A/N: So, I need to stop making promises of when I'll be posting because then I feel bad when I don't follow through, as well as get major anxiety and lose my writing inspiration. I have been going through a lot lately as well as having a hard time coming up with the time for writing as well as inspiration. I will continue to work on this story and I just really want to give you guys the best story possible. I am deeply sorry for the long wait and to make it up to you I'm going to try and make this a longer chapter.

PSA: WARNING! **Trigger Warning** Strong alcohol consumption and slight sexual assault/physical assault.

Chapter 4

Emma gazed at her reflection, her hair was curled tight in smooth curls, then pinned back in a loose updo, with her bangs swooping to the sides. Her lips were rouged to match her blood red dress. Her best friend Ruby had designed it, with an open back design and a synched waist, straps around the neck and a flowing skirt. Her heels were black, 4 inches, and had think bands across her feet and ankle. She looked stunning, if she did say so herself. But what else would you expect from a leading lady in the fashion biz.

Lilly is great and all, but this dress is wasted on her. She thought to herself. Regina should be the one on my arm at this gala. Not some modeling agent from across the pond.

In all honesty, the weight of this secret was beginning to weigh heavily on the blonde. She understood why everything was kept hidden, of course; It was good for business, two of the most well-known rivals couldn't possibly be married… Ruining their public "rivalry" with the truth could ruin both their images, and by default- their fashion empires.

Either way, it didn't mean Emma had to like it.

Regina smiled as her hair stylist placed the last bobby pin in her hair. The extensions she usually wore for events like these were in, giving her hair a little more style to work with. Her raven hair was swept back in a sleek up do, fringe drawn across and hairspray-ed into place. She smoothed her dress out and leaned forward to fix a small smudge on her pale pink lips, before moving into her room to admire the final look in her full-length mirror. Her dress was a pale blush, sleeveless with a gold belt, and was paired with a pair of cream Chanel stilettos. Regina sighed as she took a step back and took one last look, hunting for any imperfection her team had missed. She had designed this dress herself, and Kathryn had taken it to the team to make only last week. She was pleasantly surprised to hear it was finished 2 says later, and damn did it look good.

This is ridiculous, I should not be going to this gala with a model. I should be going with my wife. Good for business is beginning to be an overdone excuse.

Regina was pulled from her thoughts when she heard the doorbell ring. She quickly spritzed herself with her favourite perfume and headed downstairs. Once she reached the end of the marble staircase she felt her heart sink a little, she knew exactly who was on the other side of the door, and it wasn't who she hoped it would be. Instead of piercing forest green eyes she hoped to see, on the other side of the door would be the cold, dragon-like orbs of her date, Mel, ready to pick her up in the black stretch limo.

Emma sighed as she heard the doorbell ring, she picked up her hand bag and walked to the front door, the clacking of her heels against the marble floor echoing in the empty hallway. She opened the door and was greeted by her driver.

"Hello Ms. Swan. Are you ready?" He asked politely, and Emma nodded and stepped out into the warm air. She closed the door behind her and followed him to the limo where the door was immediately opened for her. She slid inside and quickly poured herself a glass of champagne.

"Ready to go Ms. Swan?"

"Yes James. You still remember where Lily lives?"

"Yes ma'am of course."

It wasn't long before both women were pulling up to the gala. The two women arrived, with no surprise to either of them, at the exact same time.

Emma's limo was first in line, the door was opened and the blonde stepped out into the blinding lights of 100 cameras. Following closely behind her was the beautiful brunette she called her date; Lily was a natural beauty, she had little makeup on except mascara and soft pink lipstick and her evening gown was a short black dress with an ankle length train in the back. However, Lily was inherently a showstopper by personality, and she certainly didn't need all the bells and whistles of makeup and fancy dresses to look stunning.

Cameras flashed brightly as the couple walked along the red carpet and up the stairs to the large venue. It was the "it" party of the year, anybody who was anybody was here, both celebrities and news reporters. Emma hated this part of the fashion business, she was never one to like having her picture taken- no matter how confident she felt. Of course the reporters had no idea of how she felt, nor would they probably care if they found out. Emma would smile a bright smile, pose like she owned the world, and never let the cameras know her secrets.

