Once Upon a Time 1. Crazy Grappler Girl

The Thing About Comic-Con

_**So this is something Tory suggested (Motormouse – go read her material too). Emma and Regina meet at a Comic-con. Regina's the 10**__**th**__** Doctor, Emma's Captain Mal from Firefly. I've put Emma at 28, and Regina at 25. Enjoy, and hope this is what you pictured Tory!**_

* * *

_Cambridgeport, Massachusetts_

'Can we please go to Comic-con? Please?'

Regina looked at Katherine with the biggest pleading eyes.

'Comic-con? Regina, I certainly did not have you down for a Comic-con kind of girl,' Katherine replied, putting a bunch of folded clothing on her staircase.

'Well obviously you closed your eyes when in you were in the same dorm room as me five years ago,' Regina said, chuckling lightly.

Katherine looked at her best friend suspiciously, eyeing her puppy dog eyes. She was buttering bread as she mulled it over.

'Okay,' she said, putting the knife down with a clunk, 'say if we do go to San Diego. What stupid costume are you going to put me in?' She looked at Regina pointedly.

Regina waggled her eyebrows and, with a spring in her step, went to pick up a DVD sitting on the microwave.

She held it out to Katherine, who walked over and swiped it away roughly.

'The DOCTOR? Really?'

Regina's face screwed up in frustration. 'No, no, that's me! You can be Rose.' She smiled brightly, as if all was right with the world.

Katherine just cocked an eyebrow at the woman, who was again showing her puppy dog eyes off. She'd never seen Regina this… excited about anything before. Sure, she'd seen her passionate about Med School – she's top of her class and is only 25, already in her final weeks of training. She's looking at top Surgeon of Boston General, in the near future.

'Well, I am blonde,' Katherine said, and she smirks at Regina, whose face lights up like a kid's at Christmas.

'Thank you thank you thank you!' She ran over to her friend and hugged the life out of her.

'Okay, but don't push it.' Regina pulled back, with an apologetic look.

'I have,' Regina said, running into her room, 'the PERFECT OUTFIT for you!'

'I thought I said don't push it,' Katherine mused under her breath, before following her lunatic friend into her bedroom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~()~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Charlestown, Massachusetts_

'Are you fucking kidding me?'

'Oh come on, Firefly was the best programme EVER!'

Emma looked at her friend incredulously. She couldn't believe Mary-Margaret Nolan of all people liked _Firefly. _

'I am not going to Comic-con as CAPTAIN MAL from Firefly. End of discussion.'

Emma walked away from her best friend, going to retire to her room. Mary-Margaret grabbed her arm before she could get to the door.

'Please? Zoe and Mal are such a good team and it's my turn to choose this year!'

Emma gaped at M&M. 'Come on,' she said, giving her a pointed look.

'Come on what?' M&M let go of her arm and crossed hers, throwing the look back. 'We went as Bering and Wells last year and look how that turned out?'

'It went great! We turned plenty of heads!'

'They are NOT canon, Emma and you know it! You just made it look like they were!'

'We stormed that building. Even Joanne Kelly gave us approval after the panel.'

'Yeah, and she thought WE were a couple!'

'No she didn't,' Emma said, brushing off M&M's incredulous comment.

'She said, 'Hey girl, your gay is showing.'

'And THAT, my dear woman, is how we know THEY WILL BE CANON.' She put her fists up to the sky on the last words.

'Right, sure. But come on, last year was unbelievable. You owe me.'

Emma cocked one eyebrow at M&M. In response, she sighed dejectedly.

'What do you want?'

'You pay for the plane fare. And all the candy I want when we get there.'

'Done.'

They shook hands and M&M's face brightened up. She went to the closet and picked out the gun holster. She held it out on one finger and looked at Emma, eyebrows raised in a smug fashion.

'Good lord, woman. As Mal says, 'I don't believe there's a power in the 'verse that can stop M&M being cheerful'.' She sighed. This was going to be a very long weekend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~()~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Somewhere over Colorado_

'I am so excited, Katherine, I'm literally gonna burst!' Regina was buzzing. Katherine was right. She'd never seen her this hysterical about anything before.

'Ok, but if you do that, can you do it in the bathroom, please?' She laughed at her friend, who was near jumping up and down in her seat. She set a hand on her shoulder, which calmed her a little.

'Look, there's only 1 and half hours left and we're there. I'm excited, Katherine!'

'I know sweetheart, but,' she said, lowering her voice to a whisper, 'there are other people on this plane.'

'Sorry,' she looked at Katherine, and giggled. She actually giggled.

Katherine sure didn't know what the hell was going on with her friend, but she did like giggly Regina. She liked her a lot. She smiled incredulously before going back to reading about Matt Smith leaving Doctor Who. It was a sad day for Whovians, she knew that much.

Regina, however, was too busy engrossed in David Tennant and Billie Piper crying against a white wall in their last episode together. Katherine noticed tears streaming down the woman's face and she cocked an eyebrow, grasping an ounce of her friend's attention.

'It's just so heartbreaking, you know?'

'Why are you torturing yourself, exactly?'

Regina looked up at Katherine with a disbelieving look. 'I need to get into character!'

Katherine just patted Regina on the shoulder, shaking her head with her eyebrows raised.

Meanwhile, ten rows behind them, Emma Swan was watching Castle propose to Beckett on her iPad.

'Uh, why are you watching that?'

'Well, I have no idea what this guy's supposed to act like, and I might as well get into character. I did last year.'

'What, by buying a grappler and threatening to destroy the world with a plastic trident? Are you kidding me? And anyway, that's the wrong show; that's Castle.'

