"I mean, who does she think she is? Some kind of queen?" complained Emma, referencing toward the small television set in her one-bedroom apartment.

After swallowing another handful of popcorn, Emma's best friend Ruby replied, "I know you don't like her, Ems, but you gotta admit she's super hot." Emma growled in response as she continued watching the brunette's performance come to an end.

"Another round of applause for the lovely and talented Regina Mills, everybody!" the host announced. The crowd went wild as the woman bowed and then made her way off stage.

"Thank God!" exclaimed Emma over dramatically, causing the other girl present to roll her eyes. "What? Now we get to watch more of the show!"

It had become a tradition for the two girls to spend every Saturday night together eating popcorn as the latest episode of Saturday Night Live aired. Regina Mills had been the guest performer scheduled for the night.

"Ooh! She just posted a tweet!" Ruby squealed as she tapped to view favorite music artist's newest post.

"Let me guess, another one about her precious tour?" Emma took a large swig from her bottle of root beer.

Having expected an eye roll or rebuke, Emma's attention was drawn when no response came. "What does it say?"

Unable to find her voice, Ruby turned her phone screen toward Emma, who began to read, "As a thank you to all my fans, I've decided to invite one of you to join me for part of my tour! Look out for more information soon!"

Glancing back toward her friend, Emma watched as the girl's face broke out into large, toothy smile. "Come on, Rubes. You don't really believe that, do you? They'd never let someone like her invite a complete stranger on her tour."

"Even if it's not possible, I'm still going to try," Ruby replied with a hopeful expression. "Who knows? Maybe I'll win a free t-shirt or something."

As the show returned from a commercial break, the two girls' attentions were brought back to the glowing screen.

Granny's Diner - One Week Later

"Emma! Emma!" yelled a frantic Ruby as she raced toward the blonde, who was sitting in a booth on the opposite side of the diner. After taking a seat across from her friend, Ruby glanced toward the kitchen where her granny was flashing her a disapproving look.

"Whoa, what's going on, Rubes?" Emma had been startled by the other girl's sudden appearance, having fully expected to eat her lunch of grilled cheese in peace.

"She's posting the winner tonight!"

Ruby's reply only confused the blonde further. "What are you talking about?"

"Do I have to spell it out for you? Regina Mills is posting the winner of her fan contest tonight!" Ruby squealed, causing Emma to wince at the high-pitched noise. "Just think, in a few hours I could get recognized by the queen herself!"

"Okay, this is getting out of hand, Ruby. You do know she's just a person like everyone else, right?" Emma's voice took on its usual annoyed tone for whenever the star was mentioned.

"But she's not, Em! You don't understand. She's my–"

"Ruby!" the elderly woman from the kitchen called out. "Get over here! It's time for your shift."

Frowning, Ruby stood from her seat and made her way toward the kitchen door. Before entering, the girl paused on a whim and turned back toward the blonde, saying, "Just you wait and see. I will meet Regina Mills."

After she had disappeared into the kitchen, Emma couldn't hide the snort of disbelief that escaped her at her friend's naïve comment. Emma knew better than anyone that the chances of meeting one's favorite celebrity was slim to none.

Emma's Apartment - Later That Day

"Haven't you ever heard the phrase 'a watched pot never boils'?" Emma teased.

Ripping her gaze from the clock on her phone, Ruby playfully narrowed her eyes at her friend. Before she could open her mouth to retort, a loud ding erupted from her cell phone–signaling a twitter update from her favorite celeb.

The brunette snatched her phone from the table and rushed to view the tweet, her fingers shaking with anticipation. Emma eyed her friend warily and she dreaded having to watch the scene unfold, knowing that it was not going to play out in girl's favor.

"I'm pleased to announce that the winner of my randomized fan giveaway is," Ruby read quickly to herself, anxious to get to the big reveal. When her eyes were met with the first letter of the name, her heart dropped to her stomach.

She knew it was all over.

Her expression fell and she felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. Having expected this reaction, Emma was quick to comfort her friend.

"Aw, it's okay, Rubes. We can't win them all," Emma attempted to soothe as a single tear trailed down her friend's cheek.

"I-I know," Ruby sobbed out. "It's just–"

"She's your favorite. I get it." After a pause, Emma asked, "Who did win?" She had no clue why she was so curious. "Maybe we can stalk and make fun of them if it helps?" Emma rushed to explain. The blonde's comment managed to get the other girl to smile, even if it was only for a second.

Glancing back down at her phone, Ruby wiped a tear drop that had covered the winner's name and then announced weakly, "Some bitch named Emma Swan."

There was a brief pause as the name and meaning behind it registered with the two women, and then–

"OH MY GOD, EMMA! YOU WON!"