(TRIGGER WARNING: MENTIONS OF PAST ABUSE - NON-GRAPHIC)

hey, okay so this is hella long...it's sort of my thing, I can be very wordy I suppose. Anyway I'd like to start this off with some thank yous,

First I'd like to say a giant thank you to my friend and cheerleader, Laila, she was a huge part of this, without her I probably never would have signed up to do this let alone made it this far. So thank you, girl, for all the all-nighters and listening to me freak out, for reading everything and telling the gods honest truth, you rock, thank you!

and now I'd like to thank my wonderful artist, Supernana494, you are truly wonderful and I'm so grateful for all the work you did, it's beautiful and I love it, so thank you for bringing my idea's to life. Now go check out her work, here's the link :D archiveofourown . org /works/8806036

I'd also like to thank the lovely people of Swan Queen Supernova for putting this together, it's been an interesting experience, to say the least, but I'm so happy to be a part of this, it made me a better writer, pushed me past my comfort zones...and yeah, that caused some freaking out but it was worth it, so thank you.

now lastly an honorable mention to my Beta, Jen, you tried, it was an interesting experience and I hope you start feeling better soon...that being said all mistakes are mine :P.

Enjoy! And I hope to hear what you all think.

take care,

Angeii.K

PS: the only things I know about baseball are what I've seen in TV/movies or read, so sorry if I got anything wrong :P

PPS: I do not own these characters...although some days I wish I did :P


Chapter 1

Regina started to notice Henry pulling away the day he found out he was adopted, she knew one day she was going to have to tell him, but she never thought he'd be this young or that it would start with an innocent question about pictures of her when she was pregnant with him.

It broke her heart the way his eyes lost that glow she had seen his whole life, her stomach twisting in agony when he refused to hug her, and finally, the weight of it all landing like a ton of bricks in her stomach when he announced he was going to find his real mom.

That night as the young boy stomped up the stairs to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him; she realized she was losing her son, trying to be supportive, trying to be patient wasn't working, his cold stares broke her heart a little more each day so it was time to fix it, to save her relationship with Henry.

She and Henry still shared a few things, but one was his love for Baseball, she promised she'd take him to a Red Sox game one day and this weekend they were playing against the Yankees, that's truly a game he would love to see, he has been talking nonstop about it.

Regina stared at the stairs as she came to a conclusion, she was taking her little prince to his first professional baseball game. She didn't think making him an honorary member of the Storybrooke Queens would suffice, at least not anymore.

Regina started playing for the Queens when Henry was 7, he begged her too, said she would be the coolest mom ever and she just couldn't say no! Anyway she enjoyed beating the "heroes", they were really Storybrooke's other team, the Knights, and she'd be lying if she said she'd never purposely threw a ball at her arch enemy and posse a few times, sure they got to walk but to see Mary Margaret in the slightest amount of pain was well worth it…although Ruby was never very happy, surprisingly the wolf was on her team.

Who knew throwing fireballs for so many years would come in handy in this odd world without magic.


So when Friday evening rolled around Regina sat Henry down, smiling lovingly at the boy.

"Did I do something wrong?"

Regina frowned, "No, of course not, dear, I simply have a surprise for you."

The boy's eyebrows furrowed, "A surprise?"

"Yes, you know how you've been talking about that big game against the Yankees tomorrow?" Henry nodded, "And how I promised one day I would take you to a real game…"

Henry's eyes widened and he shot out of his seat, "You didn't!?"

Regina smiled up at the boy pulling out the two tickets, "I did."

"Wow! Thank you, mom, you're the best!" he exclaimed throwing himself into her arms, giving her a tight hug.

Regina's heart swelled at the moment, after weeks of hearing 'I hate you', of refusing to hug her goodbye anymore (some days not saying a word at all) this was worth it, she did the right thing, they just needed a little bonding time.

When Henry pulled back Regina smiled up at him, "We will be leaving here by 10, so be ready to go."

"I can wear my new jersey! You have to wear yours too, mom!"

Regina laughed, "I only have my Queens jersey."

"That's the one I meant." Henry replied with a look that finished it off with a silent 'duh'.

"Very well."

"Awesome! I'm going to go to my room and pack, is that alright?"

"Of course…and Henry?"

Henry stopped and turned to look at his mom, "Yeah?"

"Pack for a couple of days, I thought we would make this into a small vacation."

"Really!?"

"Yes dear, really." Regina chuckled quietly to herself.

"You rock, mom!" Henry cheered before he ran out of the room.

"Henry, no running!"

"Sorry!" his voice carried into the room as his footsteps quieted.


About 10 minutes into the drive the car settled into an uncomfortable type of silence that vibrated through her blood, set her heart off in an unusual beat.

The radio played this year's top 40 over and over again, that and the occasional turning of pages from the back seat was the only sound in the car until Fenway Park came into view, she heard the book slam shut and her son's voice speak a quiet wow from the seat behind her.

Regina smiled as she pulled the car into the giant parking lot, she could see her son pressed to the car window staring up at the stadium in wonder in her rear-view mirror.

"This place is incredible!"

She turned to look at Henry, his baseball cap facing backward and his brown hair sticking out from under in, she just wanted to reach out and move it out of his face but she worried the action wouldn't be received well.

So instead she swallowed thickly and nodded at the young boy, "Yes, it is…get your stuff we should go in now or we'll be late."

Henry nodded as he started packing up the stuff from their long journey into his bag to tuck into the trunk for safe keeping.

Regina let out a sigh as she looked up at the sky placing her sunglasses over her eyes, and pulling at the long sleeves of the shirt she wore under her jersey.

She jumped at the slamming of the door, turning to look at her son who gave her a guilty look before moving towards the trunk.

"Do you have everything you need?" She asked and she pulled out her purse as Henry dropped his bag in.

"Yup!" he cheered as he held up his mom's hat to her with a grin.

Regina smiled down at the boy, "Thank you, dear." she said as took the hat from him and attached it to the strap of her bag.

She shut the truck and placed her hand between Henry's shoulder blades as he led them toward the entrance of the stadium, her heart skipping happily when he didn't try to pull away.


Regina listened happily as Henry chattered on about Fenway's history while they made their way to their seats, her eyes scanning the sea of people, most sporting the colour red and talking loudly to each other, each trying to be heard over the other people in the stadium.

Henry mentioned how it was sort of like an assembly at school, she thought it reminded her of the queen's court back in her old land.

She stopped at their row and ushered Henry in ahead of her with her head, as she juggled their items in her hands.

Her focus shifted from the boy when she heard a grumbling of fans around her, her eyes meeting a woman with blonde hair flowing out from under a baseball cap, and a crisp white Red Sox jersey. She was lounging back comfortably in her chair with a mug of beer in her hand, boots tapping on the concrete floor under them.


Emma's eyes moved from the field at a loud grumbling from a group of men behind her, her eyes quickly lock on a bouncing boy as he gestures happily with his big red foam finger and a big Red Sox reusable cup in his other hand. But her gaze shifts as the boy looks behind him, her eyes quickly meeting curious brown ones and she smiles at the two as she takes in the woman juggling a baseball mitt and travel mug in one hand, and a two tickets held in the other with a foam finger tucked under her arm.

Her eyes move beyond the many items in the woman's hands to the jet black jersey with purple accents, and a long sleeve shirt in the same purple rolled up to her elbows. She sucks in a breath when they stop next to her, the boy dropping into the seat next to hers while his mother catches eyes with Emma again.

