Dinner Guests
by Erin Griffin
Fandom: Once Upon A Time/Warehouse 13 crossover
Pairing: Bering and Wells, Swan Queen
Summary: Two couples share an evening togeher.
Disclaimer: Syfy owns Warehouse people, ABC owns Once Upon A Time people
Note: Inspired by THIS, I have come to an epipheny that the reason why I like Swan Queen and Love Regina so much is because of my love for Bering and Wells and how similar these two couples are. Also, I needed something to do while I wai for the season 4 premier.The sound of Emma and Myka chatting in the living room of the mayoral mansion was heard in the background of two steady rhythms of mixing and chopping. The women in the kitchen knew that it was all 'cop talk', and if they were anywhere near the cooks right then, they would see twin sets of eyes rolling. Instead, Helena (HG) Wells and Regina (The Evil Queen) Mills continued to cook dinner, Regina checking the recipe for her apple tart, even though she knew it to memory. She was somewhat nervous, but having her friend there with her, chopping onions and sharing her kitchen made it less so. She was always surprised that the charming woman beside her had so much in common with her, even to the point of having female lover in criminal justice like Regina did. Their lives were filled with time shifts, magic and loss, though she knew that even with her own problems, Helena had it worse. Their friendship had been almost instant, as Helena's eyes were almost mirrors of her own - crinkled in the smile of immense happiness, yet dimmed by a darkness that may never fade.
Henry, who read his comic book on an unused portion of the counter, looked up when Helena touched her locket. "Are you alright, HG?" Like Claudia, Henry was in awe at the fact that the woman was from the past, and to him that made her a step down from the fairytale characters that lived around him in Storybook.
"Yeah Darling, I'm fine."
Henry wasn't convinced. Though he didn't know much about the woman, he had a feeling that the look in her eye was much like his mother when he wasn't the nicest kid, or Mary Margaret, even though the schoolteacher didn't understand why she felt the way she did. He once heard that losing a child was the hardest thing to go through, and he was certain that the locket had HG's daughter's picture inside. He seemed ready to ask more, but Regina saw the look on her son's face and said, "Henry, I need you to tell your mother and Agent Bering that dinner will be served in about ten minutes, and ask if they want anything to drink." The boy didn't argue and slipped out of his chair. Helena chuckled at the way his shoulders slumped a little bit as he shuffled out of the kitchen.
"He is a wonderful child, Regina."
"Thank you," the woman said, though she beamed.
Helena moved the chopped onions into the frying pan and moved as Regina placed a pot on the stove for the apple tart's caramel topping. "Is there anything more I can do?" Helena said as she listened to the sizzling of the onions in the pan.
"Other than sautéing the onions, I don't think so." Regina's sculpted eyebrow shifted into a thoughtful frown. "Though... I really am stumped as to what to substitute for a dessert, since Agent Bering has such a... strong aversion to apples."
Helena gave her a look that showed she was sympathetic to her plight, but also amused by it, as well as saddened because of Myka's reasons for said 'aversion'. "Both Myka and I have a steady ration of Twizzlers, some of which are in my coat, and she would be happy with that. Myka doesn't eat many sweets."
"Well... I have some strawberry ice-cream, if that might go well with the Twizzlers," Regina suggested. She was such a wonderful hostess, Helena had long ago found out, and she didn't want anyone left out in her home.
"That would be wonderful!"
Regina took out the ice-cream and some milk, and then watched as Helena topped the main dish with the onions, leaving a portion of it without for Henry and Emma, who didn't like onions. Helena almost bumped into the boy on her way to the foyer where her jacket was. "Sorry HG," he said hurriedly as he continued on without a backwards glance. He muttered the drink orders as he went along as to not forget them. Helena returned with the small package of Twizzlers from her coat and leaned against the counter as she watched Regina work. The timer on the stove next to them ticked on, counting down to when the other dessert would be finished, and when Regina gestured vaguely towards the cupboards, Helena began taking out the plates.
