Hello, it's me. (lol)

But seriously, here is the next installment of this lovely tale. I know it's been awhile since the last update so thank you for bearing with me on this. As I've said before I have every intention of finishing this and I have a clear image of where I want the story to go from here, it's all a matter of getting there.

I won't bore you any longer. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 26

In the days that followed her return from Boston and being dumped by Mel, Regina felt better than she had in months. As soon as she stepped foot in their dorm that night Kathryn had bombarded her with questions, wanting to know every detail. When Regina had finished telling her everything Kathryn called Mel a few names Regina didn't feel comfortable repeating and was more excited about the break up than Regina herself.

Regina couldn't believe how light she felt, walking around without the thought of her failing relationship with Mel weighing her down. At times she found herself missing the good times they shared, but remembered that Mel was a master manipulator and her mother was behind the scenes controlling it all since they got together.

The fact that Cora still hadn't confronted Regina about the break up was a relief for sure, but at the same time mildly concerning. Almost immediately following her ending things with Mel the first time she got a text from her father. It had been almost a week and nothing. Regina couldn't help the sinking feeling in her gut that her mother had something to do with it.

Whenever that thought crept up on her she didn't want to believe it, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. The holidays were coming up and Cora liked to make a show out of their Thanksgiving dinner by inviting anyone with the slightest influence and if the years of her mother trying to set her up taught her anything, it would be the perfect time to do so.

"I think mother had something to do with Mel dumping me," Regina told Jefferson over Skype on Thursday night. Jefferson had called Regina because Henry and Grace wanted to see their aunt, but they got bored about ten minutes in and now it was just the two of them.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Jefferson commented with a shrug as he turned around to check on the kids that just ran off screen behind him. "Why do you think that?"

"I don't know. I've just got this gut feeling," she explained, hoping her brother would understand.

Jefferson nodded his head, he could totally see their mother doing something like that. He just hated that it was at his baby sister's expense.

"If I were you I wouldn't dwell on it too much. You're free of the dragon. I thought you'd be more excited."

"I am," Regina defended herself. "It's just a little suspect."

"I see your point," Jefferson conceded, lifting Grace into his lap.

Regina smiled brightly and waved at her adorable niece. The little girl giggled and crawled onto the desktop, putting her face right up to the camera giving Regina an extreme close up of her nostrils. Jefferson was laughing as he pulled her away from the webcam and set her back on the floor.

"I miss them," Regina said, watching Grace run off screen and Henry popping up beside Jefferson for a moment before chasing after Grace.

"It's only been two weeks since you saw them," Jefferson pointed out with a chuckle. "But if you miss them that much, how do you feel about babysitting tomorrow night?"

Regina shot her brother an unimpressed look. "Is that why you called me?"

"Of course not. Henry and Grace really did want to say hi, they just got a little distracted."

Regina stared Jefferson down for another moment before cracking a smile.

"Of course I'll babysit. What will you be doing?"

Jefferson looked down at his hands and even through the computer screen Regina could see his cheeks tinge pink.

"I've got a date," Jefferson finally told her.

"With who?" Regina asked curious. Jefferson hadn't mentioned that he was seeing someone and the kids hadn't mentioned it either. Interesting.

"All in good time," Jefferson told her with a wink.

"Fine, but…" the rest of Regina's sentence was cut off by the video feed going black.

Regina's brow furrowed in confusion and not even a minute later her phone vibrated from her pocket with a text from Jefferson.

J: Kids unplugged the computer. See ya tomorrow 5. Thanx :P

She rolled her eyes with a light chuckle before closing her laptop. Her phone buzzed again, but this time it was Emma.

E: What's up?

R: Nothing much. You?

E: Trying to study, but M&M and Ruby are arguing and giving each other the silent treatment :(

Regina frowned and considered the idea that popped into her head for a moment before she typed her response.

R: You could come over here. Kathryn won't mind.

E: I don't want to bother you.

R: I just rolled my eyes. Just come over and study with me :P

E: So demanding :P I'm on my way.

R: I'll meet you in the lobby.

Regina tossed her phone aside and grinned. She hadn't had a chance to properly hang out with Emma in the last week, something she noticed was happening all too often lately, and even if they were just going to be studying it was better than not seeing the other girl at all. In a short period of time Emma had become one of her closest friends and not seeing her was like not seeing Kathryn for a week.