Emma can't take her eyes off them, there's something very familiar about the boy but his mom, his mom is probably the most beautiful woman she's ever seen. She gets lost in chocolate brown eyes that somehow seem to look deep into her soul.

"Hi! I'm Henry!"

Her eyes move from the brunette toward the young boy and she smiles, "Hey, kid. I'm Emma."

He nods and Emma's eyes move up to meet his moms as the boy continues to speak.

"This is my first professional game! Have you been before?"

The woman smiles but the way she looks at her tells Emma that if she says one wrong thing this will probably be her last game ever…if not her last day on earth.

"Wow, that's very exciting! I remember my first game, I was just a few years older than you."

"Cool! Mom's never been either! She plays back home but she's never been to a real one."

Her gaze shifts back to the woman as she watches her sit down, adjusting her bag in her lap, a black and purple baseball cap catching her eye. "Well, your mom picked a great game to be your first, I'm sure you'll never forget this experience."

Henry nodded happily and was about to speak again when the low tones of his mother's voice floated in her ears.

"Henry, I'm sure she wants to be left alone."

Emma's looks at the woman, something about her looks scared, unsure so Emma smiles reassuringly at the two brunettes, "It's okay, I'm here alone, and the game hasn't started so it's no bother…anyway, the best part of the game is meeting all kinds of cool people."

Henry smiles brightly at her as his mom raises an eyebrow as she asks, "Are you sure?"

"Yup! So what's your name, mom?"

She rolled her eyes before answering, "Regina."

"Nice to meet you, Regina."

The woman nods at her before Henry starts speaking again, "Are you from here?"

Emma smiles, "Yeah, at least for the last few years. Where did you guys come from?"

"St–"

"Maine." Regina cuts off the boy, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Nice! I've never been there, but I've heard some great things!"

Henry nods happily at the woman, "Do you travel a lot? This is my first time out of our town."

Regina smiles surprised he didn't mention his travel to the town as a baby, he's been obsessed with the adoption since he found out, obsessed with where he was from…

"More so when I was younger, but I still do some traveling for work, just usually within the state."

"That's so cool! Where have you been? What do you do?"

Emma chuckled, he was an inquisitive boy.

"You don't have to answer that." Regina cuts in when she sees the woman struggling for words, "Henry, stop interrogating the poor woman."

Henry frowns, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be pushy, I was just curious."

Emma smiled at him, "It's okay, kid. Just sometimes our pasts' are hard to talk about," Her eyes lock on Regina's as the woman's gaze clouds with a familiar look.

"I understand…" he said as his gaze shifted to his lap.

Emma nudges him with her elbow, "But, I can tell you what I do…"

His head shot up and his eyes shone with glee, and Emma noticed the same reaction from his mother, but her gaze filled with surprise. "Really?"

Emma chuckled at the pair, "Yeah…I'm a bail bonds person."

Henry's head tilted in thought and he asked, "What is that?"

"I catch bad guys who run away when they're on bail."

"Cool! So kind of like a cop?"

"Sorta, just different rules."

Henry nodded, "Do you have a badge? Sheriff Graham back home gave me a deputy badge, they're so cool!"

Regina laughed, "It's not real, he got it when he was five and it's now stuffed in his closet somewhere."

Emma laughed, "Yes, I do have one, just not on me. It's my day off."

Henry was about to reply when the announcer's voice echoed through the stadium and the teams filed out onto the field as they're names and stats were called out.


They were at the bottom of the 5th and Boston was leading with 7 while the Yankees struggled behind, everyone was sitting on the edge of their seats as Nunez was up to bat.

Regina could hear the anxious tapping of Emma's boot, the whole stadium held its breath as the pitch was throw, and then a resounding grumble sounded loudly over the cheers from Yankee's fans as the umpire called out "ball 4!"

"It's just a ball…we got this, they're only at 1."

Regina looked over at Emma and chuckled, "Calm down, dear, you look like you might kill someone."

Emma's eyes moved from the field to look at the woman who was now wearing her baseball cap, eyes glistening with mirth. "Look who's talking, I'm not the one who started yelling at the ump last inning."

"He was clearly in." Regina huffed.

"He was out," Emma said with a laugh.

Henry looked between the two before his eyes landed back on his mom as she stared down Emma, challenging her, "He was out, Mom, you saw the replay."

Regina sighed, looking down at her son as he took another bite of his hot dog. She smiled at him as she straightened the hat on the boy's head, "This is what I get for letting you shadow Granny."

"Granny?"

"She's the umpire back home…she also runs the town diner."

"Yes, Henry has been an honorary member of the Queens for years, he does different jobs now and then, but he's mostly our bat boy."

Emma smiled at them before she looked back to the field and grumbled as another player walked. "C'mon, Wakefield, pull it together!"

And again Regina's laugh was heard, this time though it was mixed with Henry's.

"We are winning, Emma, relax." Henry shook his head at their new friend.

"Anything can happen, Kid, I've seen em come back from worse."

Both brunettes rolled their eyes as they turned back to the game.


It was the bottom of the 9th, the Red Sox were up by 6, and Emma was smiling happily as Aceves threw the final pitch.

Henry was vibrating with excitement, his first game, and his team wins, this is the best day ever!

Regina was smiling lovingly down at Henry as the stadium jumped to their feet celebrating their win, while Yankee's fans heads buried in their hands while red and white blurs hugged and jumped in glee.

Regina was surprised when Henry latched onto her, arms wrapping tightly around her middle.

Regina's eyes welled with tears as she caught the boy's hat from falling off his head, and combed her fingers through his hair.

Emma turned to look at them and her smile softened as she watched the two, she always wanted a mom, someone to love her the way Regina loved Henry.

Emma smiled self-consciously when Regina's eyes met hers, the tears in the older woman's eyes surprising Emma.

"This was the best day ever! Thank you, mom!"

Regina looked back down at the boy and smiled lovingly as she brushed hair out of his eyes, "I'm happy you enjoyed yourself, dear."

Henry smiled up at her and laughed as Regina put the hat back on his head, pulling it low over the boy's eyes.

Emma bobbed on her feet awkwardly before turning away, feeling like she was intruding on a moment between mother and son.

"Can we go get dinner? I'm starving."

"Of course, dear."

They fell silent and Emma glanced over to see them looking at her and she laughed awkwardly.

"It was nice meeting you both…you made it a great day for me." Emma said sincerely as she kicked at the floor. "Maybe I–"

"Would you like to join us for dinner, Emma?"

Emma's eyes shot up to meet Regina's, green eyes bulging as the woman chuckled at her shocked look.

"I-what? Seriously?"

Regina rolled her eyes, "Yes, I've…we've enjoyed your company and we'd love if you joined us. Besides, we don't know this city, and I'm sure you know a few great places to get food."

Emma blinked at them and her eyes moved to look at Henry who was staring up at his mom with an equally surprised stare, "I…Yes, I'd love to join you guys…how do burgers sound? I know this great place close by, we can walk from here, avoid the traffic."

"Burgers sound great…but will my car be fine?"

"Yeah, it should be good."

Regina nodded as the midday sun gave Emma's hair a golden hue, the other woman was clearly beautiful, Regina couldn't deny that.

"This is awesome!" Henry cheered as he spun his cap around on his head while he gathered up his belongings.

Emma smiled down at the boy as she buried her hands in her jeans pockets.

"Shall we get going?"