When Henry came back from delivering the drinks to Emma and Myka, he helped HG without his mother telling him to, and the table was soon set and the food in the proper serving dishes. "Alright," Regina said a few minutes after that, "I think it could pass as its own ice-cream." She brought the sweet onto a spoon and nodded her head towards the large bowl she had just transferred the treat into from the blender. Helena washed her hands and then dipped her finger into the bowl, earning her a grunt from Regina. Helena shrugged and brought her finger to her mouth as she tasted the new concoction.
"I may have to keep my eye on Myka. I fear if she finds out that you made this in a manner of minutes, she will leave me for you, and I just can't have that."
"I doubt Em will be too pleased either," the once evil queen said back in a chuckle.
"She will love it."
"Hopefully you saw what I did. I don't remember exact measurements, but it shouldn't be too hard to figure out."
"I suppose not," Helena agreed. If she had found a way to make a time machine, surely a knock off of Twizzler ice-cream shouldn't be too bad.
"Is dinner ready?" Henry asked.
"Hungry?" Regina asked in return. She reached out her hand and put it on his shoulder in an affectionate pat. It was moments like this that Helena forced herself to not look away. She loved Regina and Henry dearly, but seeing them like this was a reminder of what she had lost.
"Yeah," the boy admitted.
"Tell them dinner is ready and make sure both you and Emma wash up."
Dinner went much in the way it always had in the dozen or so times Helena and Myka had dined with the Mills-Swan family. Helena and Henry talked the most, usually, as Henry had so many questions about the past, Myka and Emma would continue on 'cop talk' with the occasional chat on literature with Helena and Regina involved. Emma and Helena didn't seem to have much to talk about other than to share a look or a laugh at the 'take charge and don't argue with me' attitude their lovers took on at times. Always it was a pleasant evening, and everyone always left the table full and happy. Myka, as predicted looked ready to propose to Regina when she tasted the ice-cream, which died on her tongue when the inventor's hand on her knee suddenly slipped higher.
Over two hours later Myka and Helena stood in the foyer. Helena held Myka's coat open for her, and while the agent struggled into it, said," Thank you for the wonderful evening. I am sorry we dropped in on short notice."
"We always enjoy your company. I know that your work is hectic. Had I more time to prepare, I'm sure... Well, no matter. You are great dinner guests, and I enjoy working with you in my kitchen," Regina said. She kissed Helena on the cheek and did the same for Myka, and Emma instead shook hands with the Warehouse couple.
Henry patiently waited his turn and accepted hugs with a small, "Bye HG, Myka."
"See you later, Henry," Myka said in response. It was hard not to like the boy.
"Be good, Darling," Helena told him, and with that the door closed behind them.
"Henry, seeing as it is a weekend, you can stay up, but I want you to get pajamas on first." the boy nodded and left the room after escaping the ruffling o his hair from Emma. Regina then turned to her partner. "I'll need some help with clean up," she stated. Emma knew it was more of an order to get in there and start doing dishes, so she followed the once evil queen.
As she loaded the dishwasher and started it up, she said, "I think I almost got something out of Myka this time."
"Oh Emma," Regina said slightly annoyed. This was a conversation they had more than once after their friends left the house and Storybrook until next time, whenever that ended up being.
"They are hiding something-
"Whatever brought them to Mr. Gold's shop that day had to have been important to their job, and according to town gossip, the Bear family are safer for it. The secrecy is important to them. Besides, has it occurred to you that perhaps they can't tell you their true occupation any more than you can tell them of your heritage?"
"If I can believe that I am born of fairytale characters, then I could believe whatever it is they are doing."
"They don't know that," Regina argued. Emma scrubbed the pan in her hands a little harder at this, having inherited the habit from Mary Margaret.
"No, they don't. But not knowing irritates me."
"I know darling," she said, catching herself imitating her friend. The two women finished cleaning up the kitchen and joined Henry where they watched the rest of X-Men with their son.
The End