She stood from her desk chair and hurried out of her room and over to Kathryn's. Kathryn was at her desk with her back to the door, hunched over a textbook while she scribbled notes into the notebook in her lap.

"Emma's gonna come over and study," Regina announced after knocking on the doorframe.

Kathryn gave her a thumbs up followed by pointing at her own homework. Regina got the message and went back to her room to grab her room key and headed out the door. By the time she made it to the lobby of the building she could see Emma running for the entrance, no doubt to get out of the freezing November night air.

She held open the door as Emma took the stairs two at a time and chuckled as she bolted into the warm building frantically rubbing her arms to warm herself back up.

"Why didn't you put on a jacket?" Regina questioned as she lead the way to the elevator.

"I didn't think it was that far," Emma explained with a shrug once they were on the elevator.

"Genius."

Emma playfully rolled her eyes with a giggle and placed her freezing cold fingers on Regina's exposed arm causing the other girl to yelp loudly. The blonde laughed heartily the rest of the ride up and only stopped when Regina came to a halting stop at what Emma assumed was her door.

"I think I changed my mind."

"I was just kidding, please don't send me back out in the cold." Emma put on her best puppy dog eyes and Regina instantly melted with an eyeroll.

"You're lucky I like you," Regina signed quickly before turning and unlocking the door.

Emma snickered as Regina let her into her room and after she got a look around she let out an low, impressed whistle. Regina looked at Emma with her brow furrowed in confusion.

"What?"

Emma shook her head, "Nothing, my room is like hobo junction compared to this place."

"Come on weirdo."

Regina led the way to her room and headed straight for her desk. When Emma didn't immediately follow Regina turned around to find her hovering near the door looking unsure of herself.

"Are you gonna come in and study or just stand there?"

Emma seemed to relax a little at that and walked over to throw herself on Regina's bed. Regina didn't pay her any attention, already focused on the textbook in front of her, so Emma opened her bookbag and took out her own books.

The pair studied together in silence. Regina looked up every once in awhile to see Emma in a different position, sprawled out in her bed and every time she had to stop herself from laughing at how ridiculous the other girl looked. Emma on the other hand was a little relieved that her fidgeting and constantly tapping her pencil weren't annoying her study buddy. At one point Emma heard the suite door open and close, but she figured it was only Kathryn and didn't give it a second thought.

After two solid hours of studying, Regina sat back in her desk chair and rubbed her tired eyes. She chanced a glance at Emma and the blonde was still intently focused on her notes.

"Time for a break," she announced after another moment of watching Emma. She watched Emma blink a few times before turning to look at Regina.

"But I'm almost finished with this chapter," Emma complained, showing Regina the two pages she had left to prove her point.

"Finish your chapter and then we're taking a break."

Emma went back to her book and Regina twirled around in her desk chair while she waited. Regina knew when Emma was finished because she closed her book and tossed her notebook aside as she sat up.

"Break time," Regina signed and bounced out of her chair to the door.

Emma followed closely behind as Regina lead her to the tiny kitchen area near the door. She stopped and watched Regina dig around in one of the plastic storage bins beside the fridge for a moment before straightening up with two bags of pretzels in her hand. She set them aside and reached in the fridge for two bottles of water.

"For you," Regina said, handing over a bag of pretzels and water bottle.

"I don't know what to say."

Regina crinkled her nose at Emma's snarky response and walked over to the couch and sat down. Emma followed her lead and plopped down gracelessly right next to Regina, so close that their knees were touching. She watched the other girl for a moment, taking all of her in, from the way she stuffed three pretzels at a time into her mouth to the way her bare toes wiggled on the rug.

Emma had been doing her best to shove the feelings she had for Regina as far back in her brain as they would go, but dammit if they didn't keep creeping up on her and Emma didn't know what to do. She had a girlfriend and she really liked Elsa, but it wasn't the same. It wasn't fair, to anyone, and every time she thought about it Emma felt like the worst person in the world. She could potentially hurt three people, four including herself, all because she fell for her friend.

Regina looked up and caught Emma staring. She tried to put on a smile but Regina saw straight through it. She reached up and poked Emma's cheek.

"What's wrong?"

Emma froze, she didn't want to lie, not with Regina's big brown eyes staring up at her like that, but the alternative was impossible. So she shrugged her shoulders and looked away and lied.

