As the two lie in the open field the next day, they were silent for a long while.

After an extended period of time had passed without words, Emma said, "I'm glad we're not fighting anymore. I hate when we fight."

Regina nodded and announced, "We need to start giving each other the benefit of the doubt. Both of us."

Emma smiled and rolled onto her side to kiss Regina's cheek.

"Yes, ma'am," she agreed.

Then, after a few more moments of silence, Regina looked over at Emma, with her hands folded behind her head, and sighed, "Em… I think…"

"Yeah?"

"I think we need to tell our parents."

"Are you kidding me?" Emma blurted. "They'll fucking kill us!"

Biting her lip, Regina looked away, thinking hard about their options.

Eventually, she pointed out, "We can't hide it forever. Especially not if I'm going to school for agriculture."

"Yeah, well… We can try."

"Em, come on. It's delusional to think they won't find out eventually. We might as well just get it over with. After all, I'm moving anyway. So…"

"Well, I have to finish high school here, and I have nowhere else to go! So maybe – just maybe – if you don't want me living on the streets, we should at least wait until next year."

With another heavy sigh, Regina agreed, "Alright. We see how things go with school for both of us, and then next summer…"

"Fine."

Time passed slowly for them both, as Emma struggled through her senior year of college, and Regina struggled to live alone. After several arguments via phone, and after making up over each school break that Regina visited home, the school year was finally over.

Emma couldn't have been more relieved to see her partner greeting her at her graduation ceremony. Regina had originally told her she wouldn't be able to make it home in time, so Emma had also been shocked to see her, but as soon as they embraced, Emma felt right at home again.

The bliss of the summer went on for a few days, as the two tended to Emma's family's crops, until finally, their conversation from the previous summer reared its ugly head.

"Look… Gina…" Emma protested, looking desperate to convince her partner to change her mind. "I can't, okay? I just can't do it. They'll—"

"Am I just going to be your dirty little secret forever, Emma?"

The blonde's mouth fell open. It was hardly what she wanted to hear, but it was absolutely a fair question to ask, and Emma knew it.

"No," Emma hurried to say, feeling ashamed. "Of course not. I'll tell them. Tonight?"

Regina nodded and agreed, "Me too."

The loud crack as David's open palm connected with the side of Emma's face echoed throughout the dining room, causing his daughter to wince and close her eyes briefly. When she opened them again, the first thing she noticed was the deep scowl on her mother's face as her father took a step back.

"How could you do this?" her mother hissed. "We trusted you!"

"You ungrateful little shit!" David shouted, looking at Emma with more hate in his eyes than Emma had ever seen before. As Emma took an instinctual step away, David advanced, his face close to hers, and growled, "You're done here. Pack your shit and get out."

Emma, of course, wasn't shocked by their reaction – she knew this would happen –so all she could think was how grateful she was that he hadn't used a closed fist to express his anger. Hanging her head slightly, Emma turned without a word and made her way to her bedroom.

With more sadness than distress, Emma looked around her room at the piles and piles of worn books that had been her only treasures. The only things that had kept her company all those years, before she'd met Regina. She would have to leave them behind. She could bring only what she could carry, and without a suitcase, that consisted of a tattered school backpack.

"Well…" Emma sighed, staring down at the pile of books closest to her bed. "I guess I could bring just one."

As she packed her backpack full of as many changes of clothes as she could stuff into it, in addition to her toothbrush and hairbrush, she felt a deep emptiness grow inside her. It wasn't sadness. It wasn't anger. It was just… numbness.

Taking one last look at the place she'd called home for eighteen years, Emma sighed again and pushed a hand through her hair.

"Well… This is goodbye, I guess," she whispered, regretting only that she could not take more of her treasured books with her on her next journey.

To her dismay, as she stepped out of the front door, without so much as a "farewell" from her parents, who were nowhere to be seen, she could only see about two feet in front of her as buckets of rain poured down over the dirt driveway.

Having no clue where she was going exactly, Emma began to walk, knowing that Regina would call when she could, and that it was a bad idea for Emma to call her first, in case she interrupted her conversation with her mother.

At Regina's house, the conversation didn't go much better.

