"Is there anything else I can get you Miss? Miss?" the waitress asked the blonde whose attention had already returned to her book. "Miss?" the waitress, dead on her feet, asked once more.

"What?" the blonde asked when the light tap on her shoulder startled her from her concentration.

"I'm sorry but my shift ends in five minutes and I just wanted to make sure you didn't need anything else?" the grey haired woman asked again.

"Oh, no I'm okay. Thanks." Emma replied before reaching into her pocket and pulling out a wrinkled ten for her bill. "You can keep the change." Emma said setting the money on top of the check on the table.

The waitress smiled down at the generous tip but when she looked up her smile was met with the back of the blondes head as she was already lost in her reading once again.

The diner was usually quiet this time of night which was what Emma Swan needed. She had been searching for a place to escape the chaos that was her overly crowded dorms. Architecture was her passion and she was delighted that she had the opportunity to study at one of the finest schools in the country. However, none of that helped with the fact that she found the dorms to be suffocating most of the time.

"Excuse me; my boss is insisting I fill the ketchup bottles."

Emma continued to read her book unaware that another woman had approached her booth.

"The appropriate response would be, 'No problem, you're just doing your job.'" Regina laughed as she slid into the booth across from the blonde and began to open the lid for the glass bottle.

Emma looked up from her book when she saw a figure in front of her and gulped when her eyes took in the sight. She had never seen this waitress before because she knows she would not have forgotten that face.

"Hello there," the waitress smiled at Emma as she began to pour ketchup from the larger bottle into the smaller one. "That must be a good book."

"Oh, um hi…yeah, it's okay…"

"Okay? Dear you didn't even hear me speaking to you. I would think it's much better than okay." Regina smiled at her.

"Oh, sorry about that, I tend to get caught up in what I'm doing. What did you say?"

Regina laughed, "Nothing important, I was just letting you know that I had to fill this bottle, and I am done now so I will let you get back to your okay book." Regina winked at Emma and stood up to leave the table.

Emma smiled as she watched the woman walk to the next table and begin to do the same thing. Table after table the waitress filled the ketchup bottles and table after table Emma noticed her at each one. Emma noticed the way she scrunched her eyebrows when she twisted the cap off. Emma noticed the way she bit her bottom lip when she poured the condiment in. Emma noticed and hoped Regina didn't notice her noticing. Needless to say she didn't get any more reading done that night.

…

It was another cold winter night and Emma was making her way back into the diner book in hand. She brushed the snow from her leather jacket and stomped her boots on the mat below her. As she made her way to her favorite booth in the back right corner she spotted the waitress again from last night taking an older gentleman's order. She truly had a radiant smile.

Emma slid into the booth setting her book on the table and rubbing her hands together to warm them when the waitress approached her table.

"Hey, I see you brought a new book with you today?" Regina smiled at the blonde.

"Yeah," Emma laughed awkwardly. "I thought I'd have better luck with this one."

"Well what can I get ya?"

"Um, just a cup of coffee please."

"Really? Just a coffee? Man, you're really going to make me work hard tonight huh?" Regina laughed.

"I'm sorry that's all I ever get." Emma responded quietly.

"At this hour?" Regina glanced at the large turquoise clock on the wall. "Not a fan of sleep I take it?"

"Not really."

"Okay, well one coffee it is then." Regina smiled and turned on her heals towards the kitchen.

This is the moment where Emma normally opened her book and let herself escape, but this time she found herself distracted once again by this woman. It's not as if the waitress was doing anything out of the ordinary. She would take someone's order, drop it off at the kitchen, and bring someone their food. It wasn't what she was doing it was the way that she did it. She seemed to move as if she was dancing to a soundtrack that nobody else could hear.

"Here you go dear, one cup of coffee!" Regina smiled as she sat the white cup and saucer in front of Emma.

"Thank you," Emma, for the first time since coming to the diner, accepted the cup with a smile.

"No problem. Are you sure there isn't anything else I can get you?" Regina asked and then bent down closer to the blonde and whispered, "I'm kind of being watched tonight…I'm still in training…."

Emma took a deep breath, "Oh…um…well…maybe…"

"We have some delicious pies…"

"I'm not a big sweets person."

"Everybody likes pie!" Regina winked at her.

Emma couldn't help but laugh, "Okay then bring me a slice…a small slice."

"What flavor?"

"You choose."

"Coming right up!" Regina smiled and turned towards the kitchen once more her hair flipping over her shoulder.

Emma smiled and shook her head as she took a sip of her coffee and wondered if the waitress was this way with all of her customers.

…

Emma was headed out of the diner and on her way back to the dorm when she saw the waitress walking around the side of the building. She was wearing a black peacoat over her uniform but Emma knew she still must be freezing in this weather.

"Hey…are you okay?"

Regina spun around startled by Emma's voice, "What? Oh, um yes I'm fine dear just headed home for the night."

"Are you walking?"

"Yeah, it's okay though I only live a few blocks away."

"That's crazy! It's freezing out here. Let me give you a ride home."

"Oh no, that's okay I couldn't let you do that."

"Please, I insist." Emma smiled sweetly at her.

Regina sighed. Normally getting in the car with a stranger at 2 am was not something she would do, but something in her gut told her that Emma was safe and she was already chilled to the bone.

"Okay…thank you…" Regina walked to Emma's car where the blonde was already holding the door open.

"I'm just six blocks up on the right. 916, it's the brick building with yellow shudders."

"Okay, no problem." Emma said as she started the car.

"I really appreciate this. I live with my sister and she has a car but I insist she keeps it at home in case there is an emergency with Henry."

"Who is Henry?"

"My son."

"Oh, well that makes sense."

"Yeah, he is only three and she watches him for me while I work. They need the car there more than I need to be comfortable."

"Well you're a good mom."

Regina laughed, "I wish I felt that way."

Emma looked over at the woman who was resting her head back on the seat and was gazing out of the window.

"Here we are," Emma said as she pulled up to the curb in front of the apartment building.

"Thank you so much." Regina smiled. "My name is Regina by the way."

"Emma, nice to meet you."

"You too dear," Regina climbed out of the car and began the journey up the steep steps to the entrance of the building.

Emma smiled as she waited to ensure the woman made it inside safely. As she watched the door close behind her she realized another night had passed that she didn't get much reading accomplished.