"Nothing," she signed with a cringe before meeting Regina's eyes again and changing the subject. "Did you ever go to Boston?"

Regina nodded her head and a smile began to make it's way across her face. "I did."

"How did it go?"

"Mel dumped me," she answered bluntly.

Emma's eyes widened and she opened her mouth several times to say something, but every time she closed it, unsure of what to say. Regina's now blank expression wasn't giving her anything to go on either so she treaded lightly.

"And you're alright?"

"I've never been better. I'm glad I went. Thanks for the advice by the way."

"So you're telling me my advice got you dumped?" Emma questioned trying to keep up.

"It was for the best and I was only upset for two seconds. I feel like a weight has been lifted. You know how Mel was," Regina told her, the smile creeping back onto her face.

"I thought you wanted to work things out."

"I changed my mind," Regina shrugged and took a sip of her water. "I'm over it now."

Emma didn't say anything for several moments just watching Regina as the brunette avoided meeting her eyes. Her brain was telling her to get the hell out of there before she did something she would regret, but another, louder part was telling her to stay if only for the fact that Regina may say she was fine but her face was telling another story.

She lightly tapped Regina's thigh and the other girl looked back up at her.

"Are you sure you alright?" She asked, urging Regina to be honest with her.

Regina didn't say anything at first, but after a moment she sighed and shrugged her shoulders again.

"I just miss having someone there you know? She might have been terrible most of the time, but at least she was there."

"I know the feeling," Emma told her. "When my ex and I broke up I missed her for weeks and almost went back to her, several times. But Mary Margaret and Ruby were there for me and helped me move on."

"It's a good thing I have you then, right?" Regina asked, playfully elbowing Emma in the stomach.

"Absolutely," Emma assured her, lightly patting her thigh.

Regina smiled at that and rested her hand on top of Emma's and looked into her big green eyes. Emma didn't look away and neither of them knew how long they sat there just staring at each other, but a loud bang sounding from Kathryn's room caught Emma's attention and Regina followed her gaze in confusion.

"What?"

"I thought I heard something," Emma explained, pointing at Kathryn's door. "I guess it was nothing."

Regina looked at Kathryn's door a little longer before turning back to Emma. The look on the blonde's face was all scrunched up again, like she was fighting inside herself, and Regina didn't like it very much. It almost looked like Emma was in pain.

"You're making that face again," she pointed out, poking Emma's cheek for the second time.

"I'm not making a face," Emma argued, swatting Regina's hand away. "I was just thinking."

"Thinking about what?"

Emma hesitated for a moment before she did the thing her brain was screaming at her not to do.

"What are you doing this weekend?" She asked, her cheeks getting redder the longer Regina didn't answer her.

"I umm promised my brother I'd babysit tomorrow," Regina said, stumbling over her words a little in her surprise. "Why?"

"We never get to hang out anymore and this is the first weekend I've had off in forever."

"Oh," the brunette breathed out. "I'm sure Jefferson wouldn't mind if you wanted to come over and hang out. I'll check with him in the morning."

"Cool," was all Emma said, taking a large gulp of water to cool down and return her cheek to their normal color.

The silence that followed was thick and awkward and both women refused to make eye contact until Emma broke it with an awkward cough and subtly scooted away from Regina.

"It's getting late. I think I should go," she signed, her motions clumsy in her rush to get as far away .as she could, as fast as she could.

"No!" Regina yelled, a little too loud if Emma's flinch was anything to go by. "I mean, like you said it's getting late and I don't want you walking to your dorm by yourself. Plus it's freezing outside. You can stay here for the night."

"I don't want to overstay my welcome," Emma tried to argue, but Regina shook her head and pulled the other girl back down when she tried to stand up.

"It's not safe and I offered. Please stay."

Emma could see the fear and worry painted across Regina's face and nodded her head.

"This couch is pretty comfy," she joked, bouncing up and down on the cushion to prove her point.

"I know. That's why we bought it. I'll be right back."

Regina hopped up from the couch and hurried into her room. Emma heard the sound of the wardrobe opening and closing followed by a drawer. She listened to Regina's footsteps for another moment before the brunette appeared in the doorway with a pile of blankets and pillows in her arm along with a pair of sweats and a t-shirt hanging from the crook of her elbow. She made her way around the couch and dropped the bedding beside Emma and tossed the pajamas into her lap.

"Thanks," Emma signed and set the clothes aside. "Should we go back to studying?"