"We shall," Emma smirked at her.

"Lead the way, Emma."

Emma's eyes twinkled with mirth as she brushed past the other woman, glancing behind her to smirk at the two as she led them out of the stadium, Regina's hands on Henry's shoulders as they moved through the busy crowd.


The restaurant was a small little place at the corner of a building, booths lined the walls, and a few tables were scattered around.

The young man behind the counter smiled brightly at them, excited to see some customers since the day had been quiet, most citizens enjoying the game or one of the last nice days before falls prickly weather sets in.

"Welcome to Fenway's what can I getcha?"

Emma smiled at the boy while the other two looked around the place like they'd never been to a restaurant before.

But the truth was they've never been in one this empty, in Storybrooke there's always people in Granny's, Regina considered just holding town meetings there at one point since more were in attendance there, then there were at town hall.

"Uh, I'll get your bacon cheeseburger, and a coke."

Regina crinkled her nose at her order making Henry snicker as he stood next to her reading the large menu over the counter.

"Is that all?" the young man asked, not knowing if they were together.

"Uh, yeah, we're paying separately."

Regina snapped out of it, looking at the blonde funny, "Nonsense, I invited you out, I'll pay."

"Regina, you don't have to pay for me." Emma turned to look at the older woman.

Henry rolled his eyes as the two started bickering and stepped up to the counter to order, his mom would win; she always does.

"Emma, this is my treat, I insist."

"That's very sweet but I can pay, you don't have to."

"Miss…" Regina sighed, lips pursing when she realized she didn't know the woman's last name.

"Swan." Emma chuckled, the woman was oddly regal compared to most baseball fan's she's met, she stood like she should be wearing a ball gown and not the jeans and baseball jersey she was currently wearing, and especially not with a cap turned backward.

"Ms. Swan, I insist, I have more than enough money to pay for your 12 dollar meal." Regina's hands were now on her hips and Emma could tell she probably wouldn't win this argument so she threw her hands up in the air in surrender, "Wise choice, Dear."

"Mom?"

Both looked over at the boy who was leaning against the counter grinning wickedly at them.

"Yes, dear?"

"You can pay now, I ordered for us."

"I better not find a milkshake on our tray, young man."

Henry laughed, "I got milk, no shake."

"Good boy." Regina smiled down at him, draping her arm over his shoulders as she handed over her credit card.

"Wanna go get a seat, kid?"

Henry smiled up at his mom, "Can I?"

"You may."

"Let's go, Emma!" Henry called as he practically ran to the booth in the far corner, Regina watching them go.

The young man chuckled, "Your order should be ready shortly. If you like I can bring it to you when it's ready?"

Regina looked back up at the boy and smiled, "That would be lovely, thank you."

The boy gave her a curt nod as she turned and started walking over to the booth.

Henry looked up when he heard her approaching, eyebrows crinkling when he saw her empty hands, "Where's the food?"

"He said he'd bring it over when it was ready."

"Oh, okay!"

Regina smiled lovingly as she slid into the booth next to Henry, smiling at the blonde across from her.

"Henry was just telling me about the time you hit his teacher in the side with a baseball." A grin was playing at the corners of Emma's mouth as Regina let out a huff.

"It truly was a mistake." But even without Emma's superpower, she knew the woman was lying from the sparkle in her eyes, and the smirk that twitched on her lips before it was expertly hidden.

"Liar."

Regina let out another huff as she rolled her eyes, "What makes you think I'm lying?"

"I can tell when people are lying, I call it my superpower."

"Cool!" Henry interjected while Regina stared at her, trying to figure the blonde out a bit more, something about the woman was familiar and she has yet to figure it out.

"That must do wonders when running after criminals."

Emma laughed, "It comes in handy."

"Your food." The boy said as he approached the table.

"Thanks."

"Yes, thank you very much."

"No problem, enjoy!" he chirped as he placed the trays on the table just as the bell above the door rang and another group of people entered, also clearly coming from the game.


Regina chuckled to herself, the sound barely heard over Henry's own laughter as Emma told a story about a rather hard recovery, but she got the guy in the end, sure she had to use the money she got to fix a store owners property, and sprained her ankle, but it was all in a day's work….who knew a 200 pound biker could run so fast.

"Hey! You try not flinching when a beast of a man comes barrelling toward you!"

Henry snickered as Regina smirked at her.

"I'm sure it was very frightening, dear."

Emma pouted, but her eyes crinkled with laughter still.

"Mom once had a faceoff with Leroy, he is the Knights second baseman, mom was trying to steal third and he started chasing after her, it was really funny!"

Regina smiled at the boy as she combed her fingers through his hair, "it was the most any of us have seen him run, and it was worth it, I did get third and he turned very red."

"He looked like a tomato!" Henry giggled.

"I wish I could have seen that! Must have been one heck of a sight!"

"It was!"

Regina smiled at the two, "We should go. Other people look like they want to sit."

They all turned to look at a frowning family.

"Can we go to the park? It's still early!"

"What do you say, Ms. Swan, would you like to go to the park?"

Emma smiled brightly, "I'd love to."

"Yes!" Henry cheered and started nudging Regina out of the booth.

"Calm down Henry, we won't be getting anywhere if I crack my head on the tile."

"You wouldn't land on your head, just your as-butt." Emma grimaced when Regina sent her a glare at her little slip-up.

Henry snickered as he slid out of the booth after Regina.

"To the car!"

Emma laughed, "He's so full of energy!"

"Yes, which is why I agreed to the park. If I'm lucky it'll tire him out and it won't be too hard to get him to bed at a reasonable hour."

Emma smiled as the followed the boy out of the building. "For your sake, I hope so."

Regina smiled at Emma before they caught up to Henry, the boy continuing on just a couple steps ahead of them.

"How long are you guys here for?"

"Just the weekend, Henry has school Monday and I have to get back to work."

Emma nodded, burying her hands in the pockets of her jeans.

"Do you have work tomorrow?" Regina spoke up, eyeing Emma nervously.

"No, I have the weekend off…"

Regina bit the inside of her lip as she got up the nerve to ask, "Would you like to come out with us tomorrow? We have nothing grand planned, but Henry mentioned wanting to go to the zoo and aquarium…"

Emma turned to smile at her, "yeah, that sounds fun, I haven't been since I was younger…it could be cool."

"I've never been to either before, we don't have them back home."

"Really?"

"Yes, why would I lie about that?"

Emma chuckled and shrugged as they stopped at a crosswalk, Regina placing her hand at the base of Henry's neck to keep him close by as they walked, the boy now placed between them.

"So you're coming with us tomorrow?" Henry asked, looking up at the blonde.

"Yup!"

"Cool!"

Regina smiled at Emma as they continued walking, Henry taking over the conversation as he told Emma about what they'll be doing tomorrow.


The park wasn't a far drive away so they got there pretty quick, Henry jumping out of the car as soon as it was parked and pulling his stuff from the trunk, barely glancing up as he tossed his baseball to Regina who caught it easily.

Emma watched the two from the sidewalk as the boy pulled equipment and a backpack from the trunk.

"Baseball?" Emma asked as the Mills' stopped in front of her.

"You play, right?" Emma nodded as the boy shoved a bat into her arms, "You bat then."

"Kay! So I'm on your team, kid?"

"Yup! Mom pitches, unless you know how? Then you two can switch it up."

"I'm better at bat."

"Same! I don't know how mom does it! She's the best in town!"