'So, it's still the same guy,' Emma said, turning in her seat to look at Mary-Margaret.

'Trust me, Emma, Captain Mal and Castle are not the same guy.'

'They're the same actor! Some traits'll be the same.' M&M was just shaking her head slowly.

'You'll never understand, will you? Captain Mal was so unique.'

Emma just looked up at the ceiling. 'Please God, get me out of here.'

'Thanks again, though. For coming with me.' M&M smiled brightly at Emma.

She gave a half-crooked smile back, chuckling a little. 'Whatever,' she said, bumping her friend's shoulder. M&M shook her head, going back to listening to Joan Jett.

~~~~~~~~~~~~()~~~~~~~~~~~~

_San Diego Convention Center_

'See? You really don't have it that bad. There's someone over there dressed like Ashleigh from Greek.'

Emma and M&M looked over at the girl. 'Ooh,' they both said, in a rather disgusted tone.

'Yeah, you're right this isn't that bad,' Emma said, fiddling with her holster for the 20th time.

'Stop doing that, you'll ruin it,' M&M said, slapping her hand away from the belt.

Oh, look, it's the grappler gun from Warehouse 13!' Emma ran over to the display, looking at the weapon through the glass case.

'Alright there, Captain?' She looked up and saw Saul Rubinek standing there with a smug look on his face.

'Um, yeah, thanks… can I get your autograph?'

'Sure thing.'

He signed her notebook and then went off to get a drink.

She read the plaque explaining the grappler. She turned around to go back to her friend, but instead, she bumped straight into a female version of The 10th Doctor.

They staggered back and crashed straight into the glass case that housed the grappler. It smashed, and the Doctor landed on top of her.

It was at that moment Emma got the chance to look at her. She was gorgeous, even with such an alarmed look on her face. She was wearing glasses, and her raven black hair was pushed behind her ears. Her brown eyes bore into Emma's green ones.

Then they heard security guards running towards them.

'Allons-y?' Emma asked.

'Allons-y.'

The woman pulled Emma up and they ran like hell through the stands. Crossing from TV shows to the artist stands, they sprinted across the convention center. Eventually, they found a replica of Narnia's wardrobe. They both climbed in, Emma just shutting the door before the security guards ran past it, oblivious to the occupation of the closet.

'That was close,' the woman said, looking up at Emma, who was now in very close proximity.

'You could say that.'

'I'm Regina.'

'Emma.' She smiled at her, and Regina could still see the dazzling smile even though she was in almost darkness.

'So, tenth doctor, huh?'

'He's my favourite character ever. What about you, you like Captain Mal?'

Emma laughed quietly, not wanting to draw attention. 'No, my best friend loved Firefly. She wanted to go as Zoe, and she did pay for my plane fare.'

'That's nice of her.'

'She wasn't going to get me to come any other way.' They laughed together, their breaths mingling slightly because of their closeness.

'This your first time?'

'Yeah, I was so excited,' Regina said, a smile lighting up her face.

'I'll bet.'

'So, if you were given the choice,' Regina starts, 'who would you have gone as?'

'This year? The Eleventh Doctor. To commemorate our dear Matt Smith.'

'Commemorate him? What do you mean?' Regina scrunched up her face. Emma couldn't deny it was beautiful.

'Oh God, you haven't heard, have you?' Emma said sadly.

'What?' Regina looked worried now.

'He's leaving at the end of this year.'

'What? No,' Regina said, her face falling like a child whose just been grounded.

'I know, right? I was just beginning –'

'Just beginning to love him?' Regina finished the sentence for her.

'Yeah!' Emma said, her face falling even further.

They both slid down the sides of the wardrobe until they were sitting, leaning against the sides. Their feet mingled together because the wardrobe was so small.

'So, this your first time at Comic-con?'

'Na, I come every year. My friend Mary-Margaret and I take turns on choosing the outfits.'

'Oh, that's awesome. What did you pick last year?'

'Bering and Wells,' Emma said, with a proud look on her face. Regina smiled.

'Kudos,' she said. 'I really don't know why they aren't canon yet. I swear, they just keep putting it off.'

'I know, right?! They are just made for each other.'

'Yeah! Totally,' Regina said, chuckling a little when Emma laughed lightly.

'Wait, you said Mary-Margaret.'

'Um, yeah, I did, why?' Emma asked, a confused look crossing her features.

'Mary-Margaret Nolan?'

'Yeah, how did you know that?'

'Oh my GOD!'

Emma leant forward and pressed a finger to Regina's mouth, her eyebrows raised worriedly.

She let her speak again after a few seconds.

'What?'

'I'm best friends with her sister-in-law, Katherine.'

'You are?'

'Yeah! She's here too.'

'Wait, so, if they can't find us, but they find each other…'

'Oh, crap…' Regina said, looking at the door.

Just as if on cue, it opened.

Standing on the other side were Katherine and Mary-Margaret, standing side by side with very unimpressed looks on their faces.

'Hi,' Emma and Regina said together, both attempting a meek wave their respective friends. They looked back at each other, and gulped worriedly. This was going to be very bad.

~~~~~~~~~~~~()~~~~~~~~~~~~

'Come ON, Emma, last year was bad enough! You're going to get us banned!'

'M&M, it wasn't just Emma, Regina did run as well,' Katherine said, as they all nursed really bad machine coffee in the café area.

'How many times do we have to say we're sorry?'

'Yeah, cause we are, right Emma?'

'Yeah,' Emma said, agreeing with Regina profusely.

'We'll be lucky if we get out of this without one of you ending up police custody!' M&M hissed.

'Let's not go that far, sweetheart,' Katherine said, soothing Mary-Margaret with a soft hand on her back.

