three of them looked like drenched poodles.

"Emma, look! We are done", Henry yelled all of a sudden and smiled at her proudly while Regina eyed her with her eye brow raised in mock annoyance because Emma had not been helpful at all.

"That's awesome, kid!" she managed to reply through chattering teeth.

And while Emma wondered where she would sleep with them only having two tents Regina was studying the sky and seemed to be satisfied with what she saw, "Put our backpacks into the tents and get the sandwiches ready...I'll try to find some wood we can use to make a fire."

Emma was not convinced there was so much as a dry piece of wood in the forest, but she did not want to start a discussion and she could use something to eat since she did not have breakfast, so she hurried over to the tent and disappeared in it together with Henry only a few moments later.

The first thing Regina did once she was out of earshot was to let out a scream she had been holding in since it had started raining.

Emma had looked like she would turn around any second and go home.

That much for impressing her.

Neither had Emma paid any attention to what she had told Henry during their hike through the woods, nor had she made any attempt to help them with the tents.

This was bound to end in a disaster, it had from the beginning.

She hated being soaked to the bone as well, but more than that did she hate the fact that Emma did not enjoy herself one bit. She was angry, frustrated and so very cold.

At least it seemed the rain had stopped for the time being, but she still had to find some wood that she could use to make a fire.

And luck finally seemed to be on her side because she did indeed find some that was mostly dry because it had been covered by a massive pile of leaves.

So of course her mood was much lighter on the way back to their campsite and it became even better when she caught sight of Henry and Emma putting stones in a circle in preparation for the fire they would start in a bit.

At least they had not lost faith in her and her abilities.

"Mom is such a badass...who would have guessed!" Henry stated loudly, obviously sure they were alone and Emma nodded, "She is kid, she is. Have you ever really doubted that?"

Regina was almost there when she whitnessed Emma's admission and it caused her to watch Emma and her son instead of the path and it was then that she stumbled over a root and fell straight into a puddle of mud – face first of course.

She cursed, she spitted, she cursed some more.

Oh yeah, what a badass she was!

Debating where she could possible find enough water to get herself clean she stayed on the ground, unnoticed by Emma and Henry, who seemed to be too absorbed in their conversation to notice her.

"So, if you agree and you think mom is all awesome..." Henry started carefully, "Then why do you look like you are about to get executed?"

Regina stretched her neck in their direction, eager to catch Emma's answer, but wished only a second later that she had not.

"Well, you know, kid...the thing is...ever since I was little...I truly hated camping."

At that Regina dropped her head back down in defeat, right back into the mud.

So she was back to asking Charming for permission – first thing once they were home.

After a decent shower of course.