Regina laughed, a proud smile spreading across her face, "A lot of practice, dear."

"But you never played before you started playing for the Queens and you were already a pro!"

Regina laughed as she leaned down to Henry's height, and reached forward to straighten out the boy's hat as she spoke, "Then I'm a natural, who knows, but practice has made me better."

Henry laughed as he started jogging toward the baseball field.

Emma smirked at her before calling out, "Last one to home is a rotten egg!" and quickly broke out into a sprint, passing Henry quickly as he started running faster, his bag slowing him down.

"Children…I'm surrounded by children." But Regina couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as she watched Emma jumping up and down on home in victory, arms thrown up in the air.

"No fair! Your legs are longer!" She heard Henry whine as she approached the two.

"Do you smell that, kid? Smells a lot like rotten eggs!"

The boy giggled as Emma stuck her tongue out at Regina.

"Very mature, Ms. Swan, for a second I forgot you were an adult."

Emma smirked, "You're just a poor loser."

"Says the woman gloating about beating a ten-year-old."

"Sore loser."

Regina rolled her eyes, "How about we see who the sore loser is when I strike you out."

"Oooh, those are fighting words, Mills. It's on."

"I'll buy you an ice pack, you'll need it for your wounded pride."

Emma laughed as she picked up the bat from the floor.

"Henry, you'll be catcher, alright?"

"Sure thing, mom! Just don't throw it too hard, I'm just a kid."

"I promise." Regina smiled at him before she turned and moved to the pitcher's mound and started stretching out her muscles.

Emma turned to look down at Henry, "Is she really as good as you say?"

"Yeah, you're toast."

Emma grimaced as she turned her hat back around to block out the sun. "Try not to hit me, kay, Reggie!?"

"If you call me that again, I will!" The brunette called back as she straightened her hat and got into position.

"Gotcha!" Emma laughed nervously as she got into her optimal batting stance.

"Let's do this, Swan!"

Emma chuckled and gave her a quick nod, noticing Henry moving into a crouch behind her.


Regina smirked as she eyed the blonde woman from across the field. Henry gave her a quick nod, making a two with his fingers between his legs and Regina nodded at him, a smile spreading across her face as she cocked her leg up and then the rest was second nature, the ball flew through the air.

Emma swung the bat, the ball whisking past her and right into Henry's mitt and the boy hissed.

"MOM!"

"Sorry, Henry!"

The boy laughed before calling out loudly, (so loudly a family turned to look at them as they sat off to the side.) "STRIKE ONE!"

Emma smiled and sent an awkward wave to the family, before letting her eyes focus on the smirking brunette, "You got lucky, I'm just warming up!"

Regina let out a loud "HA." Before moving back in position, digging her foot into the dirt and tilting her hat low on her face. "Hey, Batta Batta!"

Emma laughed and wound up, waiting for the pitch that whizzed by her seconds later and the sound of Henry hitting the dirt to avoid the ball.

"Can we let the fence catch the ball!?" the boy called while Emma was still trying to process when the ball passed her.

"Sounds like a better idea, Sweetie!" Regina winced, she needs to pull a little out of her game zone.

"Uh, mom, she didn't swing…was that a ball or strike!?"

"STRIKE!" a man's voice called out and they all turned to look toward the voice, it was the father from the small family.

Emma groaned and Henry laughed as he called out, "Thank you! STRIKE TWO!"

"You sure your mom never played in the minor leagues?"

Henry laughed, "Nope! Just been playing for the 4 years."

Emma's eyes widened as she turned to look at the boy, "Just 4!?" she hissed and he started laughing.

"We played catch a bit before that if it makes you feel better."

"Not really." Emma laughed as she turned back to face Regina, "That was nothing, how about you try something hard!"

And this time instead of just a quick laugh Regina let out a real, long laugh, her head thrown back as she held her hat with her empty hand. "Coming right at you, Swan!"

Henry laughed at the two as he tossed the ball back to his mom, "Last one!"

"Hey, I could hit it!"

Henry snorted, "Doubtful." And he moved off to the side, "Mom's in the zone."

The blonde laughed because she was totally getting her ass kicked!

"Ready!?"

"Bring it, Mills!"

Regina smirked as she wound up, waited for Emma to be ready and threw it.

She held her breath as the blonde swung, the ball just a millimeter away from being hit.

Henry started cheering while Emma lets the bat fall to her side while looking up at Regina as she pulled the hat off her head and ran her hand through her hair.

The two made eye contact and they shared a smile, but their moment was quickly broken as Henry called out, somehow louder than the other times, "STRIKE THREE, YOU'RE OUTTA HERE!"

Both adults started laughing.

"Good game, Regina, but next time I'll whoop your butt!"

"I'd like to see you try!" She called as she started making her way toward Emma. "Honestly, though, I thought you were going to hit that last one."

Emma laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck with her hand, "Yeah, same, I even felt it brush the bat."

Henry runs over to them, "That was awesome! You were so close, Emma!"

The two women chuckled, "Yeah, but your mom is one hell of a pitcher, you should've warned me, kid."

Henry's head tilted to the side, "But I did."

"Right." Emma laughed as she looked up at the woman as Regina rolled up her sleeves, hat back on her head, "When's your next game? I'd love to see you in action."

Regina barely had time to process what was happening before Henry answered.

"On October 22nd, you should definitely come watch!"

Regina bulked at the two, nodding in agreement before the words really fully processed, and once they did she couldn't change her mind, not when Emma was looking at her like that…and not when Henry is giving her the same look.

"Are you sure?"

"Y-yes, dear, we'd love to have you."

Emma smiled at her before asking, "What do you say to a nice game of catch?"

Regina laughed, "Sure, Henry?"

"Yes!" he cheered before he ran off to the side with his mitt.

"Are you really sure, Regina, I wouldn't want to intrude or anything…I mean we just met today and–"

"Emma, I'm sure, it would really be great, and Henry is so excited…and I can tell you are as well."

Emma blushed slightly, "I really am! I'm going to be decked out in your team colours! I'll even paint my face!"

Regina started laughing and placed a hand on Emma's arm, "I'll give you the details later. Now let's play some catch!"


Regina smiled as she glanced in her rear-view mirror to see her son fast asleep in the back seat, his book resting open in his lap.

"So I guess your plan worked."

She looked over when she heard the blonde whisper, "Yes, it would seem so."

Emma smiled shyly, "Thanks for the ride, Regina."

"No problem, dear."

Emma nodded as she pushed open the door, "I'll see you both tomorrow then."

"Yes, we'll see you tomorrow. Would you like me to pick you up?"

"You don't have to…"

"I don't mind, it will be easier that way, one car…"

"Of course…sure just call when you're on your way?"

"Sounds good, Emma."

"Goodnight, Regina." Emma smiled as she stepped out of the car, leaning into it as she held onto the open door.

"Goodnight, dear."

Emma nodded, stepping back to shut the door as quietly as she could so not to wake the boy.

Regina watched Emma wave goodbye through her rear-view mirror as she drove away.

The day went better than she had imagined it would, she expected Henry to have a good time, to speak with her a bit, maybe get a hug or laugh out of it…she never thought they'd meet the beautiful blonde, build a friendship with the woman, she never thought she'd hear her son laugh this much, to happily run around the park with her, to bond with Emma….heck, she had never done anything like this before, to stick herself out there.