'But seriously guys, what were you thinking? You don't run from security guards!' Katherine continued, but Emma and Regina were both suppressing giggles. And failing.

'Is something funny, you two?' M&M said, trying very hard to suppress her irrational anger.

'Sorry, Katherine, it's just really hard to take you seriously when you look like a chav,' Emma said, and Regina chose that moment to burst into a fit of giggles.

Emma joined her, and they laughed heatedly, both Katherine and M&M's faces deadpanning while they rode out their fit of laughter.

Some minutes later, a security guard walked up to them.

'Okay, so, the grappler's fine, so just pay up 50 bucks for the glass casing and you're good to roam free again.'

Emma took out her wallet and gave the guy two twenties and a ten before Regina could make a move to get her own money out. She looked at Emma, who just shook her head a little and mouthed, 'no worries.' They smiled at each other. It was a shy, knowing smile.

'Don't break anything else, you two,' the guy said, before walking off into the convention.

'Right, well, Katherine and I are gonna go back to the hotel. We haven't seen each other in ages,' M&M said. 'You two behave yourselves.'

Emma mock saluted and Regina gave an enthusiastic thumbs up.

The other two left arm in arm, talking animatedly about something or another. Probably poor David, Emma thought.

'So, what do you wanna do?'

'Well, it is getting late,' Regina said.

'Wanna go get dinner?'

'Sure thing.' They got up, and left the convention, and when they walked past an advert for the Warehouse 13 panel they both made a silent promise to go to it tomorrow.

'So, what do you like.'

'You know what?'

'What?' Emma said.

'I really could kill for a Double-Double at In 'N' Out Burger right now.'

'In 'N' Out it is.'

They entered the restaurant and ordered together, and this time it was Regina who was too quick for Emma, getting out her wallet and paying for both their meals.

They both sat, munching on their burgers while talking about anything and everything. Eventually, the conversation directed to their friends.

'So how long have you known Katherine?'

'We went to University together. She's in her final stages of Law School and I'm in my last couple weeks of Med School.'

'Med School?' Wow.'

'It's one of the few things I'm really passionate about. I wanna help people.'

'It's good to see some people don't do it to just… further their career.'

'Trust me, I know a few of those people. The second top in my class is the epitome of that.'

'Oh yeah?'

'Yep. Michael Tilman,' Regina said, the name coming with a sliver of disdain. 'He's such a sexist bastard.'

'Yeah, I'll bet. Wouldn't wanna mess with super surgeon Regina...'

'Mills. Regina Mills.'

'Swan. Emma Swan. Sorry, should've done that ages ago.' Emma smiled her crooked smile with soft eyes. Regina held the stare a whole before snapping her eyes away, down at her food.

'How'd you meet Mary-Margaret?'

'In the Police academy. She dropped out though, she got a Med degree a while back. So now,' Emma said, finishing her fries, 'she's a paramedic at Boston Central. As a homocide detective, I see her almost all the time.'

'Wait, you're from Boston?'

'Yeah, Charlestown, why?' Emma replied, not thinking anything of it.

'I'm in Cambridgeport.'

Emma spluttered a little, putting her drink down.

'Thats like ten minutes down the road. How come Mary-Margaret and Katherine never see each other then?'

'Sounds shady to me, Detective.' Regina raised one eyebrow. Emma raised both in response.

'I think we should do some digging tomorrow.'

'I'll say,' Regina replied, getting up and putting on her pinstripe jacket. It's that moment she realised how ridiculous she looked in a normal setting.

Emma caught the insecurity. 'Regina, one time I saw someone come in here as a cyberman. Trust me, they've had worse,' she said, looking at the guy behind the cash register, who merely smiled and waved.

'Bet the stumpy penguin from Madagascar's been giving him orders,' Emma quipped, and Regina giggle in spite of herself.

They walked out of the Chain. They sauntered back to their hotel and talked lazily about their connections in Boston. It really was a small world.

They stopped outside the elevator and Emma turned to Regina. 'I'll walk you. To your room, I mean.'

'Ever the gentleman, Captain.'

'Right you are, Doc.' They chuckled to themselves as they entered the elevator. They were silent on their ride up to the 8th floor. Emma looked up, and she saw that Regina was looking at her. As soon as Emma caught her eye, the other woman looked away. She smiled slightly, while looking down at her dirty white converse. They reached the eighth floor, and they stepped out of the elevator while Regina fumbled for her room key.

They stopped again outside room 815, and Regina opened the door and plonked her stuff on the bedside table, while Emma leant a forearm against the doorframe. Regina picked up a note that was lying on one of the two plush double beds.

Regina,

I hope you don't mind, but M&M and I are catching up. We are in her room, and we probably won't stay up late.

I hope it's okay with you if Emma stays in the other bed, I'm sure you two will be okay.

You seem to get along. Play nice.

Kat

She walked over to Emma, who was still leaning against the doorframe, and smiling at Regina.

'It seems as if Katherine and M&M are rooming together tonight,' Regina said. 'So, for you, it's either one of those bed over there or that lovely bench outside.'

Emma chuckled lightly. 'Mind if I take the bed?'

'Not at all, Detective.'

'Lets not start with the formalities. I like it when somebody apart from my best friend calls me Emma.'

'Not a regular occurrence then?'

'Nope.' Emma said, having entered the room and sat on the bed, taking off her very tight boots. Regina, seeing Emma struggle with the right boot, went and kneeled in front of her.

Emma just looked at her with a questioning look.

'I'm stronger than you think,' the Med student replied, gripping the boot and hauling it off with a considerable amount of force.

Unfortunately, that force propelled her back into the wall,and as she fell back of her knees she hit her head rather hard against a groove in it.