"Get out," her mother had said, her tone not expressing anger, but rather complete disregard for Regina entirely.

"I understand," Regina said after a long pause, choking back tears as her voice cracked. "I'll be gone by the morning."

"No," her mother snapped. "Now."

Mouth hanging open, Regina stared at her mother in disbelief. She knew her mother wasn't going to like the confession, but this kind of reaction was not one she was expecting.

"You heard me," the woman said shortly. "You have fifteen minutes to pack your things and go."

Shocked into crying, Regina felt hot tears of both sadness and anger burning her cheeks as she turned her back on the woman who had raised her.

After ten minutes, Regina was done packing. Unlike Emma, she was fortunate enough to have a suitcase. After packing everything she needed in that and her backpack, bringing clothes, essential items, and school books, Regina left the house just as Emma had: without a word.

As soon as she stepped out onto the porch and saw it raining, she huffed in frustration, mumbling, "Of course." Then, regaining her focus, she reached for her phone and dialed Emma's number.

"Em?" she asked into the receiver, when the call was answered.

"Yeah, baby," Emma said, sounding calm and collected, as though nothing had happened.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright. Just taking a walk," Emma chuckled.

Regina could hear the rain pouring loudly through the speaker.

"Well, what happened?"

"You first," Emma asserted.

"Well, let's just say I've got a backpack and a suitcase to my name and I'm walking to I don't fucking know where."

"Oh, my God!" Emma said dramatically, feigning excitement. "Me too! Except… without the suitcase."

"Oh, Emma… I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. You were right. We shouldn't have told until we were gone."

"Hey," Emma said sternly. "Don't say that. You were right. We couldn't keep living the lie, babe. It's better just to be honest. If they don't want us in their lives, then fuck 'em."

"Yeah… I guess so…"

"Anyway. Where are we going, in all seriousness?"

"Train station, I guess…"

"I have no money, Gina…"

"Neither do I."

"So why the hell are we going there?"

"I dunno. Maybe someone will drop some cash?" Regina laughed.

"This is a stupid plan," Emma laughed too.

"Yeah, well… It's our only plan. So keep walking and I'll meet you at the station."

"You know that's like an hour walk from me, right?"

"Well it's not like we can meet at some random place in the middle."

"True."

"You gonna be okay?" Regina asked, concern in her voice.

"Yeah. Yeah. I'll be fine, baby. What about you?"

"Honestly, Em… I'm upset. I'm gonna miss Daddy."

Biting her lip, not knowing what to say, Emma sighed, "I know, honey. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. I'll see you soon."

"Alright. I love you. Bye, hun."

"I love you too, baby. Bye."

After about an hour and fifteen minutes, the two were reunited at the train station, sitting beside each other on a wooden bench.

"So… What now?" Emma asked curiously, looking over at Regina.

"I don't know, Em… I'm really sorry. I really fucked this up."

"Stop it. We're here now, together, so let's make the best of it."

Regina nodded.

Then, after a long, thoughtful pause, Regina said, "I have an idea."

"What is it?" Emma asked, as Regina rose from her seat.

"Come on. We gotta go to the pawn shop."

"Why?"

"Just come on, would you?"

Begrudgingly, Emma followed Regina back out into the rain and dutifully held the door for her as they entered the pawn shop.

"Regina… What are we doing here?" the blonde whispered, looking around. "I thought we had no money. What are you going to buy here with nothing that's gonna help us get out of here?"

"I'm not buying anything," Regina said, matter-of-factly.

Without another word, Regina unclasped her necklace, took off her earrings, and approached the man at the counter.

"Good evening, sir," she greeted the grumpy looking man. "I'd like to sell my diamond necklace and earrings.

"Regina!" Emma cried, grabbing Regina's arm. "Your dad gave you those! Don't sell them!"

"I have to, Em," Regina sighed. "It's the only way we're getting to California, which is the only place you or I have to put a roof over our heads."

"Regina, no. I'll do anything. I'll… I'll find a way. Just don't sell those."

"Emma. Enough. I'm—"

Regina was interrupted by the buzzing of her cell phone. When she looked down at the screen to see who was calling, she saw the word 'Daddy' on the display, accompanied by a picture of the man wearing a bright, broad smile.