Her stomach twisted slightly with worry, inviting this woman to visit her town…will she be able to find it? But that part, the part that wants to protect her secret, is being drowned out by the loud beats of her heart and her son's laughter, her own laughter, and strangely familiar green eyes.

So maybe it was a risk she was willing to take, not only so Henry will keep looking at her the ways he was all day but also for the way Emma makes her feel.

Regina's hands tighten on the steering wheel slightly, but as she catches sight of Henry sleeping peacefully in the back seat her hands relax. She might be acting reckless but she's always had a rebellious side…this time she's rebelling against the voice in her head that is telling her she's making a mistake…one, that if she's being totally honest with herself, sounds a lot like her mother.

Regina shakes the thoughts out of her head as she pulls up to the hotel and smiles at the doorman as he approaches.

"Good evening, Ma'am."

"Good evening, the bags are in the trunk…" she smiled as she popped the trunk, looking behind her to take in her sleeping child for a few more moments before she had to wake him.

Regina slowly opened Henry's door, reaching over to close the book in his lap, (he was reading Harry Potter again) and placed a hand on his knee, "Henry, sweetie, you have to wake up, we're here."

His little nose scrunched up unhappily, and she smiled as she got flashes of him doing the same thing throughout the years, now it just isn't followed by loud cries…now it's followed by an annoyed groan.

"Wake up dear, we are at the hotel, I can't carry you and check us in."

A snicker mixed with a whine left the boy's lips as his eyes blinked open to look at her, "Why not?"

"For one, I'd probably drop you while signing the paperwork."

Henry smiled up at her, "Rain check?"

"Of course, dear. Now, up an at'em." Regina held out her hands, and after Henry unbuckled his seatbelt he took them, letting her pull him out of the car and onto the sidewalk where he leaned his body into hers, her arm wrapping securely around him as she watched a bellhop place their last bag on the cart.

She handed her key over to the valet with a warning glare, silently telling him if anything happened to her car she'd end him…it was very effective, after all, she has been working on it for over 30 years.


"Good morning, Ms. Swan."

Emma glared slightly over her reusable coffee cup, "When I agreed to this I thought we would be leaving at noon."

Regina chuckled as the woman slide into the passenger seat, "it's 11 o'clock, dear, you are acting like its 5 am."

"Might as well be."

Henry chuckled from the back seat, leaning forward, "I take it you aren't a morning person?"

"What gave it away? My cheery disposition or my glowing skin?"

Regina snorted as she pulled out into traffic, "I'd have to go with your perfectly styled hair and how you told me to F off when I called."

Emma looked over apologetically, "I said I was sorry."

"And I told you we would be leaving by 11 yesterday."

"I forgot to set my alarm."

Both Mills' laughed while Emma grumbled into her very strong coffee.

"How're you two so chipper?"

"We get up at 7 most days so mom can get me to school on time and she can get to town hall for her first meeting."

"Town hall, huh? What do you do there?"

Regina looked over at her with a smirk, "Run it, I'm the mayor."

Emma choked on her coffee as she looked over at the regal woman, "No, shit?" Emma laughed but quickly stopped when she saw the woman's warning glare, "Sorry, no swearing in front of the kid."

Henry was snickering in the back seat again, he seemed to be enjoying Emma's misery way too much for her liking.

"But, yes, Ms. Swan I am Mayor of our town."

Emma nodded, an impressed look on her face as she looked at Regina, "For how long?"

"About 10 years."

"Impressive."

"Thank you, dear."

Emma smiled over at her before turning her attention back toward the road, "Where to first?"

"Mom was thinking we do the Zoo first, while it's still nice out…she said she doesn't want to worry about her hair frizzing out when it decides to rain."

Emma snorted as said woman's hands tightened their hold on the steering wheel. "I don't think you were supposed to share that last part, kid."

Henry simply shrugged as he leaned back in his seat, opening up his book.

"It's okay, my hair gets wild in the humidity too."

Regina snorted, "More than it already is?"

Emma shook her head at the woman as she reached forward to find a good radio station instead of the news that was playing.

Regina's eyes watched as Emma fiddled with her radio, her hands tightening more as she expected loud and obnoxious pop music to come blaring out of the speakers but instead rock music flowed quietly through the speakers from an oldies station.

"You don't mind rock, do you?"

"Uh, no, I don't."

"Mom loves rock…she sometimes hums to Pink Floyd while she cooks."

Emma grins over at her, "oooh, and I thought you would be the type of mom that played Mozart on repeat to make sure her child was a prodigy."

Regina grinned, "I did that as well…but Henry enjoyed David Bowie and Pink Floyd more."

Emma smiles as she turns to look at the boy, "I agree, kid, classical is so boring!"

Henry smiles as he continues to read his book.

"I didn't get to listen to a lot of music growing up, mother was very traditional, so when I c-moved out I lost myself in that world. But I must admit I don't much like this new style of music, it's very repetitive."

Emma laughs, "The way you are talking you'd think you were an old lady."

Regina smirked, "Who knows, I may actually be 70."

Emma snorted, "Well, you hardly look it."

Henry looked up at them suspiciously, eyebrows furrowed, 'are they flirting?'

They drifted in and out of conversation the whole ride to the zoo and once there Henry leaped out of the car as soon as Regina put it in park.

Getting a gasp from Emma and Regina hollering for him to slow down.

Henry skidded to a stop by the back of the car, letting out an impatient huff as he waited for the two grownups.

"He's usually better behaved…"

"It's okay, this is probably just all very exciting for him."

Regina nodded as she got out of the car, placing a hand on Henry's shoulder, turning him around and crouching so they were eye to eye, "Don't ever run off like that in a busy parking lot, Henry, you could get hurt."

Henry frowned, eyes dropping as he toed at the ground, "I'm sorry, mom…"

"Just don't do it ever again, okay?"

"Okay…" Henry looked up and smiled, his eyes catching Emma as she stood awkwardly behind Regina, "Can we go now?"

"Of course, dear." Regina wrapped her arm around his shoulder as they started walking, Emma jogging to catch up with them.


Emma and Regina sat on a bench and watched Henry as he looked at the monkeys. So far they've had a really great time, Henry running toward each exhibit excitedly, and Regina calling out for him to slow down a few times before it seemed to really process and he stopped running through the crowds.

"At least back home I never have to worry about losing him in big crowds…the biggest one is at my games but he mostly stays with our team, it also helps that I know everyone there."

Emma smiled, "Yeah, the perks of a small town."

Regina looked over at her when she heard the slight mocking tone in the woman's voice, "It's not as horrible as it seems, especially when you have a free spirited kid."

Emma nodded, "I get that, but I'm more of a city girl."

"Don't knock it until you try it, Ms. Swan. Who knows, you may be a small town girl."

Emma smirked as she moved her gaze to the brunette, "Well, we'll see when I come visit if I am or not."

"Mom! Can we go see the tigers?"

"Of course, dear." Regina replied as she stood, and directed her next sentence toward the blonde, "Yes, we will."

Emma smiled as they followed slightly behind the boy, "How long have you lived in uh…"

"Storybrooke? A lifetime it seems, I moved there after my father passed."

Emma nodded, "I'm sorry…what about your mother?"

"She's gone as well, she died a few years before my father did."

"Wow, that's crappy."

"And what about yours?"

"I'm an orphan as well, I grew up in the foster system."

"I'm sorry, Emma."

Emma shrugged it off. "It's okay, I've come to terms with it."

Regina nodded as she leaned against the railing across from the tigers, Emma following suit.