'Ow!' Regina swore she could see stars.

Emma got up immediately, kneeling by Regina. However, the med student could also hear suppressed giggles. She looked into Emma's eyes, and that's what set the older woman into fits of laughter. Regina mock glared at her, but then found herself joining in.

'Ill get you some ice for that,' Emma said, sobering up a little after letting out her giggles. Regina got up and changed quickly into pyjamas, putting a set out for Emma that she had packed spare. The other woman changed too, obviously desperate to get out of Captain Mal mode.

Emma got some ice cubes out of the overpriced minibar, and put them in a plastic bag from the bathroom before wrapping a flannel around it. She walked over to Regina, who was now safely tucked up in bed, and pressed the ice against her head, which was beginning to form a bump rather quickly.

'For top of the class at med school, you're a little bit of a klutz, aren't you?' Emma asked softly, her voice dropping significantly in volume.

'For a homocide detective, you've got a very big caring side,' Regina replied easily in the same tone, before realising the sincerity of what she was saying. Emma's green eyes bore into her brown ones, and Regina couldn't help it. She glanced down for a small second at the pink, soft lips that graced Emma's gorgeous face. Emma looked down at Regina's plump, red lips, and they knew the score even before it had happened.

It was slow and tender. Regina leaned in first, pressing her lips to Emma's soft ones, loving the feel of the contact. It was short and sweet, and once they had pulled apart, they rested their foreheads together, breathing slowly.

'Look, I... I don't wanna go any further than that tonight, is that,' Emma stuttered, struggling to put her words out because of her nerves. 'Is that okay?'

Regina smiled sweetly, giggling internally at the shyness of the older woman. 'Of course.'

'Not that I don't want to, it's just that I've only just got over someone and I don't really know what I'm doing, and my head is a mess...' She babbled, before feeling a finger press to her lips.

'It's honestly okay, I just ask for one thing.'

'Anything.'

'Sleep in this bed, with me? Not that one?'

'Sure.' Emma smiled at Regina, kissing her on the forehead before picking up the ice and going to deposit it in the sink.

While Emma was in the bathroom, Regina thought about what had happened.

_Do I really want this? Of course, I mean, I'm the one who kissed her. She's just... She's me in a different body, with a couple of interesting parts about her, and the most beautiful eyes. God, those eyes. I'm gonna get lost in them. Should I tell why I asked? She could have found it weird. Damn, I'm overthinking this. On the up side, she loves Doctor Who?_

Emma sat down on the side of the bed, grinning at the med student. She patted Regina's thigh through the covers, and the need student got the message, scooting over and pulling the cover out. Emma gets in facing Regina.

'You like spooning?' Emma asked, grinning at Regina.

'I - I've actually never done it before.'

'Never?'

'No,' the younger woman said shyly.

'You wanna do it now?'

'Um... Yes. Yes please.'

'Okay, sweetheart, turn around.'

Regina did as she was told, and then she felt tentative hand slipping between the curve in her body and the bed. If it were anyone else's hand, she would be uncomfortable. But not then.

Emma's left arm snaked around Regina's left side, coming to meet the other hand. Regina, by reflex, she realised, put her hand over Emma's. causing the Detective to smile involuntarily. Emma then slid closer to Regina, who relished at the contact. Leaning into Emma, the younger woman let Emma bury her head into her hair, smelling the the dark locks before swiping them out of the way a little to kiss Regina's temple. Regina smiled at the touch.

'This okay?'

'This is perfect.'

Emma smiled, kiss the back of Regina's neck. They lay in comfortable silence for a while, before Regina lost herself in the welcomed unconsciousness of sleep.

Around an hour later, she awoke. She noticed Emma's breathing was uneven; she was awake too.

'Do you wanna know why I asked you to sleep with me?'

'I would hope it's because you like me,' Emma said, giggling a little.

'Of course I like you. But it's not just that.'

'Do you wanna tell me?' Emma asked tentatively.

Regina closed her eyes for a moment, then opening them again and seeing they'd got used to the dark room.

'I watched someone die a couple of days ago. At the hospital I'm looking to work at. And I... I just couldn't handle it, I...' Regina broke off, tears threatening to escape her eyes. Emma tightened her grip, kissing the back of Regina's neck.

'Katherine's been sleeping in my bed for the last couple nights, to make sure I'm okay. Thats why I was scared earlier, when we got here. But the thing is, I'm okay around dead people, I just don't want to see them die first hand. That's stupid.'

'No, it's not,' Emma replied, and she turned Regina around in her arms so she was facing her.

'Listen,' she started, 'I have a friend. Her name's Maura. Maura Isles. I met her when I was promoted to detective. One night, we went out drinking, and she told me why she'd become a medical examiner.

'She said she hated hospitals. If she could avoid them, she would do it all the time. Med School was one of the scariest experiences of her life, because she couldn't stand to watch people die, but she had to, to get through Med School. But then she met Dr Monroe. He was a Medical Examiner. He explained to her that sometimes even doctors have problems with death. And that sometimes, if you don't have to see the deaths first hand, then maybe, determining the cause of those deaths would be a less daunting and a more... fulfilling experience, for lack of a better word. If they could find out why the person died or who killed them, the doctor may experience a level of well... Relief.

'Maura tried out interning at Boston PD in the medical department and she's never looked back. She's now their Chief Medical Examiner. She and my Sergeant Detective, Jane, work together on almost every case. For her, helping to solve deaths instead of witnessing them in hospital is what works for her.

'I'm not saying you're Maura, Regina, but I think you're going through something really similar.'

Regina just nodded, thinking through Emma's story. It made so much sense.