It wasn't long before Emma's limo was rolling out of the way and Regina's was pulling up in its place. The car rolled to a halt, and almost immediately the door swung open to reveal the dashing Mel. Mel was the opposite of Lilly; she was beautiful, but she was definitely not natural. Mel wore a fur coat over a long pearl white dress with gems embroidered all over it, making it sparkle in the lights. Her hair was pulled up in a sophisticated side bun with braids, and she was a sight to see. The definition of classism and exuberance from head to manicured toe.

Regina stepped out in her own time and suddenly the atmosphere changed, everyone wanted a picture of the stunning, hardass Regina Mills, and reporters began clamouring straight away. Regina was never one to 'smile' for the camera, far too regal to debase herself so, and would instead stare directly down the cameras with a fierce glare. It was something she was now infamous for, and the photographers went wild for it.

After about 30 minutes or so of photos, vapid interviews, and even a few autographs, the four ladies finally found themselves inside the large building, and away from the bustle of cameras. The two CEO's stole quick glances from time to time, wanting so badly to touch the other, but conscious of the hundreds of eyes and smartphones currently in the room. However, they both knew soon they would have to interact when it came time for the two ladies to address the attendees. The two were always asked to speak at such events since they were so well known, a couple celebrities were asked to speak as well, but the rivals were always a favorite.

When the attendees began to mingle in the main hall of the event, both women knew they could get away with a little polite interaction. Both dates went off to grab them champagne, and in their absence, Regina and Emma drifted over into each other's personal space.

"Ms. Swan." The brunette's tone of voice betrayed her cool expression.

"Ms. Mills" Emma nodded, giving a small, nonplused smile. To the unsuspecting eye, Emma's expression held nothing but professional indifference, the kind of smile she'd administer when leery guys wouldn't leave her alone. But Regina saw the glint of mirth in those green eyes, and felt a mischievous smile beginning to tug at the corners of her mouth which she quickly suppressed.

She gave a small nod and similar smile back to the blonde, and Emma sent a quick wink back at her. Both ached for the other, seeing each other in such incredible outfits it was almost impossible to keep their hands off each other. They wanted so deeply to close the space between them and rip each other's perfectly designed dresses off. The tension was so high you could cut it with a knife. The only reason people weren't picking up on it at that moment was that both women were so good at hiding their feelings, people just thought the tension was because they hated each other.

"So do you wanna come to my place later? Or shall I come to yours..." Emma muttered, too low for anyone to hear bar the brunette

"I'll let you know whenever I can lose Mal…" Just saying her name seemed to visibly drain Regina, and Emma felt hear heart sag at the sight.

"Sounds fun, I look forward to hearing from you Ms Mills." She replied with another secret smile. It wasn't long before their dates were back and they were off to mingle with another rich folk.

Time passed slowly for the women as they traded numbers and tried to close deals with designer after designer, and CEO after CEO. Making business deals was easy for both of them… Keeping eyes off one another, on the other hand- very hard. An hour had passed and it was now time for them to give their respective speeches. Both exchanging quick words with their respective "dates", they made their way up to the raised stage at the front of the room. Hundreds of pairs of eyes locked on the pair as they moved close to one another, sharing a mic.

Regina was first to speak, "First I want to thank you all for coming to this wonderful fundraiser. I also want to give a huge thank you to our host this evening, Fairy Tale's modeling agency." The room filled with applause and a few whistles.

Emma leaned towards the mic, "The silent auction will commence immediately following the presentation and will close at 10pm. Please feel free to bid on as few or as many items as you wish. All proceeds will go towards funding the new schools and houses for the kids of Mato Grosso, Brazil." the enthusiastic applause started up again at that.

Regina leaned in, "now before you all run off and try to get first bid on our gorgeous items, we have a short little presentation on who your money will be helping."

The applause roared throughout the ball room as a large projector screen inched down and the two women stepped off the stage. Immediately, they were each pulled away by bigwigs wanting their attention. Music boomed through the speakers as young faces projected on the screen. People watched, mingled, and drank champagne.

An hour had passed since the women gave their speeches, and an hour since the two had actually physically seen one another. They were so busy rubbing elbows with investors, meeting colleges and models that they'd drifted across the room from each other. Being this close to each other was agonizing for both, but they also knew that increasing business revenue was the whole point of the night. Despite the business talk, Emma had managed to place a few bids on a couple of items. She was currently the highest bidder on two items; a 5 day cruise to the Bahamas, presidential suite of course, and a large art piece worth half a million dollars. Emma's bid stood at $750,000 right now.

