Best of friends

Chapter One

Emma was sat at her dads house, having popped over straight after work. She hadn't even been there for an hour and he was already hounding her about her non-existent love life.

'So.... Have you met anyone yet?' He asked for the millionth time that year.

'No, Dad. I've already told you. I'm really not interested in having a girlfriend anymore,' she said exasperatedly.

'Won't you get lonely though? You don't want to be single forever.'

'There's no one that I want, Dad.'

Her dad sighed and looked at her sadly. 'Is this about Regina still?'

'No, it's not about Regina. She's just my best friend, I've already told you that.'

'Yeah, you have. But we both know that you don't just like her as a friend. Eventually, you're going to have to move on and accept that it's never going to be more than that. She will only ever be your friend and the other mother of your son. I'm sorry, sweetie.'

'I know that, I'm not stupid. I'm fine with that!' Emma said defensively. 'Anyway, I really have to get home. I've got tidying to do before work tomorrow.' She stood up and got herself ready to leave.

'You've not been here that long. I never get to see you much anymore,' he said in a depressed voice. He always knew just how to make her feel bad.

'I'm sorry, Dad. I'll try and come more often, I promise. Bye, I love you,' she said. She went over to give him a kiss and a cuddle, before leaving to drive home.

While she was driving, Emma sat and thought. She really had tried to move past her feelings for her best friend, she honestly had. But she was at a complete loss as to how to make them disappear. They'd been best friends for five years now, ever since Henry had came and tracked her down when he was eleven. And while most of the time she could convince herself that her feelings were entirely platonic, they always caught her off guard at random moments just to prove to her that that wasn't the truth.

Her and Regina were extremely close and a lot of people didn't seem to understand that. It had caused a fair amount of problems in past relationships for the both of them, but neither was willing to give the other up.

But because of the closeness they had developed, Emma had been able to be completely open about her feelings for Regina in the past. She was absolutely awful at keeping secrets on the best of days, and she could never manage to keep anything from someone who knew her better than anyone else. She flashed back to when she told her she liked her.

              - Flashback to a year ago -

I'm so sorry, Gina. I've tried so hard not to feel the way that I do, but I can't make it stop. I've loved you from the moment that I met you, and I know it's been years, but that's never went away,' said Emma, tears pooling in her eyes.

Regina, for her part, was just sat in complete shock staring sadly at one of the most important people in her life. She loved her more than life itself, but she didn't love her in the way that she wanted. She wished more than anything, that she could make this better for her and take away all of the pain. She felt her friend's pain so deeply that she couldn't think of a single thing to say.

Emma immediately felt the urge to run when she didn't get a single reply. Silence was never a response you wanted.

'I shouldn't have done this, I'm really sorry. I've got to go home. Sorry. I can't be here, I have to leave now. Bye.' And with that, she ran out of Regina's house and jogged down Mifflin Street, heading desperately for her flat and the safety of a locked door.