'Promise me you'll think about it,' Emma whispered, cupping Regina's cheeks.

'Yes, I will. Thank you,' Regina said, her voice thick with tears. Emma kissed her on the forehead, and pulled Regina to her, and let her cry into her chest.

She and Regina connected even better than Emma ever thought. She understood Regina a little.

And she really, really liked her too.

They both fell asleep some minutes later, succumbing to the fatigue of the journey and their very long day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~()~~~~~~~~~~~~

'Morning.'

Emma was sure an angel was talking to her. And she was right.

Regina Mills was sitting on the side of the bed, a coffee for Emma in her hand. She had a sweet smile on her face.

'You,' Emma said groggily, 'are descended from heaven,' she finished, taking the coffee from Regina and sipping. She sat up against the headboard.

'One of the less subtle pick up lines I've heard, but I'll take it.' Regina smiled at Emma.

'Come on,' She continued, getting up and putting her coffee next to the small TV. 'We got a panel to go see.' She waggled her eyebrows, and Emma squealed excitedly, jumping out of the bed.

'How's your head?' Emma asked. She had followed Regina into the bathroom, leaning against the doorframe as the younger woman brushed her teeth.

'Ish bessher now shhank wwuu', Regina said, bubbles foaming in her mouth as she brushed.

'You said who to the what now?' Emma replied, an expression on her face that could only be described as derp-like.

Regina spit out the bubbles. 'It's better now, thank you,' she repeated, a clear voice ringing in Emma's ears. The Detective relaxed, and went to walk away from the bathroom.

'Are you not going to brush your teeth?'

Emma stopped in her tracks.

'Well, I would, but I haven't got my toothbrush. I'll go down to M&M's room, I have a key.' She picked up her Captain Mal Jacket and put it on over her boy shorts and tank top, getting ready to rush to room 108 with as much dignity as she could keep intact. Before she could open the door, Regina put a hand on her arm to stop her from leaving. Emma turned her head, and found Regina was much closer to her face than she thought.

'You don't wanna kiss me, I have morning breath still,' Emma said shyly, trying to dip her head. Regina brought the hand from Emma's arm and tipped Emma's chin to meet her eyes with her fingers.

'Don't care,' she replied, raising her eyebrows for a second before kissing her square on the mouth. She took Emma's bottom lip between her own, slightly biting it before letting it go.

'I'll see you at breakfast, Detective,' she whispered.

'Wouldn't miss it for the world, Doc.'

Emma pulled the door open and gave Regina one last waggle of her eyebrows before sprinting down through the corridor to the lift, pushing the down button at least 4 times. Regina smiled at the action. _As if that would make it go faster… man, she has a nice ass from that angle. _Regina made a face at her own thoughts. _Oh my God, Mills, shut UP!_ She thought, before closing the door quickly and going to get dressed in her blue suit. Yes, she was sad enough to bring both Season 3 and Season 4 suits to Comic-Con. But she didn't care.

Neither did Emma, it seemed. She smiled to herself shyly in the mirror when she put on the glasses, and then again when she knotted the tie. Yeah, she really liked Emma Swan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~()~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emma and Regina watched, hand in hand from their seats as Joanne Kelly squirmed and giggled a bit when an eager Bering and Wells shipper asked if there was any romance between Myka and Helena. Emma wolf whistled, and caught Joanne's attention, and before answering Regina saw a hint of recognition run through her face.

The panel lasted almost half an hour more, before the meet & greet started at the end of the panel performance.

Regina was about to go up and ask for an autograph, desperate to get in line first, when Emma pulled her back. She pulled at Regina's waist from behind, and whispered in her ear through her hair.

'Trust me, wait 15 minutes and people will start to give up. We'll see them, don't you worry.'

It was worth the wait. The queue almost dissipated completely, and Emma was able to catch Joanne's attention to get Regina an autograph.

'Oh look, it's crazy grappler girl.'

'Hi, Joanne Kelly, my name's actually Emma. This is my… friend. Regina. Could you uh… sign this for her?' Joanne accepts the notebook, signing a personal message.

'It's amazing to meet you, Miss Kelly.' Regina turned to Emma. 'Crazy Grappler Girl?'

'Please, Joanne. And trust me, that is a story you will wanna hear one day. Just not now. Trust me.' Joanne smiled brightly at Regina, and raised her eyebrows at Emma. She noticed their hands locked together.

'You two find something special?' Emma and Regina simultaneously looked at each other's hands, but didn't let go. They smiled sheepishly. Emma did let go, but put her hand around Regina's shoulder.

'Well, that's the thing about Comic-Con, I guess. You never know what you're gonna run into.'

* * *

_**Please tell me what you think!**_


	2. New Outfit, Same Old Wacko Underneath

_**Hey everyone… remember this? This part is set five years after the girls' first Comic-Con. This is also where Rizzles fans will start getting very happy, because they feature very heavily in this. Never fear, there WILL be another Comic-con visit in this one. **_

_**TRIGGER WARNING: Description of bodies, some strong language. Oh, and heavy fluff, too.**_

* * *

'He's got a rather nasty bump to the head.'

'Wow, Jane, you really are as technically advanced as Maura says you are.' Regina deadpans, putting down her scalpel and ripping off her gloves. She walks round the body and raises one eyebrow.

Jane just scowls in response, turning to face Regina with the body behind her.

'So, any ideas?'

Regina smiles wickedly, putting her finger out before pinging her gloves into the bin and moving into the lab part of her workspace.

Jane follows her eagerly, and Regina gestures to the slab containing a rather suspect looking piece of material. It is only a speck. Jane has to really look to even see it's there.