Regina had had no time at all to bid on anything since she was currently trying to close a deal with a local investor, she was trying to get money for a new photography studio downtown. It was a large building and had capacity for several new offices for Regal, but it was also a huge investment considering the amount of remodeling that would have to go into it. With this investment she could renovate the current office into a presentation studio, as well upgrade some of her newer employees to bigger offices. Unfortunately, the current owner did not share her drive for growth.

"I'm just not sure how much profit turnaround I'll receive Ms. Mills."

"I understand your hesitation Mr. Gold. However, I can assure you that this will increase our productivity by 110%." He raised a thin eyebrow at that… and considered a second.

"I want 15% of profits." He muttered coldly

"I can do 10% Gold. Nothing more. You know this."

"Make it 12% and you got yourself a deal."

Regina held the silence for a moment then reached out a hand, she knew she had landed it big. "You have a deal."

Mr. Gold took her hand and squeezed it tightly, "you drive a tight bargain dearie."

Regina smiled, "I run a tight ship."

"I trust you'll send me the contract first thing on Monday?"

Regina nodded, "I'll have my lawyers contact you as soon as the office opens."

The shook hands and both went off in opposite directions. Regina glanced towards the doors that led outside to the balcony's and noticed her "date" pushing one open and stepping outside into the darkness.

Emma had just finished her 4th glass of champagne and was starting to feel the buzz. She hadn't planned on drinking this much, but something was overpowering her. She was maneuvering through the crowds when she caught sight of her best friend Ruby. She moved in closer to the bubbly brunette.

"Hey rubes." She winced slightly at the slur she heard in her own voice.

"Oh, hey!" Ruby noticed the strong smell of alcohol on the blonde's breath. "Woah, let's move out to the balcony, okay?"

Emma nodded mutely and traipsed outside just in time to see Regina and Mel. The blood in Emma's body boiled at the sight before her eyes and she lunged forward aggressively.

Regina walked up behind the tall blonde and stood next to her, looking out over the balcony, "Hello dear, what brings you out here all alone?"

"Oh, hello love." Mel turned towards Regina and smirked, "I was hoping you would join me."

Regina immediately noticed the strong scent of alcohol on the blonde's breath, and her stomach dropped when she realized how this conversation was going to go.

"Are You feeling okay dear? You look a little pale…"

"you know my dear. We have been going to these events like this for some time now, and I've noticed you never kiss me goodnight." Mel slurred her speech slightly, and took a step further into the brunette's personal space.

Regina cleared her throat trying to get rid of the lump currently sitting there, "you know we only come to these as friends. We've talked about this. I'm not in a place where I want to date right now."

"Yes, but you see I have these feelings for you. Strong feelings, and I simply can't control them anymore." Mel moved even closer to the fashionista, and Regina took a small step backwards, feeling increasingly more uncomfortable,

"Mel, I think you've had enough to drink. Maybe it's time I called the driver to pick you up." She suggested. Mel was known to become volatile after a few drinks, and if her threatening advance right now wasn't enough, Regina really didn't want the older woman making a scene in front of all of her major investors,

Mel didn't seem pleased with the brunette's offer at all, as her eyes took on an icy hue, and her voice dropped into a threatening hiss.

"How dare you tell me when I've had too much to drink. You don't get to tell me how to live MY life my dear." Mel grabbed Regina by the wrist and pulled her close. Regina tried to wriggle out of Mel's grasp but failed. A dull throb began in the wrist Mel had clasped in her fist.

"Let go! You are hurting me." Regina yelped, still conscious of the many guests on the other side of the door, despite her quite real fear.

Mel reached another arm around Regina and pulled her even closer, until their lips were a centimeter apart. She slid her hand down Regina's back and grabbed her ass, and when Regina tried to squirm out of the hold, she just tightened her grip. She was about to lean in to kiss her when she was abruptly stopped by a sudden force ripping her away from Regina.

Regina gasped as she noticed who came to her rescue. Emma was bent over trying to catch her breath as she glared at the woman she had knocked to the floor.