"Where's the kid's dad at?"

Regina watched Henry as she answered, "It's just Henry and me, I adopted him when he was 3 weeks old."

Regina could feel Emma's eyes on her so she turned her head to look at the blonde who was smiling dumbly at her, "What?"

"Nothing, he's just lucky, you are a great mom…I would've killed to have been adopted by someone like you."

Regina smiled, "thank you, dear…I'm sorry the world was too stupid to see how great you are."

"I had a few close calls, I lived with the Swan's until I was three, and then they had one of their own and sent me back…and when I was 14 I was almost adopted by my foster mom, but she turned out to be crazy and tried to kill me."

Regina's eyes widened slightly, "If I ever see those people I'll kill them slowly…"

Emma snorted, "Thanks."

Regina's eyes seemed to twinkle with something mischievous as she leaned forward to whisper to Emma, "I'm quite skilled in the art of torture, dear."

"You should be, as a politician."

Regina smirked as she looked over at Henry, her eyes softening.

"I've noticed how you've been with him, so unsure to touch him, how you seem to cling to him when he offers it up…I take it he didn't take the news very well…"

Regina looked over at Emma with sad eyes as she replied, surprising herself as she opened up to the woman.

"I never planned on telling him this soon, I wanted to wait until he was older, until he could better understand…and I guess I got lucky, that he turned out to look so much like me, it's not obvious that he's not mine, his hair was dark like mine so he didn't question anything…but he got a stupid family tree project at school and he started asking questions about his dad…about why he couldn't find any pictures of him, or me pregnant…or pictures of him as a newborn."

Regina let out a sigh as her hand fell to rest on her stomach, "it crushed him, to see that pain and sorrow on his face, it nearly killed me…what hurt the most was how he wouldn't let me comfort him…he was so angry, they tell you to expect it, but I naively thought he'd be mad at his birth mother for giving him up…I could never imagine this…"

Regina's eyes started to tear up and she raised her eyes up to look at the sky as she tried to will the tears to stay put, "and then a couple weeks ago he came barging in the house, announcing that he would find his real mom…that's when I decided to do this trip, I thought it would be good for us, Baseball has been a part of our lives for so long, and he's always wanted to see a game so I thought maybe getting him out of a town he thinks lied to him his whole life, and if we just had some time to be mother and son again, maybe it would help…and it has, and I think in part thanks to you Emma,"

Regina looked over to smile at the blonde, "you've made this trip better than I could've thought it would be. I hoped for some peace between us, to see him smile again and you've given us both so much joy, so thank you for this weekend, Emma."

Emma smiled at her, "I…it was my pleasure, Regina. I would never have thought going to a baseball game would lead to the best weekend of my life…and I really look forward to finding out more about you, and Henry…I see great things happening with you, us."

Regina smiled, "so do I, dear."

They shared a smile before looking back over to Henry, neither one really thinking as they moved from where they were to following closely behind Henry.

"I can't believe we've only known each other for a day…it sure as hell feels like I've known you forever."

Regina looked over at her and smiled, green eyes sparkling in that familiar way again, "Same here, Emma. You seem so familiar to me."

"Maybe we met in another life?"

Regina laughed as they stopped by the owls, "I wouldn't doubt it, dear."

Emma smiled as she leaned on the railing around the giant cage, "They're beautiful; but one part of me feels sorry for them being stuck in cages their whole lives, never really getting to know the world…I'd probably lose my mind if I was stuck in one place my whole life."

Regina let out a hum as she watched Henry through the bars just a few places over from them, "Yes, it does drive you a little…mad." The brunette said with a dark tone lacing her voice.

"If you don't like it why do you stay?" Emma asked curiously

Regina's lips pursed slightly as she thought over the question, "When I was younger I stayed because I was scared of my mother and what she might do, to me or my father…when they passed and I came here…I was trapped in a different way, I thought about leaving a few times but I didn't know this place…I had barely left my families property my whole life, I was home schooled, mother was worried other kids would…would be a bad influence so I didn't have many friends…I conversed with the staff mostly."

She watched as Emma frowned and Regina forced on her blank politician's mask as she continued, she knew she didn't have to but there was something about the other woman, something about how she looked at her that told her she might understand,

"The first time I left Storybrooke was to get Henry, and after that, it became his home…our home, I was mayor, this life would be a way better one than I could give him if we left. There he could roam free most of the time, I didn't want to turn out like my mother, and when he started pulling away I feared that I might have been like her by lying all these years to the one person I love most in my life. I just can't lose another person I love…everybody seems to leave me, but I thought Henry would be the one person that never would, he's my son…but maybe I held on too tightly."

Emma reached out and gently placed a hand over Regina's, the blonde watching the other woman as she let out a gasp and her eyes widened like touch was a foreign concept to her. "I'm so sorry, Regina…what your mother did was horrible…if she were alive I'd hunt her down and teach her a lesson."

Regina chuckled, "That's very sweet offer, dear, but let's not throw those things out there…there's one person you never want to meet, and that would be my mother."

"Hey, contrary to what you might believe, I can hold my own in a fight, it is my job to take down criminals…usually very violent ones."

Regina smiled at her, "I don't doubt you can, Ms. Swan."

Emma grinned at her as she looked up at the big owl as it stared down at them, "Regina…I think we woke it….retreat before it attacks, I may be able to handle myself with an angry biker but I may have a slight fear of angry flying animals with very sharp claws…"

Regina let out a low laugh as she moved toward Henry, calling out behind her, "It can't reach you through the cage, dear."

Emma eyed the bird as she walked around the cage, the animals gaze following her for a little longer until its eyes fluttered back shut and it went back to sleep.

"You have to be scared of something irrational…the dark? Mice? How about spiders, everyone's scared of those."

The Mills' laughed at her, "The only thing I've seen mom be uneasy about is losing…and maybe Mr. Gold, but he makes everyone a little uncomfortable."

Regina let out a huff and she straightened her posture, "I'm not scared of that imp. All I'd have to do is kick the cane out from under him and he'd hit the ground."

Henry and Emma snickered as the boy whispered to the blonde, "See, uneasy."

Emma nudged him with her elbow, "You scared of anything, kid?"

Henry tapped his lips as if he were in deep thought before answering, "I used to be scared of the dark…and spiders definitely spiders."

"We have a couple more exhibits and then we are done," Regina informed as she looked down at the Zoo's map.

"Which ones?" Henry asked as he moved to try and get a look at the map from over his mom's elbow.

"The Sloths, and the Anteaters."

"Okay! Let's go! I want to go see the sharks at the aquarium!"

Emma laughed as Henry grabbed onto Regina's arm and started pulling her down the path, but Emma's laugh quickly died when Henry's other hand shot out and took hers, pulling Emma along with them.


"Now this is more my style…" Emma thought aloud as the stood in front of the giant shark tank, the reflection of the light bouncing off the water and casting the room in a blue glow.

Regina let out a hum in reply as she stood close to the tank and watched the sharks swim about.

"Did you know more people die a year from a coconut falling on their heads than they do from shark attacks?" Henry informed as he stood next to his mom.

"Yeah, Jaws was total bull." Emma moved to stand next to them, "They are beautiful creatures…scary as all hell, but beautiful."

Regina chuckled while the young boy snickered quietly from between them, "So does this mean you are up from swimming with the sharks?"

"They do that here!?" Emma looked at her shocked while the dark-haired woman let out a slightly evil laugh.

