Emma and her mother never found a way back to Storybrooke. What they did find was a way to open a one-way, one-time entrance back into The Enchanted Forest. It had been an easy choice for all of them to make. No one stayed behind. While Emma was still working to feel normal and not as if she was walking through a drug-induced dream, Henry was making out just fine. The dwarves had spent a month working in the mines to build up an adequate stock of fairy dust. Rumple had made a home with Belle in his castle and had opened up a storefront as to become an upstanding businessman.
After the first month, the dwarves, and occasionally Rumple, began to help Snow and Charming rebuild their home as well. The "Evil Queen" was one of few who returned with an intact home- which was good for her, considering she was trapped there. No one was quite sure why or how to undo it, but no one complained other than The Queen herself. Emma suspected the fairies, because of the way they snickered and because of the knowing and suspicious twinkle in Grumpy's eye. But Emma kept their secret, as beneficial to her as it was, having Regina in one restricted area.
Because her home was effectively a construction zone, Henry lived with Regina, and so each day, when Snow went out on horseback to gather foodstuffs, Emma followed her out to visit with Henry. Although this had been her routine for two months, Emma was still terrified to travel alone (all those tales of trolls and witches? No, Emma wasn't fucking with that!) Emma tied her horse, Oliver, under the port of the covered bridge then crossed alone, up to the intricate wooden and bronze entrance, waving to her mother's back as she rode away back into the forest.
The 20 ft. doors opened seemingly of their own accord, as always (she still hadn't figured that out.) And Regina was standing there at the entrance, in all her intimidating magnificence. Her short hair was curled but still framed her face perfectly. She wore a black, flowing dress with a long, golden robe draping her shoulder, down to her curved hips, matching her golden high heels. Emma sighed and rolled her eyes, tugging her jacket closed. She HAD to get some new clothes.
"Hello, Regina. Waiting for me?" Regina didn't even look at her, she had been standng there, all too interested in a leather-bound book, as if she hadn't even noticed the doors opening.
"Shut up, Cretin." Regina's perfect red lips did not curve into a smart ass smile, but Emma sensed it. She hoped. Regina turned on her heel and walked towards the stairway at the back of the long foyer. Emma followed silently, enjoying the echoing click, click of Regina's shoes. They made their daily trek up the 100 stairs in the spiral staircase to Henry's suite. Her kid had a suite in this world. That was pretty cool. Hell, she had a suite in this world and that was fucking cool!
"These stairs are so damn tedious without magic," Regina muttered.
"You even used magic to go up stairs?"
Regina stopped dead in her tracks, causing Emma to run headlong into the curve of her lower back. She smelled wonderful, like vanilla ice cream in a blizzard of cinnamon and nutmeg. Emma shook her head to clear the thoughts.
"Ms. Swan?"
"Uhhh... yeah?"
"Look at my shoes."
"They're great. Yeah, so?"
"Do I look like I want to walk up the stairs several times a day in these shoes?"
"You could take them off," Emma offered.
Regina huffed and continued up the stairs.
"Not everyone is as barbaric as you."
Emma watched Regina's buttocks make small jumps with each step up the few remaining stairs. 'Small joys,' she thought and smirked to herself. Emma was out of breath by the time her feet hit the landing leading to Henry's room, but she attempted to mask it by not breathing at all.
"Hi, mom!" Henry called out as he ran into her. Emma's breath shot out of her lungs with a hmph! Regina rolled her eyes and left. Emma stared after her, hopelessly. Henry didn't notice. "Come on, Mom!"
Usually, Emma and Henry poured themselves over Henry's stories, or they went swimming, or even shot a bow and arrow at crudely painted targets on trees in the atrium within the castle. Today they spent their time playing charades and Pictionary. Any moment was a good one with Henry. As dark began to come upon the castle, Emma headed down to the foyer (if you could call it that, it was more like a ballroom.) She peered out of a window. Snow was usually back by now, but she was nowhere in sight.
"You could stay for dinner," Henry said with unabashed enthusiasm.
"I don't know about that. I wouldn't want to impose."
"We have maids and stuff, it's not like Mom would have to change meal plans or something!"
"Maids?"
"Yeah... they're not like slaves. Mom is a queen, she pays them a lot. Keep up." Henry shook his head.
"But, how come I've never seen them?"
Henry shrugged and turned to scream down the halls, "Mom! Mom is staying for dinnerrrrr!"
There was no response but a third plate had been set when they entered the dining room. The long wooden table could seat thirty, easily. There were huge, cryptic tapestries hanging from the stone walls. Emma pulled out a chair. Henry shook his head at her in warning. Emma raised an eyebrow.
"That's Mom's chair at the head of the table, I sit to her right because I'm next. You'll sit to my right because you're my guest."
"Oh." Damn, Henry knew a lot. Emma moved to her chair.
"Besides, we can't sit 'til Mom is here." Emma nodded. Right.
Suddenly, four maids in traditional dress appeared, entering in a choreographed single-file line. They set the table quickly then stood along the wall, hands folded behind their backs. As if on queue, the ever dramatic Evil Queen Regina entered, in a ballgown. It was not sleek like the black one from earlier. It was a very pale lavender with a huge bell of fabric flowing from her waist. Gold flecks were woven through the fabric like tiny stars, reflecting the light brilliantly. It was a strapless dress forming her ample chest into a heart shape. Her hair was pinned to her head in small swirls, exposing her sinewy neck. Emma swallowed hard. A maid rushed forward to pull out Regina's chair. As she
smoothed the back of her dress to sit, two more maids rushed forward to seat Henry and Emma. Everything happened so quickly, it was a blur in Emma's eyes. Suddenly her glass of wine was filled, food overflowed her plate, and candles were lit between the three of them. Regina looked especially gorgeous on the opposite side of the candlelight. Emma crossed her legs and chewed her food with immense focus. When her heartbeat had slowed, she thanked Regina for dinner. She didn't respond, so Emma grinned at herself, noticing the light freckles decorating the bridge of Henry's nose. Once Henry had gotten most of his fill, he talked excitedly about his dreams from the night before and about the stories he'd read
through the day. Regina looked at him with a curve to her lips and a soft look in her eyes. The love there was unmistakable and it looked amazing written across her face. Oh, if she could just... nope. 'Nope. Quit it, Emma.' A loud chime played from the foyer, causing Emma to jump and drop her fork on the china plate with a surprising CLINK!
"What's that?!"
"The doorbell, Idiot." Regina shook her head, disbelieving Emma's stupidity. Why did EVERYONE treat her like that? Even Henry did it!
A man in a brown dinner jacket appeared.
"Queen Snow awaits Princess Emma at the front entrance," he announced. Emma shuttered at the word 'Princess.' Regina must have agreed, judging by her derisive snort into her wine glass. Her large brown eyes met Emma's and followed them as she stood.
"Thank you again, Regina. Bye, Henry. Love you." She leaned down and kissed his head.
"Bye, Mom. See you tomorrow?"
Emma purposefully and delicately touched Regina's shoulder as she walked past, savoring her fingertips brushing across Regina's collarbone. Regina stilled.
"About time, Ma," Emma said as she stepped outside. Snow smiled kindly.
"I fed Oliver." They both chuckled.
Even in her ridiculously large and soft bed with the huge down blanket and the satin sheets, Emma had trouble sleeping that night. Had Regina always been so alluring? Or was Emma just beyond horny in this new world? Emma harrumphed, punched her pillow, and curled into a ball.