"I don't think I can concentrate anymore," Regina answered honestly. "I say we call it a night."

"Good because I'm beat." Emma punctuated her sentence with a huge yawn.

"I will leave you to it then."

Regina stood from the couch and hesitated for a moment before smiling and leaning down to quickly peck Emma on the cheek. When she straightened back up she could feel her cheeks warming and knew they had to be bright red. Emma wasn't much better she was completely still and the blush burning her entire face spread from her chest to the tips of her ears.

Regina scurried away to her bedroom, chewing on her bottom lip as she did so.

"Goodnight Emma," she called over her shoulder. She didn't wait for a response before she closed the door behind her.

"Night Regina," Emma whispered to herself. A small smile spread across her face and she reached up and touched her cheek where it was tingling from Regina's lips.

The next morning Emma was woken up by the sound of a very loud crash next to the couch. She sat straight up, startled and a bit disoriented, and looked around for the source of the noise. A groan came from behind the couch that didn't sound like Regina or Kathryn. Emma cautiously peeked over the back of the couch only to find David struggling to drag himself off of the floor.

"David?"

David looked up and Emma was doing her best to keep the barks of laughter that were threatening to bubble out of her mouth at bay.

"Em?" David ask confused as he pulled himself to his feet. "What are you doing here?"

"I was studying with Regina and then it got late," Emma told him as he rounded the couch and sat down next to her. "The better question is what are you doing here?"

"I think that's pretty obvious," David said with a smirk, looking down at his white t-shirt and boxers.

"You and Kathryn?" Emma gasped. She had not seen that coming. "Since when?"

"That's none of your business."

"Clearly," Emma grunted and looked down at her hands where she was picking at the skin around her nails.

David frowned at the blonde's response. Usually she would press him for some answers, she wasn't as bad as Mary Margaret but he was expecting at least a little interrogation.

"What's the matter Emma?"

Emma only shrugged and bit her lip, bringing her hand up to her cheek.

"I'm not buying it. Come on, I'm not Mary Margaret but I'm still your friend. You can talk to me," David assured her, gently patting her hand.

"I'm a horrible person," she said, not meeting his gaze.

"What makes you say that?"

"I think I'm going to hurt someone I really care about."

"Who?" David asked, but Emma ignored him, mumbling to herself.

"I shouldn't have done this. I'm a horrible person. She's gonna hate me," she kept muttering to herself, relentlessly picking at the skin around her nails.

David watched her for a moment, but gently reached over to pull her hands away from each other before she started bleeding and bumped his forehead against her temple.

"You are far from a terrible person Em, and I'm sure whoever you're talking about won't hate you. You're kind of impossible to hate."

The corner of Emma's mouth lifted a little at that and she met her friend's eyes and saw that he was telling the truth.

"I don't want to hurt anyone," Emma confided in him, a million and one emotions rolling around in her head.

"I know you don't, but it just happens sometimes and there's not much we can do about it. You gotta do what you gotta do."

"Thanks David," Emma said genuinely, pulling her hands out of David's much larger ones and folding them together in her lap.

"No problem."

A thick silence fell between them and Emma cleared her throat to break it.

"When did you get so smart?" She asked with a smirk.

"Smartass," David muttered before hitting her with the pillow beside him.

Emma was shocked for half a second before she laughed and used the pillow to hit David repeatedly all over while her held his hands up to protect his face. He let Emma playfully hit him with the pillow, every once in awhile retaliating with a pillow of his own. After a minute or two Emma stopped and leaned against the back of the couch, still laughing and slightly out of breath.

"Thanks for your help, really," Emma said, looking over at him.

"Anytime, Em," he said with a small smile before he got up and headed back to Kathryn's room.

Emma watched him go and sighed when she heard the door close.

"What am I going to do?"

**How did you like it? Lots of stuff going on that set up the two (maybe three) next chapters (which I have already started).

I tried something new with the texting this chapter and I like it so I think I'm gonna go back and change it in earlier chapters.

I've also got a new story in the works. It's a boy/girl band AU where our lovely ladies are forced to keep their relationship secret. As soon as I finish editing I will post the first chapter of that.

**And finally, I am in the market for a beta reader. My previous beta fell through and I really would like to have someone make sure I don't miss any of my mistakes. If you're interested, please PM me. (I also need a bets for my new story as well.)

Thank you. Until next time :)