"They do not, it was just worth it to see your face…you looked equally scared and excited. It was truly fascinating."

"Cover your ears, Henry." Emma said and once the boy did she leaned a little over the boys head and whispered, "Asshole."

Regina chuckled, "I've been called much worse, Emma, try a little harder next time." And with that she turned and moved toward the next big tank, leaving Emma with Henry as the stared up at the great white.

"Oh, and Emma?"

The blonde looked over at the smirking woman.

"They do have shark petting, though."

Emma glared at her as she muttered 'asshole' to herself.

"Seriously, Ms. Swan, you need to work harder on your name calling, it's weak."

"I-uh-wha?" Emma sputtered as the woman let out an evil chuckle. "You know your mom can be a real jerk sometimes?"

Henry snickered at them again, "This is nothing, you should see how she is with Ms. Blanchard, but I think when she bugs her it's less caring."

"She really hates her, huh?"

"Yeah, mom says it's because her cheeriness drives her mad…"

Emma laughed, "You mom seems like the person who wouldn't really like those kinds of people."

Henry nods, a mischievous smile playing on his lips as he thinks of the book he got from Ms. Blanchard that's hidden under his bed back at home.

"Why do I feel like you know something?"

Henry shrugged as he started walking over to his mom, thinking about how he might have been wrong about the curse, they did leave town…but maybe she wasn't affected by the curse and town line like the others…


"Mom, my feet are tired…can a get a piggy back ride?"

Regina looked down at her sleepy son, they were just leaving the aquarium and their car was parked a ways away.

"Of course, dear."

Emma blinked at the two as they stopped at a raised platform and Henry stood on it while Regina hunched slightly so the boy could climb on, before easily standing up and adjusting him as they continued on their way.

Regina glanced over at Emma and chuckled, "Why do you look so surprised, Emma? He's my son, I've basically been carrying him around every day of his life."

"I yeah…it's just…strong."

Regina laughed as Henry hugged his arms more securely around her neck, "He's only 80 pounds, I used to juggle him and groceries when he was 4…and he was about 50 pounds then."

"Respect." Emma smiled, "they don't give moms enough credit."

"No, they do not."

Henry smiled over at Emma when she looked at him.

"So I bet you could bench quite a bit, huh?"

Regina laughed, "I guess, I've never benched anything though…well besides when playing airplane with Henry."

Emma laughed, "Still into that, kid?"

Henry rolled his eyes, "I stopped finding that interesting when I was 7."

Emma snorted, reaching out to ruffle his hair.

"Are you guys heading back home tonight?" she asked after a bit of silence as they left the aquarium.

"Yes, we will be hitting the road tonight."

Emma nodded, looking down at her watch, "You want to grab a bite before you have to go? It's a bit of a drive and not a lot of places to stop for a good meal."

The Mills' looked at her with a smile, "We'd love to, do you know any good places between here and your place?"

Emma grinned, "Yeah, I got a perfect place in mind. It's my go-to place when I'm too lazy to cook…so basically, I eat there at least 3 times a week."

Regina rolled her eyes while Henry snickered.

"What is this place, exactly?"

"Just the best Italian place in the country."

"If you say the olive garden I'll skin you alive."

Emma laughed happily as they moved through the parking lot, "No, not there. This place is called Rizzoli's, great people, very homey feel, and the food…it's how I think real home cooking would taste…"

Regina smiled gently at her, "It sounds perfect."

"Awesome! You'll love it there!"

Henry chuckled, "if you like Italian so much you should try mom's lasagna, it's amazing!"

Emma smiled, "You make lasagna?"

"It's my specialty…well that and anything involving apples." Emma raised an eyebrow at the mischievous smirk that curled on the smaller woman's lips.

'Am I missing something? Did apples become dirty overnight?' Emma thought to herself.

When they got to the car Regina let Henry down, shaking out her arms and stretching her back before unlocking the car.

Everyone got in, Emma giving her directions as soon as they exited the parking lot, and it wasn't long after that they arrived at the restaurant.


"Hey, Emma! Your usual table?" The young hostess asked as soon as she saw the blonde enter.

"How about the booth in the back this time? I don't think we can fit three people at my tiny table."

The young Italian woman glanced behind the blonde to the two standing behind her, Regina was straightening the young boy's collar while he whined.

Emma rolled her eyes when the hostess started smirking at her, "Cut it out, Lu, it's not like that…and don't embarrass me," Emma warned quietly as she stepped closer to the hostess stand.

Lu raised her hands in surrender, "I'm teasing. Anyway, you are in luck, the table is free at the moment, you beat the dinner rush by…" She looked over at the clock, "Five minutes, people should start arriving soon so let's get you guys outta the front door, I'd hate to get the little man and his pretty mommy trampled."

Emma rolled her eyes at her again, "Remind me to tell your aunt how much of a pain you are."

Lu laughed and smiled at Regina when the woman looked up at her with a curious look, "Well for something that 'isn't like that' sure seems like it considering the look I'm getting right now." She whispered to Emma before saying loudly, "Why don't you all follow me to your table!"

Emma rolled her eyes but glanced behind her to look curiously at the brunette as she stood pursing her lips before moving toward Emma, hand resting on the back of Henry's head as she led them toward the blonde.

"I got us the nice secret and very quiet booth in the back." Emma chuckled to herself, "Most people don't wanna sit in it 'cause they think it's too close to the kitchen or too off to the side…but it's the best place…well, besides my usual seat but that's a table for two and well we aren't two, sooo, the next best thing!"

Regina smiled at her, "You are rambling, dear. No need to be nervous about seating, we are from a small town, not Buckingham palace."

Emma smiled awkwardly mumbling "sorry." As Lu placed their menu's (a kid's one for Henry) on the table along with three sets of cutlery.

"Your waiter will be right with you." She smiled at them, winking at Emma before turning and walking out of sight.

Emma smiled at Regina and Henry as they all slid into the booth.


Regina watched Emma and Henry play a game of tic-tac-toe with a slight smile on her face, it was surprisingly entertaining.

Emma smirked at the boy as they stared each other down between moves, Henry breaking out in giggles every once in a while.

"Winner, winner, chicken dinner!" Emma cheered as she drew a line through the connected letters.

Henry rolled his eyes at her, "Your start." He frowned as he watched the woman place her X in the middle of the board.

"This is the last game, winner takes all," Emma smirked at the boy as he stared down at the placemat; two cats, Emma's won twice, and so has he; so in other words, they're tied up.

Henry scratched at his cheek as he put his O above Emma's X.

Emma smiled as she placed her X on the bottom right and Henry quickly drew an O in the top left corner smirking as he blocked her move.

"Nice catch, Kid."

The boy's grin widened until Emma put her X down in the top right, skillfully blocking his win.

He groaned as he placed his O on the middle right.

Emma smirked as she quickly drew the X in the bottom left corner and crossed it out.

Henry groaned and fell back in his seat pouting at the smirking blonde from across the table.

"Rematch!"

Emma laughed while Regina shook her head at the two, they were both so competitive.

"Next time, kid, dinners about to arrive."

And just when Henry opened his mouth to reply their waiter Zach came around the corner carrying a tray with their food balanced on it.

"Okay! We've got spaghetti and meatballs for the little man," He placed the bowl in front of Henry, saying a quick warning about the hot temperature of the dish before moving onto the next one, "eggplant parm for the lady, and the usual for Emma!"

"Thanks, Zach, this looks great, like usual."