'What's the red thing?' She says, before looking up and widening her eyes.

'What?'

'Sorry, bad sense of déjà vu,' she says remembering her 'what's the blue stuff?' question to Maura.

Speak of the devil, she thinks, as Maura walks in, a proud smile plastered on her face.

'That,' Maura begins, 'is what's going to break your case.'

Jane raises her eyebrows at Maura, before turning to Regina, who simply raises her own in response with a sly smile.

'How is it going to break my case?'

'This is a speck of armure.'

Jane looks at Regina with a completely stupid 'are you serious' look.

'It's normally used to make things like textured carpet,' Regina says, taking off the grey overall she has been wearing to examine the body. 'and in some instances, sofas, and cushions. We found it buried in his head wound.'

'We didn't find it, Regina, you did,' Maura says, smiling at Regina.

Regina smiles back sincerely before carrying on. 'Therefore, whoever killed this man decided he wanted to mop up the blood, and it seems the only thing around would have been a cushion. Why a cushion I don't know, but nevertheless, that's what I deduce it to be.'

'A cushion that is nowhere to be found.'

'Well, that's where this can come in. We analyze this, and we may just be able to find out the cushion product, find the seller. From what I can tell, it's pretty new stuff; you can see when armure's been worn and withered, just by a speck. So, it's been bought recently. Go through the records. I know it'll be a little bit of a slow process, but with the murder weapon being nowhere in sight, and no leads to any killer anywhere, this is the best we're gonna get right now, I'm afraid.'

'You seem to have a knack for finding the smaller things, don't you?' Jane says, smiling discreetly at Regina before she goes over to Maura, poking her in the arm awkwardly.

'As long as you behave yourself do you wanna get lunch?'

'Behave myself? I always behave myself.' She looks perplexed as Jane just stands there with her head down.

'She means don't discuss dead bodies or bowel movements at the table, Doc,' Regina says, putting a now sterile test tube in the cupboard behind her.

'Yeah… yeah, that,' Jane agrees, her head nodding vigorously in response. Regina just chuckles and shakes her head behind the awkward pair.

'I would love to. Café?'

'Um, uh, no actually, I was thinking um…the steakhouse a couple blocks down from the Dirty Robber? It's just… I really need to talk to you about something.'

'And you need lunch to talk to me?'

'Holy crap, Doc, just go to lunch will you? Regina and I have it covered,' a voice says from the doorway of the lab. It's Emma, wearing her black leather jacket, and her hair up in a ponytail. She's smiling her crooked smile, and Regina can't help but look at her fiancé with love.

'Okay, Detective, I'll get right on it.' Maura gives her a sly smile, picking up her handbag and walking out. Jane puts her hands together and mouths 'THANK YOU' very elaborately before following Maura out of the lab and to the lift.

'God, those two have sexual tension oozing out of them at every orifice.' Regina said, shaking her head again before making her way over to Emma.

'Pretty much,' Emma says, before Regina reaches her. Emma pulls Regina's waist towards her, and kisses her fiancé with a tenderness Regina has grown to love so much.

'You're so good at this, you know,' Emma says, resting her forehead against Regina's.

'I like to think my inspiration lies with you. You suggested I do this, after all.'

'Yeah. Speaking of dead bodies, can we go get lunch as well, because –'

'You're really hungry and we're kissing in front of dead bodies that may or may not have spirits watching us.'

'Exactly,' Emma says, a silly grin spreading across her face.

'Okay. Lunch?' Regina says, picking up her bag from her side office beside Maura's, and putting out her left hand.

Emma doesn't take it, but instead gazes at the ruby and sapphire adorned platinum on her ring finger.

Emma remembers asking Maura to help her choose one, about 7 months ago now. Maura had been so overexcited, looking at ring after ring at the jewellers. However, she had calmed down when Emma asked for only one to be taken out. The ring was gorgeous.

It was a platinum band, with a sapphire in the middle in an almost oval shape, and two rubies in square shapes on either side of it. Emma had known from the first glance that it was perfect. Maura had caught on. She'd said, 'That's the one, isn't it?'

Emma had only nodded, staring at the perfect ring.

Which now lies on Regina's slim finger.

She smiles fondly at the memory, and takes Regina's hand, letting herself be pulled toward the elevator.

'We're on break now, Susie!' Regina says, catching the woman's attention, who merely gives a thumbs up while her eye is dug into a microscope.

They get into the elevator, and just before the doors close, Regina looks at Emma.

'Following them?'

'Yep.'

