Did You Hear That?

11 chapter

After dropping Allison off at school, Emma meets Regina at the local diner. When Regina spots the blonde she gets up from her sit and greets her with a hug.

"Sorry, I'm late. I and Allison had a late start today. How are you?" Emma asked, sitting across from Regina.

"I'm alright. Everyone has been staring at me, though. I literally went to the bathroom twice to make sure I didn't have something on my face," Regina told her and Emma chuckled.

"Yeah, that's probably because you haven't stepped foot in this place for years," Emma reminded her and Regina looked down, "actually if you look now you'll see that even more people are staring. I think us being here together is coming to them as a surprise. They probably think they are hallucinating," Emma said still chuckling. Regina looked up and there were, in fact, a lot more people looking at their table than it was before.

They ordered breakfast for the both of them and spoke for a while about ordinary day to day things until Regina decided to bring a topic that had been in her mind for some time now.

"So, who is Allison's father?" Regina asked and Emma immediately tensed.

"You don't know him," Emma told her quickly. 

"How can you know that?" Regina questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"You just don't," Emma snapped making some faces in the restaurant turn to them, she sighed, "when... I was coming home when I turned nineteen and I... I was raped," she whispered the last word, looking down at her drink. Regina just stared at her. She was speechless.

"I... I don't know what to say..." Regina murmured, I should have been there, she thought.

"Don't say anything. I don't like to think about it, it was years ago and I got Allison out of it."

"Does she know?"

"I told her that I couldn't make her on my own. That I needed the help from a man but that man was never meant to be in her life. She didn't understand at first, all her friends had a father and a mother. But Zelena was there to help me out," it should have been me, Regina thought again, "that was also when I told her I liked girls. I wanted her to understand that when I got together with someone it wouldn't be a man and that it was okay for a man to love a man and a woman to love a woman."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you," Regina told her.

"There was probably a reason for that," she shrugged off, "the Universe takes so many turns and takes us to so many places, sometimes we hate the direction it makes us take. But I believe that every turn, every stop has its meaning. It makes us learn something."

"How did you become so wise?" 

"The Universe," Emma smiled and winked at Regina and she could have sworn Regina bushed.

"Are you seeing anyone?" Regina blurted out and Emma raised an eyebrow in question, " I'm just wondering... You said you told Allison when you would date someone it would be a woman and I was wondering... if you have met anyone," Emma laughed and Regina smiled shyly at her.

"I have never, in my entire life, expected to see Regina Mills ramble. I have a date tonight actually," Emma informed her and if she had been looking at Regina instead of the menu she would have seen the disappointment that crossed her face, "I think I am going to order some pie."

"So, who's the lucky woman?"

"Remember that girl who went to get me when you were at the bar?" she asked and Regina nodded, "that's Melinda, my date."

"Isn't that a little unprofessional? Dating your employee?" 

"Hm... she doesn't work for me, she is a friend. Someone called in sick, she was with me when I got the call and offered to help," she asked frowning.