The young man laughed, "Well, the boss wouldn't want otherwise."

"Tell her thanks for us too, and a hello."

"Of course." He nodded as he stepped back, "Enjoy your meals, guys."

"You really do come here a lot." Regina said with a surprised chuckle, "Do you know everyone here?"

"Basically…although I don't know the whole kitchen staff. Mama basically kept me fed for the first couple months after I moved here…"

"Mama?"

"Yeah, she's the boss and chef in this place, everyone just calls her mama around here since most people are either family or like family in this place."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Lu and Zach are cousins, Tommy usually does dishes or Hosts…he moves around a lot but he's their second cousin, but Mama's nephew. The bartender, Leo is Zach's best friend, they grew up on the same block so basically brothers…and well the list just goes on." Emma chuckled, twirling her fork in her fettuccine alfredo.

"That must be nice, you can feel it. Like you said, it's very homey here."

Emma smiled shyly at the other woman, happy she found someone who understood why she liked it here so much.

"Yeah…it's uh interesting to see this dynamic."

Henry smiled at her, tomato sauce on his chin and cheek making her let out a snort.

Regina's brows furrowed and followed Emma's gaze to her son and shook her head at the boy, "Henry, wipe your face, you have sauce all over it."

The boy frowned as he grabbed his napkin to clean it up.

Emma chuckled some more, "He's just savin it for later."

Regina rolled her eyes before cutting into her dish and letting out a quiet moan from the taste, "This is very good." She said once she finished chewing.

"Told you."

Regina rolled her eyes, "Nobody likes a smartass, dear."

Emma grinned slightly before going back to her meal, the group falling into silence until their meal was finished, Regina allowing Henry to get a scoop of chocolate ice cream, (she really can't say no to the dang puppy dog eyes.) and Emma happily got her own, basically acting like a small child when it showed up.

Regina rolled her eyes while she drank a cup of coffee to make sure she was awake enough for the long drive home.

And once they were all finished Emma asked for the bill which started the second round of bickering as the blonde insisted she pay and Regina demand to let her cover it, ending in Emma throwing Regina's line from the other night back at her.

"I asked you guys to dinner, so I'll pay."

Henry snickered beside his mother as the woman glared daggers at Emma, and the blonde never breaking eye contact, a smirk curling up the corner of Emma's lips as she watched Regina's resolve break.

With a sigh, the older woman conceded, "Fine, but I'll get the next one."

"Deal."

Regina smiled at her as the blonde handed her credit card over to Zach who was looking at them oddly.

Once everything was handled they made their way to the door, the blonde waving to a few people as they went. Without realizing it Emma placed her hand at the small of Regina's back as they walked through the restaurant doors and into the dusky night.

Regina's eyes widened, her shoulders stiffening as she looked over to Emma but the blonde's eyes were focused forward as she continued to lead them toward Regina's car in the small parking lot next to the restaurant.

"Ms. Swan?" Regina's voice low, a warning tone sneaking its way into her words.

"Hmm?" Emma glanced over at her, eyebrows furrowed.

"Your hand."

"My…oh, sorry." Emma laughed awkwardly as she retracted it and shoved it into the front pocket of her jeans.

Regina frowned slightly at herself when she realized she missed the touch, "It's alright, Ms. Swan."

Emma nodded while she forced a smile on her face, acting like she wasn't internally kicking her own ass.

Regina smiled stiffly at her before reaching into her purse and pulling out her keys to unlock the car. Once they were all inside Regina drove the couple blocks to Emma's place to drop her off.

"Thanks for the ride…and the day, I uh had a great time." Emma smiled awkwardly, she really hated goodbyes…they were always just so weird.

"It was no problem, dear. We both enjoyed your company, isn't that right, Henry?"

"Yeah! It was great! I can't wait until you come visit! We can play baseball again and mom and I can show you around, and we can go to Granny's!"

Emma twisted in her seat to look over at the boy, "That sounds great, kid, I look forward to it."

Henry smiled at her brightly.

"Um, Regina, can we talk privately for a minute?"

Regina looked over at Henry in the back seat before nodding. Moving to get out of the car, eyebrows furrowed in curiosity while her stomach did a worried flip, scared the blonde might have changed her mind about coming to Storybrooke.

Emma followed after her and Regina moved toward the passenger side where Emma stood a few paces from the door, hands buried in her back pockets.

"What would like to talk about?"

Emma smiled at her nervously as she took a step closer to the brunette, "I uh just wanted to say bye…and well I had a really great time getting to know you these last couple of days–"

"But you changed your mind and you don't want to visit anymore…I–"

"What? No! That's not it at all! I'm excited to come see you play, really!"

"Oh…then why did you want to speak in private?"

"I was just going to say the 22nd is far away, and that if it's okay I'd like to call you or text you some time…"

"Oh…" Regina smiled awkwardly at her, "Why didn't you want to ask me in front of Henry?"

"I wanted it to be up to you…I know the kid would like it, but if you aren't okay with it I didn't want to put pressure on you to say yes…"

"I'm okay with it, I'd like it very much, Emma."

"Really?"

Regina laughed at the shocked look on the blonde's face, "Yes, really. I enjoy talking to you very much as well."

"Awesome!" they smiled at one another for a few moments until Regina broke it to glance over at Henry who was watching them curiously through the window.

Regina chuckled nervously, "I better leave, Henry has school in the morning and I don't want to be home too late…"

"Yeah, okay…talk to you soon, then?"

"Yes, we will talk soon."

"Awesome…"

Regina chuckled at her again, "Goodnight, Emma."

"Goodnight, Regina." Emma smiled at her, rocking back and forth on her feet, "This weekend was great, thank you for inviting me to tag along."

"Thank you for tagging along." Regina smiled kindly and Emma nodded at her before sidestepping Regina and moving to Henry's window and knocking on it.

The boy rolled it down, looking up at her curiously.

"Cya, kid. I'll speak to you soon, okay?"

"Okay." Henry smiled at her.

"Be good to your mom, got it?"

Henry frowned slightly but nodded as he looked over at his mom who was standing off to the side, looking shocked.

"I will."

"Good man." Emma looked back at Regina and smiled, "You guys have a safe trip…and text when you get home, just so I know you got there okay."

"I will," Regina said as she stepped forward.

"Okay, bye." Emma smiled awkwardly at the two, putting her hand back into her pocket as she toed the sidewalk where they stood.

"Bye, Emma!" Henry said smiling up at the woman.

"Bye, kid." She reached through the window and ruffled his hair before turning to Regina, a smile on her face, "Bye, Reggie."

"Ms. Swan…" she warned and Emma laughed, reaching out her hand to squeeze Regina's upper arm.

"Bye, Regina."

Regina rolled her eyes at her, "Goodbye, Ms. Swan."

Emma smiled, sending her a wink before stepping away, "I'll uh talk to you later, Regina."

Regina smiled as she circled her car and opened the door.

Emma waved at them as she stood at the front door of her building and Henry waved back enthusiastically while Regina sent her a quick wave before sliding into the car and pulling the door closed.

Regina waited until Emma got the front door open before driving away, again seeing the blonde wave as she held open the front door.

Laughing to herself Regina rolled down the window and waved bye as she merged into traffic.

The quiet beat from the radio station filling the car and with a smile Regina turned up the volume, glancing into the rear-view mirror to catch a glimpse of Henry as he pulled out his book.

This was a good plan, things already seem to be looking up.