Regina chuckles with a knowing smile before hugging Emma's side, Emma wrapping her arms around the brunette's shorter shoulders. The door closes on them, and they both smile into each others hair and neck.

~~~~~~~~~~~~()~~~~~~~~~~~~

'Can you see them from here?'

Emma and Regina are sitting in a booth in Giovanni's Steakhouse, spying... Sorry, not spying, 'inspecting' what their respective bosses are up to.

'Just about. Maura looks really happy,' Regina replies, subtly looking over at the table the other two are sitting at.

Over there, Jane and Maura are talking about Constance's first meeting with Hope.

'Was it awkward?'

'Surprisingly not. I mean, they're so different, but in so many other ways they're alike. For example,' Maura says, putting her cutlery down and looking to the ceiling to remember. 'They're both incredibly driven, they're both perfectionists, they both excel in their field... They had so much to talk about. I almost felt like I wasn't needed.'

Jane gives her a sympathetic look.

'Oh, no, no, not like that,' Maura responds fervently. 'Just like I didn't need to h there for them to get on so well. It was so... Nice.' Maura trails off in thought, looking at her food like it was the most interesting thing on the planet. She blushes, too.

It's not because she feels awkward, or doesn't like it, but she doesn't think Jane's noticed the fact that Maura knows how she looks at her.

She remembers seeing that look for the first time. She was explaining her absolute appreciation and love for the fashion she wears after Jane was taking the piss. She had given her this look, one that almost said, 'Don't ever change'.

She's just seen it again right now.

Jane snaps out of her stupor and smiles at Maura. 'That must have been nice.'

'It was. Now come on, Jane, out with it.'

'Out with what?' Jane says, her alarmed face registering with the engaged couple on the other side of the restaurant.

'You wanted to talk to me about something,' Maura prompts.

'That steak was really good, right?'

'Jane, I'm not stupid.'

There's that look again, Maura thinks. But this time, teary eyes accompany it, threatening to fall.

'You're really not.'

Maura is so confused. She has no idea what Jane is playing at.

Jane looks horrified, as tears start to fall from her eyes.

'I have to go,' she whispers, choking on her words before putting a $50 on the table, grabbing her jacket and running out of the steakhouse. Maura just sits there, panicked and confused.

Emma and Regina look on in shock. Jane had just been so eager and ready to ask, earlier. Emma had seen the excitement on her face.

Emma glances at Regina, who raises her eyebrows.

'You go to Maura, I'll deal with Jane,' Emma says, getting up and squeezing Regina's ring clad hand before running out of the restaurant.

Regina tentatively goes over to Maura, who has now noticed the two were there.

'You were watching us?' She says, confusion still etched all over her face.

'Yes, I guess we were. Im sorry, we shouldnt have done,' she replies, pleading for an apology with her eyes. 'You two looked so happy though, Maura, what happened?'

Maura half-heartedly glares at Regina, who swallows thickly, but then she closes her eyes and takes Regina's hand. Regina sits, squeezing the hand ever so slightly.

'What is wrong with Jane?' Maura asks slowly, opening her eyes to reveal in unshed tears.

'Oh Maura, can you really not see it? They way she looks at you?' She says softly, squeezing the hand one more time.

'I have always thought that she was just giving me an endearing look before or after taking the piss out of my knowledge,' Maura replies, and Regina is surprised by the out of character language coming from the woman.

'Your little tidbits of knowledge are part of you, and she takes the piss because underneath she loves it when you tell her about those things,' Regina replies, moving around to sit next to her in Maura's booth.

'Like, say, if I tell her that a quarter has exactly 119 grooves around its edge?' She asks tearily.

'Well, some would confuse the most bright of people,' Regina says uncertainly with a slight chuckle. She still cares, Maura, but she's having a rather rough time right now. Come on, don't let something so obvious slip past your amazing brain,' Regina states, poking Maura one the side of the head. The older woman giggles at the gesture.

'She still loves Casey,' Maura says to herself, her eyes going wide with fear.

Regina just lets her jaw drop, absolutely astounded by Maura's conclusion. For someone so clever, she has no common sense at all.

'I need to talk to her,' she realises, throwing her hands down on the table and giving Regina an incredulous look. 'I HAVE to talk to her, now!'

Regina scuffles out of the booth and lets Maura get out. Maura is all ready to run after Jane when Regina grabs her wrist.

'Maura, have you ever been to Comic-Con?'

'No, but it does fascinate me. What on earth does that have to do with anything?'

'I have an idea.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~()~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emma runs to the station, hoping to get back to the office before Jane. She runs through the station doors, into the cafe where Angela's not as busy as usual.

'Has Jane come back from lunch yet Angela?' She asks, the words tumbling out of her mouth.

'No, she's still with Maura,' Angela replies, smiling at Emma.

'Okay, that's good,' she says, letting out a breath of relief before going to the coffee counter, pouring herself a large black coffee. Damn, she needs it.

As she goes over to the counter and pays for the coffee, and asks for a ham and cheese panini and a steak sandwich to go. Regina shouldn't miss out on her steak, she thinks.

'What are you up to, Swan?'

'Nothing!' She retorts all too quickly, and Angela gives her a sly smile.

'Come on. Spill.'

Emma goes back over to the counter, putting her coffee down and leaning on it with her hands clasped together.

'Has Jane ever told you about... Maura and her? Like, anything out of the ordinary?'

'If you count Jane moping over her most nights, which she denies every single morning, then yeah, I guess she has.'

'Wow. I mean she told me she always did have it bad for her, but it's even worse than I thought,' Emma thinks out loud.

'She's been plucking up the courage to talk to her for weeks, today was supposed to be the day.'

'No such luck I'm afraid,' Emma answers, clicking her tongue and gulping down some coffee greedily.

'What do you mean?'

'We were at the steakhouse, Maura and Jane were talking, but... Well, Jane couldn't do it. She ran out of the building in tears. Regina's with Maura now.'

'Oh God,' Angela whispers, putting her face in her hand.

Just at that moment, Emma's iPhone buzzes with a text.

_Hey. Got Maura under control. Still doesn't get it, though. However, Comic-con in two days: are you thinking what I'm thinking?_

She nods her head with a sly smile, before replying.

_**Absolutely. Operation Xena and Gabrielle is on.**_

She gets another text two minutes later.

_Good choice!_

Emma replies with a wink and a kiss before looking back up at Angela.

'Do you think it's physically possible to keep those two separated for two days?'

'If you put your mind to it.'

'Regina and I have an idea.'

Just at that moment, Jane comes rocketing through the station doors, through the security bay and straight for the lift. Emma runs after her, just catching the lift before the doors close.

'What happened, Jane?'

Jane just lets out a muffled sob as Emma puts a soothing hand on her back.

'Jane,' Emma asks, a twinge of sadness creeping into her voice.

'It went so so wrong, Emma,' Jane starts, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks. 'You saw, I saw you there as I was running out.'

'Yeah... Sorry about that, it was a bad idea.'

'I'm not mad, Emma,' Jane replies, in the most sarcastic voice a sobbing woman could muster at such a moment.

The lift doors open on the Homocide floor, and Emma puts her arm round Jane and guides her over to her desk.

'Rizzoli, what happened?' Frost questions, his eyes wide with panic. He's not used to seeing women cry, especially not Jane Rizzoli.

Emma shook her head quickly, signalling he should probably give them privacy.

'I just couldn't do it,' Jane says, out of the blue. 'I just looked at her and thought she'd reject me at the end of the first sentence.'

'You gotta see that's not true, Jane, come on! I would say the worst case scenario in this situation would be that she just asks for time to think about it. Then come running back to you two days later. Your friendship is too strong to be broken, even that sort of thing wouldn't ruin it. I always wanted someone like that.

'You have Regina,' Jane says, confused.

'Shes my fiancé, it's a little different,' Emma replies, chuckling lightly. 'Whatever happens with you two, you'll still have be the bickering best friend everyone wishes they had. Even if you get together, which in my mind is inevitable.'

Jane laughs lightly through her tears.

'Jane, do you trust me?'

'You're my junior, course I trust you,' Jane retorts, getting up to grab a glass of water.

'Well, I have an idea. You ever been to Comic-Con?'

'I had to police it once, really wacky, awesome stuff, why?'

'I have a plan to get Maura to realise how much you care about her. She won't be able to inadvertently ignore it any longer,' Emma says. Jane raises her eyebrows as she sits down, and Emma launches into the plan Regina texted her minutes after her last reply.