Hesitantly, Regina turned to the man at the counter, saying politely, "Excuse me," before answering the call. She waited to hear from the other line before she said anything.

"Regina?" the man's voice came through the receiver. "Are you alright?"

"I… I'm… I'm fine, Daddy. Why are you calling?"

"I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry about your mother. I tried to talk sense into her, but she is adamant that you're not to come home."

"I know that, Daddy. I'm sorry, too. I really didn't mean to be this way… I just… I just love her, Daddy. I'm sorry to have done this to you."

"Don't you ever, ever be sorry for loving someone, Regina Mills. You keep your chin up and your heart open. You hear me?"

Regina began to cry again.

"Yes, Daddy. I love you."

"I love you, too, baby girl. You know that emergency credit card I gave you when you went away to college? The one you tried to give back to me?"

"Um… Yes?"

"Do you still have it?"

"Of course I still have it," Regina said, exasperated. "I can mail it back to you… I…"

"Oh, heavens, no," the man laughed. "I want you to use it. I want you to use it for anything and everything you both need until you get on your feet again. Your mother doesn't have access to the card, so she won't know you're using it, and she doesn't know you have it anyway."

"Daddy, I can't—"

"Don't you 'can't' me, miss. You do as your told, you hear?"

"Y-Yes, Daddy," Regina sniffled. "T-Thank you."

"I'll always be your father, Regina. I'll always love you. No matter what your mother says or does. I might not be able to change her mind, but I will always be here for you. I will always be proud of you. Just… Just tell me one thing?"

"Anything, Daddy. What would you like to know?"

"Does this young woman you're with treat you well?"

"Yes, Daddy. Without a doubt."

"Are you with her now?"

"Yes, sir."

"Put her on the phone, Regina."

"But—"

"Your mother is going to be back in a moment, and I'll have to get off the phone. Please, do it now."

Reluctantly, Regina pressed the cell phone into Emma's palm, watching at the girl's eyes widened in horror in an expression of 'oh, shit.'

"Hello, sir," Emma said into the receiver.

"Miss Emma, is it?"

"Yes, sir."

"You take care of my baby, you understand? She's a strong, independent woman who can care for herself, but as her partner, you're expected to support her. Can you do that, Emma?"

"Yes, sir. I certainly can."

"Good," the man said, the smile on his face given away in the tone of his voice. "Thank you, Emma. Anything you two need, I'll make sure you have."

"Thank you, sir. Thank you."

Stunned, Emma handed the phone back to her partner.

"I love you, Daddy," Regina sighed, wiping her tears. "Take care of yourself."

"I'll call you when I can, darling," he told her. "It's going to be alright. You take care of each other and behave yourselves. Stay out of trouble. Or make sure you call me to bail you out of jail."

As he laughed, Regina laughed too and said, "Daddy, we're not going to get arrested."

"Hey, I don't know what you kids do these days," the man joked.

"Nothing that's gonna get us arrested. Promise."

"Good girl. I've got to go, sweetie. Use that card, okay? Promise me. Anything and everything."

"But—"

"Promise me, Regina Mills."

"Yes, Daddy. I promise. We'll be buying a train ticket to California tonight and be catching the next Amtrak over."

"Good plan. Be safe."

"Yes, Daddy. Goodnight. Thank you."

"You're welcome, princess. I love you."

"I love you too."

When the call ended, leaving the girls stunned, they stared at each other in disbelief.

"So, that was weird," Emma finally chuckled, breaking the awkward silence.

Regina nodded and agreed, "A bit, yes."

"I guess we're gonna be okay then."

Regina nodded, confirming, "We'll always be okay, as long as we're together."

Emma smiled broadly and nodded her head, content and in agreement with this assessment.

"I love you, Gina," Emma whispered, hugging her tightly. "We got this."

Regina nodded too and told her, "I love you, Em. Now, come on. Let's do this."

After Regina had put her earrings back in and allowed Emma to put her necklace back on, the two smiled at each other and left the pawn shop hand-in-hand, stepping out into the rain and towards their new life.

Author's note: The end! Hope you all enjoyed the read! Thank you for all the feedback and reviews!