"I think it's time you left Mel." Emma's voice was cold and hard as ice, and left no room for discussion. Regina was already on the phone to her driver, and when the blonde turned to look at her, the brunette avoided her stare.

The usually elegant woman looked like a mess as she picked herself off the floor and dusted her outfit off. Knowing very well there was a rip or two, she huffed and stumbled back into the ballroom where people were already beginning to gather. Emma moved towards Regina.

"You okay?" She asked lowly, not quite bringing herself to care about the many sets of eyes drifting over to them. "I'm sorry to cause a scene but I had to. I couldn't let her continue to hurt you."

Regina met her eyes briefly, and Emma watched as her professional mask of indifference slid over her previously shaken features. She took a deep breath and nodded, turning back toward the doors- and the throngs of people waiting behind them. "I know, I'm fine dear, let's go do damage control."

Emma nodded; she smiled slightly when she noticed Lily standing watch with Ruby next to her, they were trying to guide prying eyes away but to no avail. The two CEO's marched back into the ballroom, Regina leading as if she owned the world, and Emma following slightly behind her. The brunette strutted straight up to the microphone on center stage, and waited for the muttering to die down before she spoke, in her most politically polite voice.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, my sincerest apologies for the slight disturbance outside. I'm sure we all know a little about the effects of a few too many glasses of champagne…" Light laughter rippled around the room at that. "I am grateful to Ms. Swan for intervening and de-escalating the situation, she clearly has the smooth running of this gala at heart." She pinned Emma with the signature politician's smile, and even though the blonde knew it was for everyone else in the room, she still felt sadness bubble up in her chest.

"Without further ado, let's begin announcing the winners of the silent auction shall we? The bar is still open for another half an hour, so get in quickly, and have a wonderful night!"

One look between the wives and they both knew not everyone believed it, but it was close enough to the truth.

The night was coming to a close, they had just finished announcing the winners of the silent auction. Emma had won her painting but lost everything else, she had just finished paying for her piece, "Send it to my office please." When she noticed the movement of Ruby coming up to her and standing beside her at the table.

"Very "knight in shining armor" of you, to come to Regina's rescue like that…"

"What else would you have me do?" Emma raised a brow.

"I mean you could have just yelled at Mel; I saw the way you pulled her off Regina, that was more than just being a good Samaritan…" The two stood in silence for a while, watching the staff dismantle the stage, and clear tables.

"You have feelings for Regina don't you?" Ruby asked softly.

Fear shot up Emma's spine at the definitive tone in the brunette's voice, and she scoffed, "Absolutely not, why would I have feelings for her? She's my enemy, we have been against each other since high school- you remember that better than anyone."

Ruby smirked, "actually if I remember correctly you had a bit of a crush on her back then too."

"I did not!"

Ruby shook her head, "Emma, you know you can tell me anything right?" That same gentle tone was back in her oldest friend's voice, and Emma felt guilt weigh heavily on her shoulders.

She sighed and looked around, pulling Ruby off to the side where wondering ears couldn't listen. Emma took a deep breath, "okay, you promise you won't lose it once I tell you."

Ruby put a fake serious look on her face, "yes I promise."

"Rubes, I'm serious about this."

"Okay, okay- yeah I promise with everything I own." She seemed serious enough, so Emma continued.

"Regina and I are married."

"WHAT?!"

"Shh, you said you wouldn't lose it!" They were yelling in hushed tones now.

"Why didn't you tell me? How long have you been married?"

"About 6 years now."

Ruby almost choked; and spluttered for breath for a minute. "I'm sorry but what? 6 years? Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Emma shrugged, "I've always been private. You know that, we didn't want to tell anyone. The rivalry is too good for business."

Ruby nodded, "it is pretty good for business. But you know people are already starting to talk. Everyone suspects there is more to the story than just two rivals. Like I said your actions spoke a little more than just good Samaritan."

Emma began to mentally kick herself, why did she have to get to emotional, she could have handled that so much better if she'd have controlled her emotions a little better. Maybe it was because of all those glasses of champagne. Or maybe it was because keeping their relationship a secret was wearing on her. She didn't know, but what she did know was that she screwed up. She sighed and put her hand on her forehead.

"What have I done?"

"I think the secret might come out sooner than either of you want… Maybe start planning Ems"

I hope you all enjoyed! I hope I made up for making y'all wait so long with a long chapter. Till next time!