~~~~~~~~~~~~()~~~~~~~~~~~~

'Xena the Warrior Princess? Really?'

'Are you kidding?' Emma asks, slipping on the jacket that Myka Bering often wore in Warehouse 13. 'Xena is the best, and the most classic thing to wear at Comic-Con. Plus, Xena and Gabrielle are basically the best couple on TV. The whole costume and the relationship of those two never really fitted me and Regina, though. You and Maura, however,' Emma trails off, giggling at Jane who simply rolls her eyes and straps the replica sword to her belt.

'Do you have the necklace?' Emma queries, checking for what seems like the millionth time to a perplexed Jane.

'Who needs ambrosia when you have a locket for Maura Isles?' Jane replies, chuckling lightly. She taps the small pouch also strapped to her belt before picking up her bag, which carries her things for the day.

She hasn't seen Maura in two days. She's missed her so much. It's funny, but she has never noticed it until it was formally initiated by Emma that she wouldn't be seeing her until they got to the Comic-Con hall in San Diego.

They both go down to the hotel lobby, seeing tons of people in similar wacky costumes: it comforts Jane to know that she and Emma are not alone.

'Let's roll,' Emma says, checking she has the replica tesla before beckoning Jane to follow her out to the hotel. They make the short walk over to the queue outside the Convention Center.

Emma whirls to face Jane and puts her hands on either side of Jane's face. Jane's eyes look at her expectantly.

'You can do this.'

'I can do this.'

'You can do this.'

'I can do this.'

With that, Emma lets go and they file in with all the other costumed people. Jane shakes herself once before cracking her neck and walking in with Emma.

_Man, I hope this works, _she muses.

~~~~~~~~~~~~()~~~~~~~~~~~~

'Regina, I look like a peasant!'

'Nonsense, you look like a warrior.'

'Warriors wear crop tops made from rags now?' Maura is most disgruntled by her costume. She takes the sai from the bed and stuffs it down her belt, making it known to Regina that this isn't what she would have planned.

'I'm sorry, but Emma's dictating this year. That's what she wants you in,' Regina says apologetically, while she straps the grappler gun which holds such fond memories.

'This... ugh, this SUCKS!' Regina simply raises her eyebrows at the unusually crass language leaving Maura's mouth.

'Okay Maura, here's the thing. I'm getting a teeny bit tired of this,' she says, pointing up and down Maura's body, which is in a teenager stance. 'we're doing this because you cannot seem to realize something that you should have realized a long, long time ago. This is the last time we're gonna try and help you. So just concentrate today, don't complain and BE READY.'

'For what?'

'You'll see.'

Maura just frowns and takes her bag, sliding it over her shoulder. _Just go with it, _the sensible voice in her head says.

They both make their way down to their hotel lobby, and Regina sees a warrior's boot just outside the hotel door. She stops Maura with one arm, her eyes going wide.

Emma and Jane are just outside the door.

'I uh, I think I forgot something, hang on let me check,' she says, patting all possible pockets and some almost silly places. When the boot disappears she stops.

'False alarm,' Regina says, smiling over enthusiastically at Maura, who just scowls.

They walk to the door, Regina trying to slow them down as much as possible.

_Let's just get this overwith, _Regina thinks, and she looks at Maura.

She hopes that this works. For Jane's sake. And for Maura's too.

* * *

_**Okay guys, I KNOW I SAID THIS WOULD BE A TWO SHOT, but I have just had the worst writer's block, and now I'm going away so this is what I'm going to have to leave you with for the time being. I'M REALLY SORRY :( **_

_**Please leave a review for an eejit who can't write quick enough?**_

**_*to the guest reviewer who just commented on Regina's character, iI have watched OUAT, of course I have: but this Regina hasn't suffered the death of her true love or cast a curse on an entire land. So yes, this Regina is OOC. Simple: don't like, don't read. It is an AU story for a reason._**


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Once Upon a Time, Humor, Romance